What I Am Doing To Land International Ad Campaigns

I’ve had many emails recently on my success more particularly on landing the international campaigns I’ve landed in 2009. To share with you a little of what I’ve done this year to make light that anybody can do it. So far I’ve landed four international supplement ad campaigns which is more than any male fitness model in the country today. I just recently landed an Australia supplement ad campaign that I will be shooting in May. How is this happening? Well the answer is very simple. Promote, Promote, Promote meaning yourself. You have to be your own manager, publicist, agent, secretary, etc.

I used to be that guy that would feel like I am acting arrogant or cocky talking about myself publicly in regards to my accomplishments or accolades. In many ways I felt so uncomfortable doing that because it really isn’t my personality. I realize that thinking like that was a detriment to succeeding in the industry.

Everything you do in a public social network forum is marketing. You have to understand that some of the biggest decision makers in this fitness business that could put in a magazine or in a supplement ad are your face-book and my space friends. Well if you have these people as your face-book or my space friends why not share any and everything in this business with what you’re doing. You never know who will give you a job or a media appearance just based on those social networks alone.

By the way I can’t give out everything what I am doing because I do have a workshop that I am involved in this Fall in LA that I want save most of that for. But I want to share some things that I am doing that can help people become successful. First of all, you want to try to belong to as many social fitness networks as possible.

Second is adding as many international fitness enthusiasts, fitness professionals and fitness models to your social networks such as facebook or my-space as possible. The reason being is you want to expand your fan-base and social network globally as much as possible. Just don’t think people from your country, think bigger than that. There is whole another world out there than the United States or Canada where people will appreciate you even more.

Who knows you might be adding an editor of an international fitness magazine or an owner of a international supplement company who could give you a job. My point is you have to think big because many of your biggest fans that appreciate you may not be from the United States or Canada. Most of them may come from international countries because frankly the majority of the best talent in the fitness industry comes from the United States lets be honest with ourselves.

You don’t need a manager or an agent to be successful in the fitness industry. In fact they may be a hindrance to your success because you know why, because now you’re waiting for them to submit your pictures as opposed to taking your career in your own hands and making it happen by submitting yourself. Most of the time they have their favorites who they will push and you may not be that favorite. The day that I decided to stopped relying on a manger to make announcements for me or submit pictures to editors for me is really when stuff starting happening for me and that’s the God-honest truth.

Also the Expos are the best investment that any fitness model can make in landing a fitness cover, supplement ad campaign, etc. Treat the Expos as a business interview and not a place to play around and collect goodie bags especially if you’re serious about being successful in this business. So many people say they want to be a top fitness model but frankly don’t do what is necessary to do that.

Also please don’t show up to a Fitness Expo out of shape that is the worst thing you can do. How are you going to speak to an editor of a magazine or an art director of a supplement company and hand your fitness composite card and then you don’t look like your ripped picture in your composite card. I’ve seen so many fitness models that have lost jobs because they weren’t fit in person. You get one chance to make an impression and if you fail at that you may not get that chance again.

I’ve seen many fitness models that have lost jobs of the rumor that their not always in shape which is horrible especially if their fit at that time. Perception is reality and if you’re out of shape one time when you see an important person in the industry that could give you a job, then you might end up giving yourself the scarlet letter of the guy or girl that isn’t fit.

I’ve seen this happen too many times too and I’ve never understood how you can be contracted to work at an EXPO at a booth being out of shape or walk around out of shape and then actually expect you might land a fitness job. Trust me it won’t happen that way in fact you would have a better chance staying home and mailing your picture then coming to an event not looking fit and lean. I was at the Arnold Expo this year walking with Greg Plitt and I was amazed how many fitness models weren’t in shape. It really tripped me out and it made me realize your greatest strength in this business is being fit all the time.

If you are fit and have a great composite card that markets your many different looks and then have the ability to articulate your strengths when speaking to that right person with your card in hand then you will have a chance of being in a magazine or in a supplement ad campaign. If you’re fit all the time then you are ahead of the curve by over 90 percent of the fitness models out there.

It has to be a lifestyle for you if isn’t you are truly wasting your time and money. I am just being honest because I am one of those type of people that love to see other people succeed and not fail or waste their time. Well I hope this information helps a little bit. Again I can’t give everything but that I think this is a good summarization of what I’ve been doing and what I still continue to do.

Obi Obadike

www.obiobadike.com

BA, BS, MS