Exercising the body and mind with newspapers Volume 3, Issue 2 November/December 2009 PAGE 3 Healthier eaters are newspaper readers! PAGE 11 The prescription for advertising success newspapers! PAGE 13 INSIGHT Marketing and Research Newsletter The Art of Gaining New Members by Marie Elena Howe, PNA Attracting new clients to gyms and weight loss centers can be achieved through a careful combination of timing, desirable fitness program opportunities and effective advertising. Fortunately, many gyms and weight loss centers have been advertising in Pennsylvania s newspapers for years. Not surprisingly, the largest number of gym memberships comes in January and it begins to taper off in March, said Lynn Day, membership and advertising manager of Central Penn Fitness Center in Harrisburg. Then it starts up again in the beginning of April through May for people looking to get ready for summer. To help capture this audience, Central Penn Fitness Center, like many other fitness facilities, has begun offering concurrent Zumba classes for adults and children; making it as convenient as possible for both groups to participate. For those of you not familiar with Zumba, it is the latest exercise craze that combines hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program. It s incredible, Bark Toczek, owner of The Fitness Plaza in Allentown, said. We started with two Zumba classes per week, and now we have three per week. In January, we re going to be offering five classes per week. It s boosted our membership more than anything else. According to Zumba. com, the program is being taught in 40,000 locations in 75 countries. To help promote their facility and their services, Central Penn Fitness Center advertises on radio, in Clipper Magazine and in The Patriot-News. Day said that newspaper advertising is good for gaining exposure. We target families, so we put ads in the East and West versions of The Patriot-News, next to the football scores and cheerleader pictures, because those are the sections families are most likely to be reading. continued on page 2
Page 2 continued from page 1 The Fitness Plaza takes a slightly different approach to new client recruitment. Our greatest success in gaining new members comes from referrals among members. We offer a super clean facility with good services, said Toczek. Those services include free on-site babysitting, nutritional consultations, massage therapy, personal training, tanning and more. The Fitness Plaza also advertises in three phone books, area newsletters and on yellowpages.com. From the Editor As I began to compile this issue of Insight, I wanted to focus on a category of business that would be particularly active in first quarter 2010 to help get every newspaper s ad sales department off to a strong start in the New Year. I Googled top ten New Year s resolutions, and found three that appeared on every list exercise, lose weight and quit smoking. After digging a little further, I found that Pennsylvania s newspapers did an outstanding job of reaching adults who have these same aspirations. Throughout the pages of this newsletter, you will find information and statistics that demonstrate how Pennsylvania s newspapers reach adults with health and fitness goals better than any other medium across the state. Do yourself a favor print off copies of this information and share it with current or prospective advertisers that fall into these categories. We re all guilty of assuming that advertisers understand the value of newspapers, but in fact, few actually do. As newspapers fight to retain or increase their share of the advertising budget, any supporting documentation that you can provide to a client that supports the strengths of your products is only to your advantage. Good luck as you begin planning for an even more successful and prosperous 2010. Wishing you peace, happiness and the spirit of the season. Jane Hungarter Vice President of Marketing & Revenue Development Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Laurie Haines, director of marketing for the Universal Athletic Club in Lancaster, home of the Women s Weight Loss Center, said the club advertises in newspapers and Clipper Magazine as well as on the radio. The club mails a 32-page program guide fives times per year, featuring all of the programs offered as well as member success stories, to its member database and residential areas based on zip code. We do newspaper and radio advertising twice per year; every fall and early spring, around the times we have open houses. We invite the public to come in and try out everything for free, and we also have a trade show with all our departments present, Laurie said. We also advertise events and specials in newspapers throughout the year. Newspaper and radio gives us exposure to a market that we wouldn t necessarily be reaching through our program guide. Be sure to use the research and information contained in this issue of Insight to help with your sales pitch as you target gyms and weight loss centers. Show them that newspapers have the power to reach a wide range of potential customers and, combined with readers trust in the newspaper brand, advertising in our products could help them increase their membership numbers.
