This small-scale research project set out to investigate the most effective marketing strategies to enable improvement in the engagement of current members with personal training services at the Goodwood Health Club and therefore increase revenue. A mixed method approach was adopted to enable quantitative and qualitative data to be captured and applied to the research problem and thus formed comprehensive recommendations for the Health Club to adopt. The research featured two questionnaires, both administered and self-administered, which targeted two types of Goodwood Health Club members: those who were actively engaging with personal training, and those who were not.
The research set out to identify the motivations and barriers that members had towards engaging with personal training at the Goodwood Health Club, as well as establishing the most common methods of engagement between members and the Health Club’s marketing collateral. Furthermore, the research wanted to discover what members felt were the most important traits about a current or prospective personal trainer.
Findings from the research indicated that the most common age range for personal training clients at the Goodwood Health Club was 46-65, with over 50% of respondents in this age category, and females aged 56-65 were the most common clients. Physical, face-to-face forms of marketing, such as word-of-mouth and speaking to trainers directly, were found to be the most common ways members engaged with the Health Club’s personal training information. Cost was identified as the biggest barrier to engagement, with enjoyment of independent exercise and lack of interest following close behind. Offers and deals, taster sessions and setting workout plans were found to be clients’ biggest motivations for engaging with personal training at the Health Club. Finally, the research found that trainers pushing and motivating their client was the personal trainer feature members desired the most, as well as having a positive and approachable attitude, and having knowledge and understanding of clients’ medical conditions and injuries.