Case Study - The Little Gym
Our Hero
The Little Gym (Scottsdale, AZ). A leading innovator and franchisor in children's motor skill development with programs including music, gymnastics and sports... a parent's dream for outfitting a child with skills for life.
The Competition
While no single competitor dominates the category, many other companies offer similar concepts. Our client needed to create a brand identity which gave The Little Gym more stature and credibility by positioning it as the leading brand at the national level.
Here's Where It Hurt
With an extremely small budget, The Little Gym's marketing efforts had been limited. Brand awareness and category awareness were low. The Little Gym needed to get noticed much more often. It also needed to convince franchisees that their national advertising dollars were being well-spent in ways that would drive membership sign-ups at local Little Gyms.
The Insight That Changed the World for The Little Gym
Capitalizing on shared values centered on family and fun, we crafted a fully integrated promotional campaign around the hit film, Enchanted. This wasn't just a high visibility joint promotion but linked The Little Gym directly to what is likely the best known and most respected "family" brand on the planet — The Walt Disney Company.
Making the Insight Sing
The "Enchanted Family Getaway" enticed parents to sign up their children for a free trial class at The Little Gym and automatically be entered to win the sweepstakes grand prize of a family getaway to the Hollywood premiere of Enchanted. The campaign built on the fairy tale/dream-come-true film through the promise of "Whatever your little ones want to be, we can help. With classes that build motor skills and confidence to make any dream come true."
Elements included TV, online marketing, a co-branded Disney/The Little Gym micro-site and public relations. Turn-key, locally customizable sales materials included print ads, direct mail, POP and a comprehensive franchisee handbook to guide program success.
Great Results — and Ecstatic Franchisees
The campaign generated 10,000+ trial class sign-ups with an impressive 15% conversion rate. The program united franchisees with the company (and with each other) through a new spirit of pride — and literally produced tears of joy when announced at the annual franchisee meeting. The franchisor was a hero for bringing them a concept of this caliber.
