Bob Marshall describes how he has built up a thriving Health & Leisure club from very humble beginnings.
It just shows what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. North Weald Health and Leisure Club started life nine years ago in a cowshed on a golf club estate. Bob Marshall transformed the outbuilding in 1999. Now a thriving health and leisure business, the club provides members with access to affordable, enjoyable fitness for all ages, shapes and sizes. Rather than just a gym complex, the site has evolved to become a centre for well-being and self- nurturing, including a hairdressing and beauty salon. Competitive pricing, free parking and the ‘personal touch’ are key factors behind the success of this friendly, family-run business. Why waistlines of their members decrease, club membership continues to expand.
Concept creation, building development and business management?
“No problem. Marketing was their biggest challenge. Bob Marshall says; “The hardest part for us was the marketing. We wanted to work with companies who were reliable and honest with high integrity, people we knew we could trust to do a good job. In 2007 DOR-2-DOR were recommended to us.”
What did you want to achieve with your leaflet campaign?
“Our leaflets stand out from the crowd, they are colourful, humorous and to the point – if a person wants to lose weight or gain fitness we can help them here in a comfortable, enjoyable atmosphere.”
What format is the leaflet and who designed and printed it?
“We have different themes for different campaigns, created on a monthly basis, in-house. Currently we use a DL, 2 sided format.”
What areas did your campaign cover and over what period?
“Through our initial 40,000 distribution we targeted key households within Harlow, Epping, North Weald, Ongar and Thornwood. Research indicated to us that the maximum distance fitness club members will travel to their chosen gym is 10 miles, so there was little point casting our net too far.”
What results did you achieve and what was the ROI?
“It has been proved that regular advertising works that is why we commission delivery every month – we keep statistics on which type of advertising works, leaflets are always the first on the table.”
Would you recommend DOR-2-DOR and/or use our service again?
“Yes. I have recommended DOR-2-DOR to other companies; I find them very trustworthy to deal with, good at problem solving, reliable and focused. You need to work with solid partners to achieve good business.”
