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The report on Marketing Plan aimed to develop a good business in city while spreading awareness of fitness among others

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Marketing Plan

Presentation of the case:

Planet Fitness is a fitness club that promotes health of individual through good exercise and healthy lifestyle. It is a limited liability corporation that delivers fitness classes while catering gym membership to the health conscious people in the city of Oshkosh and the surrounding areas. The gym targets all types of populations irrespective of the age groups and fitness conscious persons. The Judgment Free Zone Philosophy has enabled the average fit people to take membership from the gym where it is a good opportunity for the average people to avail the fitness training and lead and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the members of Planet Fitness would avail the scope of physical and mental relaxation while getting in shape and having fun with the other members. In that case, Blut et al. (2015) stated that it is the responsibility of the staffs to serve in such a way that the customers would experience the maximum satisfaction while gathering information regarding fitness and health. The intention of Planet Fitness is to develop a great business while spreading awareness regarding fitness. In that case, different facilities have been introduced in the products and services in order to serve wider customer demography while satisfying each customer segment with quality fitness services. In case of segmentation and targeting policies, Planet Fitness is now focusing on targeting the college and high school students having maximum need of health and shaping requirements. In that case, “look at me” is not the strategy of Planet Fitness where the gym wants to include maxim local people in the health program. It has been a growing trend of Americans to give up the bad habits to adopt the good and healthy livelihood through fitness program and healthy habits like food and drinks, working schedule and other health related activities. Here, the pricing has been set in such a way that an optimal output would be delivered through employing minimum price in the gym membership. In that case, yearly membership program has been introduced where people would enjoy the benefits of a long run program at an affordable cost where other health program would consume comparatively more cost. In regards to this context, Edmans et al. (2017) stated that price sensitivity drives the customers towards availing the possible cheapest products and services while obtaining maximum benefits equivalent to the monetary employment. 

Evaluation of the plan:

Corporate connection:

According to the marketing plan of Planet Fitness, as provided, it has been observed that the gym centre has aimed to develop a good business in the city of Oshkosh while spreading awareness of fitness among different age groups. Here, it has also been accumulated from a market research that among the residents of the target region, tendency of giving up the bad habit has been on an increasing trend where Planet Fitness would be a good option where the health conscious and fitness freak people would get the desired services to attain expected fitness and while shaping up. According to Moon et al. (2015), favorable market and social environment is most suitable in starting up a business that serves the amenities that the society and people surrounding the business really needs. In this context, the opportunity of attaining success in the business is significantly higher in nature. Therefore, fitness program and awareness promotion is a focused and valid objective that Planet Fitness has developed to be implemented. 

Marketing audit:

Marketing audit refers to the analysis of both external and internal analysis of market where the fitness center has been targeted to operate in. according to Chen and Yang (2019), marketing audit generates a feasibility report whether the current market situation would be favorable for the marketing objectives and the proposition of the business planning. In case of Planet Fitness, it has been observed that brand reputation and already established fitness centers in different regions in Oshkosh is the key strength of the centre where the upcoming inclusions in terms of Yoga, Cardiac activities, music therapy and personalized fitness training session are the opportunities that reveals the macro-environment of the fitness centre. However, no indication regarding the political environment has been delivered in the plan so that the cost of establishment in terms of licensing and copywriting would be judged through its evaluation. In opinion of Al Fahad et al. (2015), data regarding customer demand and behavior is key environmental scan to analyse whether there has been any scope that customers of the business would accept the upcoming products or product modifications. According to the weaknesses of the marketing plan it could be stated that healthy food habit through avoiding pizza would convey a wrong message among Pizza customers and thus, the companies, manufacturing and delivering pizza would sue against Planet Fitness in terms of spreading negativity of pizza among customers. Inclusion of other fitness trainings including yoga, cardiac exercises would add value to the customers’ satisfaction in terms of including physically unfit or poorly fit people to make them aware of the fitness benefits while shaping up body through a proper fitness training session. 

Marketing objectives:

The marketing plan has delivered a clear view regarding the marketing objectives of Planet Fitness that includes the awareness program of the gym centre among local and associated regions where the centre is liable to serve the similar fitness services in all its outlets present in the city. Here, quoting the state of Harrison et al. (2017), it can be stated that awareness program is a crucial part before starting a new business program to make people aware of the upcoming business and the service quality it will serve. Moreover the awareness program also delivers information regarding why the service will be needed badly to the customers. 

