Who they are & what they wanted
Total Fitness is a leading mid-market health club brand with 15 clubs across the North of England and Wales. Known for its spacious facilities, family-friendly approach, and holistic fitness offering, the brand serves over 100,000 members with a focus on physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
Organisational objectives
- Rebuild brand reputation post-turnaround
- Drive membership growth
- Re-engage core consumer segments
- Enhance media visibility and authority
- Improve customer retention and sentiment
- Differentiate from competitors
Communications Objectives
- Increase positive media coverage across key verticals
- Communicate the business transformation story
- Reinforce brand values of inclusivity and accessibility
- Restore consumer trust and emotional connection
- Establish leadership voice in the health and fitness sector
- Profile the CEO and leadership team to build authority and visibility within the industry, supporting wider business development and stakeholder engagement.
- Drive share of voice during key calendar moments
- Enhance digital visibility through PR-driven SEO
At the heart of the campaign was a powerful, insight-led activation: the launch of women-only gym zones across key Total Fitness clubs. This initiative responded directly to one of the brand’s most pressing perception gaps — the need to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces that addressed the growing issue of ‘gymtimidation’.
Research showed a significant portion of Total Fitness’s core audience — women aged 25–55 — felt self-conscious or excluded in mixed-gender gym environments. This insight aligned with post-pandemic trends prioritising mental wellbeing, body confidence, and time-efficient exercise.
PR Agency One positioned the launch not just as a facilities update, but as a purpose-driven shift — one that reflected Total Fitness’s people-first ethos and commitment to holistic wellbeing.
Key tactics included
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Exclusive media previews of the new zones
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Member storytelling to humanise the rationale — especially women returning to fitness post-COVID
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Inclusion in trend pieces tackling gym anxiety, fitness confidence, and women-led wellness
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Regional media focus to showcase club-level investment and community relevance
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Targeted outreach to female-first lifestyle titles and digital platforms
What We Did
We delivered a dual-track PR strategy combining corporate credibility with emotionally resonant consumer storytelling. Corporate activity focused on CEO profiling, leadership updates, and transformation features across national and trade media. For consumer audiences, we led inclusive storytelling campaigns highlighting member journeys, women-focused initiatives, and trend-driven fitness content. A responsive press office ensured relevance across business, lifestyle, and regional titles, while digital-first content boosted SEO and brand discoverability. All activity was underpinned by close collaboration with Total Fitness’s internal teams to align messaging with commercial priorities and cultural values.
Our Campaign
The women-only zones became a narrative engine, driving coverage across national, regional, and consumer media. Stories blended emotional truth with brand transformation, creating strong audience identification and media appeal.
This activation didn’t just shift perception — it generated action, contributing significantly to 8,000+ new memberships and becoming a standout theme across 70+ consumer features.
By launching with both purpose and precision, the women-only zones became a flagship moment in Total Fitness’s return to relevance.
The results
We delivered a dual-track PR strategy combining corporate credibility with emotionally resonant consumer storytelling. Corporate activity focused on CEO profiling, leadership updates, and transformation features across national and trade media. The campaign delivered outstanding results across both business and media objectives
Campaign results
- Over 8,000 new members joined within six months, supported by a notable reduction in cancellations and improved sentiment in key regions.
- Media activity secured 120+ pieces of coverage, including 50 corporate placements and 70 consumer features, across titles such as The Times, Daily Mail, Yahoo! Life, and City AM.
- The campaign achieved a total reach of 1.3 billion+, with 34 high-quality backlinks and an average domain authority of 41, significantly boosting digital visibility.
- High-performing themes included the launch of women-only gyms and content tackling ‘gymtimidation’, which resonated strongly with target audiences.
Final Thoughts
This campaign marked a pivotal moment in Total Fitness’s journey, transforming internal progress into meaningful external recognition. By uniting corporate authority with consumer relevance, the strategy not only delivered measurable growth but also redefined how the brand shows up for its members and communities. The collaboration between PR Agency One and Total Fitness proved the power of strategic storytelling to shift perception, inspire trust, and drive commercial results. Most importantly, it laid the groundwork for long-term brand resilience and relevance in a competitive, post-COVID fitness landscape.
