When a member walks into Naples Family Fitness in Naples, Florida, a 12-year-old who’s working out may greet them, or a 95-year-old who stops by the gym four days a week will wave. Starbucks coffee is hot and ready and a couple bottles of water and balloons are ready to be taken home after a good workout.
And this is all coming from a gym that created its mission statement just last year.
Three years ago, Naples Family Fitness took over a Lifestyle Family Fitness club. Since then, it has continually been changing its business strategy, sales and marketing strategy to focus more and more on the word “family,” according to general manager, Paul Mele.
“The idea (three years ago) was pretty much the same as it is now: to offer a health club that’s a part of a community and not just a health club. We do a lot in the area,” Mele said. “We wanted to create a health club that belonged to everybody, or at least felt as though it belonged to everybody.”
With over 4,000 members, Mele says in order to make the gym feel like more of a “family,” Naples Family Fitness participates in, and occasionally hosts, community events and connects with businesses in the surrounding area. Every Wednesday, it gives away free coffee to its members. Randomly throughout the week, members can get free bottles of water or vitamins and pre-workout and post-workout drinks from a local supplier. On some weeknights, Mele or another professional will DJ for the entire gym.
And the health club relies almost solely on word of mouth for advertising.
“By the time we’re done buying that water, the response that we get from our members is far better than sending somebody out or outside advertisement or mailers, and things like that, to people who have no idea who we are. The best marketing we can do is word of mouth. When we provide that family feel, it’s just welcoming,” Mele said.
Mele says there was no way to move forward in business if a company doesn’t define its mission. Thus, last year, Naples Family Fitness came up with “Fulfilling our members needs through honesty and integrity, while building relationships and a fitness culture with a fun and friendly environment,” as its mission statement. He now requires the front desk to call each member by name and if he doesn’t know someone at the gym, he will make sure to talk with him or her.
“We’re very excited about this anniversary. We’re honored to be here. There’s a lot of competition in this market and in this area, and the fact that our business grows everyday and the members that we have that support us, it makes us happy to know that we have the support that we do in this community and from the members that come through the door,” Mele said.
In the future, Mele says he hopes the health club continues to be not only a fun gym, but a motivating and serious gym that continues to incorporate everybody — from its youngest person in the Kid’s Corner to internationally known professional athletes.
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Emily Harbourne is the former assistant editor of Club Solutions Magazine.
