How New Workout Habits Can Predict The Future Of The Fitness Industry
While some businesses utilize crisis communications as a key pillar of their public relations strategy, it’s not always perceived to be a vital component in achieving positive brand awareness and reputation management. You’re more likely to hear about how a company mismanaged a major issue rather than how it avoided one. This is precisely why a good crisis communications strategy encompasses more than reacting to a crisis; it’s about evaluating consumer behaviors, pre-empting the next hurdle and strategizing a robust preparedness plan.
NAVIGATING THE CRISIS BEYOND COVID-19
The health and fitness industry was deeply impacted by COVID-19. While no one saw it coming, it remains a critical landscape for those who have or still are navigating their way through it. Now that the initial issues of lockdowns, sanitation, mask mandates and social distancing have been largely addressed within gyms and health clubs, how can we predict what issues lie ahead on the horizon? How can gyms anticipate what their customers will be experiencing in the future and adapt accordingly? Most of all, how can evaluating consumer behavior as part of a crisis management plan help gyms win confidence back from members?
When national gym chain EoS Fitness experienced the closure and then subsequent reopening of over 75 locations, it was a key indicator that dramatic changes in consumer behavior would occur. This is where behavior design, a unique marketing methodology Off Madison Ave applies to its clients, came into play. It took into account how to avoid future negative scenarios and effectively communicate news and updates to gym members.
A CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Aside from the annual ‘New Year, New You’ fitness resolutions, most gym members who sign up are highly motivated to be there. However, while gyms were forced to close temporarily, consumer behaviors changed overnight. Those once highly motivated members were forced to find alternate fitness resources.
Enter the home fitness craze. We saw consumers spend thousands of dollars on Peloton stationary bikes, wipe out dumbbells in droves off Amazon and subscribe to digital workouts to find suitable exercise content.
Those individuals who once had a habit of going to the gym are now immersed in their new indoor routine. While some may want to go back to the gym for social interaction and state-of-the-art equipment, most consumers have relatively low motivation to reinstate memberships after they’ve made a significant investment in their home gym.
Human behavior also necessitated the need to venture outdoors to escape the confines of lockdown and establish a keep-fit routine, some for the first time. This new group of consumers may never have considered joining a health club previous to the pandemic.
The shift in consumer behaviors can be analyzed in three distinct audience groups:
1) The avid gym goer. This consumer is a fitness enthusiast who did not buy home equipment. This target audience is highly motivated to do whatever it takes to get back to the gym.
2) The habitual home fitness consumer. This consumer did purchase home exercise equipment and doesn’t want to lose the value of their investment. While this audience type is not likely to reinstate a monthly membership, you may be able to get them into a specialized group fitness class about once a week.
3) The home fitness devotee. This consumer is committed to home fitness and doesn’t see themselves going back to the gym anytime soon. As such, a hybrid business model best appeals to this audience. By offering lower-rate online memberships with access to digital workouts or personal training videos, this audience group is likely to sign up in order to supplement their at-home routine.
HOW GYMS CAN PLAN AHEAD
So, how can this shift in consumer behavior impact gyms in the long run? For starters, gyms will need to reevaluate their business plan and implement:
· An ongoing crisis preparedness strategy. This plan evaluates changing consumer behavior.
· A hybrid business model. Not all gym members are returning, so hybrid options are a gym’s best bet to get the most out of several audience groups. Online classes paired with in-person gym benefits along with flexible membership options could hold the key to addressing loss of monthly revenue.
· Long-term strategic communications. In order to provide a holistic view of everything a gym can provide, they will need to enhance strategic and consistent messaging. This strategy will target those who have made at-home fitness a priority by demonstrating what value and benefits a gym membership can offer.
A good crisis communications plan is all about preparing ahead of time—because once you’re in the crisis, it’s already too late.
With well-thought out communications practices, combined with the application of behavior design, the fitness industry can encounter a revolutionary shift of narrative to consumers. Let us show you how we can help by contacting us here.