How TPM Helped SCIENCED Athletics Build a Brand to Reach Athletes at All Levels

When the pandemic forced nonprofit Fortius Sport & Health to close its doors permanently, applied sports scientist Seán McKeown realized there was still a need for integrated sports, health, and wellness services. He had an idea for a company of his own but no clue how to make his dream a reality.

The Background

Seán McKeown found himself, along with dozens of his sports scientist, coaching, and physiotherapy practitioner colleagues, out of a job when Fortius Sport & Health unexpectedly announced its permanent closure in December 2020. The challenges of the pandemic had been too much for the nonprofit, but McKeown was certain a viable business model still existed.

He reached out to coworkers and clients alike and started spinning up ideas for his own business – a facility with a science-backed, integrated approach to sports and physical health. Seán wanted to democratize the expertise, technology, and application of sports science and make it available to anyone interested in improving their physical health instead of restricting it to professional athletes and Olympic competitors.

Seán secured a facility and the equipment he needed quickly and soon found himself with just five weeks to build a brand.

The Challenge

With the days ticking away to opening day, Seán knew he needed more than just the conversations he’d had with his Fortius clients to make the new business, which he called SCIENCED Athletics, a success.

His experience at Fortius was a jumping-off point for Seán’s vision. While Fortius had offered an approach to physical fitness that integrated physiotherapy, coaching and strengthening, and sports science, the only way for clients to access the full breadth of its programs was by purchasing add-on services.

Seán wanted to tear down silos between different areas of expertise and eliminate the idea of needing upgrades to get the best treatment plan. His vision was that experts from each discipline would be involved in creating a program suited to a client’s individual needs, with all the components of SCIENCED Athletics’ offerings working in harmony.

But with no digital experience or marketing background, Seán found himself struggling to even coherently convey this vision to others. Who was SCIENCED Athletics’ target audience? How would he reach them with his message? There was no way he could communicate it to a broader market.

He met with Total Product Marketing chief Dean Ara, expounded on his dream in a flood of technical and scientific jargon, and found a receptive ear. An experienced athlete himself, Dean recognized what Seán was trying to say and applied his marketing expertise to distill the concept into a core message. Seán had the beginnings of a brand.

Dean and his team helped with every aspect of our digital presence. They distilled my complex explanation of what the company would be into a clear core vision and built out a site that made it accessible to everyone. I couldn’t have done this without TPM.
Seán McKeown
Founder, SCIENCED Athletics

The Solution

Seán had no time to waste. He asked Dean to help him build out a brand for SCIENCED Athletics and bring it to market. The TPM team produced a single training page as a sample to show Seán, and he knew he’d found the partner he needed. Seán’s previous clients included a vast range of demographics.
  • Children and young people looking to improve their physical fitness
  • Manual laborers with repetitive stress injuries
  • Professional athletes seeking a competitive edge
  • Older adults dealing with degenerative conditions and hoping to maintain their independence

The language on the page TPM produced was clean and simple enough to reach people in need of his services to improve their health and quality of life, but not so basic that it would drive away the experienced athletes he hoped to work with. It was clear; it was engaging; it was accessible. Seán was sold.

He tapped TPM to take over the task of establishing an online presence, identifying the demographics he needed to reach, and building campaigns that would engage those audiences.

The Audience

TPM built out buyer personas and ICP profiles based on the clientele Seán described to help hone SCIENCED Athletics’ messaging and target audiences most likely to seek out and benefit from his services.

The Brand

The design team at TPM developed brand imagery and standards that described in a single image what Seán had once needed a jargon-filled word salad to explain. The shapes, colours, and photographs together conveyed Seán’s message of bringing sports, science, and data together to support physical fitness.

The Website

Core messaging and brand imagery in place, TPM constructed a website that would clearly communicate the beliefs and goals behind SCIENCED Athletics, educate visitors about the services offered and allow prospective clients to book treatments directly from the site.

The Promotion

When TPM started talking about leveraging social media channels to promote SCIENCED Athletics, Seán was dubious. He didn’t believe the clients he wanted to reach were searching Facebook or Twitter for the type of comprehensive, data-based approach to physical fitness his company offered. But TPM hadn’t steered him wrong so far, so he bowed to their guidance on how to promote SCIENCED Athletics.

The Results

When the time came for SCIENCED Athletics to open its doors to the public, Seán was not disappointed. Interest in the new business was healthy – especially given that it was starting during the heart of the pandemic. The company took in $50,000 in revenue in its first quarter, a figure that was heavily boosted by former Fortius clients signing up for ongoing treatment plans. Seán expected it would be the company’s strongest quarter for a while.

But TPM’s push for social media promotion had not been wrong. SCIENCED Athletics’ revenue grew 25% in the first four months after the social media campaign launched. By 2023, SCIENCED Athletics was hitting the $50,000 milestone from its inaugural quarter every month.

Across Google and Meta Ads, SCIENCED Athletics has achieved significant growth and brand awareness over a 4 month period:
Total Impressions
0 +
Total Link Clicks
0
Cost Per Click*
$ 0
Recorded Leads
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vs. and industry average of $4.01; via Google

While physiotherapy services were the major driver of SCIENCED Athletics’ initial growth, the company is seeing strong interest in its coaching and comprehensive conditioning plans – including a rising number of referrals for athletic associations and high-level athletes, as well as airport fire and rescue services in Vancouver, Whitehorse, and Washington state.

Client Profiles

The Future

The future for SCIENCED Athletics is bright. The company’s healthy growth in its first two years has the team considering expansion and bringing on new practitioners as well as administrative staff. But Seán’s commitment to his original vision – making a comprehensive, science-based approach to fitness and sport available to everyone, regardless of age or ability – remains true.

How Can We Help?

No matter how large or small your organization — or your idea — TPM is here to help bring your concepts to life. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
Call now on 1.855.646.8662