FBLT056 Digital Marketing Management

Introduction

Today's fitness industry is incredible in the UK, as well as people of all ages head into the fitness centre to stay fit and to overcome the side effects of unhealthy urban lifestyles. In the recent years, people have tended to consume fatty foods and due to the rise in high cancer cases, decreased bone density as well as osteoporosis. The high mortality rate, though, is a wake-up call, and many are more concerned about exercise and diet. Furthermore, social media and TV have played a key role in helping people learn to live a healthier life by engaging people in society. The paradigm shift in mindset has also shifted, especially for women. Only men have been able to visit the gym in the past, but now women go to the gym and consider how necessary it is to practice, not only in safe conditions, but also to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. There is a wide range of people searching for health in today's remote environment, and they all seem to be looking for something more. Many people still want to have a physical alternative open to them. (The commitment is obviously dependent on the real circumstances of life and virus rates of people in their area). Some are probably worried and unsure, because they can just function at home. Some falls in the centre somewhere else (Hutson, 2013).

Product advancement and technological growth in the industry, such as the development of fitness applications and trackers, have made people conscious of the negative effects on health and welfare and the gains of increasing strengthened the fitness experience of consumers and may contribute to churn reduction (Gray et.al, 2015. The increased role of physical and wellness education in society has been supported by the sector's increase in demand and volume. In the following section the discussion has been made in relation to the Equinox’s a physical and digitized fitness brand providing wearable, online workouts, and other aspects providing a revolutionary platform online for fitness and wellness regime. Also, the discussion has been made in relation to the products and services it offer, the Customer Relationship management model it includes, aspects of innovation and technology as well as the inclusion of various factors of ethical, social and political issues.

Company Background

This is analogous to the situation in which customers started to expect the omni-channel of e-commerce possibilities. Certain applications or products will still be faithful whether they are valuable for the customer or a significant part of his day. Equinox is the world's most outstanding gym brand. This brand has cults in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and they employ a special workout experience with a creative approach. Unlike other gyms, Equinox's business model is diverse. They have become one of the most exclusive fitness brands and intend to move into new directions. Equinox has distinguished itself in a single media strategy and a wide variety of interesting corporate tactics. Equinox has been able to stand out in a fiercely competitive industry through unique marketing tactics and a wide variety of interesting strategic techniques. There have been a number of factors driving growth in the market. More versatility with regard to payment choices, such as short-term and non-contract modelling, has increased the attractiveness of gym members by reducing the rate limit and satisfying the demands of time-consumers.  Strong media and public sector initiatives channelled through social media platforms of Facebook and Instagram such as "Change4Life" and "Sport Girl Can" in various movements have also shown how to become more involved, whether by visiting a local gym, participating in a nationwide mass participation running campaign, commuting to work, taking the dog for a walk in the street, or participating in online workshops (Baranow, 2019).

Unlike past generations' standard "black iron" gyms, today's fitness sector has a diverse range of facilities, from kickboxing courses to geriatric recovery. The high level of segmentation is due to increasingly varied service packages that appeal to particular customer segments. Membership fees, personal fitness activities, visitor admission prices, physical coaching, meals and beverages, retail purchases, spa facilities, and other are all categories of products and services. Keep in mind that, owing to the industry's extremely fragmented existence, a high degree of firm specialization is prevalent. Individuals looking to shed weight or keep in shape are the industry's target audiences. Customers can vary in age from a teenager to an elderly person, regardless of physical abilities. Three factors are behind demand growth in the UK, US and other areas. The first is the optimistic representation of exercise in the mainstream. The second is raising healthcare prices and regulatory changes. The public's awareness of the need to tackle obesity is the third factor. Although the obesity problem in the United Kingdom is a public health challenge, it also represents a wide potential target for the fitness industry (Equinox, 2021).

