Fitbit Essay

In 2007, the Fitbit brand was founded by two men named Eric Friedman and James Park. Both had seen the rapid change in technology, more specifically, sensor and wireless technology. The pair believed that they could bring change to the health and fitness world by changing the consumers experience with wearable fitness technology.

Old is new again, hopefully not tie tied shirts and flared jeans, the Fitbit One is a 21st century update on the basic and time proven method on how to lose weight and improve your health and fitness.

Today, consumers can buy wristbands that count steps and track sleep, athletic shoes that monitor fitness, watches that double as phones, and smart glasses that function as a computer or GPS. Fitbits and apple watches are two of the most popular wearable technology in 2016 (according to www.cnet.com).

Fitbit is a great wearable device that helps people maintain their health, and it works great as a fitness tracker. “Perhaps you have an autoimmune disease and have been required by your doctor to increase your level of fitness for health reasons. Thankfully, Fitbit is here to help you stay fit and help you with exercise” (5). Before Fitbit, you had to put big wires on your wrist and then exercise to be able to monitor your heart rate or to know how many calories you burnt during the day or work out. But now the monitoring occurs with a small wearable wrist device.

FitBit is a company that creates watch like devises that monitor your heart rate, hours you’ve slept and steps you’ve taken and climbed. This wireless device is used to inform its wearer if their daily routine is cutting it to keep them living healthy.

Fitbit has been around for less than ten years and is popular with those who looking live a more healthier lifestyle. Fitbit was founded by Eric Friedman and James

They have begun to also utilize the fitness tracker fitbit into their wellness program. The fitbit program can help with tracking employee’s fitness in real time. This is a great tool to have to motivate people to get in shape. This is a great way to use new technology and also help people connect with other people who have the same type of goals.

James Park is a Harvard University graduate and the firms acting Chief Executive Office (CEO). Eric Friedman is a Yale University graduate and the firms acting Chief Technologic Office (CTO). Both worked together in previous firms such as CNET Networks, Wind-up Labs, and Epesi Technologies (“Who We Are”, n.d.). The cofounders established Fitbit Incorporated in April 2007 but did not launch Fitbit products right away (Hof, 2014). Due to lack in investors and capital it took the firm almost two years to manufacture and release a product. With the help of SoftTech and True Ventures, Fitbit Incorporated was able to release a prototype product at the September 2008 TechCrunch 50 conference (Hof, 2014). This gave Fitbit their big break and earned them 2,000 pre-orders for the Fitbit Tracker. By the time Fitbit launched in December 2009, they had earned a total of 25,000 pre-orders (Hof, 2014). Even though the product was not in production it earned a substantial following. CEO James Park said “it was the right product at the right time at the right price point” (Hof, 2014). Fitbit Incorporated earned enough capital to go from a hardware startup into production and

Park and Friedman were able to ship around 5,000 units with a further 20,000 orders on the books. Park and Friedman raised more money for their product from Brad Field and teamed up with Best Buy. Fitbit products are now found in 650 Best Buys and thousands of retail stores worldwide. The first tracker was reviewed as “pretty good”. In 2011 Fitbit was improved by adding an altimeter, digital clock and a stopwatch. In 2012 Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip were the first wireless fitness trackers to use Bluetooth 4.0/ Bluetooth Smart. This model allowed people to sync their Fitbit with IOS and Android as well as the Fitbit website. In 2013 Fitbit created a wearable bracelet: Fitbit Flex. Although the product was not entirely successful. The wristband was irritating people’s skin due to the nickel in the product. This resulted in a recall in 2014 and the irritating factor can still be a problem in some of their products today.

The article talks about how for Fitbit going into the smartwatch area could be dangerous for Fitbit because how is it going to compete with Apple and come out relatively ok. The advantage that Fitbit has is that its smartwatch can work on either Android or Apple phones, so it is not limited like the Apple watch. Currently, Fitbit is in a stage of growth, but that does seem to be stagnating a bit. According to Fitbit’s preliminary fourth quarter results from 2016 they reported that they expect to have revenue between “$572 million to $580 milling” (Fitbit announces,

This research proposal explores scholarly journals, internet articles, and my personal thoughts and ideas on the smartwatch, fitness band, and wearable market segment. I am proposing to obtain research on whether or not the Microsoft Band among other smart wrist wearables are currently and, if so, will continue to be desirable technological advancements in the market.

Identifying and evaluating the market would be the best course of action for Fitbit. A global presence is a terrific opportunity. Data surrounding markets which have the capability to leverage the tool would be important. Third world countries may benefit from the product, but not have the electronic capability to support and/or use Fitbit. In addition, the culture and social dynamics of the market would play a factor into how Fitbit is received and would be adopted. A health conscious country similar to the United States dynamics would be ideal. Or segments such as Hong Kong and parts of China may prove as ideal locations, due to the forward thinking

Although personally, I believe Fitbit like yoga pants are more of a fashion accessory than life changing. In our generation, today, we have taken many things related to fitness and have made them a trend. There has been a good amount of research studies that have based their hypothesis on the Fitbit, or use the Fitbit in some compacity during their research. Some of the studies I looked at explained that the Fitbit tracks many aspects of your life, but it is not something to rely completely on. It would be more of a complimentary product than a center stage product. I wasn’t able to figure out who exactly funded these studies, but some were posted in the clinical journal of pain, and the journal of science and medicine in sports. I, myself, didn’t sense or see any forms of quackery. These devices are sold in store as well as online. The claims aren’t definite more motivational. On the website, I didn’t see any testimonials

Product line options. Fitbit products are continuously evolving as they are finding new ways to offer what consumers desire from an individual product. By continuously adding new products with additional features, Fitbit is expanding their market demand from those who desire this product to track activity during specified periods, such as the gym, to a product that is used daily due to its fashionable look and appeal. This new effort has attracted consumers who prefer a more unique and modern look. Due to new designs, many consumers also feel comfortable using the product at various occasions outside of their physical activity.

Expected technological advancements in health products are likely to contribute to greater spending on health. The FitBit as a technological health device shall greatly meet local consumer’s needs.