How to Rebrand Your Fitness Business

There are a variety of reasons you might decide to rebrand your fitness business. Perhaps you’ve purchased an existing studio or gym, updated or removed a core offering, or made a significant change to your brand values. It’s also possible you’re quickly responding to changes outside of your control.

Whatever the reason, a rebrand requires reflection, creativity, and a plan.

We've gathered helpful resources and outlined a variety of considerations you’ll need to make for a successful branding transition.

Ready?

First, let’s talk about your business name

Your name sets the tone for your entire fitness studio or gym—and changing it isn’t a decision to be made lightly. And while you do run the risk of losing some brand recognition, oftentimes, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Download our How to Name Your Fitness Business checklist to evaluate any options you’re considering.

Update your business plan

Your business plan should reflect changes in your studio or gym's brand, offerings, and overall goals. This document is ever-evolving—especially during a time of change.

For more, check out Why You Need to Revisit Your Fitness Studio Business Plan and download our Business Plan Template for Fitness Business Owners.

As you make changes related to your brand, pay special attention to:

• Your mission statement. It’s the foundation for everything you do at your studio or gym and may need changes. Think about where your fitness business has been, where it's going, and who your "why” affects long-term.
• Your target audience. As you evolve, think about your clients—today and in the future. Do you plan to market to the same audience? Are you looking to expand into new demographics? Knowing who you want to reach will help guide your new branding.
• Your experience. Your brand includes the entire customer experience you provide in your physical and/or virtual space. Will you adjust classes and other offerings? Will you create a more inclusive environment for all customers? Think about your gym or studio, holistically, and include any changes you plan to make.
• Your team. How you staff your business is a direct extension of your brand. As you rebrand, this may require changes to your hiring process, training protocols, and staff handbook.

Rethink your aesthetic

Your visual identity, or the design components that represent your fitness studio or gym, is an essential piece of the rebrand puzzle. It includes your logo, color palette, typography, and photography.

As you refresh your aesthetic, consider how you’ll:

• Rethink your logo. Will you overhaul your current one, or will you make subtle changes to maintain brand recognition? When well-designed—or in this case, well-redesigned—your logo can identify your business in a meaningful, new way. When in doubt, hire a designer to help.
• Reconsider your colors and type. Will you maintain the same color scheme, or do you plan to create a new one entirely? What about the typefaces, you use on your website, marketing collateral, and apparel? Colors and font are powerful and represent your brand personality. So, if you want your brand to feel fresh and young, it’s best to leave muted, dull colors and script fonts behind.
• Reconsider your imagery. Reflect on the customers you currently serve as well as those you hope to reach in the future. The photography you use on your website, your social media channels, and in printed materials, should be reflective of your target audience.

Download our guide for more on How to Create a Brand That Sets Your Business Apart.

Refresh your marketing

Once you’ve solidified your new business name and visual identity (hooray!), reflect the changes across your marketing efforts.

Make a plan to:

• Revamp your website. Your website is the online face of your business. Keep it up to date with changes to your brand.Do an audit of each page on your site (homepage included) and make applicable updates to photos, videos, and copy. For more, download our guide specific to How to Update the Website for Your Fitness Business.
• Reflect changes across your online listings. Like your website, online listings like Google My Business and Yelp should feature your new name, logo, imagery, and brand voice. Don’t forget to also review and revise your descriptions and categories.
• Optimize your social media accounts. Swap out your profile picture (likely your logo) and/or cover photo, switch your social media handles, and update the about section and/or descriptions for your Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Running social ads? You may need to change those, too.
• Update your email marketing templates. Whether you send newsletters, lean on automations, or both, make sure to update your emails. Swap out your logo, add your new colors, and use a branded typeface. It’s simple to design new campaigns in Marketing Suite
• Redesign printed collateral and apparel. Keep all printed materials—including business cards, posters, and flyers—cohesive with your new branding. Clients will be excited to rep your new look so be sure to refresh your branded swag, too.

Update your Mindbody software

As a Mindbody customer, you know the importance of keeping your site and app listing current. Once you’ve officially rebranded, make the following changes (we’ll keep this list short and sweet):

• Update your business name. Here’s how.
• Swap out your logo. Here’s how.
• Rewrite your automated emails and texts. Here’s how.
• Revisit your class names, descriptions, and categories. Here’s how.
• Optimize your app listing. Here’s how to get the most out of your app listing.

Rebranding is a process—but a process well worth it. It's also one to be celebrated! Give clients a behind the scenes look at your logo redesign, send an email announcement, and/or host a rebrand reveal party for clients and staff.

The more your community feels a part of the journey, the more excited they’ll be with your new look and feel. It is, after all, a new phase in your business, which is an exciting time for them too.