Health and fitness – a national obsession

Our obsession with health & wellbeing shows no sign of declining.

So just how big can the fitness industry become? With gym membership penetration at an all-time high of 14.3% of the UK population, it’s a fair question to ask.

There’s no doubt that technology has played a pivotal role in this increase. Our view of running, cycling, swimming & fitness has been transformed by creative apps & wearable trackers. Whether working indoors or outdoors, performance data is recorded 24/7 – in fact, some of us have turned ourselves into walking & talking fitness data hubs!

In addition, the low-cost gym chains, led by Pure Gym, have also helped. Yes, gym membership is more affordable than ever, but it’s interesting that these chains have really put technology at the heart of their offering. Immediate data science, enterprise security software, live-streaming & on-demand experiences, mixed with a mass of social media activity keeps the format very fresh for consumers.

Have health club advertising revenues followed suit? Absolutely. Six months into 2016, we’ve exceeded what we generated in the whole of 2015 – quite some achievement!

Why are advertisers investing their marketing dollars with us?

For three key reasons –

1. Increased understanding of the audience

There’s a greater recognition that gym members are a highly motivated & ambitious lot, with plenty of money to spend on high-end brands & lifestyle products. This bunch want it & they want it now – holidays, new cars, eating out, beauty treatments, the latest technology, designer clothes & fragrances. Their values, beliefs & motivations mean they aspire to greater things in life & they enjoy the success that inevitably comes with hard work. Their interests go way beyond health & fitness products.

2. Appreciation of the environment & advertising context

94% of gym-goers say they arrive in a positive mind-set – that is focused, determined & relaxed. The best time for an advertiser to approach a prospect is when they are thinking about themselves, enjoying ‘me time’. And the place that successful & affluent people go to spend time on themselves is the gym. This context helps enhance media campaigns that run in the environment – the audience is receptive & in a great state-of-mind.

3. Recognition of the effectiveness of the media channels

Time & time again, we’re generating excellent results for our advertising partners. Whether it’s a product demonstration, use of social media, a free sample, an innovative shower-room graphic or a striking D6 display, we are delivering campaigns that are cutting through & leaving their mark on their intended audience. One glance at the case studies page on our website says it all really.

These three insights are going to form the base of a new positioning for our Health Club advertising offering. Although it’s still work-in-progress, we’re pretty excited about the initial concept – more to follow in September!

And finally – a big thank you to all our agency & advertiser partners who have support us so far this year.

Dan Photi Head of Sales @ Boomerang Media