Leaders from The Coca-Cola Co. and Endomondo, a social fitness community with more than 12 million users worldwide, have formed a strategic alliance to promote more physical activity and fun. The newly-formed collaboration combines the global reach of Coca-Cola (through its Powerade brand) with Endomondo’s first-of-its kind mobile app and social network to bring communities around the world together with the tools they need to reach their fitness goals.
Endomondo brings together cutting-edge technology, including location-based GPS, with social networking capabilities to motivate users toward more fun and greater fitness. Under the new agreement, Coca-Cola will help Endomondo grow its existing user base and enter into new markets and territories, while helping develop the app’s functionality and drive innovation.
“We were immediately attracted to the dynamic team at Endomondo and their vision and commitment to creating a world where everybody exercises,” said Emmanuel Seuge, head of worldwide sports and entertainment marketing for The Coca-Cola Co. “We believe in the power of Endomondo’s vision, application and most importantly—its people.”
The company’s first contribution can be seen through a new Powerade hydration feature, which educates users about how much they need to drink during and after each workout for optimum hydration levels to enhance performance. Research has shown that dehydration resulting in as little as a 2 percent decrease in body mass can begin to reduce both physical and mental performance. By being properly hydrated athletes can perform at higher levels. Endomondo’s new hydration feature supports effective functioning of the body, and promotes general health and wellbeing.
“Through the innovation and network of Endomondo, we have an incredible opportunity to continue to establish Powerade as a true sports brand,” said Seuge. “The application will allow sports men and women from around the world to motivate and compete with each other while they strengthen and condition to become better all-round athletes.”
Endomondo joins music licensing start-up Music Dealers and digital music service Spotify in The Coca-Cola Co.’s strategic alliance portfolio as the first global sports-related endeavor. Similar to the company’s pacts with Music Dealers and Spotify, the collaboration is rooted in shared value, an evolving approach to partnerships, leveraging the scale and reach of The Coca-Cola Co. to achieve bottom-line efficiencies for both parties. Coca-Cola and Endomondo expect to finalize an agreement that will enable Coca-Cola to become an investor.
“We are incredibly excited to announce Endomondo’s first-ever global brand collaboration,” said Endomondo Co-Founder Christian Birk. “Our relationship with The Coca-Cola Co. will pull together the innovative resources from both partners to create new, unique experiences that helps people around the world have fun while leading a more active lifestyle.”
