Golds Gym Seeks Makeover

[Sable_Strenua]

Watch out, here comes the fluff.

as per requests, cliff notes
- Golds Gym is losing its place as top gym
- Seeks to overhaul its image with new ad campaign
- Wants to revamp image to make it more friendly less, intimdating
- Still wants to keep the bb crowd, while attracting the soccer moms and senior citizens

http://adage.com/article?article_id=115620

Gold's: Hasta La Vista, Musclemen
Gym Chain Associated With Schwarzenegger and His Buff Brethren Wants to Overhaul Its Image
By Rich Thomaselli

Published: March 19, 2007

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Gold's Gym, arguably the highest-profile name in the workout-club category, is undergoing an extreme brand makeover.
Gold's wants to lose the perception that the brand is viewed as a place where bodybuilders craft their physiques and intimidate anyone else trying to work out.

Once known as a musclehead mecca, Gold's is reaching for a bigger share of the $16 billion industry by marketing itself in a kinder, gentler, fashion: as a health-and-fitness center for everyone from babies to baby boomers.

"We must evolve," said Gold's Gym Senior VP-Chief Marketing Officer Joe Flanigan. "If we stay exactly where we've been, soccer moms and boomers move on and we remain a brand with nice black-and-white photographs of when Arnold [Schwarzenegger] used to work out there."

A weighty proposition
With rivals such as Bally Total Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness edging closer to its lead, Gold's is leveraging its $30 million ad budget with a print, TV, radio and internet campaign featuring the tagline "Change Your Body. Change Your Life." Executions, created by independent Riester Agency, Phoenix, include a senior citizen lifting weights and a woman in a lap pool, among others.

Without completely trashing its 41-year history and tradition -- in fact, it's keeping its iconic logo of a chiseled bodybuilder with a sagging barbell -- Gold's is walking a fine line. It wants to trade on its experience in the field but at the same time lose the perception, found in its own company research, that the brand is viewed as a place where bodybuilders craft their physiques and intimidate anyone else trying to work out.

"The bottom line is -- and this is what we told the franchise system -- the trick here is to fully leverage the expertise and authority platform we have while minimizing the musclehead/intimidating factor," Mr. Flanigan said. "We have 40 years of heritage, but I believe you can rebrand yourself."

New aesthetics
So does Ernest Lupinacci, a former creative with Wieden & Kennedy who worked on the ESPN and Nike accounts and is now the creative director of Ernest Industries, New York. "There's a distinction between your gesture and your aesthetic," he said. "Their aesthetic isn't trying to bench press a Ford minivan. Their aesthetic is physical fitness, but at one point in time, that manifested itself in bodybuilding. I would argue that in the market space, Gold's Gym has great brand equity, and what they have to do is convince people of the proficiency they have in fitness."


The health-and-fitness-center industry is, well, healthy. Between 1995 and 2005, U.S. health-club memberships rose 71% to 41.3 million, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. The number of clubs that opened nationally in 2005 jumped to nearly 29,000, up 21% from 2004.

But the industry is highly fragmented. The 50 largest companies -- which include Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's Total Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Curves and LA Fitness -- hold only about 30% of the market. Nonprofits, such as the YMCA, operate more than 5,000 of the 29,000 clubs.

Gold's had $1.2 billion in revenue last year from its 620 clubs, including 500 in the U.S. Bally Total Fitness had $1.05 billion from 361 units, and 24 Hour Fitness had $1 billion from 340 units.

No Control
An earlier hurdle for Gold's was that its advertising and marketing were also fragmented; franchisees sometimes weren't on the same page as corporate. "People were doing what they wanted. There was no control from a brand perspective," said Cody Pierce, Gold's Gym director-franchise marketing, who came onboard with Mr. Flanigan two years ago when TRT Holdings bought the franchise. "We had to step up and provide franchisees a good, solid marketing calendar with good promotions."

Gold's was also losing out on the 55-plus crowd. Health-club memberships in that demographic have increased a whopping 265% in the past 15 years, according to IHRSA. Gold's Gym membership from those 55 years and older was 7%, compared to an average of 25% overall, according to IHRSA.

To that end, Gold's has increased its alliances with various groups, including the American Diabetes Association, to associate its brand with "life-changing" causes.

[d_k]

The misc people have an attention span of a 3 year old and will require cliffnotes, just sayin'

[Lothar]

I'm pretty sure Bally just declared bankruptcy (30 mil in profits and 470 mil in debt)....so I don't see how they would be a competitor.

[davesporty]

why cant they leave gold's gym alone,i mean if you need saunas,pools,spa's,
cafe's got to fitness first or cannons etc....
i can never find any hardcore gym here where i live and all i have are poncey young mums and old pensioner gyms.

[captainhorseboy]

the one they just put by my house is basically all cardio machines. In my opinion, the only place intimidation exists is in the mind of the intimidated.

[Lothar]

Originally Posted by davesporty

why cant they leave gold's gym alone,i mean if you need saunas,pools,spa's,
cafe's got to fitness first or cannons etc....
i can never find any hardcore gym here where i live and all i have are poncey young mums and old pensioner gyms.

Yeah, I have been to a couple of Gold's Gyms before and I've always felt the need to wear plenty of cologne, make sure my clothes have just been washed, girls must wear makeup, etc.

It comes off as a pussy club-goer gym to me.

[YeaILift]

There gonna make another pussy gym. About 1% of gym are "real" gyms there is one in the town I live and I will be opening another in late may-early june after my daughter is born.

[justdragit]

still too early to read that much. meh oh well, needs cliff notes.

[YeaILift]

Originally Posted by justdragit

still too early to read that much. meh oh well, needs cliff notes.

We are almost the same height and weight. What is your bf?

