» Marketing
How to Run a
BY JUSTIN TAMSETT
aerobics and “feel the burn” were in
I
vogue.
A lot has changed. Today, fitness has a different
face: it includes those of children, pregnant wom- en, people confined to wheelchairs and very-senior citizens. As more people recognize the benefits of exercise, the opportunities to increase the number of club memberships has grown.
Club owners have responded to this more diverse mem-
bership base with new and innovative facilities, equipment, programs and services. They're also providing more-sophis- ticated business practices, including imaginative and more- effective marketing strategies. Twenty five years ago, our marketing consisted of sexy
torsos splashed across newspaper ads and $299 specials. Today, the industry embraces the “community outreach” approach. Although many people are savvy when it comes to clubs, others are too afraid to go out and try a facility.
The Open House Concept
In 1995, an IHRSA-sponsored study found that adults
who had sampled a fitness club workout within the past 12 months were 4.6 times more likely to join a club during the coming year than those who hadn't.
18 Fitness Business Canada September/October 2009
t's hard to believe that nearly 25 years have passed since Jane Fonda’s Workout Book was re- leased and since high-impact
So, a popular marketing strategy for many of us is to
throw an open house event. Come in and try an aerobics class, check out the childminding facilities, discover Pilates and see how nice our locker rooms are! But without a spe- cific reason to attend, your doors may be open with no one walking through them. So how do you get people to sample your club?
Change the Name
An open house is what schools, universities and even
hospitals have – but not fitness clubs. Instead, think health fair or health expo instead. This name implies that there is more than exercise going on and that an opportunity exists to learn something interesting and beneficial. And the name helps gain the attention of more than just
the gym goers. People who attend will realize that you are a hub of activity and health information within the com- munity. You will be elevated – or reconfirmed – as experts in the field, and this, in turn, will guarantee you sales and retention.
Know Your Target Market
Ask yourself who you are trying to attract. Do you want
the event to be a retention tool, a member acquisition tool, or both? It is usually a good idea to cover both. You can market your event far more cheaply to your members than you can to the general public. And when members know about it, they will tell their friends. If you cater to both exercisers (members) and non-exer- cisers (non-members), ensure that both groups can enjoy
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