Unlike the above, another marketing objective is to increasing number of membership over the years. However, in that case, the management would estimate the maximum capability of serving people as excessive customer volume will be dangerous for the centre to deliver proper service and thus, brand awareness and identity that would negatively spread among existing customers. Aligning to the outcomes of research developed by Lee et al. (2015), increasing market share depends on the social force and development of the mentality where estimation of Planet Fitness would fail in future. However, the target market share would be achieved easily based on the service port folio and favorable market situation. 

Marketing strategies:

There are several marketing strategies, adopted in Planet Fitness in terms of targeting, positioning, product and service portfolio, offers, pricing, availability and promotional benefits. Concentrating on segmentation and targeting strategy, Ryan (2016) stated that segmentation and targeting relies on the product and service type which could benefit the customers and thus, creates the scope of positioning and market development. Here, Planet Fitness has targeted all age groups and fitness levels to serve the fitness program and schedule based on requirements. However, attaining demand of all types of customers would be difficult for the centre. However, its key target customers including high school students and college goers are appropriate as the age group is highly eager in maintaining fitness and shape of body for different purposes. In addition, Ottman (2017) stated that pricing policy is a crucial factor for any business success where yearly membership plan will attract the customers to accept the membership. From business perspectives, yearly membership charges will include the costs of fitness program and other operation for customers where customers might not be attending all classes regularly where there has been a scope of cost reduction and thus, other revenue generation strategies would be entertained. 

Tactical marketing decision and action plan:

The given marketing plan has emphasized on several marketing mix elements where it has been planned and developed at the initial phase. The consistency of the plan would be better judged during post-evaluation of the performance after the planned operation will be successfully executed. Pricing, fitness programs, promotion and awareness program are four crucial components that Planet Fitness has considered in the marketing plan where these four factors will be the key focus of meeting the marketing objective developed. In this context, McDonald and Wilson (2016) stated that main products and services are the prime emphasis of a new business where the associated factors play a significant role in supporting the business in meeting its goals and objectives. The action plan of Planet Fitness has been developed on the basis of the marketing objectives and goals (Nagle and Müller, 2017). However, consistency of the marketing plan and business proposition would only be judged through evaluation of the level of success the fitness centre will achieve after execution of the marketing plan and proposition. The marketing and action plan has been aptly explained with sufficient information so that n further explanation is required in this case. However, the further requirements would be identified only after the initial phase of execution of this planning will be over. 

Organization and implementation:

The issues in the marketing plan have not been identified in detail due to may be the lack of knowledge regarding the market and probable obstacles of the same. However, a probable situation has also been revealed in case of the health awareness program and promotional activities. In case of the health awareness program, Planet Fitness has instructed to stay away from Pizza as the ingredients and the item as a whole is not a healthy one to stay fit while leading to a number of health issues. On the contrary, the fitness centre has also promoted Subway as the preferred food brand due to its fresh veggies and other ingredients. Regarding this food preference, Palia (2014) commented that fitness program and health awareness policies and procedures also include a good food habit that supports the work out programs to assist individuals in staying physically and mentally fit. 

Marketing control:

The given marketing plan has also delivered the information that Planet Fitness is now a new business where the products and services it has planned to be served is an improved one based on the existing fitness services. The company already possesses a significant customer volume in terms of middle class people in its health awareness and fitness activities. The new addition in the service portfolio is Yoga, cardiac exercise that targets the heart disease prone people with advanced technology and therapy. In context of marketing control, Crosno and Brown (2015) stated that evaluation of the outcomes and responses of customers would be a good measure of the marketing plan and control. It has been mentioned that Planet Fitness will conduct online survey against the free visit of the outlets so that voluntary participation of the target audience would be ensured. The plan of conducting four surveys a year would generate a clear scenario about the trend and mentality of people regarding fitness and health so that the centre would incorporate the preferred services in its products and service portfolio. 

