Strategic branding portfolio by junior planner Joseph Leary. Credit shared with respective creative teams, clients, and collaborators. Contact: joe@wolfeyecreative.com.

1. strategy portfolio | joseph leary
joe@wolfeyecreative.com

2. Fitness For 10
Formerly “Milpitas Health & Fitness”
Business Situation
Milpitas Fitness felt threatened by the success of Planet Fitness and its new business
model, and so bought a license to a similarly modeled franchise. During the gym’s
transition to the new model, members became frustrated at abrupt changes and canceled
their memberships. The owner needed to find out what went wrong, and develop a
strategy to increase sign-ups and build momentum for future sales.
Strategic Insight
People do not join a gym because of the features of a facility or the price point, even if
it is the lowest in the area. They join because of word-of-mouth reputation and personal
invitation, then continue to visit because of familiarity and social bonds. Milpitas Fitness
members are a close-knit community, and the gym is like the “Cheers” bar of health clubs
in the area. Any campaign must leverage the deep pre-existing community to succeed.
Recommendations
1. Focus on brand-building with advertising and reputation by getting feedback and ideas
from the existing community, rather than pushing aggressive front desk sales tactics.
2. Implement an incentive system designed to promote word of mouth recommendations
to get people working out with their friends and family. Integrate with social media.
3. Update brand image to attract younger audiences to compete with 24-hr Fitness.
4. Do not base brand name on price point. (Note: not implemented)

3. case study: Milpitas Health & Fitness
CREATIVE BRIEF
Print Advertising Campaign: Newspaper / Magazine
Background
Milpitas Fitness is changing to “Fitness for $10” and will be re-launching the gym Jan. 4th
2010 with a new low membership price.
Milpitas Fitness has been around for 30 years. It is well known in the community, though
membership numbers have stagnated. Meanwhile, it faces heavy competition from 24-
hour fitness down the street, and future competition from Planet Fitness – which has a
$10 model and well-branded presence. Milpitas Fitness has been the “Cheers Bar” of
gyms in the area. (“Where everyone knows your name” feel)
Objective
To boost membership numbers for the beginning of the year. Longer term objective
is to position Fitness for $10 as the best value fitness center in the area, and to stay
competitive if a Planet Fitness opens nearby.
Insight
People find it much easier to work out with a friend.
Main Point to Communicate
There is a high-quality gym in your community that your neighbors go to,
and it only costs $10 per month. Bring a workout buddy for free.
(cont.)

4. case study: Milpitas Health & Fitness
Target Audience
The local suburban Milpitas community. People may be willing to drive a bit further for the
affordable membership, and the gym is easy to access from 680.
- Mindset
People struggling to maintain their somewhat upscale suburban lifestyle due to limited or
unstable income after the financial crisis. They are making new years resolutions, and feel
they should to do something different or better with their lives but lack a clear solution or
push to make it happen. A day consists of Starbucks, driving the kids to/from school in a
Honda, Toyota, or Prius, dropping movies off at Blockbuster, and (hopefully soon) hitting up
the Fitness for 10 down the street.
- Demographics
Age 25-60
Median income $50,000
High Asian population
(51.81% Asian, 30.87% White, 16.61% Hispanic, 3.66% African American)
TA Demographics according to 2000 census (wikipedia)
Creative Considerations
The goal is to create a branded presence rather than sell fear or press peoples’ insecurities.
No 19-yr. old supermodels, sweaty chests, bodybuilders, swimsuits, or bench-pressing.

5. case study: Milpitas Health & Fitness
Fitness For 10
Design Overhaul -- Door Hanger
BEFORE AFTER

6. case study: Milpitas Health & Fitness
Business card hand-outs:
Creative Campaign -- Sticky Ad
Front page placement on Milpitas Post
Business card hand-outs:

7. case study: Milpitas Health & Fitness
Results
After a rocky start in the transition to the franchise model with heavy cancellations and
rife with customer complaints, the new Fitness for 10 started implementing features the
community was asking for, and began a word-of-mouth incentive program to “bring a workout
buddy.” The front desk pushy sales tactics have been cut way back, and members enjoy the
more casual atmosphere.
The “grand opening” advertising campaign pulled immediate results with sign-ups spiking
during the weeks of publication, while the cost-effective word-of-mouth system is continuing
to build momentum.
Slowly but surely, membership numbers have begun to climb back up with regular weekly
new sign-ups who say they they heard about the gym from current members.

8. Better World Books
Business Situation
BWB had experienced tremendous growth by selling used books through the Amazon
marketplace, and decided to launch its own ecommerce site for direct sales. With a heavy
fan base in Amazon, it needed to grow awareness independently.
Consumer Insight
The BWB customers loved buying from them not just for the cheap price on used books,
but because of a deep emotional attachment to books themselves. They treated their old
books like they would loved pets. They liked the feel of books, the smell of the paper, the
warm nostalgia of safety and quiet experienced while reading, a feeling often attached
to their love of reading during childhood. They were outraged to learn that unsold used
books end up in landfills. Additionally, BWB buyers were not stingy or penny-pinching, but
rather empathetic and selfless. They loved to give books as presents, and would prefer to
buy from a morally conscious company.
Recommendations
1. Brand positioned as not just a responsible book store, but as a campaign for the cause
of saving books, growing literacy, and sharing the experience of reading.
2. Messaging based on love for reading, love of books, and giving; not cheap price.
3. Blog to tell the company’s story and keep up with its myriad philanthropic pursuits.
4. Display a ticker of funds raised for charity and used books saved from landfills.
5. Full social media participation by all employees, and encourage customers to join.

9. case study: Better World Books
Blog header & Online Ad Banner Template
Home page content: betterworldbooks.com

10. case study: Better World Books
Social media / PR campaign Logo Refresh

11. case study: Better World Books
Results
BWB was already making waves with their sustainable and ethical for-profit business model,
book drives, and charitable donations. By honing their message and efforts like a campaign
for a cause rather than just selling inventory with cheap prices, they gained powerful attention
from business magazines, green issues, blogs, customers, and media. Customers became
evangelists for the cause in addition to being fans of the business.
Or to put the results in other words:
You can visit betterworld.com to see the numbers in real time.

12. New Venture Championship
Hosted by the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business
Business Situation
The Oregon NVC has been a regular annual function hosted by the business school
for generations of students. Though the event enjoyed prestige in the entrepreneurship
community, organizers wanted higher actual attendance from students and investors.
Strategic Insight
Previous campaigns for NVC had focused on the money involved with winning the
competition for the students who came up with the best business concept, and the
potential rewards for investment in innovation. However, research showed that investors
came to this specific event not for the prospect of profit so much as for a “pay-it-forward”
mentality tied to their own experience at business school, or warm feelings toward a
mentor who helped them on the road to success, and the desire to become such a figure.
Recommendations
1. Brand positioned as a place to put a personal stamp on the next generation of aspiring
business innovators, with emphasis on personal investment rather than financial.
2. Messaging geared towards unlocking passion in participants and investors.
3. Social media integration with blog, video production, and outreach campaign.
4. Press kit and media information hand-outs with powerful imagery and copy.

13. case study: New Venture Championship
YouTube short
documentary
press kit / media brochure cover
oregonnvc.com
website and blog

14. case study: New Venture Championship
Results
In the past few years, the Oregon NVC has climbed to the rank of “one of the top 3 competi-
tions throughout the world” for MBA business students, and the event was covered in Forbes
magazine in an article detailing the “Top 15 Graduate Business Plan Competitions”.
The event’s campaign continues to focus on the “Power in Possibility” to inspire participants,
and draws a larger crowd every year.

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