RESEARCH ROUND-UP
results? The consumer-facing segment of the fitness and activity market must constantly think outside the box if it wants to continue to grow, capitalising on the interest generated in 2012. In 2013, new technology will continue
to make a bigger impact on traditional membership and pay-as-you-go options. Initiatives like
payasUgym.com and GymPact, to name but two, will offer the customer a different kind of support, information, advice, payment method and, of course, ease of use while on the move. Companies are already changing and
adapting to trends that will have an impact on the way we record and consume physical activity. David Lloyd Leisure, for example, has turned its marketing budget
upside-down and invested in social media and apps. If you haven’t seen Social Media in 2 minutes on YouTube, do. Meanwhile Serco Leisure Management has invested in CrowdcontrolHQ, because it wanted social media control and not social media chaos. APIs (Application Programming
Interfaces) should be everywhere; if the White House can issue a directive that all departments need to build an API in 90 days, why did no NGB build an API for the most connected Olympic Games of all time? APIs provide the building blocks to develop a programme quicker; that’s why GLL and SLM have them, and why DC Leisure is already at the forefront of this new technology. Are you? In answering this question, also ask yourself if your
development is a paradigm shift or simply destined to be a feature in someone else’s ecosystem. Equipment suppliers like Technogym not only have a vision to be the world’s leading wellness solutions provider, but have also developed an innovative ecosystem which keeps the customer connected, even outside the gym, via APIs. Niche social networks will rise to power
as users tire of social networks that fail to offer what’s relevant. Just ask a 13-year- old why they have stopped using Facebook: it’s clunky and too much of the content isn’t relevant. Gyms, pools and sports clubs that cut through the clutter and deliver meaningful value will be in high demand. For example, one-third of all Splashpath iPhone app users aggregate, organise and personalise information so they just receive news on, say, lane swimming or mums-and- toddler sessions in two clicks. And if a picture is worth a thousand
words, engage in more image-based networking search and sales. Finally, if you can prise the smartphone
out of a teenager’s hand, they must be sleeping, so think mobile, mobile, mobile. Increasingly, new apps and applications will only focus on mobiles and tablets, with the web in second place – if anywhere.
For further information Gyms must think mobile, mobile, mobile to engage with the internet generation 26 Health Club Handbook 2013
The State of the UK Fitness Industry is a comprehensive review of the performance of the health and fitness sector, undertaken by The Leisure Database Company and published on an annual basis. Twitter: davidminton TLDC Linkedin:
http://uk.linkedin.com/ pub/david-minton/19/94a/5b0
www.healthclubhandbook.com
© SINGKHAM/
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236