Budget fitness club operator the Gym Group is overhauling its CRM by implementing a new marketing platform and appointing media agency MEC to drive the strategy.
The company, which previously handled CRM inhouse, has briefed MEC to work along recently appointed ad agency Dinosaur to work on a member acquisition campaign – timed to coincide with the sector’s peak January season – that will promote a new positioning.
As well as CRM, MEC will handle media strategy planning and buying and digital marketing. It has appointed Salesforce Marketing Cloud as its marketing automation provider.
The company offers 24 hour access to some of its premises for as little as £10.99 a month and unlike rivals does not insist on customers joining a membership programme.
It operates gyms in over 42 towns and cities across the UK – with more than one in some locations – and plans to open a further 14 within the next few months.
Gym Group chief operating officer at Jim Graham said: “The rapid growth we have experienced in the past seven years – expanding from one gym to over 50 – has enabled us to develop a very robust, flexible and efficient marketing machine. But we need to continue to up our game, to cut through in an increasingly noisy and me-too market.”
In July, Pure Gym and the Gym Group abandoned their proposed merger, due to the disruptive nature of a Competition & Markets Authority investigation. A year earlier, Phoenix Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in the Gym Group, which was founded and funded since its launch by Bridges Ventures.
Related stories
MEC global arm hires data chief
MEC hiring boosts analytics team
First4Lawyers DRTV for MEC Manc
Gym Group hands @MECideas CRM and digital marketing account http://t.co/BDCojGH2eB #CRM #digitalmarketing #directmarketing