Blair McHaney POV: Trends, Member Experience, An Optimistic Future

Each month Blair McHaney, the CEO of MXM, sits down with Rachel Zabonick-Chonko, the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine, for a frank discussion on the current state of the fitness industry.

BLAIR MCHANEY’S POV SHOW NOTES

Top of mind thoughts:

All of the obvious trends we saw before the pandemic have accelerated because of the pandemic, i.e. Peloton, Apple, online content, etc.
How will this impact the fitness industry? How can we make it impact us in a good way? What part of the marketplace will it impact?
The business we should be in is helping people create exercise habits.
Brick and mortar gyms aren’t going anywhere. People want to get together.
You should have a healthy amount of anxiety about your business model and how online fitness will impact you.
Our image is a challenge. We have to rebrand our entire industry. We have to serve our communities better. We have to put out a better product. Reach outside of your four walls. Our rebranding has to be authentic.

Opportunities in 2021:

Younger people are coming back to gyms in droves.
People 60 to 75 years old aren’t coming back as much as other groups.
- This is a huge opportunity to figure out how to get them back in clubs.
- It has to be more than a new marketing message.
- This population could benefit the most from exercise due to the pandemic.
You have to create the desire for people to exercise.

Clubs should be taking the member experience more serious now than ever before:

Know your market.
Have marketing intel.
Consistently communicate with your members.
You can control member experience.

An optimistic future:

People want to get together.
People have to actually move their bodies to exercise; it can’t be digitally outsourced.
Exercise gives people independence.

For more insights from Blair McHaney and to learn more about MXM, the world’s leading experts on Operational Member Experience Management, visit mxmetrics.com.