Dive Brief:

• Fitness app WeWard, which uses a gamified platform to reward users for walking, has partnered with tennis star and entrepreneur Venus Williams to raise its profile, per materials shared with Marketing Dive.
• Williams has signed on as an investor and brand ambassador and appears in a 50-second video demonstrating how the app works and highlighting how easy it is to earn points. 
• WeWard will host a month-long Venus Williams Championship competition, challenging app users to unlock increased donation amounts to humanitarian aid organization Care, tickets to sporting events, Garmin watches and gift cards.

Dive Insight:

WeWard is looking to ramp up awareness in the crowded fitness app market with a celebrity partnership that spotlights points of differentiation like a gamified experience and a focus on just one activity — walking.

WeWard launched globally in 2019 and made its U.S. debut in 2023. The platform incentivizes activity by offering rewards in the form of monetary deposits, charitable donations and retail gifts. To date, the company claims to have given $20 million in cash back to users and $1 million to charity partners while increasing walking activity by 25% among its users. The app’s brand partners include Amazon, Adidas, L’Oreal, Netflix, Nike, Converse and Booking.com.

Key players in the fitness app space include Adidas, Alphabet, Apple, Asics, Garmin, Nike, Samsung and Under Armour. Despite the competition, there is opportunity, with many users moving from app to app and the market expected to grow by more than $55 billion by 2028, according to Technavio.

WeWard’s partnership with a recognizable star like Williams, who is no stranger to brand partnerships, could help it stand out and introduce the platform’s gamified model to consumers. The partnership is also timed to the release of Williams’ health and wellness book, “Strive.” As part of the tie-up, WeWard has also pledged to donate $25,000 to Care, an organization that works to alleviate poverty by supporting economic growth around the world.

In WeWard’s video, Williams begins her day by launching the app and tracking her steps. As she goes about her regular activities, the numbers on the app continue to rise. While she is playing a tennis match, she achieves her goal of 10,000 steps and celebrates her achievement, causing her to miss a point.