PFIFC Welcomes David Bidwell to the Board of Directors
The PFIFC is pleased to welcome David Bidwell to its Board of Directors . Bidwell , who is with PF Atlantic Holdings , became a PF ® franchisee in 2011 and currently has 38 clubs in Florida , California and New Jersey .
Bidwell brings an impressive background in marketing to the PFIFC board . From 2005 to 2010 , he served as president and CEO of MS3 , which is an advertising and marketing agency that serves Fortune 500 and other large national companies . Before that , he was the executive vice president of 360 Youth , which is a youth marketing agency , and he successfully negotiated the sale of the organization to Alloy Inc .
Bidwell found out about Planet Fitness ® while he was working in marketing and advertising and he was drawn to several aspects of the business . “ I became aware of PF and its Judgement Free Zone ® philosophy , strategy of targeting the 80 % and the operational simplicity , and I fell in love !” he said . “ Targeting the 80 % is not only a brilliant business strategy , but it also serves those that are most likely in need of access to fitness . It
allows us to do well by doing good !”
The PFIFC is something that Bidwell is passionate about , and he wants to continue the efforts of expanding the collaborative relationship that the organization has with PFHQ . He looks forward to protecting the franchisees ’ relationship with PFHQ while advocating for the franchisee community . He wants to drive value for all franchisees , delivering ROI for all , regardless of size of the franchise group . Bidwell also sees a possibility in leveraging subject-area experts throughout the franchisee network to continue solidifying PF ’ s place as a major force in the fitness industry .
Bidwell sees having representation at the table with PFHQ as the most valuable benefit franchisees get for their PFIFC dues . “ It is a tiny investment relative to what this organization has already delivered and will deliver in the future ,” he explained . “ We need 100 % of the franchisees to be a part of this organization and support it both financially and through participation on the board and various committees .”
There are a few challenges that Bidwell sees facing PF franchisees . One area that presents a challenge , in Bidwell ’ s opinion , is innovation , meaning the mobile app , PE @ PF and NextGen POS . Another challenge is simply continuing to build a moat around the brand , which Bidwell sees as leveraging scale to drive price efficiencies , aligning NAF with LAF and so on .
Along with his background in marketing and advertising , Bidwell has extensive volunteer and charitable experience . “ I currently serve as manager of the South Florida Advertising Co-op and Fresno Area Advertising Co-op , chairperson of the PFIFC Marketing Committee and as a professional mentor for the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado- Boulder ,” he explained . In the past , Bidwell served as chair of the University of Arizona Parents and Family Association and as president of the Lacey Township Board of Education . G
2020 Issue 4 | GearedUp
24