Posted by on Sep 10, 2013 in Products | 0 comments

New Plates and Napkins Are Here!

New Plates and Napkins Are Here! My Gym has new plates and napkins with fun, colorful, and engaging designs!  The 7 inch Mymo Party Plate features Mymo in his T-shirt with the floating My Gym circles behind him.  What fun kids will have seeing Mymo appear as they eat their food! The Peek-a-Boo Mymo Napkins are even more fun.  The front of this lunch-sized napkin features part of Mymo’s face as he peeks from the bottom, and the other side shows the back of Mymo’s head.  Kids will love flipping this back and forth and seeing both sides.  Maybe they’ll even use the napkin to wipe their hands and faces (LOL). The napkins and plates are each sold in sets of 200 (4 packs x 50 pieces).  They’re in stock and ready for immediate shipment from ShopMyGym.  Click here to order the napkins and here for the plates.  Enjoy!...

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Posted by on Sep 5, 2013 in Technology | 0 comments

Website Upgrade to Franchisee Homepage Launching Friday (9/6/13) Night – Please Read

We are releasing the new franchisee homepage tomorrow night.  There is a much better look and feel and added functionality as well.  Here are a few things you need to know: The heading of your articles is now dynamic.  This means you can label the column on the right-hand side of the homepage anything you want.  Currently, it’s not dynamic; it simply says, “What’s New at My Gym Pasadena.”  The reason we are making this dynamic is that franchisees are using their articles for many different things, so you might think of a better descriptive line to label the articles. Inside the “Edit Your Website and Schedules,” go to “Home Page.” First input field says “Article Title”:  Simply type in anything you want to see as the label for the column.  Please go to your website, refresh the page, and make sure it shows well. The main new functionality created for you are the four boxes in the middle of the page.  We have provided the four that you...

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Posted by on Sep 5, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

New Facebook Posts!

MGE Marketing and Back At You have successfully completed and loaded a new round of Facebook posts designed to provide consistent My Gym messaging, brand awareness, and public participation/interest.  The posts, created with the guidance of key franchise owners/FAB members/Marketing Committee, should reflect improvements, new ideas, and eye-catching info suggested by many of you. These approximately 75 new posts will represent a new and improved ‘Round 2’ of the content utilized in the first half of 2013 and will be scheduled to be automatically posted over the next several months on the pages of all gyms who have made Back At You an administrator of their pages. If you have not already made Back At You an administrator of your page, we urge you all to do so, allowing them to easily post this new MGE approved content to supplement your local content, implement promotions, and provide a class schedule application.  To allow for this, please follow the steps below: *Before Back At You can become an Admin of...

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Posted by on Sep 5, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

My Gym Partners with Marriott International Hotels

My Gym Partners with Marriott International As part of our ongoing efforts to market and brand My Gym to targeted consumers everywhere through all possible channels, we have recently finalized a deal with Marriott International to offer enrollment incentives to their employees throughout North America. This ad is now live on the Marriott “company store” extranet site.  The site offers specials and discounts to over 100K employees of the direct managed properties of Marriott in both the USA and Canada. The discounts we are offering are as follows: –          50% off Lifetime Membership –          $10 off monthly billing –          $25 off a birthday party –          $10 off a 5 pack of camp or PNO The fine print: –          Valid at participating locations –          Not valid with other specials/discounts –          Current and eligible Marriott employees only/subject to verification We suggest you ask the Marriott employee to print the ad out and bring it in along with a Marriott ID card to redeem the offer.  There is currently no expiration date...

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Posted by on Aug 30, 2013 in Products | 0 comments

The My Gym Retail Program is Here! Taking the My Gym Experience Beyond the Gym…

  The My Gym Retail Program is Here!  Taking the My Gym Experience Beyond the Gym . . . We’re so excited to finally have some favorite My Gym products available for sale to the public!  Now your customers can have stylish and fun My Gym branded apparel plus the same great handmade puppets that are used in the gym.  Stay tuned for My Gym Manips; they’re being added to the program soon. The My Gym puppets are packaged for retail sale and include My Gym activities and songs tailored for each puppet.  Parents and kids will have a blast bringing the My Gym experience into their homes. To help gyms market and sell these products, we’re sending you retail brochures with product images and descriptions to display in your gym.  Look out for these in the mail along with a sheet with retail sales and merchandising directives. This program presents a great marketing and profit opportunity for you.  Plus, we’ve made the lowest possible price points for you...

