Do we hire an internal graphic designer or outsource all graphics? This is the question many health clubs are debating.
In order to make a good decision you must first answer two important questions. First, how many clubs are in your chain? And second, how many programs or events do you typically host?
If your club only has one location and the only program you offer is group fitness, it wouldn’t make sense for you to incur the expense of adding another employee to your payroll. If you are in need of an occasional flyer in your club, some great resources are the local design schools and colleges in your area. You can often contact the graphic design department and see if there are students who are interested in freelance work.
One caveat is you need to find someone who is willing to work freelance for your club on a long-term basis. You need to build a relationship with your freelance designer and make sure he or she can graphically deliver the same look and feel for every piece they create for you. Brand awareness is as important inside of the club, as it is outside of the club.
There is nothing worse than unprofessional, hand-made flyers created with clip art hanging inside your club. Branding is your most valuable asset, and what does it say about your brand if you have unprofessional material in your club? Whether your club is $9.99 a month or $109.99 a month, your members pay their hard-earned money to go to your club. Therefore, you should create a five-star atmosphere for them, including any material posted inside of the club.
On the other side of the spectrum are the multi-club chains that are driven by programs and events. Or, even if you are one club that is very program heavy, you need to have an internal graphic designer. It is much more cost effective to have someone on staff than to outsource all of the material needed. Not only will doing this have less of an impact on your budget, you will have a team member who truly believes in your organization, understands the brand and is fully aware of how to convey the message to your members.
If you have aquatics, children’s programs, dance, sports leagues, etc., it is important to develop an eye-catching piece that will evoke the action you are looking for, whether it be to enroll their child in a summer camp or take a boot camp. Each program manager can meet with your artist to explain the program and its goals so the designer will have a complete understanding of how to develop the piece.
It’s okay to have an internal graphic designer and still do some outsourcing. We have a graphic designer on staff that completes all internal marketing, and our ad agency creates all external marketing. If you are a large chain, it is virtually impossible for one artist on staff to complete both internal and external marketing.
It is also much easier on your budget if you split the work. Each designer has their own style, so it is important that if you split the internal and external marketing, you have the same artist work on the same type all of the time — they shouldn’t interchange roles or people will notice the difference.
In the end, the decision to hire or not to hire an in-house graphic designer depends solely on the club needs and growth strategy. There is no wrong answer, but it is a decision that requires a lot of thought.
Donyel Cerceo is the director of marketing for Merritt Athletic Clubs in Baltimore, Md.
