IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
Why you should think small • Hossein Noshirvani • Co-founder and executive vice president • Motionsoft
the eff orts of a group of researchers who wanted to see if they could get a bunch of college students to eat healthier lunches. T e researchers divided the students into two groups and tested diff erent messages. T e fi rst message was big and audacious,
I
with posters designed to put up all over campus explaining to the students how healthy decisions today would lead to a better quality of life. T e second message was simpler, with the
researchers proposing to write: “Make better lunch decisions,” on students’ lunch trays. Prior to the research actually being
carried out, the messages were shown to a range of people. Everyone interviewed declared the fi rst message to be the winner. It was bigger, smarter and spoke to the human desire to achieve. Meanwhile everyone who saw the new and ‘improved’ trays thought they were crass and ineff ective. T en the researchers put it to the test. T e
‘big’ message was rolled out on one campus, the tray message on another. Guess what? T ose who had the message on their trays ate 25 per cent fewer calories, and when they went home to eat dinner, they continued to make smarter eating decisions.
In a study among US students, simple messages were most effective in prompting healthier lunch choices What does this have to do with our
industry? My theory is that we’re positioning ourselves incorrectly. We have more clubs that are more aff ordable and more convenient than ever. Yet the total number of people who exercise, as a percentage of the population, hasn’t really changed. I’d argue that it’s our message. Let’s get
real for a second. When I read that exercise will make me healthier and happier, I have
no idea what that actually means. It’s too big. T ere’s no immediacy. However, if I saw something that said:
“Work out today so you can eat a bigger dinner without having to buy larger clothes” – that speaks to me. What I’m saying is, it’s okay to think globally (big), but you should act locally (small). T e full article is available to read at
http://lei.sr?a=A5w1m
Ask the experts: Targeting different demographics through mass marketing
What are the best ways to target different demographics and mass market to them more effectively? Tracey Bourdon, head marketing coach for Susan K Bailey Marketing & Design, offers her insight on this topic:
“First, solicit the help of a full-service marketing agency that can identify where your current members reside and the demographic profile of those neighbourhoods. This should help you identify ‘like’ populations that would be good prospects for club membership. “Second, ask for a search of local
residents who meet whatever demographic profile you determine is a great target – for example, homes with children aged five
20
to 13 years, or women in the household with incomes over US$70,000. This is invaluable information, as it allows you to precisely market to only those households that meet your criteria. “Finally, use a variety of marketing tools
such as email, guerilla material, Facebook and other social media to spread the word about your promotions and programming. Engage your members in sharing the word about your club and leverage the power of your happy members. Testimonials are still the best form of advertising. “Always keep in mind that people don’t
buy fitness. People buy what fitness can do for them. Your advertising must appeal to a need or desire.”
Read more answers to this question at
www.ihrsa.org/industryleader
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital Leverage the marketing power of happy members October 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
read an interesting article recently on why people think/act the way they do. Specifi cally, the article reported on
NEWS
PHOTO:
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/LUCKY BUSINESS
PHOTO:
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DEAN DROBOT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92