You have questions, we have answers. This month we spoke with Stacy anderson, the chief marketing officer of Anytime Fitness, on marketing strategy.
CS: How has marketing at Anytime Fitness changed over the past couple of years?
SA: Like the rest of the world, our marketing has become more digital, mobile and content driven. Our marketing evolves with our customers and goes where they go. Rather than pushing our message out to customers, we’re doing more and more to be a resource for people as they look for information regarding health and fitness.
CS: How do you foresee marketing changing over the next year?
SA: As our customer data becomes more robust, we expect to explore new opportunities like programmatic buying. That will allow us to efficiently connect with the right people at the right time — delivering compelling, relevant content where they need it, when they need it and in formats they want to consume. Along with that will come bigger investments in producing quality content, more focus on video and creating and delivering that content with a mobile-first perspective.
CS: Have you ever been surprised (positively or negatively) by a marketing campaign’s results? Why were you surprised?
SA: Our “My Anytime Story” campaign really hit a deep vein. The number and quality of the stories was shocking. Not only did it reinforce the unique communities that exist inside our gyms, but also it spiked our awareness in a very cost-effective manner. In addition, the people in our club communities are really the lifeblood of our brand. Having them tell our stories, through their lens, is bringing our brand to life in an authentic and powerful way.
CS: What’s the best piece of marketing advice you’ve ever been given?
SA: It’s all about the customer — know him or her well and you’ll never go wrong.
CS: Where do you look for marketing inspiration?
SA: In our customers — what are they doing, what are they looking for, what are they consuming and what problems can we solve for them?
