engage communications

2016

index

strategy
executive summary
situation analysis
research and findings
consumer insight
industry and competitive analysis
swot analysis
media plan
media mix
pr plan
scheduling objective and geography
flow chart

1
2
3-4
5
6-7
8
9
10-15
16
17

budgeting

18

measure of success

19

creative

20

executive summary
Anytime Fitness (AF) is a rapidly growing fitness
chain in a competitive and profitable market. Anytime
Fitnesss competitive franchise model has allowed it
to expand swiftly, domestically and internationally.
However, there are parts of the United States and
Canada that are saturated with Anytime Fitness, and
large areas that have no presence at all. In this report,
we provide solutions for Anytime Fitness expansion.
AF pulls an annual profit of $75 million. The company
started in 2002, opening no more than two clubs in its
inaugural year. In the last seven years, an average of
300 Anytime Fitnesses are opened per year. Anytime
Fitness is now the fastestgrowing fitness franchise
in the world, with more than 2,400 clubs worldwide.
Clubs are now open in all 50 states, Canada, and 15
countries including Mexico, Australia, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom, India and Japan.
There are now nearly 2,000 clubs in North America,
most of them being located in rural or suburban areas.
The problem is that many of the clubs are in highly
saturated areas; while in unsaturated areas the problem
lies with low awareness of the low franchise fee and
initial cost for the franchise. Saturated areas include
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Louisiana. Unsaturated
areas include the East and West Coasts of the United
States.
Newly targeted areas will be on the East Coast, which
in the select major metropolitan areas in the United
States and Canada that do not have any franchises.
Cities will be targeted to catch the largest population
possible. Although most Anytime Fitnesses are in rural
or suburban areas, the goal is to market commuters
and small business entrepreneurs in these unsaturated
cities.
Research concluded that some of the possible problems
with franchise expansion are not just because there
is no awareness. Money, location, fear of failure and
time management are listed as reasons for not wanting
to buy a gym. These and other reasons are why many
of the public relations pieces were created: to give a

personal answer to real concerns about buying into the

franchise.
The budget for franchise expansion in these cities
is low, thus cost-effective marketing is in place to
draw new franchisees. Transit advertising will be in
each of the 10 selected cities. The advertising will
be in equation form, with the potential franchisee
representing the solution to the equation of becoming
a business owner. Public relations will center on a
new forum created for the franchise web site to help
answer questions pertaining to a potential new owners
questions and concerns. Since Canada has become
a priority for the company, Anytime will allocate a
portion of its public relations budget to sponsoring
chamber of commerce events, to network with those
in the cities with connections and perhaps a little
more money. Social media marketing will also be
utilized, showing off the new campaign, Incomplete
Without You, and pitching the franchise to potential
owners. Gated posts will be made to cater individual
communities and not areas where Anytime Fitness
is already present. Press releases and e-newsletters
promoting the expansion will also be disseminated in
the target areas.
Anytime Fitnesss business model is proven. The
startup costs are low and the support gets first-time
business owners and savvy entrepreneurs off the
ground. The goal of the advertising campaign is to
motivate aspiring entrepreneurs to invest in the no. 1
franchise in the United States. The goal of the public
relations campaign is to answer questions they have
about opening a business; both will help develop a
campaign that will sell 265 new franchises in 2015
between the two countries, increase awareness in
markets where Anytime Fitness is not well known and
achieve Cost Per Lead (CPL) of less than $35.

situation analysis
The average cost/ investment for an Anytime Fitness
facility costs between $78,700-$371,175. The initial fee
to start a franchise with Anytime Fitness is $32,500.
When starting a franchise with Anytime Fitness, a
franchise coach will be available to help with any
questions and hesitations and in conjunction, through
avid market and demographic research, a real estate
broker will be available to aid in the selection of an
Anytime Fitness site. There is limitation in terms of
location, regarding Anytime Fitnesss rule, stating there
cannot be another Anytime Fitness within 5-to-10
miles of each other. With more than 2,400 franchise
locations in 19 countries, Anytime Fitness is known
for 24/7 availability. Chuck Runyon, Dave Mortensen
and Jeff Klinger founded anytime fitness in 2002. The
company is based in Hastings, Minn.
Anytime Fitness has both direct and indirect
competitors. Some indirect competitors to Anytime
are Dunkin Donuts with over 7,015 franchises,
RadioShack which has more than 4,000 stores and
more than 900 franchise locations. Others include Jiffy
Lube with more than 2,000 locations and McDonalds
with more than 14,200 locations. Direct franchise
competition would include Planet Fitness, Snap
Fitness, L.A Fitness, Retro Fitness and Title Boxing
Club. LA Fitnesss franchise fee costs around $9,250.
Retro Fitness has an average franchise fee of $69,000
per store. Title Boxing Club is $34,900 for a single and
$29,000 for two or more. Overall each fitness company
has different price tags as well as what each company
views as important to make franchise owners succeed.
In regards to target audience for Anytime Fitnesss
franchise expansion goals, the audience includes
anyone college educated in the East Coast (specifically
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami)
ranging from ages 25-60. The East Coast has a larger
population, thus larger franchise growth than other
areas. In conjunction to size, the number of Anytime
Fitnesses in these areas are limited, potentially
maximizing return on the companys franchise goals.
In order to further understand the mindset of a
potential franchisee, research was conducted to find

