The Chinese word for crisis is formed of two characters. The first character means ‘danger’. The second means ‘opportunity/change’.
Thank you to consumer behaviouralist Ken Hughes for this fascinating insight, highlighted in his webinar last week.
The situation we are in right now is certainly a crisis. But we have a choice in how we approach it, and this choice is summed up perfectly in the dichotomy of these two Chinese characters.
Do we look at the New Normal – the changed shape of the fitness sector – and be fearful of it? Do we focus on the danger?
Or do we approach it as a potential New Better and choose to be motivated by it? Change, yes, but in that very fact an exciting opportunity to do things better than ever before.
At Wexer, we see the future of fitness as a New Better.
In this moment, we have a rare opportunity to hit ‘refresh’ and start again with a blank sheet of paper, stripping everything back and putting the member first. What do they actually want now? Where and when do they want to consume it? How do they want it to be packaged? How can we best support them?
All of this has changed radically – more slowly over recent years, exponentially over recent months – as online has cemented its role in people’s exercise lives.
And while our hand is being forced by current circumstance, pushing us to quickly rethink every aspect of health club operation, the payback of meeting this challenge head-on is hugely exciting: the chance to create a new hybrid fitness journey that engages far more people, taking the reach and penetration of our sector far beyond the glass ceiling that existed in the Old World.
And it all starts where your members are: at home. Begin your thought process here and the opportunities will flow, both for existing members and for a whole world of new fans.
In every challenge, there is opportunity. In every crisis lies the chance for positive change. We need to seize this moment, collectively as a sector, to create a New Better.
For more information please contact us at info@wexer.com