Winter Park Health Foundation Center for Health and Wellness

Like a swat team exercise, Winter Park Health Foundation coordinated a team, established a plan and zeroed in on its target — market, that is. Before opening its doors, the new Center for Health and Wellness sold more than 800 memberships via promotion and sales: mission accomplished.

Debbie Watson, executive director of community relations, described the marketing effort as “consistent and persistent. Establishing a plan well in advance was key to the promotion,” she says. “We stayed in front of potential members. They couldn’t miss an opportunity to receive our message.”

The center’s message to its audience was that it would be “More than a health club.” It used a number of innovative and cost-effective ways to distribute this message. Advertisements focused on discounts for pre-memberships, a highly educated staff and an array of wellness programs. What’s more, advertisements featured testimonials from members of a sister facility, rather than the pumped up, hard bodies plastered on many fitness advertisements. This consumer-friendly approach appealed to a broad audience.

The plan was to keep this message in front of the target market. Knowing that members of wellness centers typically travel from five to 10 miles, the marketing team zeroed in on that radius, using a mixture of advertising vehicles.

Because advertising can be costly, the center took advantage of direct advertising and mailings that were less expensive and more focused on the target audience. “We were able to extend our dollars and maximize the time period for advertising,” says Watson. The local newspaper offered a “pads of ads” program that allowed the center to purchase a particular number of advertisements that ran at the discretion of the newspaper. Rather than the center selecting the days and locations for the ads, the newspaper ran them when it was most convenient for the publication. This saved the center about one-third of the normal cost to advertise. The newspaper also offered zoning, which allowed Winter Park to advertise only in the sections that were distributed in the target market radius.

Winter Park was also able to reach residents who did not receive the newspaper. It used a mailing list it could sort by demographics, focusing on people in the 35 to 64 age range with household incomes of $75,000 or more. These potential members were targeted through direct mailings. Mailings, also used as inserts in the newspaper, were designed as a newsletter-type publication that included articles on wellness and announcements about the new facility.

Other marketing efforts included face-to-face meetings with members of the community. “We went to physicians and organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis. We addressed the subject of wellness and talked about how the Center would meet their needs,” says Watson.

The major blitz, however, was kept until the end. One week prior to opening, the center held several “exclusive” events. The first was a VIP celebration to which board members, donors, media, local businesses and physicians were invited. “We invited people who would be in a position to refer business,” Watson explains.

Following the VIP party, the center played host to a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours. The week was topped off with an open house for members who had pre-joined, as well as members from the Winter Park’s sister facility.

The community was eager and curious. “We practically had to bar the doors,” says Watson of the incredible turnout to the events. About 4,000 people toured the center during the week-long events. The open house was especially surprising, Watson says. “We opened our doors, and the world came. Our parking lot was full, and when people drove by, they stopped to see what was happening. It really paid off because it established great momentum.”

The payoff came in pre-membership sales. Winter Park exceeded its goal of 800 pre-sale memberships, selling 855 before opening day. And although the center stopped advertising in February of 1997, it continues to average 100 new members each month.