Gold's smart to make move toward more balanced image.(Viewpoint)

Advertising Age, March, 2007

Gold's Gym is getting rid of the muscleman? Say it ain't so!

It ain't so. In fact, what the more-than-40-year-old fitness giant is doing is getting rid of its muscleman image-while maintaining its iconic logo and valuable brand equity. It's a carefully planned, insightful move: The high-profile workout club is doing exactly what it needs to do to evolve and stay relevant in an extremely competitive category.

Who wouldn't want a bigger piece of a $16 billion pie? It's a no-brainer to want to appeal to a wider market, including, as Gold's senior VP-chief marketing officer says, soccer moms and boomers. If Gold's can be faulted, it's for not making the move sooner. After all, even Arnold Schwarzenegger is more closely associated these days-and has been...

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