Equinox's Fitness is focused around a more premium, exclusive offering. This fitness company has reached out to new markets and new range of customers, made many market acquisitions, and embarked on a massive global expansion. The way Equinox brand places itself in the industry distinguishes it from other gyms' business models. This is a fitness company that insists on providing the finest, most luxurious product possible. Equinox has amassed an extremely dedicated (and ever-expanding) membership base. The company's distinct business strategy and sector differentiation continue to propel global success and development. Equinox has introduced something new to the fitness industry, with a marketing model that has aided in the creation of a hugely influential multinational brand (Achen, 2020).

Equinox has targeted itself to members who see exercise as a lifestyle rather than just an operation, rather than just an affluent audience. This has allowed the brand to develop a complete 360-degree experience. Client partnerships can be strengthened and new market opportunities can emerge (such as the new Equinox fitness hotel concept).

The Equinox marketing model has resulted in a product that is more than just a gym. This is a company that believes in the importance of wellness and offers a variety of services and specialized customer service tools to support that belief. This type of positioning has aided in the development of a loyal membership network thus defending the company's high pricing.

Equinox provides 10 different styles of exercises, including: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), yoga, dance, strength, core, cycling, biking, rushing, plus mindful cool down — as well as motivational music, carefully selected by today's leading musicians, to ensure consumers remain inspired and motivated. For those who do not know what to do every day, Equinox advises that exercises based on what one already love so that they can hop into the familiar, try something different, meet a new trainer, or find a workout to match their existing course. One can also use the intuitive selector to select a coach, time, exercise and music for the mood, and can go to the next fantastic workout in seconds. Absolute beginners training provides professional tips on the fundamentals of HIIT, Power, Core, and Yoga for people who are just starting out, trying a different form of fitness or getting back into exercise.

The competitive position in the market it has is established by the quality of services it offers whether online or offline. Amidst the pandemic situation which the whole world has been facing, the company has been providing effective workout sessions for diverse range of its consumers of all age depending upon the demands and needs of the consumers. The company has high reputation and strong positioning in the market with respect to the introduction of high range of technology not only in form of providing workout sessions but also in relation to providing high range of gym wearable, calorie burning tracker, wellness programs, weight tracker, step tracker and other aspects and give strong competition to other brands in the market such as CrossFit, Fiit, Apple +, Nike and Freelectics and other organizations (Holbrook, 2021).

Customer Relationship Management

Organizations are using data-driven as well as discovery-driven solutions more than ever to remain successful and become more involved in their consumers' everyday lives. Equinox's digital technology allows companies to gain access to data from behaviour and service customers, clearly segmenting customer and indicating their fitness and health needs. Digital technology, big data and sophisticated analytical systems allow Equinox in their daily business to make educated and fast decisions. This insight will be used to stimulate new goods and services by introducing sophisticated machine learning techniques (Aiken and Rumbach, 2018).

Healthcare and fitness operators use gold mining data to illustrate human behavioural patterns, some extending over decades. Historically, this experience was an underused asset within the exercise industry, but even the more enlightened operators are effectively exploited. This information is unlocked to accelerate creativity through investment and the implementation of new skills in the industry. Technological advances in Equinox have changed Equinox consumer service through online reservation and recording services and free Smartphone applications. Equinox has the ability to engage with people all day long as never before, by using the ubiquity of smart phones and the internet, and providing an actual and mental health and wellness program that goes beyond fitness centre. The wave of the technology revolution sweeping the planet, the health and wellness industry is central (Nazarenko, 2020). Wearable technologies and applications like Equinox have offered consumers a chance to keep track of their fitness over time, provide feedback and inspire them to challenge themselves and others. With the advent of the “quantified self,” who actively manages their lifestyle, it is difficult to find a technology brand that has not released a wearable product – such as  Apple, Samsung, Sony, Philips and Microsoft, both supply action trackers  and are one of the strongest competitors of Equinox. The physical fitness of Google is a core tenet in the marketing process. New technology-led developments provide Participants with the opportunity to consider their current ability, DNA composition, current bio-signs and risk profiles, and customized training programmes. Online streaming, enhanced reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can accelerate user engagement in the Equinox industry. — The next generation Equinox health club, capable of exploiting the above, will be around the corner in an intimate, technology-led and proof-based operation. The provision of VRs and immersive fitness experiences is promising and particularly relevant for boutique studios, whose success depends partly on supplying customers with an interesting and thrilling fitness experience (Hassan, 2015).

Customer relationship management is the practice of focusing on the engagement and relationship between a company and its clients. CRM techniques are well recognised in today's dynamic market climate for improving engagement with customers and sales opportunities. Operations, distribution and marketing operations, improving customer experience, and providing technical assistance CRM strategies are classified into several categories, including price strategy, customer service strategy, and quality assurance strategy. If CRM is a communication between an agency and a customer, it is a mechanism that necessitates regular interaction and a long-term engagement. It is critical for contemporary companies (operating in an information-based economy) to acquire, apply, and manage expertise derived from people's competencies, business processes, programs, or technology in order to deal with clients more efficiently and create market competitiveness. This information can also be derived from nonverbal and indirect correspondence codes with the customer, which necessitates a new mode of interaction – for instance, media or technology (Tsitskari et.al, 2014).

Equinox has a highly interactive customer relationship management system that is adopted by it in a comprehensive manner and provides-

• Online payment management (software supports the receipt by direct debit and credit card charges of dues by club members; displays the real balance of payment and existing payments, clear to receptionists as to instructors).
• The tickets system in physical sessions enables the customer to delegate time and quantitative (pedal-training) tickets, as well as season/open tickets (sauna and solarium) tickets and access cards with the option of an automatic extension. Integration of several external appliances into the system: drinkers, area gates, solarium controls, membership card printers, card readers, club photo cameras, bar code readers, cash registries etc. – as requested by customer such as i-Pads or smart phones; – management of the SPA calendar and a trainers' calendar.
• Measuring the activity of the club member with the perfect Guest method to track the amount of entries as well as the time spent in the club (in physical as well as online sessions), assesses the probability for the customer's resignation and indicates the need for user intervention to ensure customer maintenance.
• Collect and store customers' personal data to create a full club customer database (name, client number, address, surname, -mail address, date of birth, chosen payment method, phone number, names of consultants, etc.). The program also provides customer contact records supporting the CRM solution.
• Generation and management of invoices, tracking of commodity or participant tickets; – generation of advanced reports that access all statistics on the club; (retention of club members, sales, employees turnovers, as well as their takings, monitoring of marketing activities, etc.). To control customer access in various club areas, additional charges are required (such as access to the VIP zone or premium, or normal membership).
• Management of ticket purchases (for private customers and corporate customers) and personal fitness, calculating failures by specific coaches, supporting timely training reservations, identifying training objectives achieved and providing test results etc.
• Access rights for specific Equinox program modules should be administered according to the organization's status and the duties and responsibilities.
• The application of Joining Online, which offers an online application to register an electronic club via the portal, enables prospective customers to register through the Internet, join any party groups and select a payment form, validity date, etc.
• Using a diagnostic questionnaire, monitor the record and use those details in the development of specific training programs in order to ascertain the overall fitness and physical fitness of the customer. Managing newsletters and SMS support for the transmittal of newsletters, text messages to marketing material customers, device notifications, etc.
• CRM system designed specifically for health clubs that deliver spinning, indoor cycling, Power TBS, or Fat Burning courses. It consists of a grouping scheme that allows us to monitor the relevant physical activity measures: heart rate, calories burnt, and percentage of maximum HR. The method aids in the monitoring of proper physical conditions in order to maximize training success as well as ensures that all members are performing at the assumed level of strength. It is critical material for both the instructor and the class participants (HETTWER, 2018).
  
