Interesting application of free
September 4th, 2008
Here is an interesting application of free from Marginal Revolution, found by way of Chris Anderson’s Long Tail blog:
A Danish chain of gyms is now offering membership free of charge, with the only caveat that you have to show up, in order for the membership to be free. If you fail to show up once per week you will be billed the normal monthly membership fee for that month. This should solve the problem with incentives that gym-membership normally carries - there is suddenly a very large (membership is around 85$ per month) incentive to show up each week.
What I find most intriguing about this approach for our organizations is how it creates a tangible and valuable incentive for engagement that also encourages member responsibility. So, how might associations apply this idea as part of a new business model that includes free? I have some thoughts, but I’d like to hear from you first, especially the skeptics. Dazzle me with your imagination!
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Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover, The Association Innovator, Simplicity, We Have Always Done It That Way, Garage Memes, Governing for Innovation, Embrace the Revolution
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