Richmond Football Club has announced a new partnership with award-winning fan engagement, and wellness company Stepathlon and teamed up with club apparel partners PUMA to create - ‘Race To Tigerland, presented by PUMA powered by Stepathlon’.
Building on the success of the previous partnership between Stepathlon and Richmond, 'Race to Tigerland' is for any Richmond fan, AFL fan, sports fan, or fitness enthusiast.
An added focus for 2023 will be to deepen connections with "diaspora fans" who may be far away from home but are Tigers fanatics. The initiative is focused on creating deeper community engagement and helping fans stay continuously connected with the Club they love.
'Race To Tigerland' presented by PUMA, powered by Stepathlon, now in its second edition, aims to improve the health, and well-being of Richmond fans, by motivating everyone, agnostic of fitness level, age, location, and gender, to move around a 'Virtual Racecourse' through actual life steps and other activities combined with Gamification, Engagement, Rewards, and Recognition.
It will be a continuous fan engagement program whereby fans can participate via a free app, encouraging them to take a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle in 2023.
Participants can walk, jog, or run to accumulate their steps using the Stepathlon platform and log them via their smartphones or other compatible devices as they compete with fans everywhere and anywhere.
The race promises to deliver more prizes, indoor and outdoor activities, virtual experiences, celebrity interactions, online and offline contests, challenges, and content focused on the three pillars of wellness - Movement, Nutrition, and Mental Health.
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said that connecting with fans has never been more important.
"We will continue to provide new, innovative, and immersive ways to connect our fans as we adopt initiatives to engage and expand our fanbase, regardless of their geographical location," he added.
"Working with Stepathlon gives us a meaningful way to empower and engage the Tiger Army to take ownership of their health and well-being.
"We believe there is great logic for us to harness the amazing power of sport, and our fans' incredible loyalty to the Tigers, to motivate, encourage and support their fitness and health. The results from our previous Race to Tigerland demonstrated this very clearly, and we look forward to continuing to play our role in a happier and healthier planet."
Executive Chairman and Founder of Stepathlon, Ravi Krishnan, said he was delighted by the initiative.
"I am personally and professionally pleased to announce the renewal of our partnership with Richmond," he added.
"It means more than a regular deal as I have been a Tiger fan since I was five years old. Supporting Richmond helped me assimilate into 'Aussie Life.'
"I am a proud Tiger, and I am proud of this association. Stepathlon is committed to creating healthier, happier, and more productive Tiger, AFL, and sports fans wherever they are."
DOWNLOAD THE APP BELOW:
About Stepathlon
Stepathlon is a unique health and wellness platform and program that uses a 'Sports Marketing approach to Wellness' focusing on activation and engagement, both indoor and outdoor, across three key pillars of well-being – Movement, Nutrition, and Mental Health.
Stepathlon creates a platform that motivates participants to race through a 'Virtual World' where real-life steps and movement (Walking, Running, Yoga, Dance, Swimming, Cycling, Sports, and other activities) are combined with gamification (Virtual Race Course) healthy competition and active engagement (Contests, Challenges, and Events).
The multi-day 'Virtual Race' connects users to the brands for an extended timeframe that goes beyond the 'peak engagement period,' solidifying the relationship between the user, brand, and fan community. It also provides a unique opportunity and environment to collect relevant First-Party Data to help businesses and stakeholders better understand their audience/community and bring positive and lasting changes to their fans' fitness habits and drive commercial outcomes for all stakeholders.
