Source: Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.
Launching New Programming, Technology and Design
NEW YORK, November 1, 2016 -- Town Sports International (TSI), operators of New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia Sports Clubs, announced today the launch of a new experience for members both in the gym, with club makeovers and new programming, and online with a new digital site and app that allows members to personalize how they work out.
Since 1973, Town Sports International, Inc. has been the leading innovator and operator within the health and fitness realm with a network of approximately 150 health and fitness clubs. The company has experienced rapid growth since the late 1990s, becoming one of the largest health club chains in the United States with more than 500,000 members, and plans to keep that momentum alive with the help of this exciting rebrand.
Since its inception, TSI has been committed to enhancing its members’ experience, and for the upcoming brand refresh has incorporated consumer feedback into the changes and renovations that the clubs and digital assets will undergo. The company continues to emphasize its position as a true neighborhood gym by maintaining the comradery and community focused efforts it’s known for, while introducing a more customizable and efficient experience with updated digital tools, in-depth research and personal touches that will fit into every member’s life both inside and outside the gym.
“This fall marks a new chapter in the company’s rich history and we’re excited to launch these cutting-edge offerings and programming to our members,” stated Michelle Ryan, Town Sports International’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our goal is to bring the best out of every body and meet every customer’s fitness needs. The introduction of innovative and personalized experiences will allow us to break our current mold and appeal to a new audience while better servicing our current members.”
A Reimagined Gym Experience
Making sure members have the best experience in the gym, TSI is piloting a reimagined gym experience at select New York and Boston Sports Clubs locations, with the goal of rolling out to the broader network in the next year. This initial group of gyms will undergo renovations that encompass an updated visual aesthetic highlighting and celebrating the company’s new brand identity, as well as the addition of new state-of-the-art equipment.
At the entrance of each club will be a Welcome Zone outfitted with kiosk apps for a more streamlined member registration process, along with new furniture, modern lighting, and an open office concept. There will also be improved fitness rooms for cycling, mind and body and weightlifting, a redesigned fitness evaluation zone, and new branding and signage.
With clubs throughout the five boroughs, as well as in Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey, New York Sports Clubs is truly an accessible neighborhood gym. The new clubs will reflect these local ties with unique touches including large wall maps and community boards where members and employees can share local tips, events and news. There will also be localized touches throughout the gym including custom mottos for each club. Additionally, select clubs will also feature elevated lifestyle elements such as outposts of Pure Green, an organic, pressed juice brand.
For consumers who prefer a boutique gym experience, TSI will introduce FlexSystem, a small group training program in select Manhattan locations with three specialized workouts: Compete, Lift and Spin/Fusion. The program will be available to members and non-members for an additional price. Each class is custom designed to combine the best of one-on-one training for a small group environment and will target different goals to burn calories, spark metabolism, build muscle and improve strength and endurance.
The first nine locations to be unveiled will be Broad Street, West 16th, East 36th, Astoria, East 91st, West 94th Street, West 62nd and West 73rd in New York and Wellesley in Boston, with a companywide roll out to follow.
A Transformed Brand Identity
The brand ethos has undergone an evolution with an updated design aesthetic and cultural identity that conveys a customized experience that fits into every member’s life both inside and outside of the gym and within their communities. With an overarching goal to “bring the best out of every body,” the brand’s new promise is to get to know each member like no other gym in the marketplace today through digital tools and personal touches. TSI is consistently learning and listening to discover what’s most relevant for its members and building on that with customized routines and support that improves every move they make.
The new identity is led with an improved art direction that is accessible yet bold, with updated visuals throughout the clubs and digital platforms. The logo will be refreshed with brighter, warmer colors and friendlier fonts, but will honor the brand’s heritage and equity by preserving the overall essence of the original logo. The new TSI tone of voice is straightforward, familiar, optimistic, and inclusive, making every interaction memorable and meaningful.
New Digital Platforms
A more customizable and efficient experience is being created through updated digital tools, in-depth research and personal touches that will fit into every member’s life. This includes an enhanced, clearer and easier to use website and the company’s first-ever app, both launching in October.
The website will showcase the art direction of the new branding and introduce a best in class user experience (UX), featuring membership sign up, club location search, class schedules and booking, training information, custom profiles for group fitness instructors and trainers, and updated member profiles. Members will be able to customize their group fitness experience based on fitness goals and preferences through a personalized search feature on the website. With the app, members will also have access to gym check-in, class sign-up, class schedules and their own user profile including a workout log.
TSI tapped New York-based independent digital agency, Kettle, to assist in the brand rejuvenation, updated design and digital platforms. For more information on membership details and club locations, please visit www.newyorksportsclubs.com.
About Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.
New York-based Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. is one of the leading owners and operators of fitness clubs in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and, through its subsidiaries, operated 148 fitness clubs as of September 30, 2016, comprising 101 New York Sports Clubs, 27 Boston Sports Clubs, 12 Washington Sports Clubs (one of which is partly-owned), five Philadelphia Sports Clubs, and three clubs located in Switzerland. These clubs collectively served approximately 545,000 members as of September 30, 2016. In addition, the Company also owned two BFX Studio locations and had one partly-owned club that operated under a different brand name in Washington, D.C. as of September 30, 2016. For more information on TSI, including the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016, visit http://investor.mysportsclubs.com.
