Our local community association recently began running advertisements for its fitness facilities. In big letters, the ads read: "Because you don't hear them singing about a gigantic yellow polka-dot bikini."
When I finished chuckling, I had to admire the fact that they're hitting exactly the right nerve at exactly the right time. People are starting to think about summer vacations and the all-important swimwear. If fitting into that bathing suit on Memorial Day means putting in some time at the gym, they're more likely to do it.
College kids have a more immediate fitness goal: Spring Break. I remember reading an article in my local newspaper that quoted a college AD on the fact that the campus fitness and wellness center tended to fill up after the holidays and before the break season starts. The article was more of a comment on what the reporter considered a quirky trend, but it got me thinking that this is one great campus-wide marketing opportunity in the making. Why not offer programs targeted to those students who are getting jittery about the idea of putting on a swimsuit?
By promoting offerings with names like "Spring Break Beach Body Boot Camp," you get the attention of students who might otherwise be doing sit-ups in their dorm room. Throw in a discussion of nutrition for optimum health, and you also catch up with those who might be embarking on less-than-healthy eating plans. They might even like the results enough to keep up those good habits after break is over and throughout the year.
So what are you doing to catch the attention of spring breakers? Post some comments below so we can all get some ideas.