Holistic evaluation of the plan:

The marketing plan of Planet Fitness has been developed to increase the health awareness among a mass people. However, the fitness centre is already running its operation with middle class people including high school and college students. However, the objective of Planet Fitness to serve its existing operation among wider demography requires incorporating an ample number of additional program and fitness activities in the existing operation and service portfolio that the current customers are enjoying currently. The planning of products and services in terms of fitness program and health improvements campaign is realistic in nature as the fitness centre is already working on the same. Therefore, further improvement would be feasible and easy to be executed in terms of service and product expansion. In case of the segmentation and targeting strategy, the centre has conducted a good market research so that it came to know about the increasing demand of the health consciousness and activities against the bad food and livelihood habits. Therefore, targeting the averagely fit people as customers is feasible in nature for further growth and expansion of the business. 

The marketing mix has been developed from the customers’ perspectives where the benefits from the operation indicate in favour of Planet Fitness. Yearly membership plan has been developed keeping the yearly cost of each customers availing the fitness services including Yoga, Cardiac exercise and general fitness exercises to shape up and stay healthy. Therefore, with maximum delivery of the services, breakeven of the centre will be easily met. Moreover, the customers would not be attending the classes with its full yearly session where it is a scope of cost reduction that generates profit from the product and services. Segregation of white and black card is also the strategy that generates the service value of the centre to be given based on the charges taken for membership. Availability of the products and services is also a crucial factor determining the physical presence of a company (Wagoner et al. 2018). Therefore, similar product and service delivery as mentioned in the membership plan from all its outlets is appreciable initiative as it would enable wider customer volume from different region of the city to avail the fitness program and health awareness initiative along with advanced health treatment and fitness training. Moreover, concentrating on the budget of the marketing plan, the breakeven has been determined based on estimated financial data where there will be ample scope of changes in such area that will be incorporated later. In this context, Bogsnes (2016) stated that budget planning needs proper evaluation of previous cost data and current market situation to project the nearest cost data so that the shift in cost amount would be affordable in case of market shift. 

Recommendations:

Based on the existing business plan and marketing propositions as mentioned in the existing documents, following are the areas that would be mentioned with the justification of its inclusion. Moreover, planning of executing those areas would also be included in the business plan to improve its acceptance among investors and other stakeholders.

Legal framework:

The marketing plan has been developed including all possible market data and other internal scanning outcomes to justify the marketing plan and its acceptance. However, the marketing plan has not included the legal constraints to operate the fitness program and health awareness along with fitness training portfolio while complying with the regulations. Therefore, legal constraints including different business laws and policies would be the options to improve the marketing plan. Health and safety policy is the foremost concern in such fitness operation where its compliance and execution would be one of the prime areas that the stakeholders would be likely to go through before giving approval for further implementation. Moreover, patenting, licensing and ownership documentation would be the concern that the investors would be likely to accumulate before making decision about the investment. Furthermore, being the business having desire of leading the fitness industry, tax liability and associated laws are the missing parts in the marketing plan that would assist the management to get government approval for further proceed with the planning. 

Medical assistance:

The existing plan consists of fitness training and health awareness program where the health and safety measurement has not been planned in the proposition. In case of the fitness measure and activities, there has been a large scope of facing fatal accidents or some kind of health issues and injuries. Therefore, being the large scale operator in fitness industry in Oshkosh, safety measure with the presence of medical assistance and consultation would be a section that needs to be proposed and described in the marketing plan. Upcoming customers would like to accumulate the information regarding fitness trainers and medical assistance to ensure immediate and proper medication after the health issue will be identified and screened. On the other hand, Planet Fitness has also planned to include cardiovascular exercises in the fitness centre that needs special medical assistance as the same is not the section of a physician to be operated by. In that case, a medical intern and nursing practitioner would be hired for full time or part time to give medical assistance in the cardiovascular exercises not only after any hazards but also during the training session. 

Funding information:

At the end of the marketing plan, there has been a break-even calculation and income statement. However, it has not been mentioned that whether any additional funding from outside is required for the marketing plan. Moreover, financial projection of the given marketing plan is limited within break-even calculation and income statement where cash flow and balance sheet plays a pivotal role in examining the recovery of the initial investment whether the investors would be benefitted from the investment in this marketing plan. The financial estimation needs a detailed clarification about the funding requirements from the external sources along with the potential option that the fitness centre has already planned to acquire from. Therefore, the execution of the marketing plan along with sufficient financial background is a crucial part ensuring a hassle free implementation of the planning developed for a better expansion of the business.

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