This interview with Peter van der Steege was published on October 16, 2019 by HDD GROUP

Say you own a gym, boutique studio or a chain thereof. And you'd like to bring in generations Y and Z. A logo, your corporate identity and tone of voice say a lot about who you are and what you stand for. "For European clubs in the fitness industry, it is very important that they have a strong own identity," Peter van der Steege says in conversation with HDD Group.

"Sure, tastes differ and a logo is no guarantee of success. And vice versa: you also see chains experiencing growth despite a bad logo." Assuming you want your logo to express something of who you are, what you do and what you want. "For example, a chain like Barry's Bootcamp has a logo that is distinctly masculine, with a military accent. Barry is also a man's name. Here you know: this is for men who want to train heavy. The logo works with that," Peter said.

I want to start a boutique fitness studio!

Snapshot from Barry's Bootcamp's Instagram timeline.

Determine your target audience

In general, you could say that within generations Y and Z it is good to define your target audience. "Otherwise you're shooting hail and this target group doesn't respond to that. In the United Kingdom, you have the chain 1Rebel, which strongly opposes the old-fashioned image of the fitness club. You find that in their name, which blends uniqueness and rebellion.

Such a graphic solution of incorporating the 1 into the R of Rebel, is something that in a logo also works well with these generations." The chain works well for millennials who are done with standard subscriptions and boring experiences at a regular studio. "And 1Rebel's merchandise also works well, because you want that tone of voice on your T-shirt, too. So with that, you're also propagating yourself that you belong to a certain community."

This is just one example that different trends prevail among younger audiences.

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1Rebel Victoria; London's newest, largest and most futuristic indoor cycling studio. (and perhaps in the world)

Broad group

But what if you still want to try to appeal to as large a group as possible? "Tricky," is Peter's experience. "Especially men in these generations don't like to identify themselves in groups. They do in a Mancave or in the pub, but not otherwise. Women have that much more and they are also more willing to learn new things. They prefer to hang out with girlfriends." Translated into a logo: men go for tough, women on learning new things. "And with startups in the industry you then see that they are fairly low branded, they don't work much with logos. More with a word as a logo, as a metaphor. Like 1Rebel indeed. In America you have Soulcycle. That word already contains: it's all about you. You find that in their concept and mission: making you feel that you are important and it doesn't matter what you look like. That's an example of how to keep a broad audience."

Tone of voice

How do you address generations Y and Z? "The tone of voice should match the mission and vision and in that way is almost automatically part of your branding. Open, accessible and positive. That's the way. But even more important is to see your brand as a community. The brands I mentioned earlier have all succeeded well in this." The advantage of such a community is fans and therefore loyalty. "These brands compete on improving the quality of life and they combine that with a concept that suits the consumer. That creates trust.

So define who you are and what you want, and adjust your logo, corporate identity and tone of voice accordingly rather than the other way around. Does your idea solve something with your target audience? That should be leading for the look and feel of your brand."

Fixtures and lighting

Most clubs are well aware of today's "experience economy. A lot of money is spent on decorating the walls and insane lighting. "The quality of clubs these days almost exceeds that of the experience of a luxury hotel in Dubai," Peter says. "Yes, it comes at a cost, but if you want to work for and with your target audiences, you may have to make that move.

Saints and Stars, Amsterdam has paid tremendous attention to the lighting of the studios.

What also contributes to the experience is, for example, a great reception. Branding is an iceberg: your logo, corporate identity and tone of voice should all be in order: sleek, clean, inviting, positive, but it's just the tip of that iceberg. It's also: how do you get in, how is the reception, do you get a clean towel before you work out. That's service and reputation.

Finally, "Be data driven and analyze your data: that's how you find out what drives these generations."

I want to start a boutique fitness studio!

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