| IHRSA Report | Ask the Entrepreneurs
Low-Profile Promotions
Yield High Membership Returns
Besides member referrals, what method of advertising have you found to
be the most cost-effective in selling memberships and club programs?
u
ANgElA loNgstAffE, Co-owner and CEO
Body & Soul Health & Fitness, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
“We donate. All year long, we’re approached by schools, charities, and other organizations for
donations to fund-raising events. The majority of our marketing dollars goes toward offsetting
the cost of donating personal-training sessions. We’ve found that people who take the time to
check an event’s auction list and then place one or more bids are likely interested in fitness
anyway, and just need this extra little push. Five to 10 sessions usually give us enough time to
interest them in coming back over the longer term. Under this scenario, everyone wins: the high
bidders, the charitable organizations, and our company. An additional benefit is the involve-
ment in the community and an increased awareness of our club’s many services.”
—|
u
JAY HiRsHHoRN, Co-owner
J’s BIG GYM, New York, NY
“our most effective means of advertising is handing out 4" x 6" postcards in the neighborhood.
These cards usually involve some type of discount on our regular membership rates, such as a
low monthly rate, savings on the initiation fee, or a dollars-off coupon. We’re located on a street
with many retail establishments, a bus stop, and a subway stop around the corner, so there’s
always lots of pedestrian traffic. We work with a few local entrepreneurs who’ve developed a
flier-distribution business. Their prices are based on both the number of cards they hand out,
as well as how long it takes. In our urban Manhattan environment, this is the most efficient way
to get our message out.”
—|
u
MEliNDA lEWis, Co-owner
Anytime Fitness, Lakewood, WA
“We’ve gone to some of the largest companies in our area and met with their staff, watched how
employees do their jobs, and explained how Anytime Fitness can make a positive difference in their
lives. This has turned into a mutually beneficial partnership. Going out and being visible in the
community is an effective way to spread our message that everyone needs wellness. Dropping off
fliers and posters to local businesses, for them to display in their employee break rooms, provides
a constant reminder to workers to get motivated and improve their health. This, in turn, helps their
company maintain happier employees and increase employee retention. What’s most important:
we’re making a difference in people’s lives and in the way they feel about themselves.”
—|
Editor’s note: If you’d like to be profiled in this column, please contact Kristen Walsh, IHRSA’s senior editor, at
kwalsh@ihrsa.org.
www.ihrsa.org | MARCH 2010 | Club Business International 149
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