Escape Fitness and Fisikal first started working together more than ten years ago and this spring, the two companies launch their latest collaboration in fitness tech innovation: Escape’s GO COACH app for fitness professionals. Here Escape Co-Founder Matt Januszek talks about how they got here and what to expect.
I've known Rob for many years, right back to when we first started Escape. Initial conversations surrounding our working relationship must have began around eight to ten years ago when we first used to meet up at trade shows and Rob was in the early phase of developing the Fisikal product.
I understood what the product was capable of back then and we got to talking about how the platform had most recently evolved to allow us to showcase a lot of the video content that we had been developing for our customers at the same time. We’re in the functional training space. Our products don’t have an on/off switch so to get the most out of our equipment and for our customers to continue to buy from us, we need to show our customers the best ways to make the most of their training tools.
From the early stages we invested in exercise video content, which we distributed up to then through social media and web channels, but Rob was providing us the opportunity to put this content through our own channel with a custom-built Escape app. We rolled out our first complimentary app to customers that were using our equipment for the attention of trainers, coaches and the end user (consumers at home and in-club). Fast forward to present day and our trainer and consumer audiences are following our weekly content releases to build and adapt workouts in the club and at home.”
THE NEW GO COACH APP FOR 2019
“This year we launch an iPad and iPad Pro app dedicated only for the club. Our new GO COACH app built for us by Fisikal hosts content that the consumer won’t get unless they go in to a club to access it. It has been designed to provide an extra level of instruction to members in any gym setting, from low or unmanned facilities like schools, universities, hotels and multifamily facilities, to large chains and franchises where consistency in the delivery is critical, regardless of location.
“More than a digital, virtual workout poster, our goal was to provide switch-on-and-go workout video content to clubs and demonstrate the training possibilities of our products.”
“For example, this year at IHRSA we launched HIIT HUB. A freestanding, wall-based frame designed for boutique studios and fitness facilities, the new slim-line functional training rig also holds its equipment and accessories. So, now fitted with the new GO COACH tablet, whatever facility our customers have, members can go up to the frame, select the equipment and “GO COACH”. This is how we are merchandising Fisikal’s offering today and it’s brought together the development we have done in the last eight years.”
“Filming new content releases is a real commitment for us. Subscribing club customers can expect us to create new training methods and add product content every month, so reporting ongoing for us will be huge; it will be interesting for us and our customers to review the most popular workout choices and product selections, and for us as a business to use this intel to manage the members’ drivers — the workout programming, instruction and product choice.”
