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The Manny Pacquiao effect has been well-documented: The ordinarily congested streets in Metro Manila go empty during his fights because everyone is huddled around a television, tuning into the action.
Though that phenomenon is a powerful illustration of Pacquiao’s influence on Filipino culture, we should also observe the overall effect his legacy has on boxing in the country. At the forefront of this impact is the boxing gym, Elorde Top Team.
A surge in sign-ups
Elorde Top Team Vice-President Ian Roces said his club experiences a surge in sign-ups whenever Pacquiao or Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire fights. Such fights also encourage dormant members to become active once again.
To accentuate this effect, the Elorde Top Team makes it a point to evangelize. “We always support our local fighters by posting on our social media assets, encouraging Filipinos to watch and cheer on their fighting countrymen,” Roces said.
Such campaigns underscore the fact that boxing gyms are prone to seasonality. Their annual memberships, which allow members to train at reduced rates over walk-in participants, peak depending on the time of the year and even the location. Their gyms near schools, for example, see a rise in membership during the summer.
Roces said they are able to mitigate this seasonality to an extent. “Because this is foreseeable and consistent, we come up with exciting promos, discounts, or member events in order to encourage them to come,” he said, adding that such efforts have proved quite fruitful.
The home of champions
Elorde Top Team is known as “the home of champions” because of the many professional fighters who have trained there. Donaire is also a supporter of their gym.
“After his win over Jorge Arce to retain his WBO (World Boxing Organization) and The Ring Super Bantamweight titles, for example, he flew to the Philippines and held his fan’s day at our gym,” Roces shared.
Despite these associations, the target demographic of Elorde Top Team are not aspiring professional boxers or MMA fighters. Instead, the gym wants to serve “normal” Filipinos who want to try a fun, full-body workout.
“Many of them are employees from nearby offices and university students,” Roces said. “We get a lot of families as well, wherein parents bring their school-age kids to try it out.”
Like the demographic that it serves, the Elorde Top Team is composed of people who hail from a wide variety of backgrounds, including marketing, branding, events promotion, hotel and restaurant management, and even venture capitalism.
Together, the team is united in its mission to elevate boxing in the Philippines.
“At the heart of our company is one vital purpose: to introduce boxing as an engaging, comprehensive, and enjoyable way to achieve better fitness among Filipinos,” he said.
In addition to boxing, Elorde Top Team also provides related instruction and training in Muay Thai and a signature strength and conditioning program dubbed CORE (Compound Optimal Resistance Exercises).
Come one, come all
No matter what classes are on offer, Roces wants to make sure Elorde Top Team is welcoming to demographics who might be skeptical if a boxing gym is a fitting environment for them, such as women, the elderly, or youth.
Thus, Roces and his team hired a branding and retail atmospherics company. They were tasked with seamlessly integrate the lighting, color, layout, and design collaterals for all of their gyms. Roces believes the resulting ambiance speaks to their brand.
“The look and feel of our Elorde gyms stay true to the spirit of our company: everyone is welcome, please come in, you will have fun here – but at the same time we know that our job is not to fool around and waste your time,” he shared.
Elorde Top Team has 4 locations now: Taft Avenue, España Boulevard, Pasay Road, and Makati Avenue, but he wants to expand over the next 3 years. Roces and his team are inspired by the dramatic improvements in fitness they have seen their members make.
Roces noted one overweight young adult who signed up for the Muay Thai program at one of their gyms. “At first, he could barely finish one round of pad-work without gasping for air. He continued to work diligently at it, and got better through time,” he said.
According to Roces, this same boy is now one of the most feared Muay Thai fighters for his age bracket in the amateur ranks. The boy’s transformation has been as much mental as it has been physical.
“His baby fat has been replaced with lean muscle, he has gotten much stronger and faster, and he actually shares his knowledge now by occasionally leading the beginner’s class in warm-ups,” he said. – Rappler.com
Rappler Business columnist Ezra Ferraz brings you Philippine business leaders, their insights, and their secrets via Executive Edge. Connect with him on Twitter: @EzraFerraz
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