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Posted by on Aug 30, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

2014 MGE Marketing Plan- Overview and Calendar

MGE 2014 Marketing Plan  Introduction The following is presented by the MGE Marketing Department in conjunction with the North American Marketing Committee.  It is the outcome of much work involving research, survey results, and conversations and planning among ourselves and our marketing consultants. For your planning purposes, this document is intended to give all gyms a top-line understanding of our North American marketing approach in 2014, including the calendar of key dates/time frames of the campaign. In September, we will be providing the 2014 campaign directives and a specific “to do” calendar so that gyms are aware of what and where materials are available to them and when they should be implementing each step.  Included in these directives will be the specifics for what, when, and how MGE is conducting its marketing support for the campaign as well as suggested promotions, offers, and events gyms can conduct in conjunction with each at their discretion.  OVERVIEW From a national/N. American perspective, the direct branding and enrollment impact MGE marketing alone...

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Posted by on Aug 27, 2013 in Products | 0 comments

Special Order Onesies in New Colors

  Special Order Onesies in New Colors! We recently made some special order Island Blue and Bubblegum Pink “Registration Style” Onesies for David Ames, and they were a big hit!  Because of the great response, we’re making them again, and we’re giving you a few days to get in on the order.  Plus, we’re offering three more colors:  Bright Pink, Lavender, and Kelly Green.  These are the same super soft and lightweight cotton-poly jersey onesies that we stock in Heather Navy and Red.  These onesies make great retail items and gifts for your members.  Order by 10 a.m. PT this Friday, 8/30, and your order will ship the week of 9/9.  Click here to order...

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Posted by on Aug 26, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

CHUGGINGTON Partnership on Track to Achieve More Than 5 Million Impressions for My Gym!

CHUGGINGTON Partnership on Track to Achieve More Than 5 Million Impressions for My Gym! Our cross promotional relationship with Chuggington during our 30 Year Anniversary Campaign continues to achieve a tremendous number of targeted marketing impressions for My Gym throughout North America. Specifically, Chuggington has included: My Gym branded campaign/contest info and links in emails to their fans (100,000+) My Gym branded Chuggington Facebook Posts/Tweets My Gym logo on Chuggington ad in Kiwi Magazine in August (1 million reach) My Gym full-page ad/coupon is INSIDE Chuggington DVDs. (400,000+ reach) My Gym campaign and location info via Chuggington’s blogging campaigns – Here are just a few examples: http://www.heckofabunch6.com/2013/08/chug-patrol-ready-to-rescue-and-my-gym.html http://kellysluckyyou.com/giveaway-chuggington-dvd-chug-patrol-ready-to-rescue-ends-824-us/ http://stacytilton.blogspot.com/2013/08/chug-patrol-ready-to-rescue-dvd-and.html?showComment=1377211816253 http://workofchildhood.com/chuggington-chug-patrol-ready-to-rescue/\   And finally…  Check out this powerful PR write-up featured in Licensing.biz magazine (print and online) reaching tens of thousands of marketing industry leaders. http://www.licensing.biz/news/read/us-anchor-bay-and-my-gym-team-up-for-chuggington-dvd-promotion/038516   This relationship is just one example of the many ways MGE Marketing is working to spread the good news about what a wonderful place My Gym is for families to experience Fitness and Fun...

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Posted by on Aug 26, 2013 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Fall Enrollment Events: Maximizing your PR through the Use of Engage 121

Engage 121 Update As you’re ramping up for your open houses and enrollment events, it’s important that you’re covering all your bases (Facebook posts, articles on your webpage, announcements, fliers, Exact Target emails, etc.).  You’ve covered everything – right?  Did you get your PR release sent via Engage 121?  This step is a vital one, for everything you are promoting now and in the future.  Press releases create additional exposure opportunities on a grand scale to consumers in your market and can also help you establish important media connections.  It is all set up for you to simply find a template, customize it for your event or announcement, and push “Send.”  It’s already paid for out of the marketing fund and should always be part of your marketing mix.  Why NOT use it? Consider this as an example.  Between January 1 and April 1, 2013, there were 33 total times a My Gym franchisee used the Engage 121 system to send out a press release.  During this time, a...

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Posted by on Aug 23, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

30 Year Campaign-Fit & Healthy Family Contest Update

Update- 30 Year Anniversary Contest Grand Prize Winner As per our 30 Year Anniversary recap update sent 2 weeks ago, our Fit & Healthy Family contest performed extremely well, generating thousands of entrants, votes, and traffic to our FB page.  This resulted in an enormous number of impressions and greatly increased social engagement with our brand. Over the last two days, via Facebook, we formally announced the 30 semifinalist winners and the Grand Prize winner, Maddie Jaime of Maryland Heights, MO.  SSA is now working hard to achieve PR for this announcement in the St. Louis area and, hopefully, on a national level. All 30 of our semifinal winners (out of thousands of entrants) will be receiving BabyGanics products, Chuggington DVDs, a Recognition Certificate from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and a specially-designed My Gym prize pack. In addition to all the great prizes for our semifinalists, our Grand Prize winner will also receive a $1,000 Little Tikes gift card and a free one-year My Gym...