the core issues in terms of entrepreneurs thinking

of opening a franchise. Based on audience research,
potential franchisees had numerous hesitations
in common. Money is the number one concern.
The hidden fees, base fees and possibility of large
sums of debt inhibit not only Anytime Fitness but
also any franchise from growing their franchisee
market. Following money hesitations, location,
time management and fear of failure were the next
largest concerns among potential franchisees. Money
confusion, lack of area awareness and simple terms of
failing after putting in labor hours, drive the campaign
idea to challenge aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their
aspirations and open an Anytime Fitness franchise.
The Incomplete Without You campaign will consist
of transit-based advertising. An equation will be
placed on three different modes of transportation:
bus, rail and taxi. Each well known, easily accessible
and easily seen mode of transportation will have
a call to action below the equation based on that
transportations method. The buss call to action will
be Quit Waiting, the rails will be Get On Track and the
taxis will be Shift Gears. After each call to action, the
Anytime Fitness forum web site will be listed for all to
see. As far as public relation efforts, an e-newsletter
will be sent to individuals participating in the online
forum, current Anytime Fitness members within a 50mile radius near the targeted cities and those inquiring
information through the Anytime Fitness web site
under the franchise tab. The e-newsletter will consist of
four areas including, how Anytime Fitness will support
the reader, why the reader should invest in Anytime
Fitness, why open a franchise with Anytime Fitness
based on graphs and facts and how to contact Anytime
Fitness. News releases will also be sent to local media
notifying the public that the forum is up and ready
for questions and that Anytime Fitness is expecting
to find people wanting to expand the Anytime Fitness
franchise into the desired areas.

research and findings

Engage Communications conducted an anonymous
survey to ask potential entrepreneurs as well as people
new to the Anytime Fitness brand, about their interests
in opening a new Anytime Fitness franchise.
Research began with a collection of demographics
by asking surveyors where they lived. The majority of
responses came from Minnesota including: Austin,
Brooklyn Park, Chaska, Chatfield, Coon Rapids, Esko,
Mazeppa, Plymoth, Mankato, three from Minneapolis,
Plymoth, eight from Rochester, two from Roseville,
two from Saint Paul, two from Stewartville and seven
from Winona.
Several Responses came from Illinois including: Elk
Grove Village, three from Geneva and Palatine.
Reponses also included three responses from
Wisconsin including two in Eau Claire and one in
Augusta. One surveyor was from Lawton, Oklahoma
and one from Stoney Creek, Ontario.

if your corporation was there for

you along the way, would this sway
your previous answer?
27 percent then responded to yes, 51 percent still said
no and only 22 percent said maybe.
where would you begin to look into
opening a franchise?
With a total of 37 responses, 49 percent said Google,
46 perent selected the franchise website, 3 percent said
current establishment of interest and another 3 percent
selected other with no response.
what franchise would you consider
opening?

what is your age?

GRAPH: The minimum option was 17 and the
maximum value was 78. The average age found was
32.93 years old.
Engage Communications then asked their surveyors
on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree how
much they wanted to help others with their fitness.
54 percent of responses neither agreed nor disagreed
where as 37 percent of the 41 respondents said they
strongly agree in wanting to help others with their
fitness. Only 7 percent said they disagree with a
want to help others with their fitness. There were no
responses in strongly disagree with 2 percent selecting
strongly agree.
would you open a franchise?
Options included yes, no and maybe. 5 percent
claimed they would in fact open a franchise, 68 percent
claiming no and 27 percent selecting maybe.

Answers included: Anytime Fitness (50 percent), Snap

Fitness (9 percent ), Self Owned Gym (35 percent),
Planet Fitness (9 percent ), Workout World (9 percent)
and Other at 21 percent. Surveyors who selected
other said Lifetime Fitness would be their franchise of

research and findings

what would you want to see from your
corporation?

Of the 34 responses: 53 percent said they would want

to have step-by-step help, 32 percent said they would
like Real-estate assistance, 32 percent they would
hope to find a community presence, 47 percent said
profitability, 56 percent selected low start costs and 12
percent said other with no responses.
what are your hesitations in regards
to opening a franchise?

how satisfied are you with your

current gym membership?
Question 10 was answered on a scale of very
dissatisfied to very satisfied with an option of no
gym membership. 6 percent said they were somewhat
dissatisfied, 9 percent said they were neutral, another 9
percent said they were somewhat satisfied, 29 percent
said they were satisfied, 18 percent said they were very
satisfied and 29 percent had no gym membership.
do you feel you could run a better
functioning fitness center?
Question 11 was answered with yes, no or maybe. 9
percent said yes as to running a better functioning
fitness center, 47 percent said they could maybe do
it better and 44 percent said no they could not run a
better functioning fitness center.
Where do you prefer to find out
more information about franchise of
interest?
Of the 32 responses, 53 percent of consumers said they
would like to access the franchise website, 25 percent
one-on-one help, 22 percent a seminar, 44 percent
the current owner, 9 percent said they would access a
webinar and 3 percent said other with no response.

Everyone has hesitations with opening a franchise.

Engage Communications asked their consumers
what their concerns are. Answers included 91 percent
claiming money was their number one concern, 24
percent said finding the proper location for a franchise,
29 percent said time management was a big concern,
50 percent selected failure and 9 perccent said other
with responses as retired and not my career of
interest.

consumer insight
Target Audience:
Within the AF Franchise market, the average
franchisee ages from 25-60 and is college educated.
According to the potential indexes the lifestyle choice
of franchisees is that they are real people with a
passion to better others lives and communities. They
want to be their own boss and are looking to balance
their own lives. Majority of the franchisees in the target
market are first time entrepreneurs and there is a good
chance they are already a AF member. Franchisees will
live and work within the same community of interest.
Education: College degree in business, management or
entrepreneurship.
Life-Changers: Franchisees of AF are looking to
change the lives of others in their community.
Achievers: Franchisees want to achieve a sense of
ownership in their own lives. They may have family
and want a more flexible schedule that they can run.
Real People: They have a passion for fitness and may
currently be a member of Anytime Fitness.

