Golds Gym Venice - Arnold Disowning It?

[Topskin69]

Thats crazy....maybe I will swing by world Tommorow...to pay some respects...

M!

[onlyme]

Don't be surprised to see more and more "phasing out" of bodybuilding pics and publicity in Gold's Gyms across the country...

Source :  http://www.goldsgym.com/golds/pressroom/press_new.php?id=29

Advertising Age: Hasta La Vista, Musclemen
Gym Chain Associated With Schwarzenegger and His Buff Brethren Wants to Overhaul Its Image

03.19.2007

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) – Gold's Gym, arguably the highest-profile name in the workout-club category, is undergoing an extreme brand makeover.
 
Once known as a musclehead mecca, Gold's is reaching for a bigger share of the $16 billion industry by marketing itself in a kinder, gentler, fashion: as a health-and-fitness center for everyone from babies to baby boomers.

"We must evolve," said Gold's Gym Senior VP-Chief Marketing Officer Joe Flanigan. "If we stay exactly where we've been, soccer moms and boomers move on and we remain a brand with nice black-and-white photographs of when Arnold [Schwarzenegger] used to work out there."

A weighty proposition
With rivals such as Bally Total Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness edging closer to its lead, Gold's is leveraging its $30 million ad budget with a print, TV, radio and internet campaign featuring the tagline "Change Your Body. Change Your Life." Executions, created by independent Riester Agency, Phoenix, include a senior citizen lifting weights and a woman in a lap pool, among others.

Without completely trashing its 41-year history and tradition – in fact, it's keeping its iconic logo of a chiseled bodybuilder with a sagging barbell – Gold's is walking a fine line. It wants to trade on its experience in the field but at the same time lose the perception, found in its own company research, that the brand is viewed as a place where bodybuilders craft their physiques and intimidate anyone else trying to work out.

"The bottom line is – and this is what we told the franchise system – the trick here is to fully leverage the expertise and authority platform we have while minimizing the musclehead/intimidating factor," Mr. Flanigan said. "We have 40 years of heritage, but I believe you can rebrand yourself."

New aesthetics
So does Ernest Lupinacci, a former creative with Wieden & Kennedy who worked on the ESPN and Nike accounts and is now the creative director of Ernest Industries, New York. "There's a distinction between your gesture and your aesthetic," he said. "Their aesthetic isn't trying to bench press a Ford minivan. Their aesthetic is physical fitness, but at one point in time, that manifested itself in bodybuilding. I would argue that in the market space, Gold's Gym has great brand equity, and what they have to do is convince people of the proficiency they have in fitness."

The health-and-fitness-center industry is, well, healthy. Between 1995 and 2005, U.S. health-club memberships rose 71% to 41.3 million, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. The number of clubs that opened nationally in 2005 jumped to nearly 29,000, up 21% from 2004.

But the industry is highly fragmented. The 50 largest companies -- which include Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's Total Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Curves and LA Fitness -- hold only about 30% of the market. Nonprofits, such as the YMCA, operate more than 5,000 of the 29,000 clubs.

Gold's had $1.2 billion in revenue last year from its 620 clubs, including 500 in the U.S. Bally Total Fitness had $1.05 billion from 361 units, and 24 Hour Fitness had $1 billion from 340 units.

No Control
An earlier hurdle for Gold's was that its advertising and marketing were also fragmented; franchisees sometimes weren't on the same page as corporate. "People were doing what they wanted. There was no control from a brand perspective," said Cody Pierce, Gold's Gym director-franchise marketing, who came onboard with Mr. Flanigan two years ago when TRT Holdings bought the franchise. "We had to step up and provide franchisees a good, solid marketing calendar with good promotions."

Gold's was also losing out on the 55-plus crowd. Health-club memberships in that demographic have increased a whopping 265% in the past 15 years, according to IHRSA. Gold's Gym membership from those 55 years and older was 7%, compared to an average of 25% overall, according to IHRSA.

To that end, Gold's has increased its alliances with various groups, including the American Diabetes Association, to associate its brand with "life-changing" causes.
 

