MEDIA PLAN

By ALICJA FRATCZAK

BACKGROUND

Soulcycle is fitness company that has revolutionized the fitness industry by making spinning classes a wholesome experience, rather than just a regular workout class. Founded in 2006 by Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, Soulcycle quickly grew to become a hip and upscale alternative to gyms and fitness studios. The company opened their first studio on the Upper West Side in New York City and since then, it has opened 25 locations nationwide and plans to expand to 60 locations worldwide by the year 2015.

Soulcycle prides itself in selling more than just a workout class. It sells an entire experience by creating a spiritual ambience filled with candle lights, high-energy music, and inspiring world-class instructors.

Soulcycle is know for their approval among many celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, Katie Holmes, and even Jonah Hill, and the studio has been recognized in multiple lifestyle magazines. All of the ‘buzz’ about this fitness studio has led to creating an entire community of Soulcycle fans and members, helping position the company as upscale and exclusive.

PRODUCTThe ultimate product Soulcycle is selling is a class at one of their fitness clubs. The prices for the classes vary based on region and amount of classes purchased. As pictured below, the classes are very pricy considering that a gym membership in a regular gym can cost less than a just a single Soulcycle class. The high price point seems to reflect the elite image this company has build for itself.

KEY SELLING MESSAGESoulcycle delivers unique workout classes in an upscale and high-end enviorenment .

MEDIA OBJECTIVES

• To utilize media in a way that successfully and effectively communicates the key selling message, which is to sell unique workout classes in an upscale environment.

• To increase brand awareness and reach the defined target audience.

• Provide national base of support.

MEDIA PLAN CHOICE

III – Magazines and Internet

Magazines: 85% Cost: $1700M TRP: 135

Internet: 5% Cost: $100M(Search)

Internet: 10% Cost: $200M (Display)

TOTAL: 100% Cost: $2000M TRP: 135

MAGAZINE R/F: 83/1.6 (Women ages 25 – 45)

MEDIA STRATEGY

WHY PLAN III?

• Major focus on magazines • High skew towards the target market • Internet search is an important component • Internet display allows for integration and recency across media outlets • Not saturated among too many media types

MAGAZINES:

Lifestyle magazines, like Shape, Self, and even Elle, tend to always cover the newest fitness trends and are heavily influential among the target market. They provide various ways to incorporate ads, such as full page spreads or native advertisements, allowing for flexibility and creativity in execution. Since magazine advertisements can be simple in design, they can clearly communicate the key selling message. For example, a magazine ad could explain that Soulcycle sells single classes rather than monthly memberships and could list current prices. Along with crisp imagery, such a magazine ad is attention grabbing and simple enough not to confuse the reader. They also provide a big advantage in that they are more long term and provide a source of return reference: a reader might look through a magazine several times. The ability of printing high quality images will resonate well with the top notch design of Soulcycle gyms and their overall image.

INTERNET SEARCH

Proper coding and Search Engine Marketing can be a huge asset to any company. Since the marketing messages are part of the search results, they are fully integrated and do not feel like an annoyance to the user. We can utilize this technology and have Soulcycle show up whenever someone looks for things like ‘workout ideas’, ‘gyms near me’, or ‘weight loss’, etc.

INTERNET DISPLAY

Although pop-up advertisements and banner ads might not always have the highest click through rates and are sometimes seen as an annoyance, they are still considered a big part of any advertising effort. With good placement, they can effectively catch someone’s attention and allow for interactivity. If the ad is integrated with other media components, they increase the recency effect and help the offer stay current in the users minds.

MEDIA RATIONALE

Utilizing magazines as the primary medium is a perfect fit for the selected target market. According to the provided indexes, magazine readership is highly concentrated in this target market and skews upwards, suggesting that this medium is highly efficient in reach. With an index of 135, magazines provide high selectivity with respect to target audience, showing that magazines are an important medium among this target. With a focus on magazines, Soulcycle can easily asses how many people their advertisements are reaching and it can also be fairly selective in doing so. Placement in lifestyle and enthusiast magazines can have a smaller yet significantly more effective reach than a mass TV advertisement. Soulcycle’s selling message is not seasonal or time sensitive, therefore it can be displayed in magazines all year round, and even when the user flips through the magazine a month after purchase, the offer is still relevant and timely. The variety of options available for magazine advertisements is huge, which can allow Soulcycle to customize their selling message based on the type of magazine they are using and allow for different types for interaction.