dissertation and bp

Investigation of the key factors
that have accelerated the obesity
epidemic within the UK and how
the rise of wearable technology is
aiding the pandemic.
and how the rise
arable technology is
andemic.
how the rise
e technology is
.
I
portia colbert
Fashion Retail Management

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the rise of wearable technology
is helping to ease the pandemic

IV
abstract
The purpose of this investigation is to thoroughly
scrutinise the key drivers that have accelerated
and instigated the obesity epidemic within the UK.
The country finds itself in a state of catastrophe due
to the rise in the number of overweight individuals.
Western civilisation has fallen into a state of
idolatry and gluttony and should no significant
changes be the made, the younger generations
will face severe consequences. More than a third
of the British population have now been classed
as overweight with future predications set to
significantly surpass that of the current figures.
(7,642 words)

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acknowledgements
Adele Thorley, Fasion Retail Management Lecturer, Birmingham City University
Gareth Jones, General Manager (Europe and Eastern Africa), Fitbit Inc
Julia South, Fashion Retail Management Lecturer, Birmingham City University
Kirill Filatov, 3D CAD Designer
Lily Cheng, Senior Business Development Manager, Cambridge Wireless
Nick Rimmer, Vice President, P2i
Paul Gough, Strategic Marketing Manager, u-blox UK Ltd
Sarah Walsh, Solicitor, Taylor Vinters
Siat Ceesay, MA of Finanace Birmingham City University

contents
List of Tables vii
List of Figures ix
List of Images x
Terminonology xi
Introduction and Methodology 1
Chapter 1 2
Chapter 2 16
Chapter 3 36
Chapter 4 44
References 64
Bibliography 70
Business Proposal 77
Executive Summary 78
Concept 81
Market Analysis 84
Key Drivers 88
Structure 90
Product 92
USP 99
Consumer 100
Competitors 104
Marketing Strategy 106
Operations 108
Pricing Strategy 109
Finances 110
Key Issues 122

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.0 HSCIC. (2014) Statistics On Obesity
Table 1.2 Huffington Post. (2011) Facts About F
Table 1.4 Facts-pictures. (2013) A Frightening
Look At Obesity Available at
Table 2.1 Channel 4. (2014) Dispatches Reveals
Serious Concerns About Labelling of Fat In
Foods
Table 3.0 Mintel. (2013) 1,147 People Who
Bought Organic Food Infographic
Table 3.1 Keynote. (2013) Health Clubs & Leisure
Centre Market Report. [pdf] 12 end. Teddington:
Key Note Available
Table 4.0 Colbert, P. (2014) Wearable
Technology Market Categorisation

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1 Colbert, P. (2014) McDonald’s
Prevalence Infographic
Figure 1.3 Colbert, P. (2014) Obesity related
Complications
Figure 2.0 Colbert, P. (2014) The Societal
Causes of Obesity
Figure 2.2 Colbert, P. (2014) Food Risk Hierarchy
Figure 2.3 Lucid Chart. (n.d.) Consumer Guilt
Theory

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list of images

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terminology
ATL - Above-the-line
BMI - Body Mass Index
BFP - Body Fat Percentage
BTL - Below-the-line
CAGR - Compounded Annual Growth Rate
CDC - Centre For Disease Control and Prevention
CT - Computerised Tomography (Scan)
DEXA - Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (Scan)
GDP - Gross Domestic Profit
GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms
GP - General Practitioner
HSCIC - Health and Social Care Information Centre
HMRC - Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Scan)
MSG - Monosodium Glutamate
NHG - Nuffield Health Group
NHLBI - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NHS - National Health Service
NICE - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
NOF - National Obesity Forum
ONS - Office for National Statistics
PAYE - Pay As You Earn
PC - Personal Computer
RDA - Recommended Daily Allowance

introduction
This thesis will investigate the key factors that have
accelerated the obesity epidemic within the UK and
how the rise of the wearable technology market is
aiding the problem. The prevalence of obesity within
today’s society has more than doubled over the last
decade. The relentless increase of the fast food industry
has played catalyst to the problem and societal factors
such as the media have further instigated the epidemic.
This investigation aims to highlight the pivotal elements
associated with the turmoil related to obesity and the
successive damage to Great Britain’s economic climate.
The investigation will discuss the effect obesity is having
on Great Britain as a whole as well as else where in
the world, and will further discuss the theory of the BMI
calculator and highlight the discrepancies within this
theory. Scrutiny is also applied to how the government is
helping to alleviate the situation and what can be done on
an individual basis to assist the pandemic. Examination
of societal factors is presented in order to gain a greater
understanding as to why and how the epidemic has
become more prevalent, and discussion will be given to
the state of the health and fitness sector and the cost of a
healthy lifestyle. Finally, the thesis discusses the increase of
the wearable technology market and how technological
evolution will not just be preferential but also essential.

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methodology
Findings for this investigation
were collated through a
variety of quantitive secondary
resources including academic
journals, market and statistical
reports, varied websites, blogs
and books. Qualitative primary
research was also conducted to
support and contrast the findings
of the secondary. Primary
methods included interviews
with industry experts, consumer
focus groups, observational
research and market surveys.

“On a global scale, over one billion people are
overweight and approximately 300 million are obese.”
(Roberts & Edwards, 2010:12)

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Chapter 1
Britain’s Obesity Epidemic
Great Britain currently finds itself in an
obesity pandemic, holding the title
of the number one most overweight
country in Europe (Mail Online,
2011). The country currently has a
population of an approximated 63.23
million inhabitants (World Bank, 2012)
with 64% of adults now classed as
overweight (Mail Online, 2011). It has
been predicted that by 2050, 50% of
the population will be obese, which will
require an estimated yearly cost of £50
billion from the public finance sector
in order to treat the epidemic. (National
Obesity Forum [NOF], 2013:National
Health Service [NHS], 2014). The cost
of motivating the obese population
has been estimated at £360 million
per year, a figure that could be greatly
decreased if each person affect by the
disorder were to partake in an extra 12
minutes of physical activity each day
(Nuffield Health Group [NHG], 2014).
Within the UK, those who do not
partake in daily physical exercise
have over 80,000 more General
Practitioner (GP) and hospital visits
per year, consequently attributing
to more than 161,000 residential
deaths each year, 66% of which
have been directly linked to obesity
(NHS, 2010). If no significant
changes are made, the previous
estimations will undoubtedly come
as a penalty for the public finance
sector and the obesity related
death toll will indefinitely increase.
1.0 The Current Obesity Trend
2

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Table 1.0 Source: HSCIC (2014) Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet
illustrates the obesity prevalence in men and women aged 16+ between the
years 1993-2012 and highlights a substantial increase from 13.2% in 1993
to 26.2% in 2012. It also conveys a pervasive increase amongst women

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Statically, the North of the country
has a higher obesity prevalence
than that of the South, with some
areas revealing that more than
a fifth of residents are obese or
overweight (Williams, 2014). The
same study revealed that Cumbria
has the highest reported frequency
at 68.3%, which could have been
excelled by the number of fast
food chains within this region. The
Daily Mail (n.d.) has demonstrated
that this region homes the most
Mcdonald’s outlets in the country
with one for every 15,269 people.
Chelsea and Kensington report
the lowest generality of obesity at
45.9%, which may correlate to the
affluence of the Southern regions
and the greater chance of larger
disposable incomes; thus potentially
indicating that this demographic
could have more to spend on
the components of a healthy
lifestyle such as organic foods
and fitness facility memberships.
Figure 1.1 Mcdonald’s Restaurant
Prevelance within the North of the UK
The preceding findings collectively
provide support for the hypothesis
that should no sufficient changes
be implemented, the disorder will
not only continue to be accountable
for many causes of death for a
vast majority of the population,
but will progressively cause
excessive strain to the government
and public finance sector.

