"It’s been really great. I’ve had nothing but great response from our members...It gives them another reason to stick with us and not go to another club.”
 
-- Shana Manning, Director of External Affairs/Promotions.
  
Client: Aspen Athletic Clubs
Based in Des Moines, Aspen has approximately 25,000 members at its five (soon to be six) health clubs in Iowa and Oklahoma. Aspen operates premier clubs that offer personal training, group fitness, aquatics, tennis, basketball, weight training and a variety of other services.

Challenge: Retain Customers in a Competitive Market
In an industry notorious for customer churn, Aspen seeks to reduce cancellations and retain/grow its customer base with a cost-efficient marketing program. At the same time, Aspen seeks to avoid inundating its members with sales pitches that might be annoying and ultimately drive customers away.

Solution: Email Communications and Surveys as a Membership Perk
 Aspen has used MarketVolt to establish a communications campaign that enhances the membership experience for its customers. Designed primarily to benefit members -- not advertise products and services -- Aspen's monthly emails to members include:

Wallis Case Study Image» Health and Fitness Tips
» Nutrition Tips and Recipes for Healthy Eating
» Ask the Trainer submission forms (created with MarketVolt's Survey Generator).
» Important Information About the Clubs, including scheduling changes.
 » An Interactive Suggestion Box
» Member Spotlights / Success Stories.

Aspen is distributing more useful information to its members than ever before, and producing all of the content in-house.


Results: Happy Members, Less Customer Turnover
Aspen and its members consider the email program a great success. Open and click-through rates on the emails have greatly exceeded Aspen's expectations and have remained consistently high month after month. Members view the emails as a membership perk -- something that "sets us apart from the competition," said Shana Manning, Aspen's Director of External Affairs/Promotions.

"It’s been really great. I’ve had nothing but great response from our members, Manning said. "I know that those members who are receiving it appreciate the fact that we take the time to do this. It strengthens the bond between the club and members. It’s about building a relationship and giving them a means to communicate with us…It gives them another reason to stick with us and not go to another club.”