The Secret to Higher Gym Retention? Scent Marketing for Gyms

When you’re looking for a new gym or fitness club, what do YOU value? A bustling atmosphere that motivates? Loud music to get you moving? A certain clientele? Being surrounded by the right colors and “you can do it” posters? When it comes to optimizing the gym member experience, all these methods work!

But gyms that fail to focus on scent, well, they’re missing out. Aromas play a critical part in a superior workout experience. Because let’s face it, gyms often stink…in more ways than one. From the lobby to the basketball court to the locker room to the weight room, smells vary, and none are pleasant! The way a fitness club tackles these scent issues has a significant effect on gym retention.

That’s why gyms and fitness clubs are ripe for the power of scent marketing. This type of advertising, also known as olfactory branding, is a remarkably effective way to utilize humans’ oldest and most powerful sense. With the right combination of odor control (elimination of unpleasant odors) and scent diffusion (introduction of pleasant scents), gyms can enhance the workout experience in numerous ways.

Fitness clubs and gyms face hurdles to overcome, just like any business. One of the most well-known is “stink.” From sweat to wet to aromas you’d rather forget, gyms are notorious for bringing out the worst smells in us, even as we seek the best in us.

Urinals and stalls in bathrooms tend to be the worst. But wait, there’s more. Saunas, locker rooms, swimming pool changing areas—for a gym manager, the challenges abound! However, odor control for gyms has come a long way, and there are effective solutions available.

To stay ahead of the curve, fitness club directors should know: scent marketing for gyms can help retain current customers…and attract new ones. Gym ambiance doesn’t just sell itself upon entry. It sells itself with every breath, all day, every day.

Have you ever asked yourself: “What does my fitness center smell like?” As a gym owner, manager, or member, it’s an important question to ask, as it has significant ramifications. If your answer is positive, it probably indicates that you—and many others—like it there.

That’s the foundation for precisely the kind of brand experience everyone wants. Because when a gym smells great, it’s inviting. It’s welcoming. And, it’s motivating. More people are coming in, and there’s a sense of energy, which keeps folks staying longer. For both new and long-time members, a fantastic gym ambiance fosters loyalty with every visit.

Explore how aromas can affect decision-making.

For owners and managers focused on gym retention, this is music to their ears…and the sweet scent of success to their noses.

Positive Association:

When a gym smells good and its members feel good, they’re going to keep coming back. Owners may even see a boost in signups as word-of-mouth advertising kicks in and they tell their friends to come join, too!

Enhanced Atmosphere:

Having a signature scent that’s distinctive AND intriguing helps improve the ambiance. That kind of positive, next-level energy can create a feedback loop that encourages members to work out more often, which leads to them feeling even better about themselves…and their gym!

Competitive Advantage:

Offering benefits other gyms can’t, don’t, or won’t—that’s how you stand out in a crazily crowded market. Scent marketing can be the invisible salesperson your gym needs, helping to convince members, THIS is the place to be.

You’re intrigued by the idea of scent marketing. But how do you get started? Choosing scents is a great place to begin, which begs the question: Which fragrances might be best-suited to a gym or fitness center?

One way to think about it is based on each area’s main function. For lobbies and common areas, lavender is a popular choice for its calming effects. If your business has a signature scent, this is a great place to deploy it. The gym floor, where lots of high-energy cardio workouts occur, may benefit from an energizing scent like mint or lemon.

What about locker rooms, bathrooms, and saunas? Areas like these may need a one-two punch of odor control AND scenting. Clean linen is a popular choice. Eucalyptus is ideal, too, both for its antimicrobial properties and for the way it cuts through the humidity and helps encourage deep breathing.

The better a place of business smells, the more likely customers will spend more time (and money) there, and the more likely they’ll come back again. This effect has been observed and studied in detail, and the findings are striking.

Consider a study published in the Indian Journal of Medicine in 2018. The paper’s summary put it this way:

“It was found that for the past two decades, marketers have been trying to find the relationship between the use of different kinds of scents and their effects in varied environments. It was seen that when an ambient scent was congruent with the environment, it had a significantly positive impact on the behavior of the customers present. Similarly, the approach-avoidance behavior of customers was influenced by manipulating their moods with the use of scents. Thus, it can be said that the products are no longer judged only by their inherent quality, it is also the quality of the environment in which they are purchased that appeals to the customers.” [SOURCE]

To increase gym membership and gym retention, such facilities need to generate a positive connection with their clientele. What better way, then, than to create that sense of loyalty via our sense of smell.