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Despite the worrying findings of
the obesity upsurge within the
UK, the country is not alone in the
epidemic. Correlating studies from
the BBC (2013) have found that
the disorder is accountable for
an estimated 2.8 million deaths
among adults worldwide, with
the USA in a notably similar state
of catastrophe. The country
faces combined medical costs
associated with treatment of
the disorder being estimated
to increase by $48-66 billion
each year (The Lancet 2011).
The findings suggest how it is becoming
ever more apparent that Western civilisation
is continually falling into a state of excessive
over indulgence and gluttony. Supplementary
studies from the The Lancet (2011) support this
theory and have referred to the pandemic as a
“passive overconsumption of energy, driven by
the predictable outcome of market economies
on consumption-based growth.” For example,
the fast food industry currently holds a value
of $252,911.7 million (£151,981.54m)
and by 2016, the industry has a predicted
economic value of $331,842.1 million
(£199,412.97m) (Research and Markets,
2012). The figures indicate a significant 31.2%
increment, stipulating that the incline in obesity
prevalence over the last 20 years appears
to have been excelled by the growth of the
global food system and correlating fast food
industry, which relentlessly produces and
effectively markets more processed and
affordable consumables than ever before.

6 Table 1.2 Source : Huffington Post (2011)

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1.1 The Effects Of Obesity and
The Prevalence In Children
Obesity occurs
when food and drink
consumption is greater
than physical activity
expenditure, thus resulting
in the accumulation of
surfeit fat. The disorder
can pose a plethora of
ailments including joint
pain, gout and arthritis,
but can also lead more
sinister and serious
problems including
potentially malignant
cancers, sleep apnea,
heart disease, diabetes
and high blood pressure.
The profusion of complications
associated with obesity should
not be disregarded and it is
becoming increasingly essential
that the pandemic be eradicated
in order to stabilise the future of the
younger generation. The Office
for National Statistics [ONS] (2014)
has suggested that the proportion
of overweight children within
England is currently at 28% and
additional research has observed
that the pervasiveness of childhood
obesity has more than doubled
in children aged two to five and
quadrupled in adolescents aged
12-16 in the past 30 years
(Centre For Disease Control
and Prevention [CDC], 2014).
Observations from Keynote
(2013) revealed that many
cases of obesity stem
from poor eating habits
acquired during childhood
and correlating studies
from the same report
stated that the probability of
a child developing healthy
eating and physical activity
habits is much greater
if they are introduced to
such ideas at a younger
age, thus heightening their
awareness and peaking
an interest at the earlier
stages of life. These findings
indicate the similar obesity
trends prevalent in children,
thus demonstrating their
inevitable fate should the
situation not be reversed.

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Stroke/Mental Instability
Heart Disease/Heart
Failure
Diabetes/Liver Disease
Figure 1.3 Obesity Related
Complications
The social stigma that
accompanies the physical
detriments of the disorder
can also pose an impact.
Children suffering with the
disorder are at an increased
risk of developing body
dissatisfaction issues and a
negativementalstateincluding
self esteem issues and
depression (Healthy Children,
n.d.). These findings reinforce
the dire need to address and
diminish the disorder sooner
rather than later in order to
protect the wellbeing of the
successive generations.

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Table 1.4 Source: Facts-pictures
Woldwide Obesity Statistics

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1.2 Classifying Obesity
1.2.0 An Introduction To Body Mass Index
Medically speaking, the terms ‘obese’ and
‘morbidly obese’ mean that the classified
individual has an increased risk of developing
various health complications such as heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and
various cancers due to their elevated body
fat (Warren & Smalley, 2014). However,
the term obese is often misconstrued with
the term ‘overweight’ which conjointly
refers to an individual being at risk of similar
complications, but these complications may
not be as serious due to the problem being
linked to elevated body weight, which could
potentially account for a larger percentage of
muscle mass as opposed to actual body fat.
To date, various methods have been
developed and introduced to measure the
appropriateness of body weight, with the
most common form being the Body Mass
Index (BMI) calculator. BMI is the standard
metric theory for determining what is deemed
as ‘normal weight’ and was invented over
150 years ago by Belgium mathematician
Adolphe Quetlet (Roberts & Edwards, 2010).

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1.2.1 The BMI Debate
Recent studies from Warren & Smalley (2014)
have indicated that whilst its utility in describing
groups of weight are well recognised, the BMI
calculator is not a reliable method to be used
as a measure of visceral and subcutaneous
fats. Corroborating research conducted
by Dr Rexford Ahima (2013) supports this
statement, reiterating that BMI fails to measure
a person’s physical body fat percentage (BFP)
and cannot indicate where unnecessary
fat might be distributed on the body.
Currently, adults with a BMI between 25-
30 are classed overweight and anything
exceeding 30 would be considered obese
(Roberts & Edwards, 2010). (See Appendix
A for BMI categorisation and risks figures).
Fundamentally, BMI is calculated by an
individual’s weight in pounds (lbs), divided
twice by height in inches, then multiplied by
703 (703 is needed for converting pounds to
kilograms and inches to meters). For example:
Male
Weight: 180 lbs
Height: 68”
BMI: 27.4).
BMI Calculation:
180 ÷ 68 ÷ 68 x 703 = 27.4

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In accordance to Quetlet’s BMI
theory, the previous example
would be considered overweight
but not obese. A person’s ‘ideal’
or ‘perfect weight’ is as individual
to them as their fingerprint
and differentiating between
when a person is obese from
overweight is not as simple as
manipulating numerical data. As
previously mentioned, the biggest
concern with Quetlet’s theory
is that it is only able to generate
a very generic categorisation
number and cannot physically
measure unnecessary excess
body fat and how it may be
harmful. Another factor which
challenges the BMI method is
the fluctuation of the cutoff figures
between overweight and obese.
Correlating findings from the American
National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute [NHLBI] (1998) recommended
that the cutoff levels be changed
from 27.8 to 27.4, with an estimated
25 million Americans previously
classed as what was considered
a healthy weight, being reclassified
as overweight. This fluctuation
indicates a 0.4 decrease, which
was suggested by the NHLBI due to
concerns of rising obesity levels within
the USA between 1990-1997. These
findings demonstrate the instability
and tangibility of the BMI figures, and
shows how easily the theory can be
manipulated to fit current trends, thus
demonstrating its unspecified ability
to measure individual and potentially
detrimental internal health problems.

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1.2.2 The Fat Truths
Visceral fat is the malignant
fat that lies deep inside the
abdomen and adheres
to vital organs such as
the liver and spleen, and
an over abundance can
greatly increase the risk
of serious debilities such
as diabetes and heart
disease. Subcutaneous fat
is fat directly beneath the skin
elsewhere in the body, i.e.
the arms and legs and is
deemed more innocuous.
However, this finding must
be interpreted with caution
as subcutaneous fat isn’t
completely benign, the
added weight can put
strain on joints, potentially
causing painful mobility
and succeeding internal
complications.
Contrary to its criticism,
generically speaking the BMI
calculator has served a useful
medical tool for over a century
and Quetlet’s theory has made
it exceedingly easy for medical
professionals to develop
understandable gauges
of weight categorisation.
However, as earlier reviews
have suggested, it is criticised
for its lack of specific
information in terms of a
means of measuring internal
and physical health and
the detriments of carrying
surfeit fat. Corroborating
observations from Dr Ahima
(2013) confirmed that the BMI
measurement is also unable
to account for differences such
as race, gender, age, genetics,
and fat in relation to the amount
of muscle, all of which can
attribute to the severity of an
individual’s problem.

