Almost four years ago I was working for a newspaper in a small town in Northern Indiana. The paper had a rich history dating back more than 100 years. It had pictures of editors and writers hanging on the walls, and newspapers framed, which highlighted major events in the town. When I came on at this paper there were a million stories about newspapers dying. However, I was hired onto a staff of young, brilliant minds that were ready to get their hands dirty and work as hard as possible.
Day after day we developed amazing copy for our subscribers, chronicling the stories of cancer survivors and military men and women returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. We had beautiful pictures on the front page and great photo pages inside the newspaper. It was a great time to work for a newspaper, but it was a great learning lesson.
What eventually occurred to me was that everything that I experienced at that particular newspaper had probably been the same at a multitude of newspapers across the U.S. at that time. There are great writers, photographers and designers everywhere developing daily newspapers. However, just like the paper I worked for, there was one common struggle — the inability to adapt.
One’s inability to adapt can be the life and death of any business, regardless of industry or size. For many years the newspaper industry flourished. They survived the birth of radio and television. They held onto subscribers even when TV stations launched news programs and websites.
However, newspapers never diversified. They weren’t the first to create news websites, and they surely didn’t make any attempts at putting video online. Now, many years later, you see newspaper websites trying to make the changes that they should have been the first to make.
Newspapers were lucky in that their readers loved them. For many generations, a newspaper could hardly do wrong. They were the traditional go-to source for information. However, as people started wanting updates more regularly, the newspaper failed to adapt. Where TV stations had 24-hour news, like CNN and Fox News, newspapers simply churned forward. TV stations eventually saw the opportunity in website updates, and exclusive video footage online. But, newspapers simply stayed the path.
Today, we hear more and more about newspapers closing their doors, or minimizing a staff and going completely digital. Now, after reading this blog you are asking, what does the newspaper industry have to do with our fitness industry? I’m so glad you asked.
I think we can all say that at-home workout videos made business difficult. Why join a gym to do aerobics when you can get it on videotape and do it at home? You hear, “I’ve joined a lot of gyms, but I never seem to get results.” To accompany those voices, we’ve seen the emergence of Weight Watchers, boot camp studios, CrossFit, Slim Fast and a multitude of other exercise and weight-loss possibilities outside of a club.
For about four years I’ve heard club owners speak to the opportunities they possess with their members. Clubs, if operated properly, are trusted and have qualified trainers. However, prices are high for memberships, trainers and dietitians. Members feel like when they sign up for a club, it should be enough, but it never is. We then attempt to sell them on more. Always up-selling the member, roping them into personal training packages and nutrition plans. By the end of the day, the 40 pounds they might lose, will cost them upwards of $500-$1,000, or more. However, probably at some point during their weight-loss journey, a friend will join the club for much less and maybe even be offered a different price on personal training. Additionally, this never sits well with the member.
Meanwhile, with the development of studios and CrossFit locations, the members will pay a set fee, the price may never change and they have a good chance at getting results. Now, they won’t have the opportunity to workout whenever they wish or be able to pay for a dietitian like they do at a club, but sort of like the TV industry beating newspapers to the web, it could only be a matter of time.
Differentiation and adaptability are crucial at this moment. Sure, continue to compete with the club down the street, but become aware of all the fitness opportunities opening in your town. Stay in touch with how and where people are exercising and learn from them. Adapt your business model to help people achieve results for less. Learn from group training, boot camps and CrossFit. Watch how members enjoy the experience, but wish they could just get a quick workout in, then combine those desires. You are the workout facility, now adapt and become the training studio down the street as well.
Tyler Montgomery is the editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
