Xtreme Fitness Project

39
Public Relations Proposal for: Increasing Awareness and Differentiating Your Gym in a Highly Competitive Marketplace December 4th,2015 Unmatched Media’s

Transcript of Xtreme Fitness Project

Public Relations Proposal for:

Increasing Awareness and Differentiating Your Gym in a Highly Competitive Marketplace

December 4th,2015

Unmatched Media’s

Contact INformation

Unmatched Media is:

Rhonda Eraiba Chris Falcone

Brandon Fay

Chance Peavy

Justin Pintak

Matthew Woolam

Kevin Zeosky

Questions? Feel free to contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (518)928-3201

Table of Contents

1. Executive summary2. Situation analysis 3. Competitor Analysis 7. SWOT Analysis 10. Media Coverage 11. Primary Research12. Objectives13. Target Audiences14. Strategy15. Tactics21. Measurement and Evaluation23. Timetable25. Budget26. Staff Bios33. Appendix

Executive Summary

Our goals for this campaign are to increase brand awareness, expand the member base by approximately 15%, and improve Xtreme Fitness’s web presence. Using a systematic plan designed alongside Xtreme Fitness we will achieve these objectives.

We believe that Xtreme Fitness will see positive changes by getting involved in the community through public events and partnerships with various sport organizations, highlighting the 24/7 access with low cost, improving social media to better reach potential members, and modifying the website to increase usability. We believe this will increase business while being cost effective.

To determine the effectiveness of our campaign we will measure the change in memberships, number of people who attend the spring grand open house, asking new members how they heard about Xtreme Fitness, and monitoring the number of social media followers.

We would like to thank Xtreme Fitness for the opportunity to help make the South Hill branch the best gym in the South Hill community. We would also like to thank Tara Gross for taking time out of her busy schedule to meet with us and answer our questions. We believe our proposal is realistic and if there are any further questions about how to achieve the stated goals or tactics please feel free to contact any members of Unmatched PR.

1.

Situation Analysis

Xtreme Fitness is a family of gyms that provide an exceptional gym experience as well as nutrition classes, which provides members with the tools to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Xtreme Fitness currently has three fully operating gyms, with one at South Hill, Lansing, and Groton areas. Each gym carries and provides state of the art equipment as well as professional trainers to assist members.

The South Hill location is the latest addition to Xtreme Fitness’s line of gyms. This location was built to capture the demand for a gym in the South Hill Business Campus and is the only gym located in the South Hill area. 100 memberships are needed to break even, but there are currently only 50 members. Xtreme Fitness needs to see an increase in membership to deem the location as profitable.

Xtreme Fitness has not been allowed to put a sign on their building or at the entrance on Danby Road, which has made it much harder to inform the public of their whereabouts. There has also been hesitation to join from employees in the business park, due to the fact that they want showers and a locker room. These additions, along with a fitness studio, are being built and will be finished in March.

2.

Competitor Analysis

Planet Fitness of Ithaca:

Planet Fitness of Ithaca is located in the Ithaca Mall and is a big gym. They offer cheap rates at $10 per month for a standard package and $19.99 per month for an exclusive membership package. The exclusive package offers access to all Planet Fitness locations, tanning, access to massage chairs, and discounts on products and services from sponsors.

Planet Fitness also offers 24/7 gym and facilities access. They do not provide nutrition classes, or have any sponsorships with a local sports team in the area.

3.

Competitor Analysis

Island Fitness:

Island Fitness is a luxury gym in the Ithaca area and with rates starting at $89 month, they are an expensive gym. There are several membership packages based on age or occupation. Membership packages contain access to workout facilities, pools, and classes. They also provide health assessment and consulting by exercise physiologists.

Island Fitness also has several partnerships with organizations in the area, such as Cayuga Medical Center. They are open everyday of the week, but do not provide 24 hour service.

4.

Competitor Analysis

Finger Lakes Fitness Center:

Finger Lakes Fitness Center is a locally owned gym located in the Downtown Ithaca Commons. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, FLFC offers an array of group fitness classes every day focusing mostly on yoga and zumba sessions,which are all included in their membership packages.

Adult membership plans are $44.60 per month and gives access to everything the gym has to offer. They also offer reduced youth membership rates and class-only packages.

5.

Competitor Analysis

The Gym:

The Gym is another locally owned gym located at East Hill Plaza in Ithaca. Similar to FLFC, it is open 24/7, 365 days a year and is a smaller gym. Monthly rates start at $30 per person and they over discounts for couples who join. The Gym does not offer nutrition classes, their website is poorly made, and they also have no social media presence, which may deter customers from joining their gym.