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1.2.3 The Relevance of Body Fat Percentage
The measurement of body
fat percentage (BFP) can
play a pivotal role when
determining the severity of
an overweight or obese
individual’s problem. The
medically recommended
healthy percentage of body
fat for women is 20-25%
and for men, 15-20%.
Woman who surpass 32%
and men who exceed 25%
are at an increased risk of
developing life-threatening
chronic diseases (PennRec,
2012). Interestingly, the
findings observed that the
higher percentage is merited
to women to accommodate
factors such as child bearing
and nurturing, as a certain
mass of peripheral fat is
crucial for child birth and
development.
Accurate measurements
of BFP include scanning
systems such as
Computerised Tomography
(CT), Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI), and Dual-
energy X-ray Absorptiometry
(DEXA). All of which
whilst very precise, can
be somewhat invasive,
very costly and not easily
accessible, unless referred
by a medical professional.
A more accessible method
is the body fat calliper, this
device works by pulling the
subcutaneous fat away from
the muscle and physically
‘grasps’ the tissue for
measurability. Concurrently,
advanced technological
devices such as digital
scales and small-scale
smart devices can now
accurately calculate body fat
percentage.
The earlier observations
detail the BMI method
as a means to measure
body weight but as studies
have highlighted, it is also
essential to consider the
measurement of actual body
fat in accordance to the
diagnostics of an individual’s
internal health. The preceding
findings also demonstrate
that while the BMI calculator
serves a characteristically
useful purpose, the data
collated must be anticipated
with caution as the figures
alone cannot determine the
severity of an individual’s
obesity dilemma. It is also
important to consider that
Quetlet’s theory is extremely
archaic and with newer
technology emerging, his
thesis is very outdated
making it somewhat
obsolete.

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Chapter 2
The Causes: Influencing Key Factors
2.0 The Infleunce of The Media: The Instigator
Previous studies have noted the influence of external societal
factors which may have contributed to the obesity epidemic.
Figure 2.0 from Public Health England (2007) illustrates the key
factors which allegedly provoke the issue. Today’s society is
heavily media influenced with an influx of advertisements
to entice the general public. Be those for food, fitness,
clothing, and all other consumables; the media successfully
taps into consumer desires, which as a result, has further
instigated the problem. The advertising industry currently
holds a value of £18.8bn and plays a vital enabler to the
economy, which under pins at least £100 billion of UK Gross
Domestic Profit [GDP] (Advertising Association & Warc, 2014).

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Figure 2.0 Source: Foresight Systems Map (2007) Key
Societal Obesity Drivers

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Considerable glorification of the notion of thin being the ideal and fat being the lesser
have caused upheaval and such ideations have lead many to feel inadequate and
often turn to ‘junk’ food as comfort. The vast majority of media advertisements only
depict a certain type of image to be ‘beautiful’, that image being thin. However, it is no
new truth that the fashion and beauty industry use attractive, slender models to up sell
products, more attention is now being drawn to how official news publications have
played catalyst to the problem. Recent studies have outlined the effect of the use of non
stigmatising images in relation to articles relating to obesity, suggesting that when these
types of images are used, it demotivates consumers to achieving a healthy bodyweight
and ‘normalises’ the epidemic (Medscape, 2012). These findings reveal the importance
of increasing awareness of existing biases in how the causes and solutions for obesity
are framed and the ways that obese persons are visually stigmatised in the news media.

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To support the previous findings, a focus group (Appendix B) conducted with Slimming
World participants revealed that at least two of them have used food as an emotional
coping mechanism and indicated the pervasive insecurities in those coping with weight
managementissues.Theyalsorepresentedhowfoodissometimesusedtofillinsecurevoids
anddepictasadrealisationthatmediaportrayalhasaveryrealandsomewhatpersonally
destructive effect on consumers. Other interesting comments outlined the dislike towards
the way in which the media often seems to objectify those struggling with their weight
and that weight is a very personal issue and that it should not be under constant scrutiny.

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The previous findings raise key points
about the negative affects of media
propaganda on consumers and
while the studies highlight issues
regarding the psychological effects,
the media cannot be solely to blame.
The industry is pivotal to the growth
and wealth of the economic climate
and does not appear to be on the
decline any time in the near future.
However, certain advertisements and
news and fashion publications are
guilty of excessive post production
and sensationalisation but with the
earlier stated estimates in Chapter
one, it is imperative that attention be
drawn to the subject in attempt to stop
the materialisation of the predictions.

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2.1 The Companies: The Feeders
The UK food industry currently holds a net
worth of the £96.1bn (The Grocer, 2013)
and with the prevalence of lower fat and
reduced calorie convenience foods
becoming greatly more significant, such
foods have not efficiently aided the obesity
epidemic.‘Buzzwords’associatedwithsuch
consumables including ‘low fat’, ‘reduced
fat’, ‘lean’, ‘light’, and ‘skinny’ are nothing
more than coined terms used as a facade
and deceptive mechanism to mislead the
unaware consumer into thinking that what
they’re buying is a product with a healthier
nutritional profile, when on the contrary,
they’re quite literally being fed a complete
mistruth. Officially, for a company to label
their product as low fat, it must fall under
the 3% fat threshold; additional ingredients
can then be appended to enhance
the nutritional index (Berberian, 2014).
Studies from behavioural scientist Professor
Marteau (2014), found that people who consume
foods labelled as low fat have the tendency to
consume more of them because they feel less
guilt and are unaware of the significant amount
of calories from sugar disguised within these
products. Unfortunately, what most of these
consumers do not realise, is that low fat products
have been known to actually contain more
sugar than the full fat equivalent. For example,
the leading brand of low fat rice pudding has
two times more sugar than a jam donut and
although this exemplifies two separate products,
it highlights the issue of the lower fat foods not
necessarily being more beneficial than well
known ‘junk’ foods. Food labelling has important
health implications and consumers need to be
better educated to the implicit low fat claims
made on certain products. The prevalence
of manufacturers breaching regulations by
insufficiently labelling their products has become
greater over the last decade (Marteau, 2014).
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The manufacturers are given a tolerated margin
of error when labelling foods, unfortunately the
frequency of mislabelling where manufacturers
have surpassed this margin is becoming
much greater. The investigative documentary,
The Truth About Low Fat Food (2014) revealed
upon an experiment of one person consuming
only low fat foods for a week, resulted in them
actually consuming the equivalent of 30 teaspoons
of sugar in one day, which equates to 150g
of sugar and astronomically surpasses the
recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 50-70g.
Table 2.1 Source: Channel 4 (2014) depicts the top 10
offenders who have breached food labelling regulations
Trading Standards have been policing the
food industry, but consequent budget cuts
have left them under sourced and up
against a thriving and well-funded food
industry. However, recent developments in
consumer buying habits have accentuated
the decrease in sales in the diet food
segment, with one in five Britons significantly
reducing the amount they consumed
by 21% (Huffington Post, 2013) thus
indicating the rise in consumer awareness
towards the detriments of such products.