industry and
competitive analysis
industry analysis
Based on the analysis of forecasts by IHS Global, the
franchise industry has consistently shown strength; it
has emerged stronger than other businesses from the
recession and has able to create jobs at a faster rate.
The 2014 Franchise Business Outlook Report projected
that the industry overall for franchises is expanding on
a rapid pace relative to current economical conditions.
Key findings from the report are listed below:
200,000 new jobs are expected to be added by the
franchise industry in 2014
Growth of the franchise industry will exceed the pace
of employment in the private sector by less than one
percent.
The establishment growth of new franchises is
expected to rise from 1.3 percent from the previous
year to 1.7 percent in 2014
competitive analysis
Across all industries, Anytime Fitness has emerged as
a top-ranked franchise. It has won several accolades
for its business model. To name a few, it has been
ranked as the number one franchise in Entrepreneur
magazines 2014 Franchise 500 list, received a Top
50 Franchisee Satisfaction Award for the sixth
consecutive year, and was named as CNN Moneys
10 Great Franchise Bets. Figure 1 compares Anytime
Fitness with its main franchise competitors across all
industries in the US.
Anytime Fitness stands out from its competitors in
terms of its low and affordable cost, making it more
accessible for people to own a brand name franchise. It
is also flexible in the sense that it allows club owners to
tailor their investment based on their budget and cash
flow. There is an option to lower upfront costs through
provisions like leasing equipment and spreading costs
into a monthly lease. Unlike other franchises that
usually charge franchise fees on a percentage of sales,
Anytime Fitness charges a flat rate of $549 per month.

Research was also conducted to analyze Anytime

Fitness direct competitions within the fitness industry
in addition to the franchise industry as a whole.
planet fitness
Planet fitness began their franchising in 2003 and
has over 550 locations. Their gyms tend to be
17,000- 25,000 square feet, therefore gyms need to be
around that size when opened. The franchise fee for
planet fitness is $10,000 per store, with an estimated
investment of $1.3 million per store. franchisees with
SBA loans seem to be among the best performing
loans, according to the data. Of the 37 loans worth $18
million made by Planet Fitness franchisees, there has
been a 0% failure rate amongst the loan repayments.
The fitness franchise with next lowest loan failure rate
was Anytime Fitness. The data says 7.83% of the gyms
217 SBA loans worth $39 million failed. SNAP Fitness
had an 11.2% failure rate across 107 SBA loans worth
$16 million.
snap fitness
Snap Fitness has a franchise fee of $15,000 per store,
and an initial investment maximum of $361, 695.
This company adds about 15-20 clubs per month.
Approximately 40 percent of Snap fitness owners are
semi-absentee, allowing them to keep their day jobs.
Snap Fitnesss website is very easy to navigate in getting
all the information needed in regards to starting a
franchise. The website takes people through a step
by step process. Snap Fitness has been recognized
by Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc., Ernst & Young
and many more business and industry resources for
tremendous growth being a franchise owner. Snap
Fitness offers, directly or through a preferred financing
vendor, the following financing programs: the Lease
Servicing Center (LSC)/Matrix Vendor Program for
new franchisees opening their first club or existing
franchisees opening an additional club, the Snap
Fitness In-House Program for existing Snap Fitness
franchisees to finance equipment to open their next
Snap Fitness location, and the Re-Snap Program

industry and
competitive analysis
Franchise
Anytime
Fitness
Dunkin
Donuts
RadioShack

Jiffy Lube
McDonalds

Distribution
1,839 franchise
units, 28
company owned
7,015 franchised
restaurants
More than 4,000
stores, including
900 operated as
franchise
locations
Over 2,000
locations
More than
14,200 locations

Product Line
Fitness gyms

Startup Cost
$78,700
$371,175

Franchise Fee Royalties

$18,000 -
$549/mo.
$32,500

Food &
Beverages
Electronic
goods

$294,000 -
$1,523,100
$149,875 -
$542,351

$40,000 -
$90,000
$39,900

5.9%

Automotive
services
Fast food

$196,500 -
$376,000
$1,031,350 -
$2,182,050

$0 - $7,500

3%

$45,000

4%

l.a fitness
There isnt as much information on L.A fitness
franchises available, however the information found
says that the investment range/ franchise fee would be
$9,250.
retro fitness
The average franchise fee for Retro Fitness is
$69,000 per store, with a total investment capped
at $1.3 million per store. RetroFitness currently has
85 locations in operation, with an additional 15
locations slated to open by the end of the year. The
company projects 155 locations to be open or in the
development pipeline by the end of 2013. RetroFitness
is already in 10 states, mainly New York and New
Jersey, and Casaburi has a longer-term goal of opening
more than 300 units by moving into markets such
as Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and North
Carolina, and continuing to ramp up in California.
title boxing club
The franchise fee for Title Boxing club is $34,900 for
a single and $29,00 for two or more. The investment
cost is about $150,000 which includes working capital.
The company is on pace to have 500 clubs open or
in development by the end of 2012 and 1,000 clubs
in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2013. The

7%

Figure 1
franchise eventually plans to expand internationally
as well, given the strong awareness of the Title
Boxing brand. With the manufacturer as a partner,
franchisees are basically getting all the equipment at
cost. The company is also laser focused so there isnt
a lot of overhead to pay. Combine the low overhead,
reoccurring revenue and small square footage per
location, and franchisees are blowing past break even
within a year of buying the franchise.

