Strengthening results and retention in a competitive industry

YThrive was originally conceived of and tested by the YMCA of Western Ontario (now the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario) in 2015. The program was intended to meet a need to offer more consistent, high quality individual workout plans to YMCA members, supporting them to meet their fitness goals and empowering them to use the fitness floor to its full potential, ultimately leading to greater member engagement and retention. A longtime YMCA partner, sagecomm was chosen to facilitate the development process and build the brand and tool from the ground up.

YThrive was developed in a strategic planning process, including audience engagement, brand positioning and a beta testing period, to ensure a quality, tested, relevant product. It was designed to ensure a continuous learning and feedback process with members and it was given a fresh and innovative visual brand that would stand out in busy fitness environments. The communications plan included a variety of promotional tactics, including in-branch activation refreshes every 90 days, to ensure continuous attention and new enrolments. YThrive was widely adopted in the association, leading to greater individual results and increased member satisfaction. In 2019, the program was launched nationally, and is now offered in several dozen YMCA associations, using the original brand, creative and positioning across Canada. It became the core of the YMCA’s virtual offering during the COVID-19 pandemic.