It’s been a difficult time in our industry, to be sure. In an effort to offer guidance and support to the people in our industry, Club Automation and CSI Spectrum partnered with IHRSA to present the webinar “What’s Your Story?: Shaping Your Fitness Club’s Brand & Value.” This presentation was spearheaded by Joe Grieshop, the Chief Marketing Officer of Daxko, the parent company of both CSI Spectrum and Club Automation, alongside President and Co-Founder of U! Creative Inc. Ron Campbell. The two focused their discussion on concepts of positioning your club to attract members though emotional engagement, the key to successful branding. Joe and Ron came to this conversation armed with a combined 60+ years of experience, and with this, they were able to guide attendees on how to leverage a club’s existing relationship to continue to grow through even the toughest of times.

What is a Brand?

A brand is a holistic embodiment of how your club is perceived. From your overall image and communicative style, your members and prospects gain a real perception of your story and purpose. Ultimately, this informs how you align with their personal goals. A well-crafted brand identity makes your club’s importance non-negotiable. It is essential to construct an intentional narrative that demonstrates your place within your community.  

Your Members Buy Your Promise

When building your brand, it’s important to remember that “people buy the promise before they buy the product.” Everyone has an outcome they want to achieve, and they are seeking the best solution to reach that goal.  Your job is to communicate how you can help. This is the foundation of building your brand and telling your club’s story.  

Six Evolutionary Steps to Building a Brand

Here’s Ron and Joe’s 6-step guide to crafting your brand narrative:  

1. Differentiation: What is your unique outlook that sets you apart?  
2. Authenticity: What experiences are you giving your members that stem from an intrinsic and trustworthy place?
3. Impact: What effect are you having in helping your clients meet their goals?
4. Alignment: How are you aligning yourself with the promise your clients are seeking to fulfill?  
5. Depth: Where can you deepen that impact and alignment?  
6. Loyalty: How can all of these steps combine to structure your club as a non-negotiable entity in your client’s journey?

People are increasingly interested in collecting memories, not material goods. In this sense, a final pointer from Joe and Ron is to consider your brand in terms of experiences that make an emotional impact. Clubs are full of opportunities to create memories their members couldn’t find without it. On top of that, clubs provide a healthy way to reduce stress and fuel positive growth. You know this, and you’re equipped with the tools to turn this knowledge into a compelling brand that drives more member signups and promotes member retention. It’s time to put it into action!

Thinking about how you can incorporate these principles into your club? Contact us today to learn how we can help.