Snap Fitness is a fitness brand taking a more holistic approach to wellness in order to empower individuals of all backgrounds to discover the transformative effects of exercise. Shifting away from being “just a gym”, the franchised fitness operator, which has more than 1,000 clubs around the world, has strategically adapted its focus to emphasize the transformative effects of exercise on overall quality of life.
The move was instigated by the entire global fitness sector undergoing something of a momentum shift following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Towards the end of the pandemic, we did extensive consumer insight work, as it was clear that COVID-19 changed the fitness industry landscape considerably,” says Rose Minar, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Lift Brands, the parent company of Snap Fitness. “The pandemic heightened people’s awareness of the importance of staying fit and healthy, and also helped many realise the connection between physical activity and mental well-being.”
According to Ty Menzies, Global CEO of Lift Brands, the repositioning has led to a full brand re-fresh, which included a major shift in consumer messaging.
“Historically, fitness club and studio operators have been very homogenous in the way they have communicated with consumers and the way they position themselves,” Menzies says. “It has very much been about ‘harder, faster, stronger’ and ‘no pain, no gain’. The emphasis has been on the physical outcomes.
“But people’s views on the reasons to exercise have changed. There is now a much better understanding, for example, of the huge positive effects that physical activity has on mental health too. We saw this as a great opportunity to do things slightly differently and to really talk to our customers about how exercise makes you feel – not just how it makes you look. That’s reflected in our new tagline: ‘For the feeling’.
“We’re passionate about overall well-being and we want to be able to impact as many people as we possibly can. With the repositioning, we’ve made a lot of changes to ensure we engage with a much broader audience. We want to connect with the people who aren’t yet on that fitness journey.”
The changes go well beyond messaging, says Minar, with a number of additions made to the traditional gym offer. “We’ve invested in technology and equipment not for the sake of it, but to provide our customers with all the help they might need to achieve their goals – whatever they are,” Minar adds. “We also make sure that every member is aware of what is available to them and, importantly, how it might help them – whether it’s a particular piece of equipment or our Snap App, which allows them to continue their fitness journey outside of the club. What we offer our members is a holistic approach to wellness, including both physical and mental wellbeing.”
Watch the Snap Fitness Global Health Film Here
Featured Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash.