Vision Formers

Memorable brands have a clear promise that they deliver on time and time again through everything they do. For Les Mills New Zealand, that promise is "passionately driving for results for a better you". It's a promise being delivered to thousands of new Zealanders every day with the kind of zeal that is born out of a purpose far greater than obvious business of making money.

That purpose, says Les Mills New Zealand's Chief Executive Reece Zondag, is to improve the lives of New Zealanders, and has been there since the business was started by Les and Colleen Mills in 1968 out of a love of exercise and a desire for people to be active.

Fast forward 40 years and Les Mills is now recognised as one of the most innovative and professionally run health and fitness companies in the world. With 10 Les Mills clubs in five cities throughout New Zealand the brand is synonymous with fitness on a local and global scale - selling its local brand of group fitness classes to 12,000 gyms around the world and changing lives from Sydney to Stockholm, from Washington to Wellington and from Rio to Reykjavik.

"PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO DIG US TO WORK WITH US"

Les Mills New Zealand are proud of the experience they create for members, with a continuous focus on what they can provide as a gym that keeps people coming back to do something which in itself isn't necessarily fun and inspiring.

Reece likens the evolution of the fitness industry to that of the exercise bike, which began with the uncomfortable and uninspiring Monarch bikes. "To keep on those bikes for longer than five minutes was just a chore," says Reece, who has been a gym instructor since the early 1980s.

"If you think about where that has evolved, we've got bikes in our gyms now with fully integrated screens where you can watch TV or have a virtual trainer, right through to our RPM studios, which are just beautiful experiential, inspirational things."

Keeping up with technology is important, but only part of the picture. What sets Les Mills apart is the unique experience they create for gym-goers. Developing gyms that offer passion and personality, that are fun and interesting and that are vibrant and exciting places to be has been an important part of building the Les Mills brand.

Two years ago The Building Intelligence Group was brought on board to project manage the development of Les Mills Hutt City into a club that would provide precisely this experience. At the time, Reece had been CEO for four years, charged with bringing to life a strategy around Les Mills' key purpose. The strategy was laid out in a "little yellow book" that articulated everything the Les Mills brand stands for. The little yellow book, Reece says, was about engaging everyone who was part of the business, including contractors. It was also a way of ascertaining the "fit" of potential partners with Les Mills.

In a nutshell: "People have got to dig us to work with us," Reece says.

"That's terribly important to maintaining our brand integrity, brand values and brand personality - that we find partners who fit, who are hot, and who understand our brand."

The Building Intelligence Group understood the Les Mills brand, says Reece, and in themselves had values that assured delivery on that.

The partnership with The Building Intelligence Group now involves nationwide projects, including the Auckland and Christchurch clubs, a green audit of head office and all 10 gyms, and development of a carpark in Auckland which, like the clubs, is all part of the experience.

"It may be a carpark, but it's got to reflect our brand," Reece says. "The facade that has been designed has raised a few eyebrows because it's beautiful. It's a work of art. It's inspirational and it's aspirational - it far exceeds Council requirements but doesn't look like a carparking building."

It's clear that Les Mills totally understand what their brand is and what it stands for. Everything they do builds their brand reputation, and every part of what they do communicates their brand promise - including their buildings.