Leveraging IoT for Enhanced Customer Engagement: A Case Study of Gold’s Gym

Gold’s Gym is a globally recognized American chain of fitness centers with locations around the world. Known for its variety of cardio and strength training equipment and group exercise programs, the gym is committed to helping people achieve their fitness goals. In this case, Gold’s Gym was looking to attract new local customers to three of its locations in Costa Rica by promoting a free week’s membership through Messenger. The gym was facing challenges with its existing system of promoting a free three-day trial, which was proving to be inefficient and time-consuming for potential members. The gym was also unable to track coupon users who signed up for a paid membership, and the lack of a physical or digital coupon was not driving an emotional reward for potential members.

Gold’s Gym, a renowned American fitness chain with centers worldwide, was seeking to attract new local customers to three of its locations in Costa Rica. The gym aimed to promote a free week’s membership through Messenger. However, the existing system of using ManyChat and click-to-Messenger ads via Facebook posts to promote a free three-day trial was proving to be inefficient. The process involved potential members providing their preferred gym location, Costa Rican ID card, and fitness goals and interests. This information was then stored in a separate Google sheet for each gym location. To redeem the coupon, recipients had to present their ID at the gym, where staff manually cross-referenced the IDs with the corresponding Google Sheet. This process was time-consuming and tedious for potential members. Despite driving sign-ups, the gym faced challenges such as inability to track coupon users who signed up for a paid membership, a complicated redemption process causing potential members to drop off, and the lack of a physical or digital coupon failing to drive an emotional reward for potential members.

To overcome these challenges, Trilce Jirón, the Founder and CEO of TBS Marketing, and her team ran JSON Ads connected to the Walletly integration to deliver free week coupons to potential members on their phones. Walletly, a tool that allows digital advertisers to connect with customers via the mobile wallet, was used to create and deliver the passes. The team served JSON ads to two different audiences in the local area: a custom audience of people who requested personal training and membership prices in Gold Gym’s ManyChat bot, and a lookalike audience with 3% variance. The messaging in the flow attached to the ad was also readjusted. Instead of asking people for their info immediately when entering the chat window, the bot simply offered the option to claim a coupon for a free week at Gold’s Gym. Users who clicked a “Get My Coupon” were sent to a Walletly landing page where they only had to enter their first and last name, phone number, and email address. In return, a professionally-designed coupon was sent to their phones’ mobile wallet. The redemption process was also simplified, with free trial members simply bringing their phone to Gold’s Gym and staff scanning the coupon.

• The integration of Walletly and ManyChat significantly streamlined the coupon redemption process, making it more user-friendly and efficient. The simplified process involved users entering minimal information to claim their coupon, which was then sent directly to their mobile wallet. This not only made the process less tedious for potential members but also allowed the gym staff to easily scan the coupon from the member's phone, eliminating the need for manual cross-referencing. Furthermore, the gym staff could follow up with those who received a coupon but didn’t start the trial via WhatsApp, providing an additional layer of customer engagement and support. This innovative approach to customer engagement and the use of neuromarketing tactics led to a significant increase in membership sign-ups and a remarkable return on investment for Gold’s Gym.

• 11,428% return on investment for the gym

• 280 free week trial redemptions

• 117 membership sign-ups with $70 in ad spend