Page 3 Fit Body and Fit Mind by Jane Hungarter, PNA Pennsylvanians know that it s as important to exercise the mind by reading a newspaper as it is to exercise the abs and biceps. Based on the most recent Scarborough Research reports, Pennsylvanians who belong to a health or exercise club read newspapers more than they use any other media type. Adults 18+ who belong to a health or exercise club who have used selected media in the past week: Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York DMA Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties 1 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 154,484 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 121,438 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 115,770 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 56,100 Philadelphia DMA Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia Counties 2 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 520,698 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 409,352 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 381,096 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 216,836 Pittsburgh DMA Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland Counties 3 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 266,170 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 223,508 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 199,694 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 96,440 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne and Wyoming Counties 4 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 122,188 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 121,720 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 73,798 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 31,108 Copyright 2009 Scarborough Research. All rights reserved. 1 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.; 2 Source: 2009 Release 1 Aug 08 Jan 09 Scarborough Report.; 3 Source: 2009 Release 1 Sep 08 Feb 09 Scarborough Report.; 4 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report
Page 4 Health/Fitness Club Industry Background The health/fitness club industry comprises a wide variety of facilities that meet consumer fitness needs through instructional exercise classes, personalized exercise programs, equipment ranging from weights to swimming pools, and/or nutritional counseling. While almost half of the clubs are commercial enterprises, nearly one-third are not-for-profit operations. Clubs operated as for-profit enterprises usually hire certified fitness experts and trainers to provide general and personalized instruction. Some centers offer pay-as-you-go plans while others require an initiation fee of several hundred dollars plus a fixed monthly payment for access to the facility. Well-known health clubs include Bally and 24 Hour Fitness. Curves is a franchise that specifically targets women. These centers must compete with non-profit organizations such as the YMCA. They must also compete with churches and schools, which might offer members and the general public access to classes such as yoga or general fitness. In addition, consumers may opt to use home-based exercise equipment or exercise by walking. While the US government routinely encourages consumers to engage in at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, many consumers claim they lack the time to exercise. Approximately 12 percent of consumers belong to a fitness center in the US. Health clubs might be able to increase membership and enrollment by working with employers and other affinity groups to offer discounted prices. If legislation is passed that allows consumers to deduct the cost of health club membership from taxes or to apply the cost to health services accounts, people might be more likely to sign up. In the United States, the industry comprises nearly 30,000 health clubs, an $18.5 billion industry, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. The IHRSA also reports that club memberships increased to 44.1 million in 2007, up from 42.7 million in 2006. [Sources: Fitness Management; IHRSA; Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Local health clubs, spas pick up more business as this year starts. Deborah Alexander, January 13, 2008.] Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Attracting New Members is Key for Health/Fitness Clubs On average, consumers maintain membership at a specific health/fitness club for 3.2 years. Also, 64 percent of health/fitness club visitors/patrons are members, while 36 percent are non-member patrons. [Source: International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association s Profiles of Success. Reprinted in Fitness Management. February 2007.] Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 5 Looking to Reach Those Who Are in the Market for Athletic Wear or Sports Equipment? Look No Further Than Your Newspaper! by Jane Hungarter, PNA Pennsylvanians who personally purchased athletic shoes, athletic clothing or sports equipment in the past year read newspapers more than they engage with any other media type, according to the most recent Scarborough Research reports. If you are trying to reach this audience, be sure to invest a portion of your media budget in Pennsylvania s newspapers. Adults 18+ who have purchased athletic shoes, athletic clothing or sports equipment in the past year who have used selected media in the past week: Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York DMA Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties 1 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 472,500 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 411,266 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 367,574 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 159,950 Philadelphia DMA Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia Counties 2 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 1,306,888 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 1,186,030 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 1,023,992 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 505,210 Pittsburgh DMA Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland Counties 3 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 825,988 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 804,924 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 632,996 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 285,864 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne and Wyoming Counties 4 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 413,934 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 347,644 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 280,558 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 103,400 Copyright 2009 Scarborough Research. All rights reserved. 1 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.; 2 Source: 2009 Release 1 Aug 08 Jan 09 Scarborough Report.; 3 Source: 2009 Release 1 Sep 08 Feb 09 Scarborough Report.; 4 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.
