A new angle on brand positioning for health and fitness club chain

A chain of health and fitness clubs wanted to know how well aligned their brand’s current positioning was to the needs of their customers and to primary, secondary and tertiary target markets. The chains was interested in how a revised positioning might give them clearer differentiation against competitors and enable them to grow their market share, whilst still accommodating for differences in their physical product and core customer profile across locations.

BVA BDRC selected a number of client and competitor brand customers within the various target markets and conducted a series of focus group and on-site, in-depth interviews with them. Expert moderators enabled BVA BDRC to discover the overall hierarchy of importance attached to elements of the product and customer experience, as well as motivations for gym membership and perceptions of the client and competitor brands. Findings from this qualitative phase were then subsequently validated and quantified through telephone and online surveys.

The study uncovered the range of emotional drivers for gym membership across different segments and enabled BVA BDRC to create and recommend a visionary new brand promise which was adopted as the client’s new global strapline. BVA BDRC delivered subsequent presentations to club managers and gym-floor staff to ensure company-wide buy-in to the recommendations and clear direction on how to ‘operationalise’ the revised brand promise.