• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 8, 2024

When ASICS’ 2022 research turned up a much larger-than-expected exercise gender gap, the company wanted to know more. And while the main reason women exercise less than men is screamingly obvious -- yes, it’s because they have less free time -- the company dug deeper. The result is the largest global study on the fitness gender gap, based on nearly 25,000 respondents and 26 focus groups. The findings led ASICS to launch “Move Her Mind,” a new effort that spotlights ways to overcome barriers to working out. Cat Ayers, ASICS’ senior director of marketing, explains.

Marketing Daily: What surprised me in this report is that while women acknowledge how good exercise makes them feel, more than half of women don’t exercise as much as they would like. And while everyone would have guessed that time is the biggest obstacle, named by 74%, I’m baffled that only 34% of men understood that. What surprised you most?

Cat Ayers: We didn’t want to make assumptions. And time is a significant factor. But so is aging, with 51% working out less as they get older. Motherhood, other commitments, lack of confidence, and cost all played a part. Emotionally, many don’t feel fit or sporty enough. About 45% of inactive women say they lack the confidence to exercise, while 38% feel too intimidated to start.

Marketing Daily: Running and strength training were the most frequently reported workouts, and ASICS is a running shoe brand. How are you connecting this research to branding efforts?

Ayers: ASICS is an acronym for Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, which means “a sound mind in a sound body.” We’re a 70-year-old brand that has always been based on the positive mental benefits of exercise. So we need to talk about the fact that there is a gap between men and women, and that women are missing out.

Marketing Daily: What percentage of your sales come from women?

Ayers: We’re about 50/50, men and women.

Marketing Daily: Many of your competitors, including Nike and Under Armour, claim they know women best. Yet Lululemon is dominating the market and recently introduced a running shoe. ASICS is a much smaller company. How do you see it in the broader women’s athletic market?

Ayers: We’ve always been unequivocally focused on that mind and body connection. Other brands talk about that holistic approach all the time now, too, but for us, that’s where we started. When we think about that through the female lens, we recognize this research's importance.

Specifically, women are motivated by their friends and their loved ones. When we asked women to share their exercise influencers, they didn’t say they wanted to look like this celebrity or that athlete. Women are most likely to be influenced into taking up exercise or a new sport by those much closer to home: their friends.

And it’s not necessarily just about aesthetics. They want to feel good.

Marketing Daily: How is this research shaping your marketing?

Ayers: It means we’re focusing entirely on connecting our communities. We must acknowledge that women have different journeys, backgrounds, and factors in their lives. Our job is to do what we can to help and be as inclusive as we can.

We’re working with amazing brand ambassadors. One is Tenia Fisher, and F.E.A.R., which is Forget Everything and Run. She’s all about creating space for people of color. Another is Asia Rawls, who has done so much to help new runners in Michigan. There is a 2-Mile Tuesday every week, where the fastest runners go back and start over to keep new runners company. They all finish together. ASICS' ultimate goal isn’t just to help the fastest people. It’s to push communities together and close the gaps.

Marketing Daily: Running started booming during the pandemic and, so far, hasn’t slowed down. How long do you think this cycle will last?

Ayers: We don’t have a crystal ball. And while running does ebb and flow, we’ll keep encouraging people to move. And, of course, with the Olympics coming up, this will be a big year, with an ASICS marathoner on the Olympic team. We have a partnership with the City of Paris, and have something called the Paris Innovation Summit during the Paris Marathon weekend.

Also, we support the L.A. Marathon, which is on track to be the second largest ever.