#JTInTheRaw Show 7: Ambush Marketing Case Study, Fitness Australia Elections and USPs

What a week . . . show 7 of #JTInTheRaw and I think my timing is perfect, it is in the dinner break of the Olympics.

Special Shout Out

To the Aussie OIympic Team!

I’m going to put it out there, I hate the Olympics!  There is just too much to watch and I cannot focus on work when you just want to see these amazing athletes performing.  Anyone else agree?

How about the performances across the board.  And if you wonder if they are inspiring our kids let me share a conversation I had with Zoe, my 7 year old.

She has been listening and watching the week attentively, so much so her teacher said “Wow! You know lots about the Olympics.”  So I said to her, “Maybe you’d like to be a sports reporter at the Olympics?” And she told me “I’d rather compete at the Olympics in swimming or gymnastics”.

I’m sure there are millions of similar conversations occurring like this across the globe.  So for critics of the Olympics or those thinking that the shine has gone off the Olympics, that is certainly not the case.  They are alive and well!  And they are motivating our next generation.

#AskJT

This week’s questions . . .

From Lisa Mills – Hey JT, I would love to know your thoughts on whether club owners and PT business owners value self development of their teams as a integral part of being able to stand out in a crowded market (their people become their point of difference). Development that includes self awareness of their values, beliefs, behaviours, habits and emotions as well as skills that can be taught like EQ, motivational interviewing and communication. Do business owners perceive this as a cost to the business that is hard to measure or a learning and development investment? Thanks for your insight. Lisa Mills

I would love to say that every business owner has a professional development budget allocated to developing self awareness skills and or even the EQ of their team. But I don’t think they do. I have a couple of opinions on this:

• I think the majority of fitness business owners and managers are unsure what EQ is and the impact that it has on their business;
• I think there is an expectation of owners that if people are personal trainers or wanting to work in the fitness industry, they realise it is a people business. So they should innately have a high EQ;
• I think this is regarded as ‘airy fairy’ and unlike ‘sales’ training where there is an obvious learning outcome, this professional development may not produce an immediate return on the P & L; and
• I think it gets put in the too hard basket.

Great question Lisa! Thank you!

From Pete Crawford – What’s the go on marketing to ex members. If you have sent them a cancellation letter giving them an opt out and they don’t opt out – is it ok to continue to market to them via email or SMS.

From what I see Pete . . . clubs keep mailing, emailing and texting until they say ‘stop.’ Legally, you have to have an ‘opt out’ in every email and text regardless of whether they are current or ex-members. The key for me is go to them when you have something new in the business.

Marketing Case Study: Vision Personal Training

This week I want to share a case study on marketing strategy with you.

I have noticed on many fun runs this marketing strategy but last weekend it hit me when Robyn and our friend Anne said after completing the Bay Fun Run, “If I was looking for a personal trainer I’d be looking at Vision Personal Training.”

Let me paint the picture for you . . .

At the Bay Run in Sydney last weekend, there were 2000 runners/walkers.  The most dominant clothing I saw was the red and blue Vision Personal Training singlets.  It felt that every second person was wearing a singlet there were so many!

This branding exercise could be defined as ‘ambush marketing.’ Ambush marketing is the practice by which a rival company attempts to associate its products with an event that already has official sponsors.

Vision were not sponsors but I am 100% sure they got more exposure than any sponsor!  Their brand was everywhere in those singlets.  I would give them a 8 out of 10 for this marketing strategy and I am sure they will gain clients, so there will be an ROI for them.

The real marketing message though was with the Vision people – not the clients but the staff!

At FitnessBiz this year I am talking about being like-able.  A key component is being authentic and I can tell you, that what I saw every Vision staff member was authentic in their behaviour.

I watched a young lady, complete the race and then run back down the course at least a dozen times and run the last 200m with anyone wearing a Vision singlet.  She was talking them through their final strides, supporting and motivating them to finish strongly.  She did this solidly for 45 plus minutes.

Robyn and Anne said while they were running, a Vision PT ran with them for a couple of hundred meters and encouraged them to keep their back straight and breathe deeply.

This is marketing!

I have no idea what this cost Vision to supply singlets or pay wages to have people there but I am guessing they would have built massive loyalty with their clients with the real care they showed and as well as attracting potential clients with this overt support.

A great case study that we can learn from. Kudos Vision.

What I have been doing this week . . .

I renegotiated my insurance premium.  Last week you’ll remember I talked about comparing your business numbers with other similar businesses.  When you do this you can see – literally see – what similar businesses are paying for services and products.  That exercise at the Industry Leaders Roundtable, showed me I was over paying my insurance payments.  With this knowledge in hand I started shopping around my insurance and saved 40% on my premium.

I would encourage every business, to select one line item on your P & L and ask that supplier if they can do better.  They can only say no!  Work your way through P & L and who knows how much you can save?

Also this week, we launched the world’s first Virtual Roundtable with our Active Management Ninja: An Coppens.  An is the CEO of Gamification Nation and is guiding, educating and helping our Active Management members with building games in to their product offering.  This is super  exciting as our members get exclusive access to the best in the world!  Bloody cool I think!

I listened to a EO Fire podcast this week with John Lee Dumas and he interviewed Kevin Kruse.  Something he said really popped for me.  I have been pushing that business owners need to build avatars of their #1 customer. When we know who we want as a customer, it makes it so much easier to market to them. Kruse said what is just as important is that we need a unique selling proposition not for everyone but for that key customer. GREAT point . . . in other words what can you offer your #1 customer that no-one else can.

Next week…

Next week is the second week of Fitness Australia elections for Aussie Business Members of Fitness Australia.  I have been reading the reasons to vote for specific people and my opinion is your vote should go to the best person to help the industry.  It is not about whether they are old or young, industry wise or not; male or female, an owner or a manager.  The FA Board need the best people to lead our industry and make strategic decisions. Think wisely about your vote.

I head across to Perth for FitnessBiz Summit.  Four sessions including a brand new session on customer service and hugging your haters!  Plus taking people on a journey around the world looking at gyms and studios.

I am catching up with Tom from NPE to hear about their plans in Australia & their Mega Training event for Aussie personal trainers.

And of course . . . more Olympics!

Questions?

If you have a question for me, use #Ask JT on any platform and I’ll get it, or put in the comments below.

Quote of the Week . . .

“Your best marketing strategy may not feel like a marketing strategy.”