2016 Issue 3 | GearedUp
36
hen it comes to marketing your club, it may seem as
if there are an unlimited number of places to spend a
limited amount of money. Alex Choquette of Anchor
Management Group suggests that these advertising dollars go not
primarily into billboards and radio commercials, but rather into
amenities so that clubs can sell themselves.
“What we are trying to do is build a better club when it
comes to the amenities and how it looks inside,”said Choquette.
“We just keep promoting a better box.”
When Anchor Management Group was looking to cut some
serious expenses off its budget, it decided that marketing was a
place that could take a closer look. Since the beginning of the year,
Anchor Management’s refocused marketing efforts have saved the
company over $700,000. After wrapping up a survey this past May,
the company discovered that 85 percent of its new members were
coming in from word-of-mouth.
“Our customers – we call them our secret salespeople – they
are telling their friends and family members how much they love
Planet Fitness®,”said Choquette.
This resulted in the company starting a campaign called Adda-Friend where current members could get rewards for referrals.
If a user gets someone to sign up as a Black Card member, they
receive a $20 gift card or a free month. In addition to that, each
month boasts a theme and prize, and members who refer friends
and family get entered for a chance to win.“If you brought in
four friends for the month, you have four chances to win a grand
prize,” explained Choquette.
Prizes have ranged from a paddle boat trip or a hotel stay
in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to a weekend getaway in
Charleston. Future prizes include a cruise,
a trip to New Orleans and even a trip to
the West Coast. Prizes can be limited to a
specific club or span across multiple clubs
in a region depending on the value of the
prize.
Add-a-Friend isn’t the only in-house
by Christina Cannon
promotion taking place throughout Anchor
Management’s clubs. Other recent campaigns
include the Just Sign It promotion where customers can get a
Black Card membership for $1 down and the Amnesty campaign
where past members that have a balance due can re-sign as a
Black Card member and have those fees waived.
“If you were a member three years ago, it’s probably a whole
different look because we’ve recreated it into a different feel,”
explained Choquette. The trick to doing this, however, is to have
impressive amenities in the first place.
“You can’t do this at a traditional Planet Fitness,” said
Choquette.“It really only works if you truly have a Black Card club.
You really have to make sure your clubs are ready for this strategy,
but if you spend the money and fix them up nice enough, then
you can really promote the Black Card.”
Currently, about 76 percent of members at Anchor Management’s clubs are Black Card members. Choquette said he and his
team have put a lot of effort into bringing the wow factor to their
clubs. Anything from new equipment and upgraded bathrooms
to LED lighting and potted plants helps elevate the ambiance of
clubs and makes them more marketable.“By creating a wow club,
people have something to talk about, and they are happy to talk