Pure Gym most recognised brand in sample of health club operators
Brand specialist, Kantar, has ranked a key group of health and fitness operators by consumer awareness scores to find a winner in a prompted recall test.
The insight is based on interviews with 401 consumers who are, or have been, members of a health club, who were asked questions around brand awareness and value for money.
Pure Gym came top in brand recall with a score of 92 per cent, well ahead of second place David Lloyd Leisure at 78 per cent, with Fitness First – one of the first ever gym brands – still enjoying strong recall at 76 per cent.
Virgin Active was next at 72 per cent, indicating that perhaps it hasn't optimally leveraged the Virgin name, while Nuffield Health came in at 72 per cent.
JD Gyms was next at 68 per cent and Everyone Active 41 per cent. The Gym Group was not included in the sample.
Kantar also conducted a SWOT analysis of each brand, highlighting measures each can take to improve competitiveness and consumer engagement.
Kantar says Nuffield Health’s brand doesn’t justify its price, while Everyone Active has a distinctive personality.
The researchers recommend that Nuffield Health should target Virgin Active members to capture more market share and warns that while it’s a brand in demand, many customers are looking for an alternative.
The likes of PureGym and Everyone Active – which now offers access to GPs – and is challenging well for a small brand, with no specific weaknesses, could steal market share.
David Lloyd Leisure has great brand awareness, but is also seen as high-priced and not enough people have tried the brand. As many consumers are considering trading down, Kantar recommends making products available in affordable packages.
JD Gyms is advised to check activation around decisions at the point of sale, as based on the number of 'considerers', its levels of purchase/usage are low.
Although PureGym enjoys the highest brand recognition and best value and this perceived price advantage is driving sales and usage, Kantar says customers are looking at alternatives, so the company needs to leverage trust in its brand, its value and awareness.
Seen as a value operator, Fitness First has been advised to use price as a competitive advantage and also to work on differentiating the brand.
Virgin Active is seen as ‘margin risk’, which, according to the insight, means it “could be in trouble if it doesn’t demonstrate value to its members”. Kantar recommends investing in the brand and limiting the use of price promotions to those that will drive people to do a trial. Also advising the operator to create ‘bundle’ options to improve value perception, potentially using a ‘good, better, best’ strategy.
HCM editor, Liz Terry, who analysed the Kantar report says operators must commit far more to understanding current and potential consumers, saying: "The health club market has traditionally been very focused on operations, growth, investment and servicing members, with not enough tactical work being done on consumer insight and customer sentiment analysis.
"It's vital for the success of the sector that we take steps to better understand how consumers see us – our strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities that exist for growth and engagement with a wider group of customers."
For more fascinating insights, read the full report in this month's HCM.
Kantar insight
Brand awarenessSelected health and fitness operators
Pure Gym 92%
David Lloyd Leisure 78%Fitness First 76%
Virgin Active 72%Nuffield Health 72%
JD Gyms 68%Everyone Active 41%
The percentage of people who are aware of the brand when prompted.
All respondents are category users
Copyright. Kantar Group and Affiliates 2022
Kantar Nuffield Health David Lloyd Leisure JD Sports PureGym Fitness First Virgin Active Everyone Active Peloton Les Mills Crossfit
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
