| News & Know How | First Person
CBI Spends 10 Minutes on the Line with
Peter Draper
Y
our area of expertise is branding: Which club companies do
you think have the most successful brands? What attributes
or qualities do their corporate personas communicate?
Does “branding” simply suggest that people understand what
a company stands for? How can it help clubs compete? Which
corporate identifiers are the most valuable in the world today?
Peter Draper, the form
“
er My presentation at the 9th Annual IHRSA Euro- better in every arena of life, and he’s creating
director of marketing pean Congress, which will take place next venues to help them do just that. His business
for Manchester United, month, october 22-24, in Dublin, will be about model also offers great opportunities for cross-
one of Great Britain’s branding, and what one can learn from strong selling or up-selling on the retail side.
premier football clubs, brands and, in particular, how they deliver great
has marketed sports and customer service.
A similar situation prevails with another name-
sports-related brands
sake chain, David Lloyd Leisure, Ltd. When it
for more than 30 years.
the club brands that I’m familiar with are all U.K. was founded by Lloyd, the clubs were created in
He is a nonexecutive
companies, and there are a number of excellent the mold of the man—a successful professional
director of IRIS national,
ones. virgin Active has a very good offering, and tennis player and businessman. there was, and
an international creative
the company is taking full advantage of what its is, an impression, and an appreciation, of him as
a person and a personality. Like Whelan, he
communications agency,
brand stands for—constantly achieving a high
understands what sports people want from their
and is the founding
standard in service and everything else it does. A
facilities. Recently, he bought the company back,
partner of his own
second brand worth noting is Fitness First, which
so now, it’s one to watch, too.
“passion brands” strategic
has been able to capitalize on the good name it’s
consulting business.
developed around its clubs and service in the
While it’s certainly possible for a single club to
U.K., in order to expand internationally.
distinguish itself from the chains, it really has to
In the case of both virgin Active and Fitness
be somewhat special to stand out from the crowd.
First, the public knows what to expect because
It has to have a great location, ease of access, and
these clubs provide consistency—that’s what
plenty of parking, and has to offer something that
brands are all about. the articulation, promotion,
no one else has—unique equipment, perhaps, or
and delivery of the brand identity assures con-
special classes run by dynamic instructors. It’s
sumers that, when they go to these clubs, they’ll
not unlike the role star players perform for a foot-
receive what they expect. Branding, really, is
ball team.
a promise, having to do with delivery, regardless
Whether you have one or several locations, it’s
of the kind of business you’re in. In the fitness
important to hire the right staff because they’re
industry, keeping that promise ensures high
the principal representatives of, the main ambas-
member retention.
sadors for, your brand. over the next two to five
Another U.K. company that bears watching is DW
years, high service levels are going to be the
Sports Fitness, which was formerly known as the
defining difference in business.
JJB Fitness Clubs, a chain of fitness facilities
Branding is about convenience, service, people,
aligned with sporting-goods stores. DW currently
products, the entire customer experience—it’s a
.org
has more than 50 locations in the U.K. and
total journey, isn’t it? A company turns customers
Ireland. the new owner, David Whelan, has been
into fans. that makes the bond between the
For more information very successful as a professional football player
about Draper and the
customer and the brand difficult to break.
and sports retailer. He understands that people ”
—|
9th Annual European
Congress, log on to
who participate in sporting activities perform – Patricia Amend, Pamend@aol.com
www.ihrsa.org/meetings
www.ihrsa.org | SEPtEMBER 2009 | Club Business International
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