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I recently toured both a Gold's Gym and a 24-Hour Fitness.  The branding is impressive.   Both chains are sophisticated marketers and understand the value of imprinting their brand on their members.  Gold's does it particularly well. Which is why they have so much "brand equity." It's all about capturing "mind-share."

Who's Captured Your Mind?

Here's what this means:  The battle for your mind is intense.  Just ask any national brand manager.  Marketers know that each of us have only a limited amount of "brain space" dedicated to a certain category.  So, the marketer's goal is to focus you on only one brand for that product category.  If successful, you will become loyal to the brand and will not even think to venture away from it.  That's captured mind-share.

Think about the items you purchase, such as deodorant, toothpaste, coffee, apparel, shoes, etc.  Are there any to which you are particularly loyal? 

Branding is Not a One-Shot Deal

Good branders continuously "pound" the brand into their customers' consciousness.  It's called imprinting.  Gold's puts their brand on plates, dumbells, bags, books, clothing, supplements, coffee cups, water bottles, etc.  In fact, they have a whole profit center known as: Gold's Gear.  This is just smart marketing - and one of the reasons they are a world leader.

What Are We Thinking?

Since fitness is mostly a "sales-driven" business, most club and studio owners don't pay much attention to building their brands.  Want proof?  Take a look outside your facility.  I'll bet there's a sign or banner with the club/studio logo on it.  Now, take a look inside.  If you're like most, there's almost no branding going on at all!

Whoops...!  I take that back  There's branding going on, alright.  It's just NOT yours..!  Look at your cardio equipment.  Equipment manufacturers are branding like crazy - right under your nose!

Each treadmill has four to five logos on it -- along with their 800 number and website.  And, they may be co-branding with other companies on the same piece of equipment.  Then, there are the ellipticals, bikes, plates, dumbells, balls, etc.   It's almost unbelievable..!  This is your house.  YOUR SPACE.  YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRINT YOUR BRAND!

Take the Challenge!

O.K., just to drive it home, take the branding challenge and count the logos in your club. Get ready to be shocked!  Click here.

All these different logos not only compete for mind-share inside your club, but DILUTE YOUR BRAND.  Your logo should be the DOMINANT BRAND IN YOUR HOUSE!

My friend J.J. Johnson is a case in point.  He took the branding challenge and found more than 3,000 brand impressions inside his 1,500 sq. foot facility.  He only found 25 brand impressions of his logo!  J.J. took immediate action:

• Ordered all of our products with his logo (we liked that!)

• Terminated all clothing vendors, Nike, Reebok, etc and ordered all apparel with his logo

• Created professionally designed stickers with his logo that read: "Thank you for working out with J.J."  The stickers also include his web address.  He put these stickers all over his equipment and used them to cover up other logos within his facility

• Painted his logo on the walls above the mirrors.

Here's the pay-off.  J.J. Johnson not only became the dominant brand in his studio, he became the dominant training studio in his market area.  The best compliment came when someone walked into his studio and exclaimed, "Wow... you must be somebody famous I've never heard of!"

Here's more information about the advantages of branding.