anytime fitness
swot analysis
weakness

strengths

#1 in industry
Low fees
Top of the line equipment
Franchise guidance
Start up
Real estate
Financing
Proven concept
Largest & fastest growing
Franchise Royalties
Insurance Guidance
Rural Locations
Excellent return on investment
Low operation overhead
Open access web-portal
State of the line technology with security
Non-cash
No inventory worries

Low start up, large investment

Easier to own a membership than a gym
Large amount of handholding
No self-marketing

threats

opportunities

Creating a larger workout community

Continuing health movement
Growing industry
Potential payroll elimination
State wide availability
40% of Anytime owners own other franchises

Other low cost franchise opportunities

Failure rates
Growing or declining market
Other fitness centers

media mix strategies

online forum
The online forum is a place where prospective owners
can go to discuss opening their own Anytime Fitness
and get questions and concerns addressed from
Anytime professionals online. Anytime states that the
best way to close a sales lead is by getting the inquiring
party on the phone and pitching them. The online
forum would be the first step towards that process.
The same information and pitch a prospective client
would get on the phone but behind their keyboard.
Prospective owners can also chat with one another or
other Anytime owners about processes like: marketing,
training, client acquisition, equipment leasing, etc.

social media
Social media posts will show off the new advertising
campaign. We will also use Facebook to gate posts
towards communities near the unsaturated areas being
targeted. Posts will also promote Anytimes new forum,
hoping to direct potential buyers there from the social
media sites. There will also be blog posts explaining the
forum to the clientele. Finally, we will be contacting
the social site Reddit, and trying to setup an AMA
(Ask me Anything) for Anytime CEO Chuck Runyon.
Ask Me Anythings allow members of the web site to
ask the subject questions about their profession, or
anything generally. This will give the company and
Mr. Runyon positive coverage, and give him a chance
to plug that Anytime is looking for owners in certain
target cities. The Reddit AMA format was chosen
because six percent of all internet users use the service.
Five hours of social media will be implemented per
week for Facebook, Twitter, the blog and online forum
management.
news releases
News releases will be disseminated to local media
in targeted cities announcing Anytimes search for
aspiring entrepreneurs in the new city. This justifies
news coverage because of how highly Anytime
is praised as a franchise opportunity by multiple
reputable media outlets. Another press release and
additional social media posts would be made pending
Mr. Runyons approval to do a Reddit AMA.

e-newsletter
An e-newsletter is material for current members
of AF looking to take their love for the gym to the
next level by purchasing and running their own. The
newsletter would be sent to current members of AF
in the targeted cities and within a 50-mile radius of
that city. Current members of the online forum that
have expressed interest in AF will also receive the
newsletter.
crisis management
A crisis management communication plan will be
drawn up to include response statements for problems
including: unruly commenter online for the forum,
poor perception from the Reddit AMA and complaints
with the e-newsletter.
event sponsorship
Anytime Fitness will sponsor one Chamber of
Commerce event at each individual targeted Canadian
city. These sponsorships will be able to reach targeted
groups of Chamber members who are influential
leaders and business owners in their respective
communities. Corporate representatives will be able to
gain valuable networks in newer markets.
transit advertising
Advertisements will be placed on different transit
platforms including bus, train, and cab in targeted
cities in both the U.S. and Canada. Using transit
as a medium will help our target audience see the
advertisements multiple times while commuting
to work, travelling across the city, etc. With public
transportation being so common in big cities, this will
help promote Anytimes new campaign.
guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla Marketing will be used to catch our target
audiences attention with unconventional promotional
advertisements. Advertisements will be placed on
different staircases, as well as bathroom stalls in
targeted cities in both the U.S. and Canada. This
will help increase brand awareness, and with its
uniqueness, keep the target audiences attention.

public relations plan

Situation: Anytime Fitnesss current public relations
efforts are mostly concentrated on reaching current
and prospective club members as opposed to
franchisees. For instance, social media is dominated
by content that touches on topics like health and
nutrition. The promotion of owning an Anytime
Fitness club is mostly done through the corporate
website and advertising.
However, these current efforts could gain franchise
owners in an indirect manner, as existing Anytime
Fitness members are important targets for expanding
the number of franchise owners. Currently, Anytime
Fitnesss most successful PR efforts in promoting the
franchise consists of achieving widespread recognition
and accolades from credible media platforms like
CNN Money, Forbes and Entrepreneur magazine, to
name a few.
Objective: Overall, a comprehensive PR plan will
be drawn to achieve the ultimate business goal of
selling 265 new Anytime Fitness locations in North
America. In order to reach this main objective, a few
supplementary goals more closely tied to PR are listed
in the following:
Generate awareness of the growth potential
of the franchise
Enhance image of the franchise by making its
accolades more known to its target
Foster two-way connections with current and
prospective franchisees (including current gym
members) for relationship management
Promote better communication that more effectively
addresses feedback with current and prospective
franchisees
Strategy: A PR plan will be carried out to increase
the organizations two-way interaction with current
and prospective franchisees. As a franchise is a
larger ticket item compared to gym memberships,
relationship management would be key. Although
this plan is not completely tied to the advertising
campaign that promotes Anytime Fitness as a
franchise, integration of themes and ideas will be

incorporated when it would serve a beneficial mean.

