Why TV Commercials Hurt Gyms
August 6, 2010
How did people tell time before the invention of commercials? The 30-second spot is the original shared calendar! What movies are coming out? Look at the latest Happy Meal toy! When’s Columbus Day? – Your local Hyundai dealer will tell you. Time to send in your taxes? – Have you seen the name H&R Block recently? And the best part, Madison Ave. knows us to give us a 6-weeks notice!
The problem is, that’s what the gym industry is all about – 6-weeks! 6-weeks is JUST enough time for me to remember to buy a Valentine’s Day card! 6 weeks gives me time to get the kid’s a Trapper Keeper (do they still sell those…doesn’t matter I still have my original A-Team with Mr.T on it!). 6-weeks buys me time to go to the store and pickup certain unmentionables. It’s almost like there was a master plan to spread out holidays every six weeks! That said 6-WEEKS ISN’T ENOUGH TIME TO GET INTO SHAPE! Whether for the beach, a wedding or a school reunion.
But that’s we condition customers for. It’s what gym’s sell and it’s what our members buy. Heck, the way some gyms package it, all you really need to do is check-in! But getting in shape and being healthy is not a 6-week sprint. There is no magical pill! And we really need to help people understand that.
The Double Bottom Line
One of the people I look up to in the business world is Ted Leonsis. He is one of the original AOL guys, been involved with some of the highest profile business in the last ten years, is the owners of the Washington Capitals (for those that don’t know, I am a huge hockey fan!), and most recently wrote a book called the “The Business of Happiness.” This isn’t a book report (that’s why the kids need the Trapper Keeper!) but the highlight is what he refers to as the “double bottom line.” Essentially every business needs to look at profit and loss (one bottom line) and there needs to be another, more altruistic bottom line. For gyms and wellness centers it’s the health of our members. If we can make our members healthy, they in turn will make our business healthy (profitable!)
If we fail to break the 6-week mindset, we are ultimately hurting ourselves, our business’, and our industry! I’ve met lots of gym people over the last 10 years and (for the most part) I have been impressed. They love to hear and share success stories of mothers who finally lost the pregnancy weight, men that were able to get back to their playing weight, and senior citizens who were able to live longer fuller lives. But these changes didn’t happen in 6-weeks! Again I don’t have the numbers to prove it so I will just make them up…but in 6-weeks a members should start to feel better (more energy), in 12-weeks they should look better (pants fit better), and in 18-weeks they should be better (all the stuff you can’t see). And members who come in regularly for 6- or 12- or 18-weeks will be members for a long time!
And now I need to run…just saw an ad for JC Penny, I think that means its time to buy a Christmas tree!
you will love what you see.
Give us 15 minutes to show you
how MoSo can help you get,
keep and know your members.
August 6th, 2010 10:13 am
Hi Hossein,
I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your blog…you do a great job of making it fun and informative…
Keep up the great work.
Best,
Duane
I think TV does a decent job of setting US up to tell the truth…even though the public doesn’t want to hear the truth.
When someone sees a magic pill or the latest greatest machine or workout video, it plants a seed in their mind that they are overweight, or that deep down they want to look better, feel better, etc. They may not take action then, but the seed is planted. Plus I think there are many people who will watch the commercials and infomercials etc, and think “I need to get in shape, but I’m no fool and I’m not buying their magic fill-in-the-blank”…which prompts them to ask locally for help.
If weight management and drastic before and afters weren’t advertised through mass media, I think health clubs and trainers would have a tougher time convincing people they need what we offer. Thanks to being bombarded all of the time, it remains in the back of their mind and when they see the big sign in front of the local fitness center or receive that postcard at the perfect time…we benefit.
I obviously agree with you that we as fitness professionals must tell the truth (or at least most of the truth). It’s not a quick fix, it will take time. But every “body” is different. My mom for example was told she had to shed 15 pounds asap and she did it in 8 weeks…even with a little cheating on her diet (I saw the Oreo crumbs mom).
So a motivated person CAN make strides in a short amount of time. Hell, for that matter…I would be immediately healthier if I got up from this desk and went for a walk for the next half hour. It’s all about the little things. So I would never fault a trainer or gym salesperson for telling someone they can get results quickly. Because “Results” is a very subjective term and the right person with the right motivation can definitely improve their health by taking action.
By the way, my trapper keeper was Voltron.
Curtis
Thanks Duane! The goal of this blog is to examine our bussiness but to do it with humor. Lest we forget, we are in a fun industry!
Curtis, first things first, Voltron will always be awesome!
I agree to a certain extent that the ads can motivate, what I am concerned about is that people will give up if they don’t get immediate results. We need to mentally prepare them for the short-term setbacks (soreness, less time to watch TV, etc) and the long-term benefits (more energy, better looking, etc.).
- Hossein
Hossein…couple of points I want to make: 1. I read all of these blog entries when I am alerted they are posted and enjoy all of them. 2. I truly appreciate your stance we should examine our businesses with humor and not forget we really are in a ‘fun’ industry. 3. I can’t tell you the number of clients we see who want results in as little as two or four weeks, let alone six weeks! Thank you for the post…it’s a good reminder for us to keep up the dialogue with our customers on suitable expectations based on dedication and motivation!