Vitor Belfort is one of the most celebrated names in the world of modern mixed martial arts. Following years of international fame and a decorated career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vitor pivoted into the similarly competitive world of public fitness center ownership.
The first Belfort Fitness Lifestyle studio opened in Miami, FL, in 2017. From initial conception to ribbon cutting, Madu Media ensured this flagship location found stable footing and maintained an exemplary course for expansion and franchising.
This project presented exciting challenges from a marketing standpoint. Victor and his wife, Joana Prado, both represent established brands in and of themselves on social media and in business, yet Belfort Fitness Lifestyle was a new start-up without an established business model, market share, or marketing strategy. It needed its own brad and culture. Thus, we were faced with the challenge of utilizing the owners’ reputations without overshadowing or restricting their future directions.
Our first meeting with Vitor and Joana was a knockout. Together, we envisioned a campaign to present Belfort Fitness Lifestyle as a new gym concept for the whole family. Combining Vitor’s athletics with Joana’s vision, we presented a gym with an atmosphere of community, motivation, and capacity to change lives.
We blended the owner’s popular appeal with organic community culture. This strategy fostered a welcoming atmosphere for both men and women. It attracted customers of all fitness levels and backgrounds, in addition to those who follow Vitor and mixed Martial Arts.
We developed a responsive website and platform for enrollment, a class scheduler, and a dashboard for clients to monitor performance. We also featured content about physical and mental health, as well as tips on nutrition and well-being from specialists.
In social networks we shared imagery of balance, health, and inclusion. We also emphasized hopefulness and confidence, addressing the large cohort of potential clients experiencing obesity, and those with health problems who may not know where to start or lack the confidence to find a new lifestyle.
Throughout the process, we spearheaded and managed digital marketing strategies, public relations, and media purchases. We created and distributed pamphlets, posters, and billboards at strategic points in Miami and the surrounding region. For additional community exposure, we created products with the Belfort Fitness Lifestyle brand, including bottles, caps, and t-shirts with impact phrases. Items could be purchased through the website or at the gym. We encouraged sales of these items to bolster the BFL community, which together strives for improved health and inclusion.
We also directed promotions to attract students and young professionals, for example, by developing incentive campaigns in schools and companies in the region. We furthermore organized strategic events and partnered with TV programs, newspapers and magazines.
Including the Belfort family in some of our campaigns scored additional credibility and celebrity points. Vitor and Joana’s three children are known athletes in the United States, so we took advantage of their ability to also attract younger people seeking a new lifestyle.
Within a few days of opening, the gym had already had a significant number of members, exceeding all expectations. A year later Vitor and Joana opened the second unit of Belfort Fitness Lifestyle in Florida.