Both traditional and new PR platforms will be utilized
in order to reach a broader segment of the target
market. The main platform in reaching Anytime
Fitnesss public relations objective would be creating an
online forum where a community consisting of current
and prospective franchise owners can come together
and help each other in their business endeavors. Other
platforms include social media, E-newsletter and news
releases.
Tactics:Chamber of Commerce Events Sponsorship
(Canada only)
With Canada as a top priority due to less presence of
Anytime Fitness compared to the US, Anytime Fitness
will sponsor Chamber of Commerce events. These
are targeted events that can help kick start the process
of brand expansion in newer markets. Through these
sponsorships, Anytime Fitness will be able to network
with entrepreneurs, key opinion leaders, and local
politicians.
The establishment of such networks will be
advantageous for franchise expansion by building
mutually beneficial relationships with influential
people, which can help spread Anytime Fitness
sphere of influence in new markets. Furthermore,
Anytime Fitness will also have direct one-on-one
interaction with potential clients and franchisees at
these sponsored events. Anytime Fitness will sponsor
one Chamber of Commerce event at each of these
following targeted Canadian cities:
edmonton
Event: zaste of the Chamber
Description: A networking event where the attendees
can sample some of the best fare from the citys top
restaurants.
Sponsorship Package:
- Verbal recognition by the master of ceremonies of the
event

10

public relations plan

- Opportunity to send corporate representatives (15
tickets)
- Corporate logo included on promotional faxes and
emails to Chamber members, Chamber website with
direct link to AFs website, event signage and all print
materials, exhibit display table for distribution of
promotional literature to all guests or as door prizes
winnipeg
Event: After Business Mixers
Description: A mixer that boasts 25 40+ exhibitors
and an attendance of 150 200. The event is held
3 times a year from 5 7pm. It is free to chamber
members.
Sponsorship Package:
- Naming of company as the events host
- Appearance of corporate identity on all After
Business tickets
- Opportunity to invite corporate representatives and
clients
- Availability of premium exhibit space for
promotional materials
calgary
Event: Business After Hours
Description: A casual business-networking event
co-hosted by the Calgary Chamber and interested
members. Attendance of 40 100 Chamber members
is welcomed. Members can invite their own VIP
guests.
Sponsorship Package:
- Promotion of company on Chambers website and
through E-blasts (which are sent to Chamber members
that have opted to receive them)
- Introduction of company along with the biography of
the representative who will be attending the event
montreal
Event: Desjardins Business Luncheon
Description: A networking luncheon where
the featured company will present a talk about
opportunities for growth and expansion.
Sponsorship Package:
- Promotion of corporate logo on Chambers website
and event calendar

- Mentioning of company via event invitation to

Chamber members
- Opportunity for companys CEO to present a speech
about the company such as strengths, successes, and
future plans along with opportunities for growth
ottawa

Event: Eggs N Icons

Description: A networking breakfast series held at
the Sheraton Ottawa that provide an opportunity for
business leaders to catch up on the latest updates with
regards to the Ottawa business community.
Sponsorship Package:
- Opportunity to featuring companys representative as
a guest speaker
- Promotion of corporate logo on Chambers website
along with materials that promote the networking
breakfast to Chamber members and non-members
Anytime Franchise Forum
A new website will be created to serve the purpose of a
forum. The objective of starting this forum is to build
a community where current and prospective franchise
owners of Anytime Fitness can communicate with each
other as well as the corporate headquarters. People
could start discussion topics to share their experiences
of owning an Anytime Fitness gym. Others who are
interested in potentially owning a franchise could
also posed any questions they may have regarding the
franchise.
There would be a discussion board where users can
create an account, log in, and participate in the forum.
The discussion board is divided into a few categories
to address specific areas of topics or questions, such
as corporate support, training, and investment. Even
though the ultimate goal of the forum is to build a
community whereby users can help and motivate
each other, there would also be a representative from
headquarters that will also participate in the forum.
Under the username, The Franchise Coach, the
corporate representative will be responsible for

11

public relations plan

answering questions that are best addressed by
headquarters. The representative will also mediate
situations that might negatively affect current and
prospective franchisees or the Anytime Fitness brand.
A crisis management plan had been drawn up that
further address the role of corporate participation and
intervention should any difficulties may arise in the
forum.
Other features of the website includes a contact
form directed specifically towards the franchise
department of headquarters, along with other more
general franchise information. In addition, links on
the homepage will help generate traffic to the main
corporate website.
In terms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the
keywords used once the forum gets up and running
will be able to reach prospective franchisees that are
looking into owning a franchise but are less aware of
the Anytime Fitness brand. As these prospects search
online for information about franchises, SEO can help
direct them to Anytime Franchise Forum.
Social Media
(Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Website)

Social media would be used to mainly reach current

gym members and fans of the brand in promoting the
idea of owning an AFs gym, essentially those who are
more aware of AFs name. This effort will be coherent
with the advertising campaigns theme. Furthermore,
social media efforts will also be used to promote the
Anytime Franchise Forum.

Facebook: Anytime Fitness will post two posts per

week throughout the three months advertising
campaign period dedicated to the franchise. These
posts will aim to create more awareness about the
franchise forum, accolades achieved, and persuasive
facts that are aligned with the advertising theme. Gated
posts will also be created that targets followers from
certain cities instead of everyone, which will be more
personalized in addressing specific opportunities.
Twitter: similar to Facebook, most Twitter posts
are also concentrated on the promotion of gym
membership. 5 tweets per week will be dedicated to

