Ex-member communications under PECR & GDPR

We're looking at how member communications and processes have changed since the GDPR 'change'.

GDPR and PECR combined (?) should help to focus membership organisations when it comes to ex-member communications. It adds a level of urgency to messaging, as you have a window of, say, 2 years to contact ex-members after they cancel their membership. If there is no interaction over this period, you should stop communication. Looking at this practically, if a member has not re-joined (or interacted*) 2 years after leaving, it’s a good point to stop contacting them, as you’re probably wasting time and energy anyway.

How to handle member comms post GDPR

We have heard a lot of post GDPR change horror stories: some clubs struggle with getting new members to opt-in to communications, others have asked all existing members to opt back into member communications, only to reduce email permission to below 5% of membership. On the plus side, NPS has increased, but it’s now only based on 5% of members (unsurprising, as it’s the really engaged ones!) One mid-sized trust that we spoke to this week lost around 15% of their total members in June 2018 after emailing all members asking them to opt into communications. Of course, sleeping members were reminded that they were still paying, and cancelled their membership.

The General Data Protection Regulation is designed to protect the personal information of individuals and give them more control over their information. It is important to state that GDPR is not designed to hinder business.  Too many clubs are missing out on sending important member communications following advice from GDPR consultants and lawyers. It is typical of the fitness industry to ask for advice, and then follow that advice without thinking of the consequences, rather than challenging or setting out a strategy and then having the GDPR experts check it for issues. GDPR consultants are providing an important service, but their default policy or process will be watertight and restrictive to the business, and frankly, will help neither memberships sales nor retention.

Evidence Concludes: eGym Users Workout More and Stay Longer (Gym Owner Monthly)

A study conducted by an experienced independent retention specialist has highlighted the significant positive impact the eGym training solution has on member usage and member retention. 

Over a period of 3 months, Guy Griffiths, Founder of GGFit, worked in close collaboration with four operators to interrogate the attendance and usage data of more than 10,000 members. Sites selected to participate in the study were: Crook Log Leisure Centre managed by Parkwood Leisure; the Waterfront Leisure Complex, managed by Inverclyde Leisure; King’s School, an independent, dual use school facility and ESPH a private gym and physiotherapy facility.

Fitness industry future tech leaders at ActiveLab 2019 launch event

It was great to be at the launch of ActiveLab 2019 yesterday at Bird and Bird in London.

Having attended the first ActiveLab in 2017, then being involved judging and mentoring the 2018 contingent, it was an honour to be invited to attend the 2019 launch event, to meet the new cohort of start-ups and to network with ukactive and other industry luminaries.

Steve Ward introduced the evening’s line-up, followed by a warm welcome from Emma Green of Bird and Bird. Charles-Emmanuel Nelis from Decathlon spoke about making sport accessible through innovation, digitisation, and coding. Adrian Nash of LifeFitness (formerly Google) concluded the warm-up before a brief panel debate, then we got into the pitches.