Chapter 29. Branding Fitness Centers and Sports Clubs

Sports clubs of various disciplines are opening every day: fitness clubs, martial arts gyms, stretching and yoga studios successfully operate both online and offline. The competition is enormous, and they are typically distinguished by their price segments: premium, mid-range, and mass-market. Some highlight their unique methodologies, while others focus on educating in the sports field.

Potential clients need to differentiate between these companies quickly and accurately. Among successful examples of branding in this field, I would mention World Class. The name speaks of its premium status, and the first advertising campaign with celebrities immediately added attractiveness and exclusivity to this brand. The company's slogan "Boldness to be the first" emphasizes the main mission of creating a new class of healthy lifestyle followers.

Sports branding in Russia is a blend of Soviet symbolism, which has undergone redesign, and the traditions of Western sports branding. This is particularly evident in hockey, where the club's energy metaphor is usually a real or fictional animal or character. Football, on the other hand, is represented by the identity inherited from the Soviet era.

One significant source of income for sports clubs is the sale of branded merchandise; almost every club has its own network for selling souvenirs. Clubs brand everything that can interest fans, from T-shirts and scarves to sausages. In their identity, they often use bright, saturated colors, illustrations, and animation. Color coordination plays an essential role; the familiar separation of teams by colors is not only relevant on the field but also within the corporate identity.