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Posted by on Aug 23, 2013 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Curriculum Update

Curriculum for Next Week We would like you to incorporate one of our sponsors, Chuggington, into your curriculum for next week.  Here are some fun ways to do it. During Big Deal: The Big Deal is the train.  Please click here for the fun Chuggington song for you to download and play during the train time or any Explore Time.  You can sing along while the kids are riding the train to this theme song. During Parent Share:  Soft Frisbees During Manipulative Skill:  Poly Spots Hold your Soft Frisbees/Poly Spots and pretend you are driving a train like new adventures in Chuggington. o   In control and ready to roll! o   Three Honks for New Adventures! o   Get your wheels to the rails! When the kids put the Soft Frisbees/Poly Spots away, perhaps they can “speed” along the tracks of the speedway, flashing their new headlights and honking their horns.  (You can play the theme song at this time too.) Other Areas: Tone words that are affiliated with Chuggington are listed...

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Posted by on Aug 21, 2013 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

September Operational Reminders

  Operations Update August 30th, 2013 All Gyms   September Operational Reminders Marketing: Post Open House marketing work: Database Calls – If this was not completed in August, continue to make calls.  Pull a list of anyone who canceled from January – June and call them to invite them to your enrollment event/tell them about the current specials. Market to those people who didn’t enroll at Open House/Enrollment Night.  Offer another special or incentive (smaller) and email, call, and/or post on Facebook. Consider running an Offer on Facebook to target those people who didn’t enroll.  Contact “Back at You” for help/ideas. Plan Parents’ Night Out.  See Marketing & Advertising Annual Sample Plan for PNO marketing Send monthly email newsletter with events, promotions, etc. Send Birthday Mailer and/or email to upcoming birthdays (October & November). Call and/or email all birthday guests each week. Contact PTAs and offer your services.  Check out the sample letter to send to schools located in the Marketing folder. Research, attend, and participate in popular fall...

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Posted by on Aug 21, 2013 in Technology | 0 comments

Online Registration

Online Registration Update Yesterday we launched the User Interface (Online Registration System) for My Gym Pasadena.  The system is built and has been tested vigorously, but it needs to be tested for a period of time in a real environment before we launch to all franchisees. We are very excited about this system and believe it will be a very useful tool for all franchisees. We will keep you updated on the test as we progress and hope to have it in your hands soon. If you have any questions, please let me know. Sincerely, Tom...

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Posted by on Aug 15, 2013 in Products | 0 comments

Celebrate Party Plates on Sale

  Save up to 20% on Celebrate Party Plates!  ShopMyGym will soon have party plates with a new design.  To make room for our new inventory, we’re closing out the current style.  Buy 2 or 3 packs (250 plates per pack) and save 10% or buy 4+ packs and save 20%.  Get them while you can.  Click here to order...

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Posted by on Aug 13, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

NEW In-Gym Sponsor Marketing Programs

In-Gym Sponsor Marketing/Sponsor Programs- Disney Doc McStuffin and Saban Julius Jr. Please note that there are two easy reference documents that relate to national marketing and sponsorships available to you at all times on the Operations Disc. 1)     In-Gym Marketing Sponsorship Materials 2)     Current National Marketing Offers and Coupons They can be accessed via the extranet here: My Gym Operations Disc / My Gym Operations / National Marketing and Sponsorships / National Marketing.  There are two additional sponsor/marketing programs coming to our gyms in August and September.  MGE is very aware that there are several of these programs occurring at the same time and which overlap. While this is encouraging in many ways and may well lead to more partnerships and cross-marketing opportunities, we have taken steps with PLAY Network and the FAB to assure that, in the future, these programs will be even more carefully analyzed and scheduled so as not to be rolled out so close together. The following are the details for these two new programs. My Gym has partnered with...

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Posted by on Aug 9, 2013 in Products | 0 comments

ShopMyGym is carrying three new additional adhesive decal signs!