Huge mistake by Gold's.  First off the majority of the Gold's are franchises.  Which means the owners pay for their own advertising, marketing and everything else associated with the gym.  Corporate has raised the fees and costs of having a franchise.  Owners have to set their prices at a cost where they can afford to stay in business, pay for advertising and market their club against clubs like 24 and Ballys.  But, because the 24 and Bally's are all corporate owned gyms they have way more money for advertising and marketing and support.  They act as one.  They can also set their membership prices lower than most other clubs can.  And today its pricing that the consumer is looking at because most clubs are getting to be the same.  I mean weights are weights, some have pools, nice locker rooms etc.  Each Gold's is different and it depends on the owner on what goes into the gym and how much money he is willing to spend to make it better than the club down the street.  The problem is he doesn't have the corporate backing and bank account where he can afford to offer monthly memberships at $20 a month.  He needs to be at $30 a month or whatever.  So the consumer is going to pick the lesser to save money since both clubs are about the same.  I think it is a bad idea that they are changing.  Gold's is unique.  It is the original.  Ever since Pete sold, it has gone downhill. 

[Topskin69]

I was speaking with "World" Will Harris not too long ago...he said that he had spoken recently with Ed Conners...and Ed spends everyday regreting that he ever sold Gold's....

I suppose the real question here is...what can we (the bodybuilding community) do about it....anything? Patronizing another "hardcore" gym really isnt a choice...there arent any left!

M!

[onlyme]

I was speaking with "World" Will Harris not too long ago...he said that he had spoken recently with Ed Conners...and Ed spends everyday regreting that he ever sold Gold's....

I suppose the real question here is...what can we (the bodybuilding community) do about it....anything? Patronizing another "hardcore" gym really isnt a choice...there arent any left!

M!

You know whats funny is the new owners offered Pete an executive position with his old pay and he didn't even have to do anything.  They just wanted to use his name.  He didn't want anything to do with them.  Hey when you see Big Will ask him if I paid him what I owed him then come back on here and tell everyone what he says.

[Pollux]

Speaking of which, I was in Worlds Gym today (Marina Del Rey)  having an arm blast with Robby Robinson and all the pics are coming down from there also. They close their doors on June 12th

www.kagedmuscle.com

They're converting to Planet Fitness, right?

[Vince B]

Ironically, Joe Gold never put up photos of the champs in his Gold's Gym at 1066 Pacific, Venice. I asked him about that and he said why put photos up when those guys train there. Removing photos would be consistent with what Joe preferred. He did have a few photos in his World Gym when it was in Venice-Santa Monica. I remember taking some photos of the photos. Haney and Lou.

The gym business is a tough one to make a profit in. We have seen Bev and Steve with Golds and then Powerhouse but who are they with now? Those franchaise fees cost an arm and a leg and the return might not be worth it. I doubt Golds will be able to reinvent themselves.

[Pollux]

Yeah, I noticed the murals being painted over too. It's pathetic. That was THE gym- the most famous in the world. It has a legacy like no other, and now they're dismantling the history piece by piece. World won't be an option though because that's going softcore too now. I guess "The Mecca" of bodybuilding is no more... 

No joke, Shawn. If anything, leave the fuckin' "Mecca" alone!  

[Pollux]

And for the record, Jerome Ferguson was doing everything he could, including spending his own money, to save that World Gym location. He knew Joe Gold for years and felt he owed it to Joe's memory to save that place. No such luck.

At least someone tried to take action.

[Pollux]

I guess my advice to everyone who's never trained there would be to get out to Marina del Rey before July 12th and train on the equipment Arnold and the boyz use in Pumping Iron, before it's gone for good.

I was fortunate enough to have. 

[BEAST 8692]

i don't buy it.

this whole bodybuilding intimidation thing has got so out of hand that i wouldn't be surprised if some of these supposedly 'intimidating' bbers started suing these wankers.

  hey, that's not a bad idea!!!

i would invite any bber, pro or otherwise, that has been the victim of this type of defamation and, ironically enough, bullying, to file a civil suit against these pencil necks.

just don't name the accused a 'pencil neck' when you do so or you may be counter sued.

don't let these prissy little metrosexual girls (i'd leave that one out too btw) take your identity and legacy.

LET THE BODYBUIDING FRATERNITY STAND UNITED AND KICK THAT MUTHA FUCKIN SAND STRAIGHT BACK IN THEIR FACE!!!

[Kwon]

Hmmm, Never heard of him.....Does he lift??

Who?

[Topskin69]

Well....something needs to be done. If nothing else if we can save the mecca...even if thats the LAST thing we, (the bodybuilding community), have. We should have at least one sacred cow....and that cow is in venice.

I will try to dig up some more info over the next few days...and pass it along. If nothing else maybe a "save Gold's Venice" petiton will be in order.

