Fitness First dumps FPC in marketing strategy overhaul amanda swinburn
Gym giant Fitness First has dumped its publisher FPC, media agency Ikon and PR agency Edelman in an overhaul of its marketing strategy.
The group’s one-year, four-magazine deal with FPC has come to an end and Fitness First managing director, Tony de Leede, said the group had decided not to renew it.
Instead Fitness First is looking at the possibility of consolidating its media, which includes First magazine, internal advertising billboards by Ultimate Media and its in-house lifestyle channel.
De Leede said Fitness First had been happy with FPC’s product but had “decided to take a step back” and will re-launch the magazine in the first quarter of 2006. He is considering bringing production of the magazine in-house.
“We have taken this step because there has been a lot of confusion about our media and branding. We have a magazine in the UK and may try to have joint editorial—obviously they are different markets but there is a lot of crossover,” he said.
FPC publishing director, weekly titles, Catherine Baglin, said of the split: “The fitness market is a great market but Fitness First has some other priorities and we understand no-one is publishing it at all for now”.
Fitness First has been without a media agency for six months, terminating its deal with Ikon but has recently hired media placement agency A Cut Above.
