Wellness Part 2

Transcript

Idit: Tal Almog provided us with a broad overview of the concept of wellness and how the company's employees benefit from various programs developed by the HR department in the field. Now we will turn the spotlight to wellness for our customers. In fact, what are our customers interested in, how do they help their employees, what services can we offer them? And for this part of the episode, we invited a special guest, Eyal Bruchim. Eyal is the head of the Fit & Spa division at Ariel Properties Group. Eyal is responsible for the planning, construction, and operation of fitness and spa clubs in residential complexes, offices, and shopping centers, throughout Israel. And of course, also consulting for customers in all areas of nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and fitness. In fact, the first time I met Eyal was when I consulted with him about finding a personal trainer for my young son. And I can say that already in the first meeting, the informal meeting, there was amazing chemistry, I identified diagnostic and super professional accuracy capabilities on the part of Eyal, to the level of maximum match, of exactly what I needed. So it's amazing to me. So, welcome Eyal, how are you?

Eyal: I'm fine, how are you?

Idit: I'm fine, it's nice to have you with us. So your division actually developed in 2016. What led to this?

Eyal: In 2016, we actually identified that there are changing needs of the market that require adaptation, and what we will do is that it is adaptation, as a company that manages real estate. When I say needs, it can also be marketing needs, to bring faster occupancy, and also our tenant B2C, how we reach them in the best possible way to provide a solution. And also to look a few years ahead to see what it will look like in the future. And then we developed the division, the professional response, and later also led the market to further development. That is, we raised the bar and the market already, placed it in a different place.

Idit: This is a kind of market leadership in this aspect.

Eyal: Unequivocally, and to this day we are also the ones leading this and the only ones who know how to provide this response.

Idit: Wonderful. What is actually your impression that is important to our customers? What is our customer actually looking to get?

Eyal: The customer is looking to receive, first of all, premium service. And that they know how to tailor the suit to him.

Idit: That is, no customer is similar to another.

Eyal: Exactly, exactly. First of all, I will relate to the B2C, which I need to know how to tailor the suit to them in the best possible way, to provide them with the service, and it fits some kind of experience that we also produce for the customer. Whether it comes to the exact temperature, the smell, the cleanliness, the level of professionalism of the staff. Our staff is also trained in our internal school of training.

Idit: What is it, some kind of an academy you are running?

Eyal: The Ariel Fit & Spa academy that we developed and brought in special training methods, and then we also bring the differentiation. Come on, what you will get from me you will not exactly get anywhere else.

Idit: It's really a tailored fit like that, like a tailored suit, it's the customer, their needs, and I build them some kind of package that suits what they're looking for.

Eyal: Exactly, I call it a 360 package. It touches everything, this is on the B2C side. On the B2B side, for the owner, I also provide a comprehensive solution. That is, from the level of building the tower or the shopping center together with the architects, we provide professional consultation and planning.

Idit: This is still in the early stages, even before…

Eyal: This is a few years before the building even stands at all.

Idit: Very important, indeed.

Eyal: And we also know according to the expected occupancy to come and arrange the space, because every meter is very expensive. And all of these together and more and more. In fact, our main goal is to come and raise the value of the real estate on the developer's side. We raise it for them through these premium services that we provide him, because they will want to come to them.

Idit: They become more attractive.

Eyal: A brand, yes.

Idit: Excellent. What is actually our service approach? How do we deliver our services?

Eyal: So, as I previously stated, it's personalization, really tailor-made for both the customer and the developer. And to touch as much as possible on the subject of mindfulness, of ergonomics, of services for companies. A company of 400 employees will come and say I want to take a wellness week now, so it could be that we will set "The Amazing Race" in urban setting in Tel Aviv, it could be that we will take them to do SUP on the sea or SUP yoga on the sea, all sorts of special things like that. And we know how to touch the community side as well, that we are creating some kind of wellness community. It could be that in the same asset there are over 40 companies that are not necessarily hi-tech. Their gathering to the wellness area is not meeting in a restaurant and starting to talk, they sit in a group workout or another, and create friendships and business connections.

Idit: In fact, thanks to the community.

Eyal: Thanks to the community that has an impact. Now, a few more words about the community. The community is something that is, beyond having power and influence, it is something that is needed today. From 2011-2012, there is a graph of an increase in loneliness and inwardness due to technology.