promote opportunities of owning an AF franchise

gym. These tweets will also generate awareness and
drive traffic to the franchise forum. AFs accolades and
franchise information will also be tweeted. In order
to be consistent as well as to separate these franchise
tweets from the usual tweets, the hashtags of #AF
#FranchiseFrenzy will be used.
Reddit: Reddit is a relatively new social networking
service that invites registered community members to
participate and provide content in a variety of areas,
some general while others serve more niche purposes.
The demographics and psychographics of the median
Reddit users fit AFs target market for potential
franchisees.
A popular platform under Reddit is the AMA (Ask Me
Anything) section. It prompts users to ask questions
about any topic. There are two types of AMA; one is
open to all Reddit users, while the other, known as
IAmA, is devoted to celebrities and notable individuals
looking to reach a wider audience. A number of
famous and important figures have used this platform,
which include President Barack Obama, Bill Gates and
Stephen Colbert.
As part of Anytime Fitness PR campaign for
promoting the franchise, the CEO Chuck Runyon,
under the guidance of the companys PR team, will
post a topic on IAmA in order to directly interact with
fellow current and aspiring entrepreneurs. The post
will establish his position to address his credibility
along with some concise business information
about Anytime Fitness as a franchise. This is to stir
conversations towards the franchise aspect as oppose
to the fitness aspect.
The Reddit posts and interactions will be shared on
AFs social media platforms. Reddit also has its own
account on various other social networking sites such
as Facebook and Twitter. This can help AFs post to
reach a wider set of audiences beyond its own social
media followers.
Corporate blog and website: The header thumbnail

12

public relations plan

of both the blog and website will feature the Anytime
Franchise Forum to help generate further traffic to the
forum.
E-newsletter: Anytime Fitness will send out
E-newsletters in order to enhance the relationship
with current and potential franchise owners. Future
franchisees interested in opening an Anytime Fitness
are the target audience. Tracking the forum, online
resources and collecting emails from these online users
will send E-newsletters to those who have already
taken the first step in taking interest in the company,
in order to inquire more information on opening an
AF franchise. These will be sent to potential owners
via forum use and online acquisition. The E-newsletter
will also be emailed to current gym members of AF.
For the Chamber of Commerce event, sponsorship
packages that allow the sending of E-blasts, this
E-newsletter will then be sent to Chamber members in
Canada.
Information such as startup costs, general franchise
information and social media will be sent to potential
franchisees in order to further their knowledge of
Anytime Fitness. Website links and forum links
along with social media acts as a call to action on
each newsletter. AF will measure the success of these
E-Newsletters by tracking the distribution numbers
and linking them to forum use, email acquisition and
social media.
News releases: News releases will be sent to target
aspiring franchise owners in order to expand the
wealth of said cities. Information such as success of
franchise owners, open markers, AF forum, social
media and quotes from CEO Chuck Runyon is
included in each news release. These releases will be
sent to cities looking for new franchise owners. AF will
measure the success of the news releases by inquiring
franchisees. News releases will be created for each
targeted city for the advertising campaign. In addition,
a social media news release will be posted online to
promote the CEO Reddit post.
crisis management plan

Online Forum: The social media manager will handle

all complaints and irrelevant posts on the new forum.
This employee will also be responsible for seeking
help answering questions relative to each individual
department, and will be the editor between the select
employee and the potential franchisee. A professional
attitude will be maintained within the forum, and any
posts with irrational negativity will be marked, and
if the user persists, they will be blocked from posting
again.
Social Media: The only addition to posts on traditional
social media platforms will be gated posts for potential
buyers in the targeted areas in the United States and
Canada. The online forum will be categorized under
social media, for management instructions on the
forum, see above.
News Releases: Questions about the new campaign
from the media can be directed to Engage. We will
explain the purpose of targeting these areas, and
why it is important to run with the story for aspiring
entrepreneurs in the area.
Chamber of Commerce Event: Much of the
managing for these events will happen before the
event commences. Sponsorship money will be sent
in advance, and much of the advertising materials
needed for the event will also be sent to the venue in
advance, some of the events also advertise for Anytime,
meaning that all the company has to do is send a fee
for promotion. In most cases, representatives from
the company are allowed to attend the event. Anytime
Fitness will choose their representatives to send to
these events to represent the company and try and
persuade potential to clients to contact AF further
about potential franchising. There is also the potential
to have a speaker for one of the events, in which case
Chuck Runyon is Engages suggestion for the event. If
not, whichever representative feels most comfortable
speaking will step in.

13

public relations plan

news release media

reach
(united
states)
News
Release
Media Reach
(United States)

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Miami

Atlanta

Boston

Newspaper
Philly Daily News
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(News, Sports and
Multimedia)
Digital Edition
Philadelphia Business
Journal (Business, Jobs,
Sports, Lifestyle)
Philadelphia City Paper
Philly.com

The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore City Paper
Maryland Newspapers
Baltimore Daily News
Baltimore Business Journal

The Miami Herald

Community Newspapers
Miami Daily News
Miami Today
Miami Daily Business
Review
Miami New Times

The Atlanta Journal
Atlanta News
The Atlanta Journal
Atlanta Voice
Daily Report
The Epoch Times

The Boston Globe
Boston Herald
Boston Bulletin
Boston Metro
The Boston Irish Report
Everett Independent
Milton Times
Mission Hill Gazette

Radio
102 Phillys Hit Music
98.1 WOGL Classic Hits
90.9 WHYY Public Radio
88.5 WXPN University of
Pennsylvania Adult Album
Alternative

Magazine
Philadelphia Magazine

88.1 WYPR Public Radio

89.3 WPFW Public Radio
WCSP 90.1 News/Talk Radio
WASH 97.1 Adult
Contemporary
103.5 WTOP News Radio
107.3 WRQX News/Top 40
Radio

91.3 WLRN Public Radio
96.5 WPOW Hip Hop Radio
97.3 WFLC Top 40 Radio
104.3 WAXY Sports Radio

What Weekly
Washington Life Magazine
Washingtonian Magazine

94.9 WUBL The Bull Country

97.1 WSRV The River Classic
Hits
102.9 WMJE News/Talk
99.7 WWWQ Top 40

Atlanta Magazine
Best of Atlanta

90.9 WBUR Boston

University Boston Radio
96.9 WBQY Urban
Contemporary
98.5 WBZ Sports Radio

Boston Spirit
Boston Magazine

Miami Living Magazine

Venue Magazine
Ocean Drive Magazine
Miami New Times
MIAMI Magazine

14

public relations plan

news release media reach (canada)


