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NEW OPENING


Graham says The Gym Group is constantly evolving to stay ahead of ‘increasingly homogenous competition’


EVOLUTION not REVOLUTION


Jim Graham, chief operating officer of The Gym Group, speaks to Alison Bledge about how the low-cost pioneer is continuing its journey of innovation and success following a strategic review of its proposition


T


he Gym Group transformed the fitness sector when it opened the UK’s first low- cost gym in Hounslow in


2008, providing affordable, high quality, 24/7 fitness facilities without fixed contracts. Within the first three years it experienced rapid growth, with 19 further gyms opening, and now has 59 sites in its portfolio – a figure that’s set to rise to 80 by the end of 2015. Seven years on, the industry has


become crowded with operators keen to duplicate the model and emulate


its success. However, says Jim Graham, Gym Group COO: “We’re constantly evolving to stay ahead of increasingly homogenous competition. Our strategy is based on an intrinsic understanding of members, their needs, usage and attitude to our product and service. We continually review our product, physical environment and marketing execution to ensure we’re giving members the very best offering.” That review has, most recently,


involved working with integrated communications agency Dinosaur to


58 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital


develop a new brand proposition. The resulting concept – ‘Find Your Fit’ – has been developed to appeal to real people with achievable fitness goals, aiming to inspire them to make the commitment to making exercise a part of their lives. Graham explains: “We launched


the rebrand nationwide in January 2015 with a new creative campaign celebrating the pride of real people in overcoming the barriers to getting fi t. “It’s a different creative direction


for us: more human, personable and engaging. But it’s also deliberately different from typical health club advertising that tends to be bland, samey and predictable.”


Fresh interiors To ensure consistency across the business, The Gym is also redesigning


June 2015 © Cybertrek 2015


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