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2.2 The Food: The Problem
The previous findings outline the problems
with the food industry and the companies
producing consumables labelled low,
reduced fat and diet, but investigation is also
needed to scrutinise the specific variables of
theingredientsandtheirimposingdetriments.
The majority of commercially branded,
pre packaged foods are often laden with
refined, unnatural sugars and sweeteners,
and various artificial additives including
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
and Monosodium Glutamates (MSGs). Prior
research has caused speculation as to how
attributable these are to the causes of obesity.
Research regarding GMO’s remain
somewhat inconclusive as some
argue (LeVaux, 2012) that the additive is
extensively harmful, enabling damaging
toxins to enter the body, ultimately
leading to undesired weight gain.
2.2.0 Artificial Intelligence
On the contrary, Willingham (2013) challenged
LeVaux’s findings by presenting new material which
suggested that the there is no sufficient evidence to
be linked to the effects on human beings, as most
tests of the organisms are carried out on laboratory
rats and mice. However, corroborating findings from
Truthabout (2009) agree with those of LeVaux’s,
indicating that certain foods which have undergone
genetic modification have been proven to be harmful
tohumans,includingGMcornwhichhasbeenlinked
to liver and kidney damage and GM soya products
containing carcinogens that have been associated
with increasing the risk of cancer and excessive
weight gain when consumed on a regular basis.
In addition to GMOs, there is evidence which
outlines the risks of the consumption of foods that
contain MSGs. MSGs are fundamentally chemically
enhanced salts and studies from nutritionist Barbara
Minton of Food Matters (n.d.), found the additive
to cause weight gain by damaging the appetite
regulation receptor within the brain; causing a
consequential resistance to the satiety receptive
hormone, Leptin. When MSGs are consumed,
the Leptin hormone is unable to function, thus
resulting in an insatiable urge to keep eating.

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nd how the rise
rable technology is
demic.
ow the rise
technology is
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0
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More manufacturers and even countries are
beginning to ban the use of GMOs and MSGs
within their consumables due to the controversy. For
example,ahandfulofcountriesincludingFranceand
Russia have placed legislative bans of the farming
of GMO crops such as maize, soy and corn. The
countries Prime Ministers have both stated that their
countries have enough resources to farm organic
commodities (Active Post, 2014:RT.com, 2014).
Although the previous findings emphasise the
potential risks associated with artificial additives,
it is important to consider the bias behind
some of these sources, in particular those from
LeVaux and Minton therefore they should be
interpreted with caution, as no official medical
statements are available to reinforce them with
statistical data with reference to those who have
suffered greatly from consuming such additives.

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In accordance with the earlier mentioned
research from Berberian, many pre
packaged foods contain an abundance
of sugar. Glucose, also known as fructose
is sugar in its most traditional, natural
state and is present in fruits and grains.
Glucose can be beneficial when added
moderately to a healthy diet by regulating
and boosting appetite and satiety. However,
glucose/fructose has a synthetic counterpart,
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is
essentially an artificial derivative with a similar
compound makeup. HFCS is found largely
in processed and pre packaged foods such
as confectionary and studies have revealed
the additive has no positive effect on appetite
receptors. The brain requires a certain supply
of glucose in order to function sufficiently but
over consumption of the wrong kind can lead
the pancreas to secrete unnecessary levels
of insulin which consequently suppresses
the immune system and promotes fat
storage (Abuele, 2011:Bucklan, 2013).
2.2.1 Sugar Rush
HFCS and refined sugars are now said to be as
dangerousasalcoholandtobacco(Telegraph,
2014) with one in 100 obesity-related deaths
worldwide being attributed to the excessive
consumption of artificial sugar-filled food and
drinks (Wade, 2013). The substance holds
zero nutritional value and is merely used as an
unnecessary, sweet flavour enhancement.
Studies from Oxford University (2013)
suggested that a 12p tax increase on fizzy
drinks could cut consumption by 15% and
potentially mean 180,000 fewer obese adults.
The experts have calculated that reducing
sugar in processed foods by between 20
and 30% over the next three to five years could
remove100caloriesadayfromaconsumer’s
diet; enough to substantially halt and/or
reverse the severity of the obesity epidemic.

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2.3 The Consumer: The Victim
The previous findings suggest the influence
of persuasive propaganda and the perils
of consuming processed foods. However,
while agitating the problem, they are not
solely to blame. It is very easy to rebuke
external forces and whilst they can be
criticised, medical studies have shown the
indolence of some of the obese population.
The Nuffield Health Group (2013)
conducted a survey of 3,000 obese
adults with results suggesting that a fifth
of them would rather remain overweight
and continue to eat unhealthily than
actively try to better their potentially life
threatening condition. The reasons given
for this were due to lack of will power and
healthy alternatives being too expensive.
In addition, among 550 of the participants
stated they were resigned to remaining
obese and a further one in five stated
they had never attempted to lose weight.
2.3.1 Genetics Vs. Pyschology
In contrast to the preceding statistics, other findings
suggest that it may not necessarily just be due to the
individual’s indolent tendencies. The National Centre
for Eating Disorders (2012) discovered that the obesity
disorder could also be triggered by the consequential
disorders of compulsive, binge and/or emotional
eating. Approximately 12 million Britons are known to
be affected by the disorders, with one in two seeking
professional help and proportionately, the affliction
inhibits more people than anorexia and bulimia.
The previous research demonstrates the lack of
motivation of a majority of consumers and hones in
on psychological difficulties for many consumers,
additional data from Keynote (2013) revealed that
shocking 90.2% of the population spend their spare
time watching television but an additional question
arises of can obesity stem from a person’s genetics?
Findings from the NHS (n.d.) outlined that most cases
of obesity are caused by immoderate caloric intake
and not enough physical output, however there are
certain cases where genetics can play a significant
role in the ability for a person to lose weight. For
example, an under active thyroid gland and Cushing’s
Syndrome can cause an over production of the
steroid hormone which can accelerate weight gain.

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Additionally, the more uncommon condition Prader-
Willi Syndrome (PWS) can cause obesity due to an
elevated desire to constantly eat, however PWS is a
rare condition and only affects approximately one in
every 15,000 child born in England (NHS, n.d.) but those
affected have been reported to have a much shorter life
expectancy. An additional genetic factor that has been
linked to hindering weight loss is slow metabolism and
whilst it is possible for children to inherit this from parents,
metabolism can be manipulated and significantly
improved with regular exercise and a clean, healthy diet.
Figure 2.3 Source: Lucid Chart (2013)
Consumer Guilt Theory

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2.4 The Help: Governmental
Assistance
The paradox of modern Western healthcare
aims to improve the wellbeing of citizens whilst
reducing costs (Lancet 2011), but if a significant
change is to be seen to alleviate the dilemma,
alterations must be made collectively from the
government, supply-side key drivers such as
businesses and the media, as well as society
as a whole. An interesting finding from the
Lancet (2011) found that on a worldwide scale,
there are currently no exemplar populations
in which the obesity epidemic has been
completely reversed by public health measures.
These results therefore highlight the urgency for
evidence needed to account for the absence.
Official government policy action is abundantly
required, with a priority on reduction of the
supply-side drivers. The UK currently syndicates
official programmes to assist the problem, one
example being Change4Life. The service is
free and open to the general public and offers
advice on healthy diets and physical activity.
The initiative has had great success with over
one million followers and is affiliated with a
plethora of national partners, including Asda,
Tesco, The British Heart Foundation, and British
Athletics. However, despite the support from
corporate giants and its own good intentions,
the programme alone has evidently not been
sufficientenoughtocompletelyeliminatetheissue.

