Customer segmentation practices in the fitness market: A new marketing strategy based on an aspirational model

The need to understand the behavior of sport consumers has been a long-stading goal for sport marketers. Sport consumer display a bewildering array of values, attitudes, and behaviours (Olivero e Russo, 2009; Westerbeek & Smith, 2003). Not all consumer are equally passionale and fanatical, nor use their team to confirm their personal identity. In a competitive market the need to provide custom services in fitness clubs has lead marketers and scholars to investigate motivations and real expectations of the customers when choosing products and services. A tool for market segmentation is required to reach clients’ needs and satisfy their expectations. So far, Clubs have always focused on traditional objectives such as counting calories, time and distance to motivate individuals to train. However, customers are not motivated simply by the goal of burning 300 calories – but they can find the drive for burning 900 if it helps them live better and longer. Aspirations are what drive people, and they are much more complex to interpret and cater for than a simple training objective. The first step for finding the right tools to meet your clients’ aspirations is understanding what they are. It is the only way we can answer the key questions that club and wellness centre members ask us: What’s in it for me? What tangible benefits can I get out of it?"