Originally published at: Show Me the Money? Hardly. The Secret to IRONMAN and Zoot’s Successful Club Programs - Slowtwitch News
With 6,000 members, there is always a big Team Zoot presence at races. Photo: Zoot
In the last decade, triathlon has seen a real boom in brand teams and clubs. Age groupers can now race under the umbrellas of specific companies, not getting paid like their pro counterparts, but still representing a brand or organization they support. Is this influx of brand-sponsored teams a marketing tactic? A Field of Dreams-esque “build it and they will come” play by companies to draw in more athletes (and sales)? Or is it something different — a wave of teams created to grow the community? Slowtwitch spoke with IRONMAN and Zoot to find out more about the why behind their club programs. (Spoiler: it’s all about the people first.)
IRONMAN’s TriClub Program
IRONMAN has an unbelievably large program called TriClub that features 9,000 clubs worldwide. With those numbers, if IRONMAN decided to charge clubs to become a TriClub member, they could earn a hefty annual sum, but the fees for joining the program are exactly $0.
“The athlete experience is our first priority,” says Paola Perarnau, a member of IRONMAN’s community development team. “We really try to accommodate clubs as much as possible.”
When a club joins the IRONMAN system, Perarnau explains, there is no obligation to the organization.
“We don’t own the clubs, we don’t work directly with them, we just allow clubs to affiliate with our program to get certain benefits,” she says. “Some work with us, some do cool collaborations, some don’t do anything with us, they just have their name up in our system.”
The benefits a club receives can vary depending on the size of the club or its home base. At IRONMAN events in Europe, the club with the most athletes entered gets to be grouped together in transition.
“You can feel that community … when they’re racing and seeing each other,” Perarnau says. This perk is only featured at European races at the moment, but IRONMAN is looking to expand it to other regions as well.
Larger clubs can sometimes be given free race entries or VIP passes for athletes. There is also the “TriClub Village” at races, where clubs can set up tents and have “cheering zones on the course.”
Clubs in cities or areas with IRONMAN or 70.3 races nearby can have close contact with IRONMAN officials, which Perarnau says is “a great benefit” that “supports our community.”
She says that everything boils down to community when the topic of clubs arises, as IRONMAN not only wants to encourage athletes and groups who are already racing, but to inspire others to join in and try their hand at the sport as well.
Growing Team Zoot
Like IRONMAN, Zoot takes an athlete-centric scope when it comes to its club system. Zoot marketing director Mark Goddard has headed the company’s club — Team Zoot — since 2016, bringing the number of members from just “300 or so” up to just under 6,000 today.
“We’re a no-drama team,” Goddard says. “We want to promote a healthy lifestyle and fun. That’s it.”
There are a few requirements to join Team Zoot, Goddard says, particularly on social media.
Team Zoot had a large group in Nice for the IRONMAN World Championship. Photo: Zoot
“You have to do three TikTok dances a month in Zoot gear,” he starts, before laughing. “No, you don’t have to do anything stupid like that. We have no social media requirements. If people want to promote on socials, that’s great.”
Truly, there is a small list of “musts” in order to be on the team.
“Race in our race kit,” Goddard says, “be cool, be nice, have fun and represent the brand well.”
They accept anyone who wants to join the team, and there are “no buy-ins,” Goddard says. As he mentioned, athletes do need to compete in the Team Zoot kit, but they receive a 40 percent discount code, not just for the race suit, but for the company’s entire suite of triathlon gear.
“The team is for the athletes before anything else,” Goddard says. “There are lots of triathletes racing who are alone, so it’s reall cool to go to events and to see other Team Zoot members.”
Obvious Benefits
While both IRONMAN and Team Zoot approach their clubs programs with athlete needs and community at top of mind, there is no denying that they receive benefits, too.
“The team builds life-long supporters of Zoot,” Goddard says. Of course, he notes, that isn’t the case simply because they’re giving athletes a team to race for or discounts on gear. “We also have the best gear on the market, so that helps.”
Goddard continues, adding that having a team of thousands of athletes (all of whom are at different levels of the sport) gives Zoot so much opportunity for trusted feedback on gear. If there is anything that needs fixing, they will hear about it from their Team Zoot members, just as they’ll get the word on the positives for any gear they’re selling.
IRONMAN sees similar benefits through the TriClub program. No, there is no registration or membership fee, but the perks offered to participating clubs of course incentivizes these teams and athletes to race IRONMAN-branded events around the world.
However, at their core, these programs are still all about the athletes, and that is reflected in just how many athletes from around the world want to be a part of them.
Clubs are free to join TriClub at any time, but Team Zoot applications for the upcoming season open on Oct. 2.