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Concurrently to Change4Life, the Department of
Health initiated the Reasonability Deal in March
2011 to further assist the dilemma. It was
established to collate pledges and encourage
businesses, retailers, and food and drink
manufacturers to clearly label products to aid
consumers in making healthier choices. The
petition currently has over 700 signatories and
is subsequently affiliated with Change4Life,
yet over a third of the British population still find
themselves struggling with weight management
issues. NHS GPs currently offer referrals to those
suffering from the disorder to weight loss
groups and services such as ‘exercise on
prescription’ where the individual is referred to
a local public leisure centre for tailored fitness
programmes often provided free of charge as an
incentive for those in dire need (Keynote, 2013).
“Tackling obesity is a complex issue
with no quick fix, current prevention
strategies have achieved virtually
nothing, while recognised treatment
programmes continue to be slashed.” -
(Deniszczyc, 2014)
The previous findings demonstrate how the UK
government is visibly initiating the correct means
to help ease the severity of the epidemic, but
as Deniszczyc states, evident retrenchment of
recognised treatment programmes display the
government’s inconsistency. An example of one
being the removal of the GP physical activity
questionnaire; meaning doctors are no longer
required to ask patients about their level of physical
activity.Thisdemonstratesthelackofconsideration
on a larger scale, since the importance of good
cardiovascular health through sufficient physical
activity should be considerably prioritised.
However, with further analysis of Denszcyc’s
opinion, the statement proves somewhat
unjust, as initiatives such as the Change4Life
programme successfully promote the healthy
lifestyle and offer easily accessible, online
information and advice which focuses on how
changes can be made conjointly. Subsequently,
the programme was originally a three year
initiative which is now into its consecutive fifth
year, proving its success and good response rate.

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Chapter 3
The Cost of Healthy Living
Theprecursoryfindingshighlightthedangersofexcessively
consuming artificially filled foods, thus indicating the need
for a diet inclusive of healthy produce such as fresh
fruits and vegetables and regular physical activity. The
European organic food market currently holds a value of
$31,042.7m and is estimated to reach $40,104.5m by
2018 (MarketLine, 2014). Adopting a healthy lifestyle can
often mean the need to buy better quality, fresh produce
labelled organic. Organic food are commodities that
have been certified as grown under federal standards
and free of chemical enhancements such as pesticides.
Consumers are now becoming increasingly more aware
of the dangers of consuming non-organic foods due to a
plethora of media frenzy around the subject, with evidence
outlining the dangers of consuming commodities treated
with the chemical. Pesticides are used to deter insects
and vermin from festering away at crops and while these
prove helpful to the protection of the fruit and vegetables,
it has been reported that pesticides can be stored in
the colon and ultimately affect the nervous, reproductive
and endocrine systems; even after the treated produce
has been thoroughly washed (Jakuboski, 2011).
3.0 Is Organic Best?

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Existing research has summarised the number
of consumers willing to buy organic goods.
Surveys conducted by Mintel (2013) as illustrated
in figures 2.5 and 2.6 reported that 34% of
consumers were willing to pay more for organic
commodities if they knew that what they would
be consuming would be free of pesticides. The
same survey also reported results suggesting
that 47% would buy organic if there were more
money saving deals available. A corroborating
primary observational investigation, conducted in
a Tesco supermarket examined and compared
the prices of organic and non organic produce
(Appendix C). The results surprisingly found
that buying organic fruit and vegetables was
more inexpensive than buying non organic,
making a saving of 50p of the overall cost.
Another primary observational experiment was
then carried out to investigate and compare the
difference in price between organic food and
the increasingly popular ‘diet’ foods (Appendix
C). The findings demonstrate a 96p difference in
price with greater expense going on the selection
of diet foods. If more consumers were aware of
these savings, it could equate to a reduction in
costs on monthly grocery shopping allowances,
with an approximate saving of £3.84 per month
and a total saving of approximately £46.08 per
year. The observation reinforces the fact that it is
more cost effective to buy organic, fresh produce
than artificially encumbered pre packaged goods.

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47% of consumers said
they would more likely to
buy organic produce if
more deals were available
34%saidtheywouldliketoknow
more about what it means for
a product to be named organic
Table 3.0 Source: Mintel (2013) illustrates
consumer responses to buying organic
food and drink

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3.1The Expense
The Nuffield Health Group (2013)
reported that the suggested yearly
household income to decrease the risk
of obesity is £150,000. However, the
study provided no supporting evidence
to reinforce the reasoning behind his
figure. The estimated figure could prove
to be an unrealistic goal for a majority
of the population as the average
household income only equates to
approximately £50,000, with only
half of that dispensing as disposable
income (ONS, 2014). Further studies
from the NHG (2013) suggested that
those who exercise regularly earn
on average £6,500 more per year
than those who don’t, amounting to
£300,000 over a working lifetime.
This figures demonstrates the potential
financial benefits of those choosing to
adopt a healthy lifestyle. However, it is
important to consider that not everyone
is able to meet this financial criteria.

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When investigating pandemics such as
obesity, it is important to also consider the
state of the health and wellness market.
The UK health and fitness sector currently
dominates the market within Europe, holding
a value of £3.8bn and increasing awareness
of the epidemic has caused a surge within
the private health club and public leisure
centre sectors, with the overall expenditure
on fitness participation increasing by 6.3%
between 2008 and 2012. Despite the
economic recession in 2009, the market
remained largely unaffected seeing 163
new facilities being built in 2012 from the
previous 114 in 2009, conveying a record
number of members (Keynote, 2013).
The NHG (2013) suggested that if each
person within the UK regardless of their
current finances, lifestyle and state of health
was able to participate in an additional 12
minutes of exercise each day, a total saving
of over £6 billion NHS costs could be made.
3.2 The Health and Fitness Sector

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Table 3.1 Source: Keynote (2013) illustrates consumer expenditure
on sports and fitness participation in 2008-2012, highlighting
a 5.1% change. A small decline was seen in 2010 due to the
recession of the previous year.

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Chapter 4
4.0 The Rise of Wearable Technology

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“People look at their
smartphones over
150 times a day.”
(Topol, 2013)

46
The wearable technology market is growing
at an exponential rate with a current retail
revenue of $1.4 billion (£878m) and an
estimated revenue set to reach $19 billion
(£11.9bn) by 2018 (Juniper Research,
2013). Wearable technology encompasses
all varieties of small scale computing which
combine and allow sensory electronics
to connect directly to wireless platforms
such as wifi and bluetooth. There are now
an abundance of wearables available on
the market ranging from, but not limited to
smart phones, fitness and activity tracking
wristbands, heart rate monitors, and even
medical technologies including glucose
monitoring devices and drug delivering
gadgets (Transparency Market Research,
2013). Technology, in all forms, now plays a
significant role in helping human’s understand
their world and enhance their lives. Studies
from John Heggestuen of the Business
Insider, 2013 discovered that worldwide,
one in every five person owns a smartphone
and by the end of 2013, global penetration of
smartphones had exploded from 5% to 22%
since 2009. These findings indicate a 1.3
billion increase of smartphone sales in the last
four years, thus highlighting the demand and
popularity of the handheld devices. Wearable
technologies have now made it exceptionally
easy for consumers to create their own virtual
hub of existence. The technologies have
revolutionised self actualisation, making self
quantification a fundamental human need.

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Table 4.0 Wearable Technology Market
Categorisation

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“Right now wearables
are moving from a niche
market and are being
adapted by the mass
market rapidly.” (Innovation
World Cup, 2014).

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Interactive fabrics and ‘smart’ materials are
now readily available and fashion designers
are now beginning to incorporate these
smart materials into their collections. High
end designers who specialise in wearable
technology for fashion such as Cute Circuit,
create and innovate cutting-edge technology,
while accommodating the mergence of
fashion, thus changing retail in the fashion
industry and integrating two completely
different eco-systems. Clothing is now
becomingcomputingandwithanabundance
of new technology being developed, the
interface will soon be the human body.
New innovations and developments include
radiation proofing underwear, LED light up
hoodies, electronically patterned t-shirts and
a bra which not only measures heart rate
but also tells the wearer when stress levels
rise, which may trigger the urge to indulge
in emotional eating. (Gizmodo, 2013)
4.1 Technological Fashion

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4.1.0 Smart Clothing and The
Sports Apparel Market
Smart clothing has seen a substantial rise
with well known sports brands such as
Under Armour and Nike testing out the field.
It is important to consider the sports apparel
sector as these two segments begin
to merge. The sports apparel market is
concurrently growing at an impeccable rate,
holding a market value of £4.71 billion, 7.5%
of the total market share is attributable to the
sports clothing sector alone. An approximated
growth of the market has been estimated at
a value of £5.34 billion by 2016. Despite
previous hindrances to the economic climate
such as the 2009 recession and concurrent
cotton shortages, coupled with increased
import and labour costs, the market has
continued to remain extremely lucrative.