6.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:The main strengths of South Hill Xtreme Fitness are the cheap price and that it is open 24/7. This is good for customers who want to be able to go to a gym, but have a busy schedule and a tight budget. Providing nutrition classes is another aspect of the gym that sets it apart from its compeititors. If a potential client is looking to change their lifestyle to a healthier one, knowing what to eat is a critical component to making that change.

Weaknesses:The biggest weakness that the South Hill branch of Xtreme Fitness has is it’s location. It is hidden away in a business park and all attempts to put up signs have been denied. This problem coupled with a poor web presence has caused a lack of awareness that the gym is even there.

7.

SWOT Analysis

Opportunities:The best opportuinity that South Hill has is tapping into the employees in the business park. Interest in having a gym in the park was expressed before opening and South Hill has done their best to capitalize on it. A main deterrent from employees joining was the lack of a shower area and locker room, but with the new additions to South Hill set to be finished in the spring, it should entice new members.

Xtreme Fitness also has the opportunity to get involved in the community, which would help get their brand known. Downtown Ithaca hosts a variety of events, which Xtreme Fitness could have a booth at to discuss nutrition and distribute South Hill related information. Also, they could pair with another sport team like what was done with the Women’s Rollar Derby team.

Threats:The first is larger, more well-established gyms taking potential clients and edging out South Hill by offering nutrition classes and being cheaper. The second threat is if someone were to get hurt while at the gym, they could potentially file a lawsuit against Xtreme Fitness which would cost a lot of time and money. The final threat is if another gym opened in South Hill.

8.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weakness

Opportunites Threats

- Open 24 Hours- Unique Nutritional Plans- Certified Personal Training- Bootcamp and Xtreme Rides classes- Competitive Pricing- Variety of membership and cost options- Associated with Women’s Roller Derby

- Does not stand out from competitors- Gym is in hidden location presence- Lack of awareness - Poor graphics on media, both images and videos - Cluttered Website

- Potential clients in South Hill Business Campus- Proximity to Ithaca College- Association with other organizations- Events/festivals can be used for business promotion- Showers/locker room and studio room

- There are other more well-established gyms and fitness centers

- Injuries could lead to lawsuits

- New gym may be built in South

Hill area

9.

Media Coverage

There has been no media coverage of the South Hill branch of Xtreme Fitness. All there is for coverage of any of the Xtreme Fitness locations is a story from March 2012 on Ithaca.com about the Groton location.

Although it is dated, the article is an extremely postive review of the gym, including a glowing review of both Drew and Tara Gross. In the story, it talks about how encouraging, friendly, and knowledgeable both Drew and Tara are. This is a great review to have because it gives the reader more trust in the quality of the gym and the quality of the experience they will have at the gym.

To get more media coverage, we recommend inviting reporters or bloggers to the gym during the Spring Grand Re-opening when the additions to the South Hill gym are completed. This would be a good event to showcase what the gym has to offer and get good coverage and reviews of the gym.

10.

Primary Research

*Sample size: 32

11.

Objectives

This public relations plan is designed to achieve 3 key objectives:

1. Raise brand awareness

2. Increase new gym memberships by 15%

3. Improve the website and increase social media presence

12.

Target Audiences

Primary Audience: Employees in the surrounding business park 22-35 year old males and females with gym experience who live in Ithaca

Secondary Audience: Faculty at Ithaca College who want a gym that has better hours and is less crowded

College students who want a gym that fits their busy schedule

Club sport teams at Ithaca College/Amatuer sport teams in Ithaca

13.

Strategies

Increase brand awareness through public events, advertising, and partnerships with both Ithaca College and off campus organizations

Separate Xtreme Fitness from competitors by utilizing their affordable pricing, flexible hours, and variety of services

Overhaul social media to better reach potential members in the community/business park and modify the website to be easier to use

14.

Tactics

Modify Xtreme Fitness’s WebsiteThere have been complaints that Xtreme Fitness’s website is too cluttered and confusing, which we think that is due to the slideshow on the home page. Each slide is full of bold colors and lots of information, and that can be overwhelming. If the slideshow was to be simplified, it would make the whole web-site appear less cluttered. The video in the top corner of the main page, which seems randomly positioned, also causes the website to look more disorganized.

The staff biographies on the page are great, but the same photos are used for each of the three staff. Along with that, the edges of the photos are too rough and need to be smoother. Another issue is that there are multiple colors of green on the page. The website should have the same color green as the logo, which would make the website look more professional. With all these cosmetic changes, the website also needs to be kept up-to-date with current information.

This website is a crucial source of information for prospective members, so it is very important for the website to reach its full potential.

15.

Tactics

Revamp Social MediaWhile Xtreme Fitness does utilize social media, we believe that the content needs some refinement. The first step in this refinement process would be removing any low quality or unprofessional videos, no matter how old they may be. Posting videos is important, but we want to make sure they are high quality and professional so Xtreme Fitness is displayed in the best light.

