Planet Fitness builds up members? health achievements via mobile site
The Newington, NH, fitness club chain?s ?Planet of Triumphs? campaign lets members who join via Facebook or Twitter post stories with a picture or video, becoming eligible to win weekly prizes and a role in a Planet Fitness commercial.
?Mobile now represents a majority of engagement received to all Planet Fitness Web properties,? said Jamie Medeiros, vice president of marketing for Planet Fitness.
?Planet of Triumphs helps reach our members through a new outlet, and highlights their fitness goals and stories on a whole new level. Planet Fitness members regularly use their mobile phones while at their local clubs, and in many cases, it?s how they document their progress and motivate themselves.
?We built Planet of Triumphs to integrate seamlessly into the ways in which members are already using their mobile devices, and believe our community will embrace it wholeheartedly,? she said.
Celebrating achievements
Undergirding the campaign is a philosophy that every achievement deserves to be celebrated.
Visitors to the campaign site, PlanetOfTriumphs.com, are greeted with a feed of triumphant tales from all across the Planet Fitness community. By following, commenting on and elevating others? posts, participants can understand and enjoy what can be achieved in a judgment-free environment.
Stories, photos support achievement goals.
Stories posted on the site suggest consumers have reacted positively to the campaign.
Kayla from Fall River, MA wrote that after suffering from scoliosis and undergoing major back surgery which led to weight gain, she worked up the courage to join Planet Fitness. Working out helped her recover emotionally and physically.
In another example, Bea and Larry from Burlington, VT, both of whom are over 90 years old, said they have been working out at Planet Fitness as a couple for the past eight years.
Jim in Omaha, NE, and Melissa in Fort Wayne, IN, have each lost more than 100 pounds.
And Audrey and Cynthia from Worcester, MA, friends for 47 years, motivate each other and work out together twice a week.
Planet Fitness, which has more than 850 locations nationwide, makes it easy for members to craft their story by posting a picture or video.
All registered members are eligible to win weekly prizes and the chance to be named ?Triumph of the Week.?
Through Dec. 16, participants can win a walk-on role in a 2015 Planet Fitness commercial. Official rules are on PlanetOfTriumphs.com.
Planet Fitness earned a national brand partnership with NBC?s The Biggest Loser partly due to its reputation for creating an atmosphere that focuses on the needs of occasional or first-time gym users rather than hard-core fitness fanatics.
Mobile strategy
In January, with the brand?s Twitter activity almost doubling during the broadcast of The Biggest Loser, the health club franchise supported its mobile and social strategy with a new contest that extended onto Instagram.
Sharing stories of triumph.
The "Biggest Supporter" campaign invited consumers to share messages of support for their favorite contestant via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #PFBiggestSupporter.
They were then entered to win prizes, including a trip to the season finale of The Biggest Loser in Los Angeles in February.
?Planet of Triumphs was developed to create a new community that speaks to who we are, our amazing members, and the judgment-free environment that helps them succeed at their own personal fitness goals,? Ms. Medeiros said. ?It?s a new platform, outside of the gym, where members can uplift and encourage each other.
?Members have the ability to send comments to other users and elevate their posts, and we?ve already seen a high level of motivational and inspiration interaction from our members thus far,? she said. ?An encouraging word from a friend, gym-mate or anonymous stranger can hopefully contribute to helping our entire community reach their goals.?
Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York.