Most people think of themselves as visual –learning first through sight and then everything else. We believe our eyes are the primary input device. We value and trust what we see more than any other sense. But I learned that senses are not distinct experiences but rather interactions, and our minds make associations that intensify and embed an experience. Marketers have understood this and take advantage of it by branding using multiple senses. We see a Harley-Davidson and hear a Harley-Davidson (side note, the sound a Harley makes is actually patented along with a handful of other sounds). So why is this important …

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I think one of the reasons we are all attracted to the health and wellness industry is the people. I’ve worked in lots of places (even had a job at McDonald’s for one day) and I can’t think of an industry that has brought together a group as energetic, excited, and motivated as us (sure I’m the software guy but let me join the group for just a second!) And since I know that people are very often motivated by numbers, I thought I’d throw out a few for you. Nothing ground breaking – just a reminder of why we must stay so energetic, excited and motivated and what exactly our opportunity is.

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Late night TV is great. I can watch reruns of Cheers or better still watch Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris wax poetic about my good friends at Total Gym. But best of all, I get to see before and after pics of people who have bought the P90X DVD workout set for not $250, not $219, but just two payments of $69 plus S&H. And it was the P90X that really grabbed my attention. Why? Because It occurred to me that for the first time, in a long time, people are buying the truth.

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I hate to do this but its time. It’s time to bring out “Angry Hossein.” There are a lot of reasons I don’t like to bring out “Angry Hossein”. Mainly he scares me. (That being said, I love talking about my alter egos in the third person, so I have to acknowledge that bonus.) Either way, Angry Hossein has a point, and it has to do with smoking cigarettes and the success of the gym industry.

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On Sunday I found myself at McDonald’s for lunch. (“Found myself” as in got in my car and drove there). After a glance at the menu, I decided on the Big Mac value meal…Super sized! But then I noticed it – the $1 menu. Years of being marketed to had taught me the ease of ordering by numbered combo. But now this, low cost, high volume food…well, it got me thinking about the growth of low cost, high volume gyms (LCHV). Are they a better deal? And should traditional gyms be concerned?

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