The Increasing Popularity of Yoga Who s Exercising? According to the SRDS Lifestyle Market Analyst 2008, approximately 57 percent of health/fitness club members are women and 43 percent are men. The percentage of women as club members has been increasing and might be due to the popularity of women-only clubs. Overall, the highest rate of health club membership falls in the 18 to 34 demographic, which has a 21.2 percent membership rate. Page 6 However, the Sporting Goods Manufacturer s Association reports that more than half of new club memberships are sold to consumers older than 40 individuals who want to stay fit and fight aging. This data corresponds to IHSRA s findings, and the study also indicates that for new health club members older than 55, 46 percent have never belonged to a different club. The report also identifies that consumers who take part in physical fitness/exercise activities are: Retailers should take note that yoga is a growing opportunity for the health/fitness club industry. These consumers spend approximately $6 billion annually on yoga classes and products. Approximately 72 percent are women, and 44 percent have household incomes of $75,000 and higher. Forty-four percent are ages 18 to 34, an additional 41 percent are ages 35 to 54, and the remaining 18 percent are ages 55 and older. [Source: Yoga Journal. April 2008.] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. TIP Show the advertiser how newspapers can effectively target these customers. Use audience and marketing data to support your claims. If possible, show how another advertiser used newspapers to effectively reach the same kinds of customers. Married (59 percent) Homeowners (69.9 percent) By age, these consumers are broken down as follows: 18 to 24 4.5 percent 25 to 34 16.6 percent 35 to 44 20.8 percent 45 to 54 21.8 percent 55 to 64 16.2 percent 65 to 74 10.8 percent 75+ 9.2 percent By ethnic group, health club membership was reported as follows: White 67.7 percent Black 9.5 percent Hispanic 18.1 percent Asian 5.9 percent The same publication breaks out the market by the following income levels: Less than $20,000 12.9 percent $20,000-$29,999 9.3 percent $30,000-$39,999 10.3 percent $40,000-$49,999 10.0 percent $50,000-$74,999 21.2 percent $75,000-$99,999 14.0 percent $100,000+ 22.3 percent Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 7 Peak Sales Months/Seasons For Health/Fitness Clubs CALENDAR MONTH % OF ANNUAL SALES JANUARY 12.4% FEBRUARY 9.5% MARCH 8.7% APRIL 6.9% MAY 7.8% JUNE 7.6% JULY 6.8% AUGUST 7.6% SEPTEMBER 8.4% OCTOBER 8.6% NOVEMBER 7.7% Historically, new health/fitness club memberships spike in January, remain high in February and March, and level off in April. [Source: Monthly enrollment rates from International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association based on the most recent statistics available.] When measuring attrition, the IHRSA found that, on average, clubs had highest monthly memberships from October through December, while more memberships were dropped in March than any other month. Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. TIP Propose ad placements that run in advance of and during this time. You might also be able to maximize sales by proposing promotions or nontraditional activites for increasing traffic during slower times. DECEMBER 7.8%
Page 8 Media Influencers for Health/Fitness Club Members Information/advertising from direct mail, newspapers and TV are the traditional media types that most influence U.S. adults who have been members of a health/fitness club or gym in the last year, according to the January 2009 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice Survey Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 9 Top Factors Considered When Choosing A Health/Fitness Club Cost is the most important factor when choosing a health/fitness club, according to 54 percent of Americans. Twenty-one percent say convenience or atmosphere is most important. Americans have health club memberships for health/weight loss reasons (43 percent), to improve appearance (16 percent), and reduce stress (8 percent). [Source: Fitness and Finances. Anytime Fitness. Accessed February 2009.] The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) reports that men exercise (listed in order of decreasing importance) for: muscle tone increased energy cardiovascular conditioning weight control Women exercise for (in declining order of importance): weight control feeling good afterward increased energy level muscle tone Consumers may also join a specific health/fitness club because of programs offered. IHRSA reports the following activity participation by gender: Men: Barbells 73 percent Dumbbells 63 percent Calisthenics 56 percent Spinning 53 percent Weight machines 48 percent Women: High impact aerobics 98 percent Low impact aerobics 97 percent Step aerobics 87 percent Aquatic exercise 80 percent Cardio kickboxing 71 percent The most popular fitness machines are: Treadmills Stationary cycles Weight/resistance machines Abdominal machines Elliptical motion trainers [Source: Sports Goods Manufacturers Association. 2008] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Some Background On Diet/ Weight Loss Centers Diet/weight loss centers operate either as independent entities or as branches of larger organizations such as churches or health clubs. These businesses charge consumers a membership fee and in return consumers get the right to attend meetings and receive positive support. For additional fees, consumers can purchase pre-measured meals and/or access online resources. Diet/weight loss centers compete with each other and with physicians who might offer nutritional counseling or weight loss medications as well as the increasingly popular surgical alternative known as gastric bypass. Diet/weight loss centers also compete with retailers and manufacturers that sell over-the-counter solutions ranging from food products to pharmaceuticals that promise to suppress appetite. Well-known diet centers include the franchised Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig systems. Marketdata reports that the weight-loss industry is worth $55 billion, and that number is expected to reach $68 billion by 2010. The industry outlook is good as nearly two-thirds of American adults are overweight and many consumers who lose weight regain it. [Sources: Newman, Andrew Adam. The Skinny on Male Dieting. Adweek. April 7, 2008; Mahoney, Sarah. With Attendance Down, Weight Watchers Looks To Revamp Its Marketing. Marketing Daily. May 7, 2007; Weight Watchers 2008 Annual Report] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Annual Advertising Budget For Diet/ Weight Loss Centers Target Customers For Diet/Weight Loss Centers Page 10 According to the SRDS 2008 Lifestyle Market Analyst, the average consumer of diet/weight control products/services is 50.5 years old. Here is a breakout of the market by age group: 18 to 24 years old 3.7 percent 25 to 34 14.6 percent 35 to 44 19.4 percent 45 to 54 22.4 percent The annual advertising budget for diet/weight loss centers is approximately 6.1 percent of retail sales for personal services businesses. [Source: Advertising Ratios & Budgets. Schonfeld & Associates. 