Fitness Brand Design 101: Fitness Branding That Gets Noticed
Understanding how to create a memorable fitness brand design can be a significant differentiating factor in a sea of competition. And like anything else in your business, proper planning is the key to success… despite how much you might want to dive right in and get it done!
You may still be new to the fitness and wellness space, and this is your first time creating a fitness website design. Or, perhaps you've been at this a while and know it's time to change up your branding because you're intentionally moving in a different direction. Or maybe you have a hunch that something is off with your brand but don't know where to start.
Whatever the reason you're considering upgrading your fitness brand design, you're in the right place!
As you probably realize, your brand is more than your logo, so let's take a look at what you must look at when creating a fitness brand that stands out.
The difference between your business and your brand
There was a time when being the closest or even the best option in town was enough. But those days are gone. You can't rely on that anymore. The days of winning customers simply because you're the ONLY option in town, the CLOSEST option in the city, or the BEST at what you do are over.
What got you here won't get you there. This is why now might be a good time to consider changing your fitness brand design.
However, before you run off to overhaul your branding, let's start with the basics.
Do you know the difference between your business and your brand?
Business and brands are not the same thing. "Branding" is what we do to influence how customers perceive our businesses. It's a facet of your business. Branding is how we shape the perception of our business.
Business
The organization and people that deliver your services
Brand
The way that customers perceive your business
The reality is that if you don’t define your specific fitness brand vision and values, other people will do it for you.
Building a Foundation For a Strong Fitness Brand Design
Define the roots of your brand (who, what, why) BEFORE figuring out what color the flowers are going to be!
When you begin thinking about your visual brand, it’s essential to first get clear on your intention. What do you want your brand to be known for?
Your brand is not just about standing out. Your brand is defined by what others say about you based on their interactions with your company. The goal is for customers to have a consistent experience across all touchpoints—in person, on your website, or social media.
You’re likely ready for a new brand design when the visual representation of your brand doesn’t accurately represent who you are.
It's normal to want to jump right to the pretty things involved in fitness website design, but you need to start with the foundation of your brand (what, who, how). It would be best if you were very clear on those things before you can work on the visible part of the world, such as your brand voice, visuals, and experience.
If you don't do it in the correct order, you're very likely to disconnect from your prospects—disconnection at best, lack of trust at worst.
Your brand is more than your logo, fonts, and colors. Your brand is defined by WHAT you want to be known for, WHO your audience is, and HOW you serve them.
Once you’re clear on that, we want to ensure your voice and visuals accurately represent your brand foundation.
Your brand foundation: (define this FIRST)
What you want to be known for
Who your audience is
How you serve them
Your brand amplified: (THEN update these)
Brand Voice (name, messaging)
Brand Visuals (logo, colors, fonts, photos)
Brand Experience (decor, service, marketing)
Understand the Goals of Your Fitness Brand Design
If this is your first time branding a fitness studio, it's essential to start by getting VERY clear on your what, who and how, as well as what you want the visual representation of your brand to feel like.
If you've already established everything with your business but are mulling over a rebrand, the time to change your fitness brand design should be when your what, who, or how has changed, and your voice and visuals no longer match. You'll know it's time for a rebrand when one (or more) of those brand foundations no longer accurately represents your brand.
Here are some key questions to help you assess your what, who, and how in either scenario.
What do you want to be known for?
Have you already added services?
Do you plan to add or change other services?
Does your current branding support those services?
Who is your audience?
Who are your BEST clients?
Why do they spend time and money with your business?
Who are your most profitable clients?
This is an opportunity to double down on what’s already working.
How are you best serving your clients?
Does your client experience need to change?
Does your pricing structure need to change?
How do you make your audience feel? Comfortable, seen, and heard?
If you don’t know the answer to this, client interviews can be a great way to discover what your clients love about your studio.
How can you make people feel valued?
You want your clients to feel appreciated, so this is an opportunity to consider how you do this.
Do you do regular client follow-ups?
Do you offer perks to regular clients?
Do you learn everyone’s names and use them when you see them?
Do you include client notes in your studio software to help staff remember personal details?
How can you extend their experience to all touchpoints?
This can be done in many ways, from sending client birthday emails to customizing templates so they fit in with your overall branding.
Defining Your Fitness Brand Identity
A vital element of an excellent fitness brand design is having a brand voice and visuals that accurately represent you. This starts with some critical foundational pieces:
Your name
Photography
Headlines and copywriting
Colors and fonts
Let's break this down more so that you can see how these seemingly small details can significantly impact your audience's interaction with your company.
In 2018, Dunkin' Donuts announced it would drop "Donuts" from its name.
Why? In hopes of reflecting its increasing focus on coffee and other beverages.
This was fitting considering the company slogan is: "America runs on Dunkin," NOT "America runs on donuts."
On the other hand, Facebook's rebrand to 'Meta' still has people wondering why they did it because just about everyone still calls it Facebook.
Now, let’s talk about photography.
In terms of your fitness brand design, it's not enough to say something. You need to say and show it. Think through what you want your studio to be known for and plan your photo shoot accordingly. For example:
If your studio is inclusive, be sure to show a variety of people and body types in your photos.
Community a big part of your studio? Make sure your photos show smiles and people interacting with each other
Do you offer accessible classes suitable for beginners? Be sure to capture that range in your photo shoot
Next up are your headlines and copywriting. Having worked with countless clients on their fitness website design, this is one area where people often struggle. This is why I recommend working on your brand messaging before you even try to start writing anything.
For those starting new, I highly recommend working with a professional. Your website will be your calling card, and writing copy generally involves quite a bit of strategy. However, if hiring someone for the writing isn't in the budget, your website designer can often give you some direction and guidance to help you get started.
And if you're rebranding, I have a little secret that can be incredibly helpful. Look through your reviews and feedback for what your clients are ACTUALLY saying. Turn your "we" into YOU!
When you read the reviews and feedback, look for common words and phrases that people use to talk about your studio. Then, you can weave those into your writing.
Of course, no fitness brand redesign would be complete without some great fonts and a color story!
Your fonts and colors should reflect your brand, but that’s not their only job. They can evoke emotions, so think about how you want people to feel when they look at your brand.
Your fitness brand design should also consider accessibility and readability, so choosing high-contrast colors needs to be done thoughtfully. You may love how bright blue, white, and hot pink look together, but is it easy to read—especially on a mobile device? The brand color palette you choose must have enough contrast that text is legible on different background colors.
Example brand color palette with light and dark colors
The same thing goes for the font. Comic Sans may look cute in an email, but spread across your whole website; it may look busy and overwhelming. Fonts can also reflect your voice, so consider how you want to be perceived. Playful? Whimsical? Fun? Authoritative?
Also, consider how patterns, textures, icons, and more combine with your images, fonts, and color palette to create a brand that can be used online and offline.
Whatever you choose for your fitness brand design is about accurately representing your business.
Build Your Legacy With a Memorable Fitness Brand Design
Example brand kit for yoga studio
When you think about great brands, they all have something in common — they're memorable and leave a legacy. Some brands may even change their industry. So, no matter how significantly you plan to grow your brand, your legacy can be as powerful in your local community.
By spending some time and effort creating a solid fitness brand design, you can set your business up for success now and in the future.
Are you looking for support with creating your ideal fitness brand design?
Pixality Design offers branding and website design services for fitness studio owners. See more fitness brand examples in our web design portfolio or branding examples here.
Contact us to see how we can help!
