In today’s highly competitive world of club operations, managers are struggling to keep pace in the “entertainment arms race.” With home theater systems, personal media players and in-car entertainment systems pushing new levels of quality and sophistication, it would be a major disappointment for club members to walk into their health club and have an inferior sound/ entertainment experience. So addressing this single component in any club can mean multiple benefits for owners such as: attracting new members; retaining current members; effectively marketing services and products to your club members, and all the while continuing to motivate club personnel.
At face value, this seems like a lot to expect from a single solution. However, a high quality, professionally executed sound system coupled with dynamic music programming can, in time, pay for itself through loyal customers and effective recruiting. How so? Let’s start with some simple facts: 80 percent of surveyed club members have stated that music and videos make working out more enjoyable, and 82 percent have stated that entertainment is a good thing for facilities to offer. Therefore, a high quality system with appropriate control can be a manager’s most effective tool in keeping members and employees excited, motivated, happy to return and willing to recommend their club to others – regardless of whether they are operating a single yoga studio or managing multiple locations of a national health and fitness chain.
Obviously different types of facilities have different needs. A small yoga studio requires soothing and serene music while a gym with weights or spin classes needs energetic and upbeat programming. The key is in choosing a vendor that can provide a fully integrated, professional music system comprised of hardware that can play at proper volume and with the right dynamic range, while also offering music programming that is flexible, updateable and meets a broad range of tastes. Beyond that, an effective multimedia system will incorporate marketing tools such as messaging that supports both product sales and promotion of the club and is critical to a facility’s profitability.
One such vendor is DMX MUSIC. Realizing the need for application specific systems, DMX MUSIC has a technical staff and creative music programming team that is dedicated to providing health club solutions that increase member satisfaction and retention. The DMX MUSIC approach for health club owners and managers is to provide a comprehensive, blended offer of music systems and zoned music programming and messaging that includes on-hold messaging as well as visual and audible marketing messages in the facility.
PROGRAMMING COMES FIRST
A high-quality, integrated system that infuses a club with the utmost in class and style will ultimately help owners retain customers and meet business objectives. Yet before a club owner ever considers the type of hardware that will be needed in their facility, DMX MUSIC works with them to understand the image and messaging that best expresses their club’s attitude. The importance of picking the right kind of stimulation in programming cannot be over-emphasized. Ambience is critical throughout a facility, starting at the front entrance and going to each and every stage, from the locker room to the juice bar. The right ambience or atmosphere can set an entertaining and appropriate mood for every area in a club while creating a unique identity that members can easily identify and closely associate with.
The key here is programming that offers variety, quality and control with a high number of choices for flexibility in zoning. DMX MUSIC works as a partner with a club to help design the audible aesthetics and map-out functional areas of the club such as retail, waiting areas, locker rooms, classrooms, weight rooms and aerobics areas. Once identified, the music and the messaging can vary from area to area as appropriate. These are powerful tactics in educating both members and staff as well as promoting club benefits. In addition to providing brand-building services, the DMX MUSIC approach also constitutes ongoing client care, which ensures that the music continues and the club employees remain focused on membership retention and satisfaction.
Message marketing in these systems allows the club to promote its most profitable services. For example, in addition to high-energy music in the weight room, advertising messages can be added about the club’s most profitable services, such as: personal training; massage therapy; the pro shop; aquatics programs, or sports-specific instruction. In addition, areas of high profitability for clubs can be promoted in certain areas, during special times of the day or certain seasons, depending on what works best for the club.
The Stimulation Zones Program: DMX MUSIC’s new Stimulation Zones program is a highly specific set of audioand visual solutions combined with music selections that have been pre-selected to embody the spirit of each area, or zone, of the club. Through the new Stimulation Zones program, club selections include:
• Pump Zone: In the cardio machine and weight room zone, Pump Zone programming is comprised of hard driving, energetic styles incorporating classic alternative and classic rock as well as power hits, all intended to keep the energy level up.
• Burn Zone: Circuit training or spin rooms can program the Burn Zone, which encompasses a high-end audio system with a port for easy hookup of a personal MP3 player or iPod. The music styles here are also high energy.
• Power Zone: An aerobics studio can benefit from the Power Zone that includes fast-paced music programming styles including Glow and Dance Hits.
• Zen Zone: Conversely, yoga studios will enjoy the Zen Zone with programming that includes New Age Spa, Tranquility and Zen content.
• Refresh Zone: For clubs that have a café or juice bar, there is Refresh Zone, with a playlist that includes Groove Lounge, Reggae, Retro Disco and Old School Funk.
• Secondary Zones: For secondary zones, such as reception or membership sales, message marketing and appropriate regional playlists can be incorporated.
HARWARE SHOULDN’T BE THE HARD PART
Regardless of a club’s size and zoning/programming sophistication, DMX MUSIC can provide a simple or complex system suitable for one location or multiple clubs. Unique to DMX MUSIC, club owners can work directly with DMX MUSIC’s programmers and design team to easily customize a system that is best-suited for their individual club’s needs. DMX MUSIC has a range of media delivery platforms backed by extensive industry experience in system design engineering, project management and installation and, most importantly, customer care.
The ProFusion X Platform: One such platform is the DMX MUSIC ProFusion X. With targeted music and messaging, flexible scheduling and zoning, the ProFusion X is ideally suited to the health and fitness market. ProFusion X offers more than 1,000 hours of high quality, on-premise digital audio storage in a reliable, robust platform designed to withstand rigorous usage. ProFusion X also offers unique management control features that prevent unauthorized music from being broadcast. ProFusion X can be programmed to automatically change music scheduling based on time of day, day of week, a seasonal basis, or even for specific promotional events. This ‘hands-free’ programming means that clubs don’t have to devote an employee to fool around with it, saving money and increasing efficiency.
The ProFusion M5 Platform: DMX MUSIC’s newest media platform is ProFusion M5. In response to the growing demand for attention-grabbing digital signage, ProFusion M5 allows you to combine digital signage, full motion video, audio and message marketing inside any club for a very targeted, entertaining and easy-to-understand communication medium. The true strength of ProFusion M5 is convenience as it arrives pre-loaded with music, imaging, and messaging per an owner’s exact specifications and is practically plugand- play, once loaded. As with all digital systems, both the ProFusion M5 and ProFusion X are easily re-programmed with built-in security and diagnostics that make running either platform more economical than supposedly “cheaper” solutions.
THE CHOICE, AND THE SYSTEM, SHOULD BE CLEAR
Clearly, a club manager can see the many possibilities inherent in such an integrated system. With DMX MUSIC’s Stimulation Zones, high-quality media platforms and playback technology, management has more control of the environment, allowing them to maintain a style and quality that emphasizes the brand on their door. On an economic level, owners can avoid dedicating the “new guy” or another employee to spending hours a week playing CDs. Instead, the DMX MUSIC solution means an entire facility is reliably programmed with quality music and profit-generating marketing, in the most cost-effective manner.
In an increasingly competitive business, a unique sound system can give members a clear understanding of their club’s attitude and market position, and it can separate their club from the others. Owners therefore can build a brand and, through loyal customers, build their profits as well.
Tim Seaton is the Regional President, West for DMX MUSIC. He can be contacted at (206) 329.1401, ext. 7501, or by email at tim.seaton@dmxmusic.com, or visit www.dmxmusic.com.