2007.] This amounts to an estimated ad budget of $27,938 per location for an average size personal care service company in the state of Pennsylvania. To be average in this market, personal care service companies need to spend at least $5,238 per employee on advertising every year. [Source: 2009 EASI/Ad-ology Annual Receipts Analysis based the latest reported data from the IRS, US Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the US Census Bureau.] Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. TIP Use this information to build realistic and attainable advertising proposals, to estimate your share of their overall budget (if the account won t give you an exact figure) or to counter account objections that they are spending too much on advertising. 55 to 64 18.9 percent 65 to 74 12.1 percent 75+ 8.9 percent The same publication breaks out the market by the following income levels: Less than $20,000 15.1 percent $20,000-$29,999 10.4 percent $30,000-$39,999 10.9 percent $40,000-$49,999 10.4 percent $50,000-$74,999 21.2 percent $75,000-$99,999 13.3 percent $100,000+ 18.8 percent Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Health/Fitness Club Media Preferences Health/fitness club advertisers prefer to promote their services in daily and weekly newspapers, radio, cable television, yellow pages, direct mail, event and team sponsorships, promotions and the Internet (web sites, e-mails and social networks). [Source: Ad-ology.net. 2008.] Members of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association are frequently invited to participate in joint promotions. Information is available at www.ihrsa.org. Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 11 Energy and Nutrition Bar Aficionados are Newspaper Readers by Jane Hungarter, PNA The most recent Scarborough Research reports demonstrate that Pennsylvanians who used energy/ nutrition bars in the past month prefer their newspaper to any other competitive medium. Adults 18+ who have used energy/nutrition bars in the past month who have used selected media in the past week: Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York DMA Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties 1 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 143,770 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 134,738 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 126,628 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 43,830 Philadelphia DMA Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia Counties 2 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 517,930 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 508,702 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 430,728 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 191,144 Pittsburgh DMA Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland Counties 3 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 305,706 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 288,758 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 233,196 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 101,966 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne and Wyoming Counties 4 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 139,286 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 135,952 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 82,666 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 32,464 Copyright 2009 Scarborough Research. All rights reserved. 1 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.; 2 Source: 2009 Release 1 Aug 08 Jan 09 Scarborough Report.; 3 Source: 2009 Release 1 Sep 08 Feb 09 Scarborough Report.; 4 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.
Page 12 Media Influencers for Diet/Weight Loss Center Patrons Information/advertising from TV, magazines and newspapers are the traditional media types that most influence U.S. adults who have recently used a diet or weight loss program, according to the January 2009 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey. Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Newspapers Are the Prescription for Advertising Success by Jane Hungarter, PNA Americans are all trying to live healthier lives, and Pennsylvanians are no exception. According to the most recent Scarborough Research reports, Pennsylvanians who personally purchased medication to quit smoking or lose weight in the past year are big newspaper readers. Page 13 Adults 18+ who have purchased medication to quit smoking or lose weight in the past year who have used selected media in the past week: Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York DMA Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties 1 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 53,410 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 41,462 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 42,582 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 9,576 Philadelphia DMA Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia Counties 2 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 175,464 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 163,614 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 140,162 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 49,894 Pittsburgh DMA Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland Counties 3 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 69,044 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 68,412 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 61,452 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 14,844 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne and Wyoming Counties 4 Newspapers (read a daily or Sunday newspaper) 38,812 Television (watched morning or evening local news) 34,928 Radio (listened to morning drive radio) 31,112 Online (visited any newspaper Web site) 16,590 Copyright 2009 Scarborough Research. All rights reserved. 1 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.; 2 Source: 2009 Release 1 Aug 08 Jan 09 Scarborough Report.; 3 Source: 2009 Release 1 Sep 08 Feb 09 Scarborough Report.; 4 Source: 2009 Release 1 Oct 08 Mar 09 Scarborough Report.