Hopefully im just overeacting...and this is just a reaction from the Gold's management to avoid any lawsuits from Arnold....(you would think he would have better things to do then worry about a few pictures hanging up on a wall). If thats the case I suppose we could bombard his office with some WTF?-style messages....

M!

P.S. ---Any comments Chick?

[timfogarty]

I think he has simply become disgusted the way Golds has turned out to be the fag gym it is now..

don't tell that to Chuck Pendleton.

[G o a t b o y]

Bodybuilding has degenerated to the point where we dont even have a flagship gym anymore.

Sure we do....  it's down in Fullerton.  Unfortunately for Shawn Ray, he's banned from it! 

[slummin]

this sport has become an abomination and ALL of you know it.

Why would a business trying to sell health use BB a backbone?

The un-countered greed and corruption within this "sport" reaps what it sows.

Clean it up and things would be different, why isn't that happening?

Yes, that was rhetorical.

sites like this that feed and grow in a anarchistic fashion underline that fact.

Any on here that post as fools have a hand in this (not that you care or possesss the responsiblity to rise above it and shout for something better). Keep in mind I didn't say all of GB. The fools know who you are as do the rest of us. the owner of this site allows such and he is directly responsible. no doubt about that as he hides behind "free speech" blah blah blah.

enjoy the results of your "work"  and don't whine now

[G o a t b o y]

this sport has become an abomination and ALL of you know it.

Why would a business trying to sell health use BB a backbone?

The un-countered greed and corruption within this "sport" reaps what it sows.

Clean it up and things would be different, why isn't that happening?

Yes, that was rhetorical.

sites like this that feed and grow in a anarchistic fashion underline that fact.

Any on here that post as fools have a hand in this (not that you care or possesss the responsiblity to rise above it and shout for something better). Keep in mind I didn't say all of GB. The fools know who you are as do the rest of us. the owner of this site allows such and he is directly responsible. no doubt about that as he hides behind "free speech" blah blah blah.

enjoy the results of your "work"  and don't whine now

Yeah, that's it, it's Getbig's fault Arnold's pics are coming down! 

[pumpster]

A little surprised that someone who could do something about it say Arnold or Joe, hasn't stepped in on one or both of those gyms as well as the old Gold's a long while ago. Not necessary to make money on them, but possible.

It's time, guys. 

[slummin]

Yeah, that's it, it's Getbig's fault Arnold's pics are coming down! 

there's free speech and there's responsible speech (but that takes a little effort)  

you guys threw that out the window long ago for your jollies.

And MORONBOY, stop for a second and TRY to think with a business perspective (hard for you I'm sure). As was stated, Gold's corporate is disassociating itself with BB not Arnold pulling the pictures (read a little at least will you?).

don't always deny - it makes you look even worse (possible?)

everything culminates.

[Pollux]

Is it just the pictures that have Arnold on it or are they doing away with all of them? 

[pumpster]

Is it just the pictures that have Arnold on it or are they doing away with all of them? 

Who's getting them and how long were they up?

[tommywishbone]

It's really too bad that Gold's Venice didn't just burn to the ground or get swallowed up by a giant sink-hole or something. Some things are best leaving like that... Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hendrixs, Bruce Lee, James Dean.

Watching those guys get old and die would have been sad. Watching Gold's Venice slowly decay, rot, and die is sad.

[Mr Gethin]

They're converting to Planet Fitness, right?

Nope, closing down. The owner of the building doesnt want a gym in the premisis. He would prefer to have it empty

www.kagedmuscle.com

[Vince B]

I was in Golds Venice in early September 2004 one morning and the place was packed. I never saw it busy like that before. Obviously they attract more than muscleheads there. Good for them.

Wonder why Arnold didn't buy the Marina Worlds Gym? Joe told him there was no money in the gym business but surely Arnold could have owned that property and it would have remained as a legacy to Joe and the past that helped Arnold succeed.

[Pollux]

Nope, closing down. The owner of the building doesnt want a gym in the premisis. He would prefer to have it empty

www.kagedmuscle.com

Good! One less Planet Fitness. Although no more World/Venice. 

[Pollux]

I was in Golds Venice in early September 2004 one morning and the place was packed. I never saw it busy like that before. Obviously they attract more than muscleheads there. Good for them.

Wonder why Arnold didn't buy the Marina Worlds Gym? Joe told him there was no money in the gym business but surely Arnold could have owned that property and it would have remained as a legacy to Joe and the past that helped Arnold succeed.

If anything, he needs to save the original Gold's/Venice on Pacific Avenue.