The loyalty crisis no one in fitness is talking about

Zoom Media’s new ‘Fit for Loyalty’ white paper explores how retention starts with rewards

Operators are grappling with some serious challenges: tightening margins, skyrocketing acquisition costs, and members with gym polygamy. Against this backdrop, one opportunity is staring us right in the face: loyalty. So why is the fitness industry still handing out sweat towels or a discount on a protein shake, and hoping for the best? Zoom Media’s new white paper, ‘Fit for Loyalty’, is the wake-up call the leisure sector’s been avoiding for too long. What if loyalty wasn’t a gimmick, but your biggest retention weapon? While retail, energy and airlines have been running rings around loyalty strategy, the fitness industry has been stuck in the past. Most operators already track retention, monitor churn and adjust their marketing accordingly, but when it comes to rewards, we’re still acting like it’s 2006. The average leisure loyalty programme is either generic, ignored or completely invisible.

Breaking it down: ● Acquisition costs are through the roof ● Members are more non-committal than ever ● Most loyalty programmes are generic and totally forgettable

Zoom’s research shows that 1 in 5 members choose or stick with a gym because of the rewards on offer. That’s not a nice to have. That’s 20% of your revenue base practically raising their hand and saying: “Make me feel appreciated, and I’ll stick around.”

A free protein shake after 12 visits isn’t a strategy. It’s a missed opportunity. Fit For Loyalty isn’t just a deep dive into ‘what members want’. It’s a pragmatic, tech- friendly blueprint for how to build something better.

Here’s what Fit for Loyalty is shouting from the rooftop: ● Members crave real, personalised value Operators should be looking at how they can give their rewards a clear monetary value, with products and services of genuine interest to the individual.

● Behaviour-based rewards can help boost healthy habit-building Members are much more likely to make healthy choices away from the gym if they feels it’s reflected in their rewards.

● Data is the goldmine and most gyms aren’t even scratching the surface With a flood of information now provided by wearables, integrating this information into a rewards platform can help further integrate operators into their member’s everyday life.

● Gamifi cation = engagement

Having milestones in your loyalty programme ensures there is always something for the customer to work towards.

It’s a pragmatic, tech friendly blueprint for how to build something better

Zoom Media has been delivering expertise in the fitness and leisure industry for over 15 years, and has continuously championed innovation to support operators’ growth and development. Identifying the demand for loyalty programmes among gyms and leisure centres, we’ve developed our own, white- label rewards platform to integrate with partners. A unique loyalty programme tailored specifically to members, boasting features that motivate members and increase retention rates. Loyalty is no longer a back-burner project. It’s front-line retention. And the operators who move first? They win.

● Download the white paper to find out how Zoom can help you build your loyalty platform: [https://uk.zoommedia.com/fit-for-loyalty-how-retention-starts-with-reward/](https://uk.zoommedia.com/fit-for-loyalty-how-retention-starts-with-reward)