[ElMariachi]

Originally Posted by d_k

The misc people have an attention span of a 3 year old and will require cliffnotes, just sayin'

LMAO.

[user34566548717114]

Cliffs:

Golds Sold Out


But on the good side lots of soccer moms working out there is never a bad thing

[justdragit]

Originally Posted by YeaILift

We are almost the same height and weight. What is your bf?

right now im guessing cause i havent checked in a while but maybe 18-20 at the moment(was 25). you?

[thephoenix]

I used to live across the street from Golds in Sydney and they had a drag queen leading a couple of the aerobics classes(true story)...maybe they should try that in other cities.

[Sable_Strenua]

Originally Posted by justdragit

still too early to read that much. meh oh well, needs cliff notes.

there are cliff notes - at the top.

[AniMaLizTik]

Golds is a pucsy gym. I've been a member for two years. at first i was excited and thought it was awesome to be training at Golds.

I was used to working in military gyms and sht hole thrown together loose equipment gyms.

little did I know I was just feeding the machine.

FCK Golds, ballys, and all those other bitches. i have a new gym and they are proud to have black and white posters of Arnold on the wall.

[ElMariachi]

At least Gold's is keeping their logo.


World Gym replaced their gorilla with a big huge freaking W! WTF?


Cool-


Not so much-

[Dreamscapes]

Originally Posted by captainhorseboy

In my opinion, the only place intimidation exists is in the mind of the intimidated.

x2

[MusclesMarinara]

Originally Posted by ElMariachi

At least Gold's is keeping their logo.


World Gym replaced their gorilla with a big huge freaking W! WTF?


Cool-


Not so much-

I think the problem with World's is, based on the picture of the bodybuilders, they forgot to include some other demographics....

They have causcasians, europeans, african americans, gays, hispanics, senior citizens, represented.....now all they need is women, asians, middle easterners, skinny fats, obese, mentally challenged, and physically challenged.

Oh and their new W add looks like a fast food logo.

[ajzoot]

I used to think where you worked out doesn't matter, but after a run in with a "health club" I discovered it REALLY REALLY REALLY does. Aside from the mental aspect, they do things to just discourage anyone who doesn't still have retarded phrases like "just tone up" and "I don't want to get too big" in their vocabulary. Slimming mirrors, lighter barbells, little or no space to preform "meathead" excercises like oly lifts and deadlifts and a ****load of machines to target every fiber of the bicep and chest invididually, it fcking sucks.

When the hell did gyms stop being places to help you look amazing, and start being places to try and postpone obesity?

[Sable_Strenua]

Originally Posted by ElMariachi

Originally Posted by MusclesMarinara

Oh and their new W add looks like a fast food logo.

^^^I thought the same thing too. Looks too slick and gimmick-y

[Bones98]

I like GOld's Gym during the afternoon because it is not so packed as my other gym 24hr fitness. They play hard rock music instead of non-stop hip hop music like 24hr fitness.

I remember going to 24hr fitness at 12am hoping they would stop playing the same ol' hip hop music and boy I was wrong. And I love the fact that Gold's appeals to more serious bodybuilders because at least I can get some quality advice from people. 24hr fitness has some pretty serious bodybuilders but alot of the people are stingy with the machines, benches and chairs.

[DerekJ]

They just happened to open a new Gold's Gym by my house. I got the tour ~ 2 weeks ago just for ****s and giggles, and the gym was very nice. They had a flat screen on every treadmill, top fitness machines, and a full on juice bar. Looked like something straight out of the OC/Laguna Beach.

On the plus side, there was some damn good eye candy.......

The price was 44$ a month if anyone was curious.

[Lothar]

Originally Posted by DerekJ

They just happened to open a new Gold's Gym by my house. I got the tour ~ 2 weeks ago just for ****s and giggles, and the gym was very nice. They had a flat screen on every treadmill, top fitness machines, and a full on juice bar. Looked like something straight out of the OC/Laguna Beach.

On the plus side, there was some damn good eye candy.......

The price was 44$ a month if anyone was curious.

But you have to wear lots of cologne, right?

[CLK-GTR]

i dont see it as a bad thing if that's what they need to do in order to remain competitive, so long as they dont forget where they came from. im not bothered if i workout in a health club or a backstreet rocky gym, so long as im left to my own devices in a big enough free weights section.

[Bones98]

Originally Posted by Lothar

But you have to wear lots of cologne, right?

LMFAO!

[bench350]

good for them...maybe they will cleanthe places up and have cardio machines that work!!! not a fan of golds. they are good, but i find the local small joints to be more conducive to lifting

[Agent Lazy 78]

on a side note about another p@ssy gym

I heard an ad on the radio today for 'Peak Fitness'

"Join now for only $14.99 a month, or $199 a year......offer only good for 48 hours."

Well, let me just rush right in and sign up for the year rate

[Lothar]

Originally Posted by GRYDE001

on a side note about another p@ssy gym

I heard an ad on the radio today for 'Peak Fitness'

"Join now for only $14.99 a month, or $199 a year......offer only good for 48 hours."

Well, let me just rush right in and sign up for the year rate

LOL!

Sad thing is, many people will see that yearly rate over the monthly rate as a deal.

The pussification of our great gyms is getting overwhelming. With Gold's gone pussy, it's over. World and Gold's are leaning towards the ****s that are "intimidated" by grunts and heavy weight.

It's good that more and more people are trying to get in shape, but stop being such a ****ing pussy.

[JayLS1-327]

Originally Posted by ElMariachi

At least Gold's is keeping their logo.

World Gym replaced their gorilla with a big huge freaking W! WTF?


Not so much-

That's cause Planet Fitness bought World.
Joe Gold is rolling over in his grave.
RIP Joe, sorry to see both gym you founded turn into crap.