• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 1, 2021

Health club chain Planet Fitness, Inc. has selected Publicis Groupe as its new agency of record following a consolidation pitch. The company spends close to $200 million annually on media expenditures according to COMvergence.

The Groupe has created a new dedicated agency to service the account called Team Lift, that will support marketing strategy, data and analytics, media planning and buying, creative and brand partnerships. Planet Fitness is moving the work previously done by 16 agencies to the new Publicis Groupe unit. Barkley was among the key incumbents.

Agencies from several other holding companies participated in the pitch.

Jeremy Tucker, CMO, Planet Fitness, said, "As an industry leader and a top U.S. advertising spender, we are thrilled to welcome Publicis Groupe into the Planet Fitness family as our new agency of record."

Tucker cited the Groupe’s scale, capabilities, data-driven approach, industry knowledge, and customized approach, as factors weighing in the decision.

“By centralizing our marketing spend from 16 agencies to Publicis Groupe, we estimate delivering 20 percent more efficiency across our marketing spend, resulting in a minimum of $40 million in incremental media investment in the first year alone,” said Tucker. “As we look to evolve and modernize our marketing to serve the needs of our business today and into the future, Team Lift will enable us to deepen consumer engagement, introduce even more people to fitness, and ultimately enhance more lives with the power of the Judgement Free Zone."

MediaLink oversaw the RFP process.

Planet Fitness recently reported that its membership totals 15 million.