The Situation
Gym launches are high-risk: large fixed costs from day one (lease, equipment, staff) against a member base built from zero. Most gyms lose money for 3–6 months. The founding member model — a discounted pre-launch price in exchange for early commitment — was a way to pre-sell membership and de-risk the launch.
The Turning Point
Marcus had attempted a founding member campaign for his third location using only social media posts. It generated 47 members. He needed 4x that result and knew he needed paid amplification with proper geo-targeting and urgency mechanics.
What We Did — And Why
We designed a 3-tier urgency campaign: Founding Member price (£79/month) available for the first 60 days, Early Bird (£99) for days 61–90, Standard (£129) at launch. Geo-targeting was set to a 1-mile radius of the new location — tight enough to ensure the leads were genuinely close. Ad creative led with community: 'Be one of the 200 founding members. Shape the culture from day one.' This framed the offer as exclusive participation, not just discounted access.
Our Approach
- 1.1-mile radius geo-targeting on Google and Facebook with founding member pricing urgency
- 2.Countdown campaign with 3 pricing tiers: Founding (60 days out), Early Bird (30 days), Standard (launch)
- 3.Community angle: 'be part of building something' messaging targeting local fitness enthusiasts
The Results
218 founding members were signed before opening day — 109% of the target. Cost per founding member was $34 against a first-month value of $159. The 90-day retention rate was 88%, significantly above industry average.
In Their Own Words
“Pre-selling is the best way to launch. You don't just have revenue — you have community before you open.”