This week’s blog illustrates an important point for all businesses – tough times don’t necessarily mean focusing on the lowest common denominator in the marketing mix – price. At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we truly understand this is often easier said than done, but every business needs to be able differentiate itself to avoid this pitfall.
The Skinny
In the post recession era, where consumers seem to hold all the cards and wield all the power, businesses assume they need to compete on price to be successful. The highly competitive and price-sensitive fitness club industry would seem to be a classic example of such a market, particularly given the recessionary consumer behaviour of shedding discretionary expenses like fitness memberships.
National fitness club chain GoodLife Fitness has decided to buck this trend and instead have turned to aspirational-type advertisements to build their brand and attract new clients. Their new slogan, “The good life. Made easy”, conveys that the “good life” – in all its various shapes and forms, is attainable – when you join GoodLife Fitness.
The strategy behind this campaign is to connect emotionally with customers, and to strengthen and clarify the brand’s image. Their messages, which even encourage people to enjoy pizza, ice cream and beer as part of the “good life” (while also exercising of course), convey a more realistic and balanced approach to health and fitness that is clearly targeted at the average consumer who may not be a fitness fanatic but wants to be healthier, more active and enjoy life and their families more.
Lessons Learned
These so-called “lifestyle” ads attempt to engage audiences by showing them how they can aspire to achieve something that is important to them.
What this says for any business is that connecting on a deeper, more emotional level with one’s clients can be a viable alternative to an all-out battle over price and margins. This strategy may take longer to show results, and often requires a significant commitment to reinforcing the brand messages over time. However, if business owners truly believe in this approach and are willing to stick with it, the end results can indeed be remarkable.
To learn how you can implement a lifestyle branding strategy for your business, speak to us at Sydcam Marketing Communications. We will work with you to devise the right plan to enable you to compete on something better than just price.