Marketing: Page 54

Utah's Free Game-Day Public Transit Offering a Success

The first time that University of Utah football tickets were also good all day for free transit fare, ridership on the Utah Transit Authority's TRAX system was up by 27 percent compared to other days this week.

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Planning a Pool Enclosure? How to Cut Total Costs by 48%

DynaDome Retractable Enclosures

Retractable structures are helping facilities become more adaptable while providing significant savings on long-term operational costs. Learn how to give members a year-round aquatic experience while protecting your bottom line.

Planning a Pool Enclosure? How to Cut Total Costs by 48%

Temple Aims to Lift Athletic Profile With Ad Campaign

Driving around Chicago this weekend? Don't be surprised to see a billboard saying, "The Owls have landed." That is the Temple University Owls.

Business Move or Not, NFL's Heads Up Campaign Good For Youths

Millions of kids still play tackle football. The NFL still makes billions of dollars. But both are challenged by concussions, which don't discriminate between pee-wees or pros. And a dip in youth participation has the NFL's attention, too.

Post-Sandusky Sales of PSU Merchandise Continue to Plummet

Almost two years after Pennsylvania State University was rocked by sex-abuse charges filed against former coach Jerry Sandusky, sales of school shirts, caps, and other items continue to plummet.

U. of Utah Sports Tickets Allow For Free Game-Day Transit

University of Utah sports tickets will now also serve as free fare on game days for Utah Transit Authority buses and TRAX and FrontRunner trains.

Contests Boost Fun and Sales for Independent Health Clubs

The city of Dubai recently made fitness news when the city’s government offered gold, actual gold, to its citizens as a reward for losing weight. If a citizen shed two kilograms (4.4 lbs.) during a 30-day contest designed to combat the city’s growing obesity problem, they were rewarded with two grams of solid gold.While it is doubtful that independent health club owners can expect the U.S. government to make such a generous offer - and odds are insurance companies are unlikely to do much more than they currently do - there is an opportunity for club owners to boost use, retention and word-of-mouth marketing by offering rewards to members who not only join, but have personal success at the club. Best of all, there are ways to do this without breaking the bank. Whether the prizes are nutrition bars, water bottles, free tanning or personal training or even a month free membership, the prizes can be relatively inexpensive and will be appreciated by members. All it takes is a little creativity and some effective marketing to entice members to take part in a contest or special promotion. These contests and incentives will encourage your members to come to the club, get results and more importantly, refer their friends and family. One way of upping retention is to offer a contest just for coming in - especially during the traditionally slow times of the year. One club has had great success with a “come in to win” contest during the slow summer months. For each visit, the member gets a punch that equates to a ticket in a raffle to be held at the end of the summer. There are also bonus tickets for bringing in guests, working with a trainer, liking or following the club on social media and more. All of these steps help to build the club's brand and keep members coming in rather than handing in their cancellation notices. Other clubs are having success with fitness-based contests that not only keep members motivated, but also help turn their daily trek to the gym from a “have to” into a “want to,” by keeping it fun and creating a little friendly competition. For example, one independent club recently held a “race around Easter Island” for its pool members. Each member logged their laps swam along with the time they spent doing land training. The participants were awarded “miles” that they put toward a race around the “island.” The miles were displayed on a large white board, upping the competition and keeping members coming to the club as they raced for two free months of full membership. This contest not only allows members to gain bragging rights (and share those with friends and family outside of the club), but also integrates some of its summer-only members into the club, which may result in year-round members. Other independent club owners may want to up the ante a bit and partner with other businesses in the area and run contests that not only reward members, but can bring in new business as well. Partnering with a local cafe to create a smoothie or salad of the month that is tweeted or posted on Facebook can really engage members on social media and spread both businesses' brands—and by offering a gift card to a business that caters to like-minded patrons can boost sales at the cafe as well. Add to that the smoothie or salad being named the “GYM X” smoothie/salad and you can boost your club's brand awareness.There are plenty of contest ideas and partnership opportunities available to keep members and prospects engaged with your club, it just takes some creativity and follow through for independent health clubs to successfully boost business and fun at the same time.

You don't have to reward your members with gold to get them excited about coming to your club.

Schools Strategize to Boost Student Football Attendance

Ohio University students traversing campus in the fall can't help but notice the posters and flyers promoting the Bobcats' next home football game. Sidewalk chalk and a graffiti wall reinforce the message. Student Facebook pages and Twitter feeds are likewise plastered with daily reminders and paid advertising during game week.

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Can Independent Health Clubs Fix Their Image?

A recent article by the Chicago Tribune spent a good deal of time warning consumers that were considering joining a health club to be wary of "the hard-sell."

Is this how potential customers view your club's sales pitch? We're here to help.

A Strong Mission Statement is a Must

After reading our last blog you realize how important it is as an independent health club owner or manager to hire to the company's mission. But, first it is important to not only have a mission, but also make sure it is meaningful, inspiring and true to the business.

Stadium & Arena

Northwestern Experiments with Dutch Auction Ticket Pricing

In Holland, the price of flowers starts high and drops the longer it takes to sell them. It's been that way for more than a century. But not until this year did that sales approach inspire Northwestern University economists and, in turn, athletics administrators, who believe their suburban Chicago institution is the first in this country to use a Dutch auction to price and sell game tickets. ...

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Are Ticket Prices Trending Upward?

Whether its capitalizing on success, bankrolling a facility renovation or simply serving as a sign that the economy is on the mend, a number of professional and collegiate sports entities are raising ticket prices before their next seasons start.

Club Chains Should Level with Potential Franchisees

We must be in the wrong business. If we owned a fitness franchise, rather than our privately owned facilities, we'd be wildly successful while rarely going to work. We'd be required to know nothing about business or fitness. We'd have almost no staff to manage, and members would simply arrive at our door because we existed.

Do franchise owners worry about competitors who pop up overnight offering the exact same product to the exact same market?

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AB Show 2026 in Orlando

AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.

Nov. 17-19, 2026