Montreal

Montreal
Calgary

Ottawa
Calgary

Ottawa
Edmonton

Winnipeg
Edmonton

Winnipeg

Newspaper
Radio
Magazine
Montreal Times
92.5 The Beats
Rage Magazine
The Gazette
CJAD 800 News Talk Radio
Naked Eye
Westend Times
Virgin Radio 96
Fuges
Daily News Montreal

Croc
The Suburban
LAction Nationale
Newspaper
Cite Libre
Le Journal de Montreal

Newspaper
Radio
Magazine
(online)

M
ontreal
T
imes

9
2.5
T
he
B
eats
Rage Magazine

The Gazette
CJAD 800 News Talk Radio
Naked Eye
Calgary Sun
98.5 Virgin Radio
Avenue Magazine

W
estend
T
imes

V
irgin
R
adio
9
6

Fuges
Calgary Herald
Amp Radio
Where
Calgary
Daily News Montreal

Croc
Calgary Journal
JACK FM
City Style and Living Magazine
The Suburban
LAction Nationale
Community Newspaper
CKRY Country 105
Business in Calgary
Newspaper
Cite Libre

660News

Le Journal de Montreal



(online)
Ottawa Sun
WCMY Ottawa
Ottawa Magazine

Ottawa Citizen
CBC Radio
Faces Magazine
T
Cimes
algary Sun
C
9FRA
8.5 VN
irgin
Avenue OMttawa
agazine
The
580
ews RTadio
alk R adio
Healthwise

C
algary
H
erald

A
mp
R
adio

W
here
C
algary
Metro News
Majic 100.3 Todays Soft Rock
Calgary
Journal
JACK
FM
City Style and Living Magazine
Ottawa
Herald

CHUO
89.1
FM Community
Business in Calgary
Community
N
ewspaper

C
KRY
C
ountry
1
05
Ottawa Business
Radio



6
60News
Journal




news
release
media
reach
(canada)
Ottawa
Sun
W
CMY
Ottawa
Ottawa
Magazine
Edmonton
Journal
91.7
The
Bounce
Hit Music
Avenue
Edmonton
Magazine

O
ttawa
C
itizen

C
BC
R
adio

F
aces
M
agazine
Edmonton Sun
CBR Radio One News Talk
Where Edmonton Magazine
The Times
580 CFRA News Talk Radio
Healthwise Ottawa
Edmonton Examiner
Radio
Business in Edmonton
Metro News
Majic 100.3 Todays Soft Rock

104.9 Virgin Radio
Marker Magazine
Ottawa Herald
CHUO 89.1 FM Community
Hot 107 Hottest Music
Vue Weekly
Ottawa Business
Radio
CFBR
Edmontons Best Rock

Journal



Winnipeg Sun
1030 Virgin Radio
Manitoba Magazine
Edmonton
991.7
Bounce
AWvenue
Edmonton Magazine
Winnipeg
Free PJournal
ress CBW
90 TNhe
ews
Talk Hit Music Ciao
innipeg
Edmonton Sun
CBR Radio One News Talk
Where Edmonton Magazine
Winnipeg Metro News
102.3 Clear FM
Covet Magazine
Edmonton Examiner
Radio
Business in Edmonton

Power 97 Winnipegs Best


104.9 Virgin Radio
Marker Magazine
Rock

H
ot
1
07
H
ottest
M
usic

Vue Weekly
FAB 94.3 Super Hits of the
CFBR Edmontons Best Rock

60s, 70s & 80s


Winnipeg Sun
1030 Virgin Radio
Manitoba Magazine
Winnipeg Free Press
C BW 990 News Talk
Ciao Winnipeg
Winnipeg Metro News
102.3 Clear FM
Covet Magazine

Power 97 Winnipegs Best

Rock
FAB 94.3 Super Hits of the
60s, 70s & 80s

15

scheduling objective
and geography
There were five cities on the east coast that we chose
to market to. These cities are Boston, Philadelphia,
Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami. These five cities were
chosen because they are all very populated cities
without Anytime Finesses. Our goal with these cities
is not only to familiarize people with Anytime Fitness,
but also educate them on why opening a franchise with
them would be in their best interest. By targeting these
five cities, we felt they would reach a great number
of people due to their high populations. Since we are
doing outdoor marketing, we felt these populated cities
would give our target market the greatest chance of not
only seeing our ads to open a franchise with Anytime,
but to see it repeatedly.
There were five cities in Canada that were chosen
for our campaign. These Canadian cities include
Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
According to our research it shows that there are 3
Anytime Fitness gyms in Montreal, 4 in Calgary, 3 in
Ottawa, 1 in Edmonton and 4 in Winnipeg. These 5
cities were chosen due to their high population and
lack of Anytime Fitness gyms in their area. The higher
the population, the better the reach will be for our ads.
Therefore with these cities chosen we are guaranteed a
great number of people will not only view our ad, but
also be able to view it multiple times hoping to make a
lasting impression. Since these cities are populated and
have a lack of Anytime Fitness gyms around our goal
is to give these large Canadian cities the opportunity
to introduce an expanding number of Anytime Fitness
gyms. With an increase of Anytime Fitnesss in these
areas it will not only encourage people to have a
healthier lifestyle, but to make a career out of it as well.
The three months that were chosen for our campaign
to heavily market our target are August, September
and October. Since most of the advertising is outdoor,
we felt that it would be the most successful to advertise
when people are outside the most. People who are
out and about at this time of the year will have the
opportunity to see these ads repeatedly and hopefully
make a lasting impression. During these months heavy

snow and ice are non- existent, therefore people will be

able to see a clearer image of the ad and actually stay
outside for a bit to read the information and absorb
it. Lastly these months were chosen because they are
the fall months before winter. People may want to stay
busy and try something more out of the box during the
dull, cold winter months.
gross rating points
To calculate GRPs, we used the GRP formula as
found in Media Flight Plan on page 5 that defines
Gross Rating Points as [GRPs=gross impressions
universe x 100]. For every media vehicle we compared
the amount of potential viewers as to the cities
population. For busses, it is the amount of daily bus
riders divided by the total city population. The bus
riders would be guaranteed to see bus advertisements,
and because of this, the GRP calculation would be
accurate. The same idea follows for rail, daily rail riders
as compared to total population. Taxi is the amount
of taxi per city, with the average taxi giving 60 rides
daily. One area where we know we would include
bathroom-stall ads in is an airport. With almost every
visitor using the restroom in an airport during their
visit, the number calculated is the amount of daily
visitors to the cities largest airport. For stairs, one
area we would definitely advertise in is a mall. Here,
GRPs are calculated by averaging daily visitors to the
cities largest mall, and comparing it back to the citys
population. Our GRPs are, if anything, lower than their
potential calculation, and because of this our GRPs are
justified and as accurate as possible.
Average GRP for bus: 49
Average GRP for rail: 44
Average GRP for taxi: 16
Average GRP for bathroom: 23
Average GRP for stairs: 13

16

media placement
where

when

17

budgeting
media Costs:
gurilla cost - $37,500
outdoor cost - $298,200
production costs:
guerrilla production - $3,000
outdoor production - $4,500
crisis mgt plan - $200
social media - $14,400
news release - $5,500
newsletter - $5,000
web site design - $500
chamber of commerce event - $10,000
agency fees: $21,000
overall cost: $399,800

18

measure of success
metrics for measuring success
Metrics are chosen to analyze and track the efficiency
and activity of advertising efforts, guerrilla marketing
strategies as well as public relations tactics. Prior to the
start of the campaign, benchmark will be set, and these
metrics will be applied at regular intervals.

advertising metrics
Looking at franchise sales and revenue
Comparing the geographic locations of new
franchise sales
Measuring and comparing the reach and
frequency of the different platforms and media
employed with the breakdown of the demographic
characteristics of the audience
Keeping tabs on web traffic generated from call to
action
Tracking lead sources and prospect pipeline via
asking consumers how they found out about the
franchise (phone calls or fields email inquiries)
Tracking the Cost Per Lead with the goal of less
than $35
Utilizing Opportunity-to-See (OTS) measures and
Likelihood-to-See (LTS) ratings
Guerrilla Marketing Metrics
Monitoring social media mentions
Combining traditional advertising metrics such as
sales and contact list
Following and evaluating traditional press and
online mentions
Measuring response rates and conversion rates by
attaching a cookie with the campaign keywords
for the channels that generate the click to the
website
Assigning customer acquisition costs
Monitoring social media especially LinkedIn,
forum, and blogs for referrals or recommendations

public relations metrics

Tracking and measuring monthly growth in
organic traffic and leads to the website (organic
traffic and leads occurred when people are visiting
the website in ways other than paid promotion or
explicit encouragement from the company itself)
Monitoring engagement (likes, comments,
retweets, hashtags) and increase in followers on
social media
Tracking social media message amplification
by collecting and comparing base impressions,
organic impressions, and total impressions/total
impressions per user
Using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools
such as Google Analytics to analyze how the target
audience is looking up franchise information
Monitoring traffic, engagement (topics, questions,
discussions, comments) and growth rate on
Anytime Franchise Forum
Keeping track on responses and inquiries to the
E-newsletter
Collecting postmortem feedbacks from the
Chamber of Commerce about sponsored events
successes
Analyzing engagement and interests from
Chamber members and event attendees at
sponsored events
Measuring on-site participation at sponsored
events in terms of quantity and quality with the
breakdown of demographic and psychographic
data

19

creative
advertising
Stairs Design
Stalls Design
Taxi Design
Rails Desing
Bus Design

public relations
Social Media
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Reddit
- Corporate blog
- Corporate website
Forum
E-newsletter
Rack Card
News Releases

20

references
Anytime Fitness. (2014). Franchise Info. Retrieved from http://www.anytimefitness.com
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. (2014). Chambre De Commerce Du Montreal Metropolitain. Re
trieved from http://www.btmm.qc.ca
Calgary Chamber. (2014). Calgary Chamber. Retrieved from http://www.calgarychamber.com
Chamber Master. (2014). Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from: http://www.ottawachamber.ca
Dunkin Donuts. (2014). Dunkin Donuts Company Snapshot. Retrieved from http://www.dunkindonuts.com
Entrepreneur Media. (2014). Entrepreneur. Meet the Top Franchise of 2014. Retrieved from http://www.entre
preneur.com
International Franchise Association. (2014). Franchising Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time.
Retrieved from http://franchiseeconomy.com
Isidore, C. (2014). CNN Money. Retrieved from http://www.money.cnn.com
Jiffy Lube. (2014). Jiffy Lube. Retrieved from http://www.jiffylube.com
Kulikowski, L. (2012). Top 5 Fitness Franchises. Retrieved from http://www.nuwireinvestor.com
Mcdonalds. (2014). Acquiring a Franchise. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com
The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce (2014).
The Chamber The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce [Sponsor [Spon
sorship Package]. Retrieved from http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com

21