  

Information System Evaluation

The digital fitness market has seen a significant traction because of the increasing importance and function of various healthcare and IT fitness equipment. Fitness trackers as used by the Equinox have been very common in different parts of the world over the last few years. In recent years, certain categories of devices that have been widely marketed include heart monitoring, calorie sensors, sleep monitoring and training tracking systems. Their use in tracking chronic illnesses in patient populations is a crucial suggestion for their popularity. Facilities for such devices are also strengthened on the global digital health industry in e-commerce platforms. Many firms such as Fitbit, Apple +, Nike, and others have used e-commerce channel potential to increase their sales of fitness trackers. In recent years health data collection study has highlighted the use of wireless exercise systems equipped with Smartphone sensor technologies.

Advances in sensors technology helped the Equinox to drive applicability in the measurement of physical activity in science as a collective strategy. This technology has been seen by many brands as a comprehensive way to exploit emerging prospects on the digital fitness industry. The applicability of digital wearable with a wrist, in particular with accelerometers, is one case in point. The continued commitment of many digital fitness product brands to increase functionality in order to make it ideal for test applications is going to create a new movement in this direction. In the digital fitness industry this paves the way for new potential. New optical methods are being used to achieve this. In high-end gyms, such as sporting watches, the theme is popular (PANASENKO, 2018).

The emergence of new competencies centers on the need to be more flexible, people-oriented, creative, customer-centric, streamlined, reliable, and capable of inducing/leveraging opportunities to shift the status quo as well as tap into big data and new, progressively unstructured data sources – and service-driven revenues, with the Internet of Things as a critical enabler. Digital change activities and plans in highly commoditized economies are also more immediate and current.

Digital transformation is, at the end, a journey with several intermediary goals, aimed at all-embracing optimisation through processes, business divisions as well as the hyper-connected business ecosystem, building the right bridges (between the frontal and back office, 'stuff' and decisions data, people, teams, technology, ecosystem players etc.) to that.

The automation of health and wellness club operations is a valuable means of streamlining better facilities for sports and fitness clubs. The online login or check-in feature gives gym and club members a personalized interface to select the subscription that fits their requirements. This method also makes workflows simpler for teachers and fitness operators, and makes it easier to handle classes and membership numbers. Mobile sports and lifestyle applications are used to improve member participation dramatically. This ranges from the promotion and promotion of membership programs to the distribution of loyalty awards by personalized training programs. In addition, the registration and training programs for online clubs can be conveniently included in the advertised Smartphone app and thus provide each user with more value (Anderson et.al, 2017).

More customer-facing features such as chat bots for addressing service questions or class registration problems are implemented in AI applications. More frequently, AI applications are programmed to perform basic, repetitive tasks—automating processes which save time and improve operations. Online training is becoming more available on demand and it allows one to opt to exercise at home or in the fitness centre (Harvey, 2014).

The digital fitness companies need digital applications and technologies to be integrated with current health and fitness patterns. Different exercise equipment such as intelligent clock, intelligent sports boots and other wearable will monitor users' physical fitness and activity and the same has been incorporated by Equinox. The demand is growing and the digital fitness industry grows more and more. Leading technological pioneers collaborate in the digital fitness business with market leaders in the sports and fitness sector as customers choose to receive digital fitness subscriptions rather than conventional gym members. Increasing customer awareness about their health and wellness, especially among youth and millennial, is growing. Consumers are looking for more convenient and user-friendly ways to monitor weight gain and preserve physical wellbeing to prevent different health issues and Equinox has been successful in providing it. This is one of the major drivers of digital fitness. With the latest technological advances and increasing digitisation trends, most users are using automated exercise systems of the next generation and self-monitoring to preserve daily workout behaviours. This identifies the changing needs of end consumers involved with digital fitness companies such as Equinox to provide products and services by altering their business practices and take advantage of attractive selling opportunities (Francis, 2011). Although the global health and wellbeing theme has been growing for the past decade, micro developments in the wellness sector have experienced several digital revolutions in recent years. Although consumers are looking for ways to better health, paper fitness programs are now outdated. When digital health makes it possible for people to keep track of their fitness habits and measure progress against fitness objectives, the fitness industry is increasingly being digitalized (Ferrand et.al, 2010).