A weekly social media event would keep the content fresh, relevant, and it gives incentive to follow Xtreme Fitness. This could be done by simply posting a “Workout of the Week” every Monday. This would showcase a new exercise and explain the proper technique. This can also be paired with a “Snack of the Week” every Friday. Every week there would be a new, simple, healthy snack that followers could make at home.

Lastly, we want to see Xtreme Fitness post more pictures of the facility and the equipment available for use. With the upcoming expansion involving the addition of a studio room, locker room, and showers, pictures of the progress should be posted to make potential and current members aware of the new developments and build hype for the Spring Open House.

16.

Tactics

Ithaca Voice AdTo get Xtreme Fitness known in the greater Ithaca community paying for an ad and video in the Ithaca Voice would be a good news outlet. This organization, founded in 2014, is an online-only news and information site serving the Ithaca area and Tompkins County. In that short time, the Ithaca Voice has developed a huge following in the community with 11,317 likes on Facebook, which is about 37% of the overall Ithaca population.

The ad will contain basic information advertising Xtreme Fitness’s South Hill gym and information on what it has to offer. The video will provide a quick look inside the gym to show what Xtreme Fitness is really about. Both forms of advertisement will promote the Spring Open House coming up in March.

Change the SloganWhen we met with Tara, she informed us of a slogan that she had come up with, “Everyone fits”. We think that slogan makes Xtreme Fitness appear more inviting to every kind of gym-goer instead of potentially deterring shyer beginners. A second suggestion is shortening it to “Xtreme Fun. Xtreme Results.” because we feel that having “Xtreme Fitness.” is redundant.

17.

Tactics

Running a Booth at Community EventsIthaca hosts many annual events that draw large crowds of both Ithaca citizens and college students, bringing the community together. The biggest events are Apple Fest and the Ithaca Festival. One of our objectives is to increase brand awareness and since these events attract most of Ithaca, they provide a great opportunity for Xtreme Fitness to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time.

At Apple Fest, Xtreme Fitness could run a booth featuring nutritious foods, recipes, and nutrition advice, all centered around apples. At the same time, branded fliers and promotional material would be distributed. This would fit with the theme of the festival, while still showcasing what Xtreme Fitness has to offer. One of these events would show an involvement in the community, exhibiting that Xtreme Fitness truly cares about its customers.

The partnership with the Ithaca League of Women Rollers could provide help by asking some of the women to assist with running the booth in return for giving their organization an outlet for more exposure. This will show that Xtreme Fitness is actively involved in the community while providing potential members with a third-party recommendation, which is invaluable.

18.

Tactics

Internship ProgramHiring interns would allow Xtreme Fitness to be staffed for longer hours with Exercise Science majors, without having any financial effect. Communication majors can provide plans to increase new memberships, as well as craft social media content and manage the accounts.

This will grow Xtreme Fitness, introduce the gym to the student body, and not require more financial investment. It provides a win-win situation for students to gain experience and provide Xtreme Fitness more staff, free of charge.

Partnerships with Sports Organizations

Group discounts or waiving the sign up fee for members of the same team would incentivize teams to join Xtreme Fitness. We also propose that Xtreme Fitness helps fund apparel orders by paying for 10% of the apparel cost and in return, Xtreme Fitness’s logo is put on the apparel. This would increase brand awareness when a team member wears the apparel.

One organization could be the Finger Lakes Cycling Club. The FLCC host weekly rides mostly on Sundays. The club draws primarily experienced cyclists. During the winter these cyclists need somewhere to train and ideally train together.

19.

Tactics

Spring Open HouseXtreme Fitness will host an open house event at the South Hill location. The goal is to have current members, prospective members, and the Ithaca community come out to see the gym’s new locker room, showers, and aerobics area. Local media and bloggers will be asked to come out and cover the event.

As individuals get to see the improvements to the gym, they will also have an opportunity to learn about Xtreme Fitness current membership programs. They will be served free nutritional food samples, given pamphlets, and experience a free bootcamp class to show what Xtreme Fitness has to offer.

There will also be trainers and other staff members to give insight into the personal training programs and the variety of classes that are offered.

This event will also be used as a benchmark to see how successful this PR plan has been.

20.

Measurement and Evaluation

Unmatched PR has developed three forms of measurement that will be used to evaluate the success of the this campaign.

Change in Media CoverageBefore the campaign, Xtreme Fitness had only been covered in one online article. After the campaign, we would like to measure the success based on changes in media coverage including social media. The change can be seen by counting the number of times Xtreme Fitness related posts are made online through searches on Lexisnexis and Google News as well as setting up a Google alert for Xtreme fitness, which will alert the organization ever time it is mentioned online.

