Fitbit, meet Tory Burch.
Tory Burch, meet Fitbit…?
More and more, companies are partnering to bring products and services to consumers that cross socioeconomic, demographic and psychographic lines. Sometimes, bringing two companies together not only reaches a larger audience, but it exponentially builds their brands. Think Apple and Nike, Eddie Bauer and Ford, The Global Fund (Red) and GAP (along with other brands, including Apple, Hallmark, Converse and Dell) and Isaac Mizrahi and Target.
Earlier this year, and on a more unconventional note, Fitbit and Tory Burch announced a partnership: The Tory Burch for Fitbit accessories collection.
In one hand, you have Fitbit, a pioneering maker of health and fitness tracking gear. The NPD Group now says Fitbit has 77 percent of the market for full-body activity trackers despite intense competition from Jawbone, Nike’s Fuelband, and others.
In the other, there’s Tory Burch, an American lifestyle brand with more than 100 freestanding boutiques and a presence in more than 1,000 department and specialty stores. The collection, known for color, print and eclectic details, includes ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories and beauty.
In this fashion meets fitness venture, Tory Burch has designed pendants, bracelets and wristbands that will hold the Fitbit Flex tracker (see images below).
The skinny? Well, the Fitbit Flex retails for $100, but Tory’s jewelry ranges from $50 to $595. And, one of the brand elements that seems to resonate with Fitbit products is their wearability and durability, which seems a little bit at odds with Tory’s classics.
The real question here is, will existing Flex owners buy into the accessory options from Tory Birch, or just stick with the basic plastic bands?
And, on the flipside of this thinking, could Fitbit welcome an entirely new, more affluent audience through this partnership? After all, the pendant and bracelet options are much more attractive for going out.
Either way, I can’t wait to see the finished products (hopefully in silver, too!), and once it launches, watch this unique partnership grow.
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Sources
“Twenty Co-Branding Examples,” Businessweek.com, https://goo.gl/S6Uoy
“How Fitbit Survived as a Hardware Startup,” Forbes.com, https://goo.gl/NbSNpf
“Buzz,” Fitbit.com, https://goo.gl/YGcM8n
“About the Company,” ToryBurch.com, https://goo.gl/SGcIkr