Health Clubs of a Different Color

Standing Out

The distinct yellow branding buoyed by the bright yellow spokes in SoulCycle bikes makes SoulCycle stand out from other cycle studios and fitness options. Like SoulCycle, Orangetheory Fitness, Fort Lauderdale, FL, has a distinct color branding. The obvious color is orange, but the reason for the color is not so obvious.

Orangetheory Fitness offers a group personal training concept that includes treadmills, rowing machines, suspension systems and free weights backed by the science of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The heart-monitored training, according to the company, is designed to keep heart rates in a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy, thus producing an “orange effect” on members with more energy, visible toning and extra calorie burn.

The first Orangetheory Fitness studio opened in 2010, and it now has 27 locations open in the United States and 75 franchises awarded in North America, says Dave Long, CEO and partner of Orangetheory Fitness. By the end of this year, Orangetheory Fitness projects to have 200 franchises awarded and between 75 and 100 studios open, each of which are about 2,500 to 2,800 square feet, Long says.

Although he did not give specific numbers, Long says company revenue tripled from 2011 to 2012, and same-store sales have increased more than 50 percent during that time. The goal is for each location to produce $1 million in revenue annually, Long adds.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to build a brand that has a lot of brand stickiness, where consumers are getting very involved in it,” Long says. “From people getting their logo tattooed on their bodies to wearing a lot of the Orangetheory gear, we have a really high percentage of people who are getting a lot more connected to the brand than just a gym they go to. It becomes a part of their lifestyle.”

Orangetheory Fitness expects to have between 75 and 100 studios open by the end of 2013. Photo courtesy of Orangetheory Fitness.