Health clubs woo customers with Indianapolis marketing campaigns

One person's loss is another's gain, and it seems that adage is coming true in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Cardinal Fitness recently shuttered six of its facilities in the area, and competing gyms are now sending out messages through texts, social media websites, news releases and other channels in an effort to convert consumers, the source says.

Some groups were offering free access and special waivers on their usual enrollment fees to sweeten the deal for former members of the defunct gym locations, according to the newspaper.

Fitness companies in other parts of the country are also trying to show people the value that a gym membership can add to their lives.

My Gym Enterprises plans to launch a campaign that coincides with National Family Week (set for November 20-26), and is calling on parents and other family members to show children the importance of exercise by organizing activities in their homes and neighborhoods.

The company will also discount memberships by 20 percent and give new member families the option to take a month of classes free of charge.

"Fitness is a lifestyle, not a program," stated chief marketing and entertainment officer for My Gym Enterprises, Matthew Hendison, "and a family commitment to fitness can create very strong family ties.