Political-

The political environment that surrounds this business wields tremendous influence. To stay in service, all gyms must adhere to plenty of health and safety laws. They must keep their establishments clean and maintain their machines on a daily basis. Gyms must undergo routine reviews and obtain a ranking to decide whether they are meeting these defined requirements. These are some of the aspects which are required to be followed by the fitness industry undertaking physical sessions (Schulenkorf, 2019). Apart from it, in case of digitized fitness industry, there are several software developments which require approval, or they shall be in line with the applicable information technology related laws, such that the privacy of data of the consumers is safeguarded and maintained. The health and wellness programs and the trainings shall be in coordination with the health and safety guidelines, legislations and Acts.  Equinox has been able to follow all these aspects such that they do not get the political attention in any manner and thereby can effectively perform their functions and activities in comprehensive manner and build a strong corporate image in the market.

Social-

There are demographics, norms, beliefs and more in the socio-cultural world. The influential socio-cultural phenomenon for the health and wellness sector is the demand for healthy lifestyles. People are more likely to participate in a workout and become regularly members as movements for healthier performance improve. There are also changes in the population of the region, affecting all sectors. Those companies must make sure they can integrate different communities as appropriate within the framework of health and wellness. Different age groups, people from different genders participate in the fitness industry. They are from different cultural backgrounds and each and every customer has different demand patterns and the company has to provide the same to its prospective customer such that they can outperform the competitors and enhance their organizational performance and profitability (Williams, 2017).

The Equinox fitness company provides a variety of online exercise sessions, workouts, training, wellness programs, dietary plans, fitness trackers, and other aspects such that they can have a strong customer base to carry out their operations by delivering the quality services matching the needs and demands of the customers. With the online facility, consumers can access the services and products offered easily from any location whether with the prior uploaded videos, online streaming or other facilities and thus provides the consumers a chance to succeed in the market.

Ethical –

Concerning the point of ethics, the ethical aspects includes the moral values, principals, theories that are required by the organizations to be followed keeping in mind that the organization in no way is indulged in ethical practices. With the regime of the digital technology, the ethical practices as followed by the businesses are tracked in the form of their contribution towards the aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility, towards their customers, stakeholders, as well as honour the customer privacy concerns. As most of the personal information is filled up by the customers while they use the application, it is essential that the data is maintained confidential and protected such that no unethical use of the same can be channelized. This shall be done keeping in view of the Data Protection Laws of which are required to be followed by the company. Similarly, Equinox has been successful in abiding by these aspects, and has performed a great deal towards the corporate social responsibility as well as maintained the privacy and confidentiality of the information as shared by the customers. This has considerably helped them to build a strong corporate image and position in the market (Aktypi, 2017).

Thus, these are some of the factors which are required to be followed by the company such that they can survive in the market and develop a strong competitive advantage such that they can maintain their position in relation to the other major market players in the market.

Conclusion

From the above, it can be concluded that with the consistent evolution of technology each and every company has been evolving, and the fitness industry and the company is no longer behind. They have been adopting these methods of online fitness technology and the report consists of the same in reference to the Equinox which provides physical exercise regime as well as online contributions towards the fitness and wellness programs by providing a platform where customers can access their health concerns in real time with one click anywhere and anytime. The report also discusses the innovations in the fitness industry and specifically in the Equinox organization and how it has adopted an effective CRM to address the demand and needs of the customer by offering effective products and services. Also, how the company has been successful in maintaining its competitive position in the market amidst the various market factors such as political, social and ethical which can significantly affect the company and its operations.

Conclusion

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