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4.2.0 Fitbit Case Study
4.2 Existing Products

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Fitbit Inc are the current market leaders in
the wearable activity monitoring sector,
operating a multimillion dollar business. Fitbit’s
products are currently sold in 27 international
countries and 30,000 worldwide retail
stores. The company was founded in 2007
in San Francisco by James Park and Eric
Freidman with the mission to converge
trends of health, fitness and wellness. Fitbit
syndicates three pillars for optimal health;
be more active, sleep more and eat smart.
“Small Steps. Big Impact.” (Jones, 2014)
In an interview conducted with Fitbit General
Manager Gareth Jones (2014) (Appendix
D), questions were asked about the success
level of the company and how they have
successively gained a strong brand identity.
Jones advised that Fitbit products aim to
interact with the wearers daily life, creating a
whole ecosystem to provide dynamic and
realtime feedback which must imperatively
be compatible with all platforms (i.e. iPhone,
Android, Blackberry). Moreover, Jones
commented that the data must be relevant,
important and appealing in order to keep
the users engaged. Jones was responsible
for the international expansion of Fitbit and
currently manages operations for Europe
and Eastern Africa, further advising that
future developments of Fitbit hope to expand
to other areas than just everyday fitness.
Fitbit’s Recipe For
Success
Accessibility
Tangibility
Usability
Wearability
The interview with Jones
(2014) reinforced the
relevance of wearables
and the importance of
the transparency of the
transmitted data.

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4.2.1 SWOT Analysis
Although wearables have proved greatly
beneficial in aiding the ‘quantified self’, some
consumers have been known to struggle
when trying to understand the relevance of the
data, whilst others suggest the statistics are too
basic and inaccurate but could be improved
throughadditionaltechnologicadvancements.
A survey was conducted (Appendix E) to
investigate consumer concerns regarding
wearables. A SWOT analysis identifies the
key points
STRENGTHS
1. Widely available and a good range of
products
2. Accurate and useful data (dependent on
device and per technological advancement)
3. Extremely lucrative and rapidly growing
market
WEAKNESSES
1. Wearability, sometimes impractical
2. Expensive
3. Inaccurate data
4. Longevity of product
5. Unreliable data

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OPPORTUNITIES
1. Technology is ever evolving and
developing
2. Wearability, the human body will soon be
the primary interface
3. Accessibility and knowledge-better data
THREATS
1. Competitors
2. Expense and price of product
3. Some consumers are concerned about
the safety of the transmitted technology (i.e.
radio waves interferences with the brain)

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The previous findings demonstrate the thriving
and lucrative niche market of wearable
technology but these gadgets are not
confined to just small scale computing,
the world is witnessing rapid growth in
the medical wearable technology sector,
primarily because of increasing health
consciousness. The developments and
innovations within medical technology have
enabled clinicians to work more efficiently by
extending patient care outside of the hospital
environment (Innovation World Cup, 2014).
Development of wearables which aim to ease
obesity and associated chronic diseases
has been ongoing since the early 2000’s,
but with the prevalence of the epidemic
becoming more acute, more innovative
and advanced devices are being created .
4.3 Medical & Future Innovations
Wearable technology is right at the start of a
revolution. Google are currently in the midst of
creating augmented reality eyewear named
Google Glass, which brings the user back
into the moment, simulating a virtual hub of
existence. Concurrently, wearable experts
have advised how fitness monitors could
eventually become prescribed medical
devices (Walker, 2014) and considering the
current trends of obesity, these devices will
soon become essential rather than preferential
(Jones, 2014). The findings of this chapter
have outlined some of the concerns in regards
to the market of wearables with emphasis
on future innovations and the influence
that the current trend of obesity is posing.

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Conclusions
The investigation of this thesis highlighted
the relevance and impact that the fastest
growing disease of obesity has within the UK.
It is obvious from the outlined findings that it
is now imperative to educate the consumer
to help reverse the trend. If no changes are
foreseen, a vast majority of the country will be
at risk of developing chronic and potentially
fatal illnesses. Subsequently, those who are
indirectly affected could face consequences if
taxes were to be raised in order to fund those
suffering. Key findings from this investigation
have revealed that if no significant changes
are implemetend, the future generations
will undoubtedly face the same demise.
The findings have also highlighted the
discrepancies with the BMI measurement;
this technique is useful as a generic
measurement but fails to give enough scope
to the internally damaging affects of obesity.
Food manufacturers have additionally played
a huge catalyst to the problem by incorrectly
labelling produce, whilst concurrently filling
them with excessive amounts of sugar
and additives and labelling them as ‘diet’.
External forces are not solely to blame.
There is a clear correlation between the
amount of overweight individuals and what
majority of these are actively doing nothing
to help their situation. Society as a whole
needs to implement collective changes in
order for this pandemic to be alleviated.
The government are currently taking the
necessary means but continually contradict
themselves by abolishing certain medical
practices. The health and fitness sector still
witnesses a steady increase in its number
of participants, despite the current state of
the problem indicating the lucrative nature
and popularity of this market. The wearable
technology sector is exponentially rising
and newer technology is continuously
being developed. Industry experts such
as Gareth Jones of Fitbit Inc made notable
comments to the notion that wearables will
soon be essential rather than preferential.

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Recommendations
In relation to the findings of this thesis, it is my
recommendation that the food manufacturers
need to be much more coherent on the criteria
used when establishing a low fat product. If
the product has a lower fat percentage and
this is clearly highlighted, then foods containing
high amounts of sugar should also be
declared to avoid confusion and consumer
unawareness. As it appears, one of the
biggest problems is that many ingredients
which appear in low fat products pose great
detriments and too many consumers are
oblivious to this, hence the need for official
government policy action to reduce some of
the supply side drivers, or at the very least,
ban some of the imposing ingredients that
are added to so many pre packaged goods.
Everyone, regardless of their current state of
health could benefit greatly from replacing
artificial sugars with natural alternatives and
everyone should be making their best efforts to
bephysicallyactiveforatleast12minutesaday.

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Business Proposal
x

executive
summary Digital technology is no longer determined
by the size of its constituent components.
Technological advances are becoming
ever better and smaller until all that
remains is the functionality of the
product and cruciality of the data.
Today, technology enables the quantified
self, endeavouring to make mankind
both omnipotent and omnipresent.
Technology is actualising the
ability to be everywhere, to know
everything and to do everything.

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Mission Statement
TO BE THE #1 PROVIDER OF PREMIUM
TECHNOLOGICAL FITNESS APPAREL
SYNETIX IS SYNERGISTICALLY
KINETIC - The amalgamation of
seamless textile-technological
integration and physical output SYNETIX is driven by innovation and
designed for creation; the creation of the
optimised self. SYNETIX offers a premium
fitness apparel line that seamlessly
integrates the most advanced wearable
electronics with innovative conductive
fabrics. The apparel will target the
luxury and middle market, offering
the ultimate standard of cutting edge
technology and superior proprietary
fibres. The SYNETIX apparel range rivals
the average activity tracker, providing the
epitome of innovative technology and
sports performance. SYNETIX features
the absolute standard of technology
combined with a revolutionary protective
nano-coating, SYNETIX allows the wearer
to train better. harder. faster. stronger.
x

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concept
SYNETIX is a limited company operating
within Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The company was founded by CEO
Portia Colbert in 2014 and was inspired
and created due to the extremities
of the rising prevalence of obesity
within the UK. SYNETIX prides itself on
delivering a premium fitness experience
to it’s targeted demographic. SYNETIX’
distribution channel will be through
premier fitness facilities and privately
owned CrossFit facilities throughout the
UK. The company aims to become the
number one choice for smart-wearable
sports and fitness garments within
the UK, with an estimated revewnue of
£3,827,000 over the next five years.

