12/3/2013
Bounts, a unique fitness app that motivates and rewards people for being active, has announced an extensive partnership with Gladstone Health & Leisure. All leisure operators using the Gladstone Plus2 system will be able to activate bounts, opening this rewards app up to more than 3,000,000 Gladstone members across the UK. They will now be able to collect and redeem bounts against national brands and local retail outlets and services, including everything from Starbucks, Odeon Cinema, Sainsburys, Debenhams, to local cafes.
Utilising bounts is proven to increase member engagement and improve retention. Providing structured insight into exercise patterns, the app motivates individuals and incentivises them to increase their physical activity and use of health and leisure facilities. Reward systems such as bounts have been proven to significantly reduce member attrition rates.
Founder, John Stuart says: “Motivating behaviour can be complex but we can often ignore the very simple reality that a lot of people like rewards and research shows that rewards work. Just look at other industries that reward loyalty and do it well."
"Leisure operators have a real opportunity to personalise the exercise experience.The explosion of tracking apps, devices and connected gym equipment are now tools that every operator should be leveraging to better understand their members behaviour, personalise communications and look for opportunities to motivate and incentivise through rewards that are tailored specifically to that member. Bounts creates a new reason for instructors to speak to members and generates daily insight and social activity to keep people motivated."
In addition to rewarding activity completed within the health club or leisure centre, bounts links with a number of established fitness tracking apps and devices including Map My Run, Runkeeper, MyZone, Nike + and Fitbit. This enables users to log effort and collect points for physical activity completed anywhere, anytime.
Health clubs and leisure centres can integrate bounts onto existing membership software and online booking systems providing them with the capacity to choose what to reward, and when. For instance, bonuses and incentives can be offered to members to drive increased footfall during quieter opening times, or to specific exercise classes.
Stuart adds: “Integrating bounts with established membership management systems is simple and, in its basic form, can be set up and run at very little cost to the operator. If the sites wish to create a more bespoke offering that rewards points for specific in-club activities, this is also possible."
Commenting on the partnership, Arthur Morris, Gladstone Health & Leisure MD, says: "One in four adults in the UK fail to take 30 minutes of exercise a month and this extreme inactivity is placing a huge strain on NHS budgets. As a sector, we need to look beyond our current provision and find new ways to engage people and encourage activity. Incentive schemes such as the nectar card have proved behaviours can be influenced by introducing rewards. Bounts offers a unique opportunity to reward activity taking place both inside and outside of venues."
"We are very excited about this partnership. Over the coming months we will be encouraging all our customers to activate bounts. Our existing customers using bounts have nothing but glowing reports about its benefits."
The reward system allows users to track their choice of activity, compare with other bounts users and take part in challenges. Each activity earns points which can be redeemed for rewards from local and national retailers in the bounts shop.
To find out how your organisation can benefit from online reward systems, visit
www.bounts.it