Simple idea, big impact For a one-week period each May, Planet Fitness donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation 100 per cent of the $10 enrolment fee it charged new members to join its clubs. It was a very generous and authentic act given that monthly membership is also only $10 – authentic because, if the intention were simply to generate some PR buzz, the brand could have donated just a portion of the joining fee rather than all of it. As the low-cost gym franchise grew
across North America, so more of its franchise club network became involved, increasing the funds raised each year.
Extending the campaign But Planet Fitness’ partnership with Breast Cancer Research Foundation evolved beyond a simple fundraising programme targeted at new members. The partnership was also brought to life
in-club via pink treadmills, which triggered a $1 donation for every mile logged during the week, up to a $25,000 total cap across the whole network. Limited edition T-shirts were also sold with a message on the back saying ‘$10 never meant so much’ – and again, 100 per cent of the proceeds went to the BCRF. Print and online media channels were leveraged to drive awareness of both the BCRF campaign and its mission.
Infl uence drives awareness Planet Fitness is a surprisingly large business. Back in March 2014, the
Chris Rondeau is CEO of Planet Fitness, which now has 900 clubs
company announced it had reached fi ve million members across its then 750 clubs. One year on, with an additional 150 clubs, it should now be approaching six million members – larger than the entire population of Denmark. This means the brand has considerable infl uence to intervene and play a meaningful role in issues it cares about. Importantly, it doesn’t have to do this
on its own. Its Mothers’ Day campaign came to involve numerous contributors
– including the media community, which donated $50,000 of media services in 2014 encompassing billboards, public service radio announcements, direct mail and online campaign impressions.
Financial impact The Planet Fitness Mothers’ Day campaign raised $2.1m between 2010 and 2014 (source: BCRF). This is a significant sum that helped support the mission of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which annually funds more than 222 university scientists and global medical institutions. Importantly, the money raised by
Planet Fitness is not sitting on account simply accumulating interest, but is being invested in critical research. One recipient of Planet Fitness funding is Dr Dipali Sharma, an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, whose team is investigating how molecular changes caused by obesity trigger breast cancer. Strategic long-term charitable
The chain donated $1 for every treadmill mile logged
May 2015 © Cybertrek 2015
alliances such as these are proof that gyms can have a purpose and reach that extends well beyond their club walls,
touching the lives of people who may themselves never be members. Did you know that Havas Media, in
its 2013 Meaningful Brands survey of 134,000 consumers, discovered that the majority of respondents wouldn’t care if three-quarters of brands disappeared tomorrow? I see alliances like these as essential in helping a brand stay interesting, relevant and viable.
What can your business do? How can your club or centre harness Mothers’ Day to celebrate the role of women and create some meaningful impact in your community? As always, start with a cause your
stakeholders genuinely care about, because this is a mission, not a chore. Also carefully identify charity partners and pay attention to how effi ciently they deliver on their everyday missions. The BCRF, for example, is recognised as a highly effi cient US non-profi t with top evaluations from independent fi rms that assess effectiveness and impact. ●
IN A NUTSHELL Project by: Planet Fitness, US Web:
www.planetfi
tness.com Charity supported: Breast Cancer Research Foundation Charity website:
www.bcrfcure.org Project status: Ran from 2010–2014 Impact: US Gymtopia keywords: Health & Wellbeing, Medical Research
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 57
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