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Figure B1 SYNETIX Trifecta Business Model

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Market
analysis
SYNETIX will enter the robust and
lucrative health and wellness market,
penetrating the concurrent and highly
fragmented sectors of wearable
technology, sports and footwear
apparel and health and fitness clubs.
Figure B2 Mergence of Markets

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The Wearable Technology Sector
Key Facts:
1. Retail value of $1.4 billion (£878m)
Estimated growth of $19 billion
(£11.9bn)
2. Estimated CAGR of 17.7% from 2013-
2018
The wearable technology market is
growing at an exponential rate with
a current retail revenue of $1.4 billion
(£878m) and an estimated revenue set
to reach $19 billion (£11.9bn) by 2018
(Juniper Research, 2013). Wearable
technology encompasses all varieties of
smallscalecomputingfromsmartphones
to fitness trackers. Technology in all forms,
now plays a significant role in helping
human’s understand their world and
enhance their lives (Business Insider,
2013:Markets and Markets, 2012).
SYNETIXwillprimarilypenetratethismarket.
Sports Apparel and Footwear Sector
Key Facts:
1. Current market value of £4.71 billion
2. Estimated market value of £5.34
billion by 2016
3. Impeccable growth rate of £63
million within the next two years
4. 7.5% of the total market share is
attributed to the sports clothing sector
alone
The recession had great impact on
the UK economy which induced a
substantial market fall in 2009 and
furthermore, global cotton shortages
led to an inflation of material prices.
Labour and import costs also played a
significant role, but despite the detriments
of the previous economic climate, t.he
market has remained extremely lucrative
thus highlighting the relentless demand
for fitness apparel. (Keynote, 2012)

Health and Fitness Sector
Key Facts:
1. Market value of £3.8 billion
2. 4.5% rise in number of UK residents
joining fitness facilities within the private
sector since 2012
Increasing awareness of the obesity
epidemic has caused a surge within
the private health club and public
leisure centre sectors with 12.6% of
the total population joining a facility
since last year. Despite the economic
recession in 2009, the market remained
largely unaffected seeing 163 new
facilities being built in 2012 from the
previous 114 in 2009 (Keynote, 2013).
“Market growth is expected to
be excelled by various factors;
Growing fitness consciousness
and rising income levels in
developing countries.” (Forbes,
2013)
x
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Table B3 Source: Juniper Research (2014) Retail Market
Value of Smart Wearable Devices Bought in 2013

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key
drivers
Factors collectively influencing these
markets as well as the creation and
innovation of the SYNETIX product range
include the rise in health consciousness,
which have ignited public interest in
health and wellness at a time when the
health of the nation is under threat.
Britain’s Obesity Epidemic Key Facts:
1. 50% of the British population will be
overweight or obese by 2050
2. Motivating the obese population costs
the NHS an average of £360 million per
year to treat
3. More than 161,000 die each year
from excess weight problems, 66%
being directly linked to obesity
The Rise of Wearable Technology
It is expected that the UK fitness industry
will continue to grow as the markets
continuously adapt to consumer needs
and economic trends and successive
technological improvements are
expected to change the face of the
health and wellness market as a whole
(Keynote, 2013). There are now an
abundance of wearables available
ranging from smart phones, fitness and
activity trackers, and heart rate monitors.
New medical technologies including
glucose monitoring devices and drug
delivering gadgets are changing the
face of medicine and enabling human’s
to enhance their lives. Clothing is now
becoming computing and with the
development of SYNETIX new and
innovative technology, the interface is
now the human body, thus providing
the ultimate platform to the quantified
self.

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Table B4 Source: IHS IMS Research (2012) Global
Forecast of wearable technology units sold within the
premium and value markets by 2016

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the synetix
team

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Corporate Social
Responsibility
Part of the SYNETIX core value is to have a good Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) Policy
Economical Responsibility-(be profitable) SYNETIX intends to be a profitable
and viable business hence management and staff would have revenue
budgets as targets which would yield returns for stakeholders
Legal Responsibilities -(obey the law) as a company, SYNETIX would obey
all national, industrial and local rules and regulations governing its operations.
The company will also formulate its own internal rules and regulations from
best practices to govern its staff and operations.
Ethical Responsibilities (be ethical)- SYNETIX will endeavour to be ethically
responsible to its staff, environment and partners. The company will establish
an ethical code of conduct to guide its operations and dealings both
internally and externally.
Philanthropic responsibilities (be a good corporate citizen)- SYNETIX will
give back to its host community by aliening itself with partners, institutions
or bodies that contribute towards the social-economic development of its
community. This will be done through sponsorships, awards and donations
to worthy causes.

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The SYNETIX product range consists of
four pieces of fitness apparel for both
men and women featuring the height
of advanced wearable electronics
rivalling that of its competitors .
Product Key Features
Shaped and structured to contour and
flatter the body and provide extreme
comfort
Specially blended materials to ensure a
superior fit and second skin feel
Confident designs to compliment the
physique
Innovative integrated technology woven
into fabrics to provide accurate and
real time data for optimal analysis of
performance and training

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product
SYNETICALLY BLENDED
SYNETIX introduces a patented
proprietary blend of specially
constructed materials to provide ultimate
comfort and cutting edge technology;
SYNETIX².
SYNETIX² achieves a second skin
illusion, which provides HYPER-SENSTIVE
sensor fusion of materials and fibres
for the most accurate muscular activity
data in addition to superior comfort and
wearability.

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SYNETIX² Blend:
Shape Memory Polymers:
Provides functionally and ease of
movability for supreme comfort and fit.
These fibres are easily manipulated
and expanded, ensuring the clothing
moves with the wearer whilst always
reverting back to its original state to
provide extreme longevity
-Moisture wicking fibres:
Ensures extreme breathability to absorb
perspiration
-Lycra, Nylon, Polyester Blend:
Achieves stretch and elasticity, proves
tear and abrasion resistant. Resistant to
temperature changes, ensuring heat
retention and cooling innovation. High
performance microfibres that move
sweat away from the body and to the
surface for evaporation
SYNETIX² operates on its brand core
values of Layer, Protect, Recover. The
specially constructed materials are
marginally more expensive than regular
sports garment fibres, at approximately
35% higher to produce due to their
conductivity, sensory integration and the
coveted SYNETIX competitive advantage
of P2i’s nano-coating technology.

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Technological Integration
Biometric sensors woven into fibres
monitor pulse, heart rate, body
temperature and muscular activity.
These sensors are strategically placed
on integral areas of the garments to
contact primary muscle groups
Synetix² wirelessly transmits real-time
data via Bluetooth 4.0 to mySYNETIX,
the comprehensive data analysis
component to SYNETIX². The new, low
energy Bluetooth 4.0 has improved rates
of speed, to give the best experience
and fastest transmission to mySYNETIX

PROTECT AND
RECOVER
In a holistic approach to
training, garments are
specifically designed to
aid performance and
recovery through the use
of strategically positioned
panels to protect against
abrasion in high-stress
areas.

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BETTER FIT, BETTER FORM.