Page 14 Gym Members Quit Within the First Year Approximately 27 percent of new gym members quit the gym within the first year. Those who start their memberships in January are most likely to quit that same year, many within the first few months. [Source: Perone, Joseph R. The Star-Ledger, Fitness Burnout. April 15, 2008.] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Peak Sales Months/Seasons For Diet/Weight Loss Centers Traditionally, many consumers start diets as part of New Year s resolutions, as well as during the spring months. In 2009, 20 percent of those making a resolution said their goal was to lose weight. Preferred Ad Dates/ Times For Diet/Weight Loss Centers Diet/weight loss centers report having the most success when they advertise during early morning talk shows, early in each month and at the start of the swimsuit season. Mondays are also popular times to advertise as many consumers begin dieting on Monday. As a matter of interest, of the approximately 46 percent of consumers who start diets on Mondays, 31 percent admit defeat by Tuesday evening and return to normal eating patterns. [Source: MSNBC.com. April 9, 2007.] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. [Source: Marist Poll. Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. January 2, 2009.] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. TIP Propose ad placements that run in advance of and during this time. You might also be able to maximize sales by proposing promotions or non-traditional activities for increasing traffic during slower times. Top Advertising Media For Diet/Weight Loss Centers Diet/weight loss centers find value in promoting their services in or on the following mediums: television, radio, newspaper, magazine, yellow pages, Internet (Web sites, directories, blogs, social networks and online communities) and direct mail coupons. [Source: Ad-ology.net. 2009.] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 15 Key Copy Points For Health/Fitness Clubs A health/fitness club advertiser can attract more attention to its ad by listing key or unique services in their copy. Here are a few items commonly offered: Diet planning Free towels Spa Free daycare Pro shop Heated outdoor pool Custom fitness Financing Giant whirlpool Tanning booths Summer camps For Diet/ Weight Loss Centers A diet/weight loss center advertiser can attract more attention to its ad by listing key or unique services in their copy. Here are a few items commonly offered: Free weekly meetings Nutritional counseling Low-impact exercise programs East-to-follow diets Pre-measured food Family discounts Unique planning journal Home meal delivery Diabetics a specialty Grocery shopping training Cooking classes Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Top Factors Considered When Choosing A Diet/ Weight Loss Center According to surveys by Consumer Reports, the following factors are important in selecting a diet center/weight loss program: Reasonable prices Flexible programs, including accommodation of special dietary needs Counseling and guidance to change eating habits for life Exercise programs [Source: Consumer Reports, Weight Loss Programs] Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc.
Page 16 Annual Advertising Budget For Health/ Fitness Clubs The annual advertising budget for a health/ fitness club is approximately 2.4 percent of retail sales for miscellaneous amusement and recreation services. [Source: Advertising Ratios and Budgets. Schonfeld & Associates. 2007.] This amounts to an estimated ad budget of $8,959 per location for average size fitness and recreational sports centers in the state of Pennsylvania. To be average in this market, fitness and recreational sports centers need to spend at least $533 per employee on advertising every year. [Source: 2009 EASI/Ad-ology Annual Receipts Analysis based the latest reported data from the IRS, US Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the US Census Bureau.] Reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. TIP Use this information to build realistic and attainable advertising proposals, to estimate your share of the overall budget (if the account won t give you an exact figure) or to counter account objections that they are spending too much on advertising. Wishing you peace, happiness and the spirit of the season. Top Product Categories For Health/ Fitness Clubs According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the top programs for health/fitness clubs are: Personal training Fitness evaluation Step/bench aerobics Strength training Child care Research information reprinted with permission 2009 AdMall and Sales Development Services, Inc. Tim Williams, President, timw@pa-news.org 717.703.3060 Jane Hungarter, Vice President of Marketing and Revenue Development, janeh@pa-news.org 717.703.3041 Lisa Knight, Vice President of Advertising Sales, lisak@pa-news.org 717.703.3043 Kevin Wert, Director of New Business Development, kevinw@pa-news.org 717.703.3049 Matthew Caylor, Account Executive, Interactive, matthewc@pa-news.org 717.703.3040