editor’s letter
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healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 3
what’s in a name?
So are we no longer the fitness industry? At a Vanguard Council meeting last month, the FIA announced a rebranding exercise, its allegiance to the word ‘fitness’ now under scrutiny. It’s an interesting move, and echoes a number of conversations
I’ve had recently that have reminded me of the incredible power of words in selling a product – reminders that it’s not only what you do but how you talk about it. The industry must harness the right basic terminology – the right labels – to ensure the broadest possible appeal of its products and services. The sector has long been seeking the correct tag for itself: the ongoing debate of ‘fitness’ versus ‘health
and fitness’ versus ‘wellness’, and how we even begin to define the latter. Then comes the question: do we offer ‘exercise’ or ‘physical activity’? In his May 2011 interview with HCM, Active Nation MD John Oxley was clear in his views: “We make excuses for the word ‘exercise’ – we believe we have to use the word ‘activity’, otherwise we’ll put people off. But I think it’s better to take the bull by the horns.” Should we in fact be building up a strong argument to showcase the benefits of ‘exercise’ – what we can offer that other forms of activity might lack? These are some of the many questions the FIA will need to address in its quest for a new name. But it’s not only our own label that we need
Are we talking about, and to, members and prospects in a way that refl ects how they see themselves? Because if we’re not, they’re unlikely to be listening. Do we need to change the labels we use?
to consider in order to extend our appeal. Perhaps even more important – and arguably an easier win – might be a re-assessment of the labels we use to define our members and prospects. Are we talking about, and to, them in a way that reflects how they see themselves? If we’re not, they’re unlikely to be listening. While a new, unifying tag could well prove a
good thing for the sector as a whole, the advice over categorising and labelling members might
simply be to avoid it altogether – at least overtly. It can be particularly tempting with special population groups to create a distinct category for them. However, if we want to broaden our reach to embrace new audiences, we need to help everyone feel like a core part of our communities – not siphoned off into sub-sets with labels that set them apart in, albeit unintentionally, a conceivably finger-pointing way. Back in April, CEO of the ICAA Colin Milner wrote an excellent feature on challenging perceptions
of the grey market and totally rethinking the way we address and cater for them (see HCM April 11, p48). Meanwhile, at Leisure Industry Week in September, Denise Page of the YMCA was telling me about ex-soldiers entering YMCAfit’s Instructability scheme – instructor training for disabled people. “They don’t want to be categorised as ‘disabled’ but simply as ‘service leavers’,” she stressed. And in her interview this month (p30), Nuffield’s Laura Kerby says: “With our diabetes programmes,
we found people didn’t want to be labelled. Those with diabetes wanted a membership like everybody else, in which they were simply treated in a slightly different way. Similarly, it wouldn’t be appropriate to launch cancer memberships – it’s more about handling individuals respectfully and appropriately.” This might all seem obvious when written down in black and white, but in practice shades of grey
can appear. We need to be very careful to treat each of our members as individuals, ensuring that the shorthand of customer segmentation labels doesn’t spill over into external communications.
Kate Cracknell, editor
katecracknell@leisuremedia.com
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