HI-TECH OPPORTUNITIES Looking to the future, there are
definite opportunities for clubs to extend their brands into new markets: Fitness First has demonstrated with its NewU Fitness First Personal Trainer game for the Nintendo Wii that it’s possible to extend a fitness brand into new areas. It has also used this to drive new business into its gyms, through the trial membership offers included with the game, and has launched a range of branded fitness equipment that can be used with the Wii. However, other operators have been
slow to capitalise on this trend and it’s something they should be looking at, since it allows them to reach new consumers and have the chance to convert them to members in the future. Additionally, there must be
potential for health clubs to move into mobile phone fi tness apps, just as British Military Fitness has done, and again leverage this product to drive membership at their clubs. Looking further forward, there could
also be an opportunity for a health club chain to launch its own TV channel on Sky or stream classes into the home via
november/december 2011 © cybertrek 2011
the internet as a way of reaching more consumers – again building awareness with a view to increasing membership levels in the long term.
BUILDING CONNECTIONS However, the biggest thing that clubs
could do differently to please consumers and attract more members would be to drop their joining fees. Understandably, clubs are reluctant to do this because they view it as a sign of commitment on the part of new joiners – as well as a valuable additional source of revenue – but if clubs are not keen on dropping a joining fee altogether, they could structure it so that members are reimbursed when they reach certain milestones of membership. The cost of doing this would surely outweigh the marketing and recruitment costs associated with attracting and converting new joiners in the usual way. As discussed, clubs need to become
more fl exible about membership contracts generally, allowing people to sign up for shorter periods of time. Some clubs are already doing this, but there is still considerable scope for improvement. This is something
that Mintel has found particularly appeals to lapsed users interested in becoming users again, suggesting that the infl exibility may have contributed to their original decision to lapse. But it’s networks – whether social or
business – that will play a truly lucrative role in future engagement and retention. Now a major feature of people’s lives with the emergence of services like Facebook and LinkedIn, it makes sense for clubs to encourage their members to link up as well. Given the large number of potential users who say they may be encouraged to use a health club if they had a friend or family member to go with, perhaps there is scope for operators to develop mobile phone apps that enable friends to co-ordinate their visits to the gym with one another.
healthclub@leisuremedia.com michael oliver
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