Zwift searches for global brand media agency
Tuesday 29th June 2021
Zwift, the online fitness platform born from gaming, is searching for a global brand media agency to support its growth ambitions, in a competitive process managed by The Aperto Partnership.
Since launching in 2015, Zwift has seen over 3.5 million accounts registered across 190 countries and is now a leader in the at-home connected fitness market. Zwift’s prominence increased significantly during the pandemic, as many turned to the platform to provide not just a fitness solution but also a means to help them maintain their social connections by joining the community on Zwift who work out together online.
The platform is widely used by many of the world’s top sporting talent and has played host to numerous high-profile esports events including the Virtual Tour de France, the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, and most recently, the IOC’s Olympic Virtual Series. Zwift has recently confirmed a four year title sponsorship of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the first Tour de France for Women since the 1980’s.
Steve Beckett, CMO of Zwift said: “We are approaching a real inflection point for the business this year and the next 12 months are arguably the most important in our life to date. New product launches will open up our target addressable market enormously. As such we are looking to partner with some of the best and brightest minds in media to help us through the next stage of our journey.”
Andrew Mortimer, Managing Partner of The Aperto Partnership, said: “Zwift is an incredible business, at the intersection of sport and technology, on an amazing growth journey. The Aperto Partnership is delighted to support that journey. This is a hugely exciting brief for the agencies taking part”.
Carat, PHD, Wavemaker, Zenith have been invited to participate in the global process. There are no plans to invite other agencies to take part.
Zwift runs performance marketing in-house and uses a specialist agency, Shift Active Media, for its cycling and triathlon endemic advertising. Both of these remain unaffected by the review.
About Zwift
Zwift uses the power of gaming technology to bring the outdoor experience indoors, making at home exercise a fun, engaging and social experience by connecting cyclists and runners in immersive 3D computer-generated worlds. Users of the Zwift platform interact, train and compete together by wirelessly pairing a bike trainer or treadmill to the Zwift app, to power their in-game avatars. This fully immersive experience brings the experience of the outside world into the virtual, simulating the gradients of mountain climbs and the draft of other riders. The social aspect of the platform helps deliver the experience of competitive and communal training for users who want to ride or run together and maintain social connections from the comfort of their homes, with the user experience continually improving as the community grows.
Since launching in 2015, Zwift has seen over 3.5 million accounts registered across 190 countries, positioning Zwift as a global leader in the at-home connected fitness market. Zwift’s prominence increased significantly during the pandemic, as many turned to the platform to provide not just a fitness solution but also a means to help them maintain their social connections by joining Zwift’s vibrant community who work out together online. Zwift has also led the way in a new category of physically-powered esports, hosting a number of professional events including the first Virtual Tour de France in July last year, an event broadcast to over 130 countries worldwide that saw the world’s best male and female professional cyclists compete. In December, Zwift played host to the first UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. This year, Zwift hosted cycling events for the IOC’s first virtual sporting event, the Olympic Virtual Series.
Outside the virtual space, Zwift works with many of the world’s top professional sportsmen and women, who use the platform to train. Zwift has recently announced a four-year deal to become title sponsors of a new Tour de France for women, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.