  ShopMyGym is carrying three new additional adhesive decal signs! Back to school enrollment is right around the corner and now is a great time to freshen up your gyms! Order your new in-gym signs, which match the look and feel of all of our other marketing materials, today! In addition to the core signs, there are new ones now available including…… Information Center Adhesive Decal (37”x 14”) This sign is made of PhotoTex Repositionable Vinyl and is used to highlight all your class, party, and program information your gym would like to share with parents and prospective clients. Click here to order this sign today! Sibling Rules Adhesive Decal (30” x 26”) This sign is made of PhotoTex Repositionable Vinyl and shares the following rules with parents: Parents must supervise their children at play. Children need to share toys. Parents, please make sure the area is clean after use. Children, please play with toys quietly, and use inside voices. Everyone, HAVE FUN! Click here to order this sign...

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Posted by on Aug 8, 2013 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

My Gym Core Vocabulary

My Gym Core Vocabulary A key attribute of a great My Gym teacher capable of leading high quality classes is “teaching with expertise.”  In order to master this and the skill-based teaching technique, you need to understand the terms included in My Gym’s programming and the Building Blocks system.  Many of the words listed below have multiple definitions; here you will find the meanings that best pair with My Gym’s programming. Agility: The power to move quickly and easily; nimbleness Attention Span: The length of time that someone can concentrate effectively on a task or activity Balance: A state in which a body or object remains reasonably steady in a particular position; The ability to maintain bodily equilibrium with both sides of one’s body equal and not tipping over –  Gymnasts must have good balance. Cardiovascular: “Cardio” Relating to the heart and blood vessels – A cardio workout is high energy to get your heart rate up. Cognitive: Of or pertaining to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment,...

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Posted by on Aug 8, 2013 in Marketing, Products | 0 comments

Building Blocks Programming Developmental Index Now Available on ShopMyGym.com

  The Building Blocks Programming Developmental Index is one of the newest tools available to gyms in the ongoing quest to enhance learning among students and parents.  Each colorful page breaks down the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of what we do every day at My Gym far beyond simple ‘working-on’ explanations. The booklet is meant to complement the Building Blocks program and can be used internally as a supplemental training tool.  Externally, we recommend that the Index be used in the following ways: Laid out on the front counter for parental perusal (walk-ins, new members, etc.) Brought to marketing events (booths, expos, etc.), and used to explain how the My Gym curriculum coincides with child development Referred to in enrollment conversations; have it nearby for quick reference when selling the program This durable booklet makes an impressive presentation; it’s professionally printed on thick paper, laminated and coil bound.  Since the booklets are meant to be used both in and out of the gym and at different times, we recommend that...

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Posted by on Aug 7, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

In-Gym TVs

Please be advised that Play Network, at their own expense, will be dispatching technicians to gyms throughout the country in the coming days to fix any issues that may arise.  If you are contacted, please respond as soon as possible.  We appreciate your doing your part in helping us fix these...

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Posted by on Aug 7, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

30th Anniversary Campaign Report

As we head into the last major phase of our 30th Anniversary Campaign this month – the 30th Birthday Party/events at gyms, we are happy to provide you with a recap of the campaign including the overall impressions generated, specifics related to our Facebook contest, and results to key questions in the survey recently taken by franchisees. Part 1 – Impressions The impressions below are based on the national corporate marketing efforts and channels of communication employed for the 30 Year Anniversary marketing campaign during the months of April-June, 2013.  These include PR, digital and print ads, social media, blogs, and emails sent by MGE and our partners, including Little Tikes, BabyGanics, Chuggington, and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. * These impressions do not factor in impressions achieved by local gym ads, fliers, email, website traffic, walk-by traffic, or social media posts/tweets. Advertising Impressions Facebook Ads 450,000 Nat’l Magazine (Parenting) 11,000,000 US Family Guide Banner Ads and Tiles 420,495 Yowza Mobile Coupons 1,042 Media/Online Impressions PR/Media (SSA) TV 67,825,633...

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Posted by on Aug 6, 2013 in Marketing | 0 comments

In Gym Sponsor Marketing Program – Stride-Rite Shoes

As mentioned in last week’s update regarding the Chuggington partnership, here is the information on the new program with Stride Rite Shoes. My Gym has partnered with Stride Rite to promote Disney Princess shoes to moms and young girls. The program features a poster, which is to be displayed either in the front window/door of the gym or hung in the lobby from the ceiling.  Additionally, a 30-second commercial will be played on My Gym TV screens during the term. The dates for the program are 8/15/13 – 9/15/13. Beginning later this week, each U.S. gym will receive a package containing the following materials needed to execute this program: One 24”x36” Poster to be affixed to your front window or lobby wall Poster Hangers, in case you prefer to hang the posters There will be no programming elements related to this promotion. Upon commencement of the program, please send a picture of the TV commercial and posters via email to fsundara@playnetwork.com or text picture to 562.665.7128. If you have...

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