Attendance at Open House EventAfter speaking with Xtreme Fitness, we were informed that approximately five people showed up to the grand opening. By recording the number of potential members who attend, it would be an easy, quantitative way of seeing if the brand awareness of Xtreme Fitness is increasing

21.

Measurement and Evaluation

Change in New Members at the South Hill GymThe final measurement for the success for this campaign would be to determine if the number of memberships increased at South Business Campus facility, particularly with individuals who work at the businesses on the South Hill Campus. This measurement will be evaluated in a variety of ways.

Effectiveness will be evaluated by how many individuals have become members in each month of the campaign, how many individuals joined Xtreme Fitness at the end of the campaign, and how many members renew their membership. Tracking these statistics are important to determining if the growth in members is significant or not. New members should also be asked how they heard about Xtreme Fitness in order to determine the most effective strategy.

22.

TImetable

December 27th- Update the website by December 27th at the latest in order to prepare for new members at start of the new year

January1st- Begin new social media content with the “Workout of the Week” and “Snack of the Week”

3rd- Contact Ithaca College and Cornell University about developing an internship program

10th- Reach out to adult leagues throughout the Ithaca community in search for sponsorship and/or partnership

February1st- Begin planning and outreach for the Spring Open House

5th- Create Facebook event for the Spring Open House Print flyers and ads for the Spring Open House

27th- Contact outside media and gym bloggers/enthusiasts to cover the Spring Open House

23.

TImetable

March1st- Start social media countdown to the Spring Open House, and the activities going on at the event, social media teasers

Saturday- Spring Open House. Date depends on when the additions get completed

No Specific Date NeededContact adult sports leagues to form partnerships and solidify Xtreme Fitness’s position in the community

Continue to make connections with local media sources in order to keep Xtreme Fitness relevant in the community

Meet with potential interns

Look into and book booths at appropriate events in Ithaca, such as Apple Fest

24.

Budget

Booth at Festival in Ithaca: (Pricing varies on number of days)

Flyers (500):(Staples Print Shop Rates)

Brochures (250): (Staples Print Shop Rates)

Food and Supplies for Spring Open House:

Discount for Adult Teams:(Team of 20)

Apparel Partnership: (Team of 20/$30 Sweatshirts)

Advertisement and Video in the Ithaca Voice:

Total Budget:

$45-$220

$280

$180

$300-$500

$140

$60

$1,200

$2,205-$2,580

25.

Staff Bios

Rhonda Eraiba

Rhonda Eraiba is a sophomore Integrated Marketing and Communications major in the Park School. She lives in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, currently plays on the Ithaca Club Ice Hockey team, and is involved in the club Habitat for Humanity. Rhonda has had an internship in the past with Donelly Energy and hopes to find future internships. She intends to study abroad her junior year in Australia.

26.

Staff Bios

Chris Falcone

Chris Falcone is a junior IMC major at Ithaca College. He is interested in the fields of Marketing and Public Relations. Chris enjoys being outdoors. He is an avid golfer and is also a member of the Men’s Club Ultimate team at IC. Additionally, Chris is the Chair of the Community Service Committee in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. This summer, Chris will work as an intern in the marketing department of a physical therapy firm back home.

27.

Staff Bios

Brandon Fay

Brandon Fay is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Accounting at Ithaca College. Originally from Westchester NY, Brandon is involved with a few small organizations on campus including Ithaca College Young Enterpueners as well as intramural athletics.

28.

Staff Bios

Chance Peavy

Chance Peavy is a junior Sport Media major in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performances at Ithaca College. Chance was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He is currently the President of Brother For Brothers, student organization at Ithaca College. He is also involved in a variety of organizations throughout the campus. He will be traveling abroad next year to the United Kingdom through Ithaca College’s London Center Program.

29.

Staff Bios

Justin Pintak

Justin Pintak is a sophomore student of Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications. He is an Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Sports Studies. Justin participates in various on campus extracurriculars including Leadership Academy and ICTV. He was also a Public Relations Intern for the Seattle Seahawks, where he assisted media and players in various interview processes. Justin hopes to pursue a career in sports public relations after graduation.

30.

Staff Bios

Matthew Woolam

Matthew Woolam is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major, with a minor in Web Programming. He lives in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. On campus, he serves as a sportscaster for VIC Radio, and as the head writer for the ICTV political satire show The Week that Was. He hopes to pursue a career in public relations after graduating.

31.

Staff Bios

Kevin Zeosky

Kevin Zeosky is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Legal Studies. Kevin is from Clifton Park, NY, which is just 15 minutes outside of Albany. He is currently the President of Park AdVenue, Ithaca College’s student chapter of the American Advertising Federation, and has been involved in a variety of other clubs on campus including PRSSA.

32.

appendix

33.

appendix

34.

appendix

35.

appendix

36.