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mySYNETIX
mySYNETIX is the post exercise data
analysis app that creates a virtual
network for the wearer
Provides instant access to data
Wearers can view and manipulate
data to optimise performance and
techniques
Illustrations of exercise and training
intensity
Displays detected problems to prevent
injuries
Recommendations for better and
optimal training based on individual
results
Compatible with all platforms, i.e. IOS,
Android, Blackberry
Smartphone acts as the data hub for
continuos data capture
mySYNETIX engages wearers with
SYNETIX.com
Creation of the SYNETIXself, the virtual
illustration of the wearer

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SYNETIX² combines the use of P2i
technology. P2i is the pioneering
hydrophilic nano-technology that
provides the ultimate nano-coating
protection to the SYNETIX² electronic
components, providing an end-to-
end solution of full protection from
corrosive and liquid submersion.
USP
How Does It Do It?
The garments undergo a chemical vapour deposition process where the
molecules of P2i’s formula bond to one another. Creating a robust barrier capable
of safeguarding the SYNETIX² electronics from destructive elements such as sweat
and water damage. The nanotechnology (nano-coating) repels liquids, encasing
the apparel in a transparent film that has no negative affect to the look or wearability
of the apparel. The nano-coating shields the garment, thus conserving the longevity
of the clothing and preservation of the integrated electronic sensors. Concurrently, the
nano-coating provides anti microbial protection, keeping the wearer dry, stain and
odour free, thus enabling it to be wearable for up to three workouts before washing.
When necessary, the garments should be hand washed in cold water.

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COnsumer
SYNETIX will distribute to the end
user via premium fitness centres
and Crossfit facilities. Synetix has
chosen these distribution channels
due to the rising prevalence of private
sector fitness facilities within the UK.
Synetix focus is to appeal to end users
from a B2B platform via deluxe fitness
facilities and leading CrossFit facilities.
Throughout product design and
development, the business considers
specific consumer groups which fall
under the demographic classification of
ABC1.There has been steady increase
within this social grade and a subsequent
inclineintheirspendingpower,despitethe
temperaments of the current economic
climate. Research indicates that those
who categorise within the higher
social grades have a greater interest
within sporting and fitness activities
(Keynote, 2013). This demographic
has therefore been highlighted as
the Synetix primary consumer
Consumer Expectations
Global Operations General Manager
of market leaders for fitness and activity
monitors Fitbit Inc, Gareth Jones (2014)
has outlined that consumers expect
many components in order for a
product to be vital. SYNETIX conducted
a survey (Appendix A) in order to
establish their needs and what might be
missing within the health and wellness
wearables sector. The trend of ‘life
logging’ is driving transitional devices
that monitor and record all day, every
day since consumers are suffering
from device overload - they want one
product that meets all requirements.
Devices and gadgets require clear benefit
and functionality, with less gimmicks as
consumers develop ‘gadget fatigue’
hence the need for ‘smart’ clothing -
greater functionality and accessibility
It is essential that SYNETIX meets
the consumer expectations of
wearables in order to thrive and
deliver the best possible service.

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Distributor Expectations
Traffic - This is where SYNETIX hopes
to entice a new customer base for it’s
distributors
In store Theatre - SYNETIX will provide
live demos within the facilities as part of
the company marketing strategy
Staff Training - SYNETIX will provide the
distributors with sufficient and detailed
information packages to ensure each
member of staff becomes a SYNETIX
Ambassador expert
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Customer Relationship Management
The consumer is of the utmost importance to SYNETIX and therefore essential to the success of the
business. SYNETIX puts the consumer at the forefront of the brand to enable a greater understanding
of the targeted demographic. SYNETIX highly values its chosen distribution channels of premium and
CrossFit fitness facilities. A prominent relationship with these organisations is crucial in order to develop
stronger brand awareness and total product satisfaction for the end user.
SYNETIX will demonstrate a good online presence in order to interact with its customers efficiently and
effectively. SYNETIX hosts website and subsequent app in order to stay fully connected with the end
user. The platforms achieve personal and immediate access from business to consumer and vice
versa allowing the business and it’s valued customers to interact. The business aims to offer instance
access to consumers, hence SYNETIX dedicated Sales and Marketing team are on hand to assist
with potential queries and complaints.
SYNETIX makes it a priority to always ensure its software and wireless interconnections are up to date
to provide the end user with the best experience possible. SYNETIX syndicates Bluetooth 4.0 which
couples low energy and improved rates of speed, to give the fastest transmission to MySYNETIX.
SYNETIX will only distribute to premier fitness facilities in its initial years in order to build a strong rapport
with its chosen distribution channel and achieve greater customer retention. This also adds to the
exclusivity of the brand and products.

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Competitors
The wearable technology market is heavily saturated
with a plethora of new gadgets being produced
and shipped every month.Global shipments of
wearable devices is estimated to reach almost
112 million by 2018 (Juniper Research, 2013).
SYNETIX has one direct competitor, Finish brand, MBody.
The brand specialises in a similar product to SYNETIX.
MBodyoffertheMshortswhichfeaturebuiltinsensorsthat
sit on the hamstrings and quadriceps to read muscular
activity. The company was the first of it’s kind to establish
new technology of this kind in wearable electronics, and
subsequently won The Innovation World Cup in 2013.
Features which differentiate SYNETIX and MBody are
the forms in which the technologies are integrated. The
Mshorts do not feature integral sensors woven directly
in to the fabrics and the platform in which the data is
transmitted is also not as advanced as SYNETIX. The
Mshorts feature the MCell which is essential the data
hub interface. This must be connected and removed
before wearing and upon washing of the shorts, where
as SYNETIX provides an easier solution. MBody retails at
approximately £900. Although the SYNETIX range has a
higher price point, this is justified by the newer technology
and the competitive advantage of the P2i nano-coating .

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MARKETING
STRATGEY
SYNETIX cultivates strong marketing techniques by considering the the marketing mix in order to
create wider awareness of the brand to consumers and potential new partners and investors.
SYNETIX will use forms of above-the-line (ATL) promotion in formats such as new papers,
magazines, television, billboard and online advertisements. The businesses above-the-line
strategiesincludesguerrillamarketingtoaggressivelyenticeandcaptivateit’schosendemographic.
SYNETIX will additionally use forms of below-the-line (BTL) promotion such as promotional
videos of the SYNETIX sponsored athlete, show casing young and fresh sports and athletic
talent within the UK in order to create stronger brand awareness. (Rob Evans) This technique
concurrently builds a powerful alliance with up and coming individuals within this field to
create a greater rapport for further sponsorships. Other forms of BTL include the integration
of social media platforms as the number of social network users around the world is
estimated to rise from the current 1.47 billion to 1.73 billion by 2017 (E Marketer, 2013).
SYNETIX endeavours to achieve the deepest engagement with its audience and customer
base. SYNETIX will attend various technology conventions such as The Wearable Tech
Expo in London where the business will conduct product demonstrations. The business will
concurrently hold live demonstrations within the fitness facilities for a greater brand experience.

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operations
SYNETIX’ distribution channel will be through premier
fitness facilities and privately owned CrossFit facilities
throughout the UK. SYNETIX outsources its suppliers
and manufacturers in China. All designs are created
in-house by the SYNETIX team. SYNETIX monitors
the manufacturing and shipping process to ensure
complete quality control until the products reach
distribution.

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pricing
strategy
SYNETIX uses a premium pricing strategy in order to
highlight the exclusivity and luxuriate essence of the
brand. The strategy also factors in the high technology
costs, integrated sensory fibres, and the USP of P2i nano-
coating. Although this strategy is used, SYNETIX prices
rival those of its competitors and offers consumers
greater advancements in technology. Within its
first year, SYNETIX will distribute more menswear
garments as research of the sportswear market
has identified that males are the main consumers
in the health and fitness industry (Keynote, 2013).

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