Kevin Price, Host of the Price of Business on Business Talk 1110 AM KTEK (on Bloomberg’s home in Houston) recently interviewed Stacy Anderson .
About the interviewee
Stacy Anderson joined Anytime Fitness as its first chief marketing officer in 2012, and the ex-geek from Best Buy’s Geek Squad began making an impact on Anytime right away. In just over a year, Anderson has reshaped not only the company’s marketing strategies, but its business plan as a whole. Anytime has seen success in one of its major goals, organic expansion and diversification of the company’s franchises, in large part due to Anderson’s efforts. She was the force behind a series of nationwide seasonal promotional campaigns for franchisees last year. The campaigns made waves — in a good way. The result was the largest single-day sales in the company’s history. She also serves on the board for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Tell me about your firm (number of employees, location, type of companies you work with, etc.).
Ranked #1 on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious Franchise 500® list, Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world, with nearly 3,000 gyms serving more than 2,000,000 members on five continents. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient fitness options and friendly, personal service in well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment. Gyms are now open in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Grand Cayman, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, India, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. All franchised gyms are individually owned and operated. Join one gym and use them all. Members also enjoy free access to AnytimeHealth.com, the most comprehensive wellness website available.
What type and size of companies do you have as clients?
As a franchisee, Anytime Fitness’ primary obligation is to our franchisees. We strive to give them comprehensive support and guidance so that they can operate profitable, well-maintained clubs that appeal to individuals in their respective communities. Just as important is our commitment to the 2,000,000 members of Anytime Fitness worldwide. Via our club managers, personal trainers and other staff, our goal is provide our members with surprisingly personable service to help them achieve their stated goals – be it weight-loss, increased strength, improved balance or flexibility, or simply the confidence and peace of mind to lead a happier, healthier and more-fulfilling lifestyle.
What comes to mind when you see this topic? Anytime Fitness Looks Past Body Image In National Campaign.
Our newly-launched marketing campaign – “Get to a Healthier Place” – aims to appeal to real people who need a little help overcoming the barriers to a healthier lifestyle. Unlike other fitness club marketing campaign that feature ultra-fit models effortlessly exercising in perfect make-up, our desire is to connect with new moms struggling to lose weight after giving birth, to guys who may drink a little too much while not exercising enough, and to others who woke up one day and suddenly realized, “I’m frickin’ 60-years-old!”
What are the best practices when it comes to this issue?
Empathizing with your target audience. They really don’t care who you are. They want to know: “How can you help me?” We’ve done tons of research in this area – focus groups and surveys. People who are thinking about joining a gym have often failed to reach their fitness goals in the past. They want to know: “How is your gym going to be different this time? Do you really care about me as an individual? Do you know what my challenges are? What’s the plan? How is this going to work?”
Contact information:
