Coordinating a Rebranding: from Northwest Athletic Club to Wellbridge

How could Wellbridge, one of the top five operators of athletic clubs in America, increase its visibility and build membership at 45 clubs in cities from Boston and Minneapolis to Denver, Albuquerque and Honolulu?

By having Maccabee Group assist Wellbridge with a coast-to-coast rebranding effort -- as the company changed its name from Club Sports International to better attract the baby boomer market. PR strategies ranged from a 6-month series of Grand Re-Opening events at New Mexico Sports & Wellness to appearances by Olympic athletes at the Grand Opening of Wellbridge's new Blast! Kids Fitness Centers to live-remote TV segments and a Working Mother magazine placement promoting Cardio Carriage, which enabled new parents to bring babies to the gym. A media kit featuring scented "spa stones" convinced reporters from Fitness, Elle, Shape, Fit and Spa to test Wellbridge's new day spas. Heightened visibility drove Wellbridge sales and increased retention of club members.

Maccabee Group's fitness/wellness PR campaigns have also included:

Launching the Sweatshop Health Club's "Take Back the Beach" campaign, which parodied the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue with a calendar featuring women of all shapes, sizes and ages. Millions of consumers were reached through coverage in Forbes, Fit, Fitness and Mode magazines.
Helping Life Time Fitness publicize its Life Time Fitness Triathlon, involving 2,000 athletes from 40 states and 15 countries. Broadcast on NBC TV Sports, the campaign focused on the participation of five-time World Champion Simon Lessing of Britain - among the PR results, a coveted national feature in Sports Illustrated For Kids magazine.

"From unique, head-turning press kits to crucial counsel during a public relations crisis, I could always count on Maccabee Group to fully support the company's communication efforts. Nationwide media exposure organized by Maccabee Group helped foster positive investor relations as well as valuable new business opportunities. A stellar customer service focus makes working with Maccabee Group a pleasure."

- Christy Sazama
- Marketing Manager

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