YOUR BIGGEST COMPETITOR ISN'T THE GYM DOWN THE ROAD

Ask most fitness business owners who their competition is, and they'll name the boutique studio two streets over, the budget chain undercutting them on price, or the app offering workouts for free. All reasonable answers. All overlooking a hugely important perspective.

One of the biggest competitors most fitness brands have isn't just another business. It’s doing nothing, bailing out, enjoying a beer in the sun instead of a workout… It's the version of the customer who decided to sign up, meant to go, and then didn't show up - to your class or to anyone else’s.  

Fitness marketing has spent years optimising for beating other fitness brands, better offers or better facilities... But only a small portion of it has been built to beat one of the toughest competitors - the easy way out. Which is unfortunately a lot more appealing in the short term than you are.

Sometimes before you convince someone that gym A beats gym B, you have to convince them that showing up beats not showing up. It’s about removing friction, more than it is about adding motivation.

The bottom line: Stop only benchmarking against other fitness brands. The real fight is against comfort  and the path of lowest resistance.