Idit: Yes, we are very disconnected, the whole COVID-19 story, everyone is working from home, outside the office.

Eyal: Right, COVID-19has exacerbated this. So, in fact, the wellness community only provides some kind of solution and it will only strengthen over the years.

Idit: Beautiful, very beautiful. So, what services have we actually developed here, within the group?

Eyal: So, first of all, we developed a regular newsletter. We do WhatsApp groups, we raise awareness with lectures, and creating interest, gamification. Gamification is something that applies to both you and me, and everyone.

Idit: As I see it, the issue of awareness is very critical in this matter, because not all companies have this awareness of "okay, the employee's work environment, and let's take care of the healthy environment", not all organizations are there yet.

Eyal: They are not there yet, and our job is to continue to raise the bar, in order to bring them, there is no choice, in the end there are market leaders, and they, we are leading the market there. Very, very important.

Idit: Awareness of wellness, if you will, completely.

Eyal: Exactly, exactly.

Idit: So, where do you see the wellness industry, if we take it now another five years ahead?

Eyal: So, first of all, the wellness industry will continue to be shaped in terms of innovation and technology. What, for example, we are the only ones in the country who do training and adaptation programs, our same tailor-made, we do everything app-based with a tablet.

Idit: Accessible, easy, simple to operate.

Eyal: And it comes to you, exactly, there is no such thing as a pen and paper. What happens in other gyms in general in the country, they take a pen and paper and write. I take a tablet, give you a diagnosis and a program once, and all the rest, what you need to do is come with your personal phone, you scan on every machine, and you already see what you need to do. I, on the other hand, can sit and drink a shake at the sea, and see exactly the range of motion.

Idit: And you're like watching, as if you're with me during the workout.

Eyal: And everything is saved in the cloud, tomorrow morning you'll do it even in Tokyo, you'll know that too, the program will go with you.

Idit: That's why you said 360, it's a circle like that all the time.

Eyal: Exactly, in addition to that, unique training methods, like for example we brought from Italy, that only we do it in the country, will continue to strengthen, which empower both technology, community, and professional versatility, which knows to challenge the mind, the brains, the things, a little more, because in the end the customer is always bored. They want to be challenged every time in...

Idit: What's the next new thing? Come on!

Eyal: All the time, and the new thing that I do, and you don't do, that's what I want... That's in the end what the conversation is about, that I'm doing something unique, and it gives me value both health-wise, and community-wise, and innovative, and it speaks to me. I don't have to invest too much of my time, and most importantly, you're available to me 24/7, because everything is in the cloud.

Idit: Right.

Eyal: So you can do it in a second.

Idit: It really paints a picture that is very, very accessible, very easy to operate, very user-friendly. And as you said, also very, very connecting, and how important it is today, when people are experiencing this distance, they need something to connect to.

Eyal: Very much.

Idit: That there will be something they will feel part of.

Eyal: Yes, very much. So, in short, in five years, to answer your question, there will be more technology, more community, more of this whole issue of addressing customer loneliness, and even CEOs and company owners will push more. What we talked about earlier about the work environment, there will be no work environment that is not ergonomic. Both at home, by the way, in the hybrid aspect, that they would know how to send the nutritionist, the trainer, whether it is...

Idit: That has already become the default.

Eyal: That has already become the default, and the hybrid is going forward with us, and it will continue to go forward with us. Just this morning, an article came out in Calcalist that the hybrid is still going on, companies are extending the...

Idit: It was definitely, we had a whole episode on hybrid solutions, and I completely think that's where we're heading.

Eyal: And this is what is called Wellness to the customer's home, and there is a standard...

Idit: End-to-end.

Eyal: Exactly, and just as there is a sustainability standard, there is a wellness standard, and it is a standard that is entering strongly, and it is a requirement, even for entrepreneurs.

Idit: It's how you call it – no longer "nice to have", it's a must-have, we're already in that place.

Eyal: Exactly.

Idit: Beautiful, so thank you very much, Eyal, you enriched our knowledge in the field very much.

Eyal: Thank you.

Idit: We are happy for doing this episode, that you joined and dedicated your time, so thank you very much.

Eyal: Thank you.