Goalr App reinvents influencer marketing through active brand experiences
Nigeria’s fitness platform goalr is transforming how brands connect with audiences by replacing passive influencer posts with immersive fitness challenges that drive genuine engagement.
In an era where traditional influencer marketing often delivers fleeting impressions, goalr fitness App, the first of its kind in Africa, has developed a platform where brands in the health, fitness, and wellness space can create meaningful connections through participatory experiences.
“While traditional influencer marketing relies on celebrities posting product photos with captions, we’ve created opportunities for audiences to physically engage with brands through fitness challenges,” explains Adebayo Owosina, Founder/CEO of goalr.
“Participants don’t just see the brand, they experience it during walks, runs, or workouts over weeks.”
The platform’s challenge-based model invites users to register and compete in walking, running, cycling, or calorie-burning challenges.
Brands have the flexibility to choose between paid challenges with prize pools or free challenges focused on engagement.
All challenges are fully customizable to align with specific brand objectives and audience preferences. The goalr app is available on iOS and android for downloads.
A recent collaboration with Nollywood superstar Bisola Aiyeola demonstrated the platform’s power.
The “Goalr Walk with Bisola” challenge—a three-week, 5,000-step daily challenge attracted over 60 contestants competing for a N350,000 prize pool.
Brown Girls Magic, a leading Nigerian skincare brand, partnered with the challenge, providing products for top performers.
The platform’s versatility extends to the entertainment industry as well. Actor Timini Egbuson’s movie “ReelLove,” directed by Kayode Kasumu, leveraged goalr for an innovative release activation.
The “ReelLove Steps” challenge, powered by goalr, allowed top participants to win cinema tickets to see the movie at comfortable theaters near them.
Similarly, premium beverage brand Sosa Fruit Drink from Rite Foods Ltd created the “SOSA Smooth Walk Challenge,” which attracted approximately 50 participants within 48 hours of announcement.
The week-long challenge will award N50,000 to each of the top four performers. For partnering brands, winners receive not only cash incentives but premium experiences as well, top performers in various challenges have earned complementary premium spa sessions alongside their monetary rewards.
Beyond commercial applications, goalr has proven effective for cause-related marketing. “Shades of Life” by Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo utilized the platform to raise awareness for people living with autism through a dedicated fitness challenge, demonstrating the platform’s capacity to support meaningful social initiatives.
The platform’s “Pad-A-Girl Challenge” by Nyerinya has been particularly impactful, with 50% of participants’ stakes going toward providing sanitary pads to girls in need.
“It’s amazing that while I achieve my fitness goals, I’m also padding a girl,” shares one participant. “My walk can literally pad a girl.”
Established fitness communities including Cycology, Abuja Run Club, Purple Women Foundation, and City Cyclers have leveraged the platform for specific targeted challenges. Notably, Cycology’s annual “Mabogs 1000” challenge was hosted on goalr last year, a special event created to honour the memory of Dr. Afolabi Mabogunje (Mabogs), highlighting how the platform can be used to honor community figures while promoting fitness.
Additionally, goalr serves as a powerful accountability tool for groups of friends looking to support each other’s fitness journeys.
The platform enables friend circles to create private challenges, track each other’s progress, and maintain collective motivation turning personal fitness goals into shared experiences.
“What sets goalr apart is how we’ve designed the user experience to balance competition with community,” notes Omoh, Product Manager at goalr.
“We’ve created a platform where brands can integrate naturally into the fitness journey without disrupting it. Users engage with branded challenges not because they’re advertisements, but because they genuinely enhance their fitness experience.
“At its core, we’ve created a gamified experience where incentives motivate people to get fitter and healthier,” adds Owosina. This creates a win-win situation where brands achieve marketing objectives while participants improve their wellbeing.”
With nearly 3,000 downloads to date, goalr is expanding its footprint internationally. The platform has launched in the United Kingdom, with its first challenge for UK participants set to begin soon.
In the words of Ese Ukpeseraye, Nigeria’s first and only cyclist to qualify for the Olympics, “I have never ridden on such an app, it helped me prepare and train hard since I’m not currently racing.”
As Africa’s top female cyclist who currently rides with UCI Women’s Continental Team CANYON/SRAM zondacrypto generation in europe, Ese joined goalr’s “Queen of the Mile Challenge,” specially created for women to celebrate International Women’s Month 2025, where she impressively logged over 700km in just three days.
Beyond marketing opportunities, the platform builds community among fitness enthusiasts who connect, motivate each other, and engage in healthy competition.
Kuda Bank staff have been using the platform for almost a year now, with officials testifying to the positive impact of goalr challenges on both individual and team performance.
“We’re creating a community on the move,” adds Owosina. This offers celebrities and influencers, especially those in the health and fitness space, a way to transform standard promotions into immersive campaigns that deliver real value to both brands and participants.”
As goalr continues to grow, it remains guided by its core philosophy: “Greatness is earned.” The Goalr fitness App is available on iOS and android.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.