Life Changing Sport - Assignment Example

Life Changing Sport - Market Repositioning Introduction "Thought All Star Lanes was an interesting concept, but in reality it's just for up marketyoung things who are rather pleased with themselves." - A review in viewlondon.com Tenpin bowling has been around for the last 40 years in the UK as a commercial leisure activity. It was very popular and grew as a business in the 1980s but then declined in the 1990s. Recently new investments have been made and an attempt is being made to revitalise the industry. In the past twelve months two new bowling lanes have opened in the centre of London both with the aim of making the sport rather more cool than it has been in the past. Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, located underneath the Tavistock Hotel in Tavistock Square opened in July 2005, offering eight lanes of bowling, as well as a diner, bar and two karaoke rooms. The more upmarket All Star Lanes opened in January, 2006 in the basement of Victoria House in Southampton Row offering bowling alongside a cocktail bar and restaurant (Sunday Times 05.03.06). The sport of bowling (also known as tenpins) is an indoor sport in which a ball between 6 and 16 lbs. in weight is rolled down a lane approximately 42 inches wide and 60 feet long in an effort to knock down 10 pins set in a triangular array at the other end of the lane. The modern version of the sport is traced to the 4th or 5th century A.D. in Germany, where the bowler rolled a ball down the aisle of a church at a club called the heathen. Hitting the heathen was a demonstration of the religious faith of the bowler. During the Middle-Ages, there were a variety of forms of bowling with the number of pins ranging from 3 to 15. Dutch settlers brought the sport to the New World in the early 17th century. The tenth pin was added to the game in 1842. With the advent of Television the popularity of bowling increased in the 1950s. The sport has lost much of its charm and with the mushrooming video-game parlours and other 'pop' activities attention of the young people has been diverted away from bowling. It is considered by many as either pass or too childish, or youth-orientated. The opening of the two new, high-end, bowling alleys is perhaps indicative of a revival of interest in the game. Marketing is the business function that identifies customer needs and wants, determines which target markets the organization can serve best, and designs appropriate products, services, and programs to serve these markets. It guides the entire organization. The goal of marketing is to create customer satisfaction by building value-based relationships with customers, in conjunction with other internal and external business units. The end-result is gaining market leadership by understanding consumer needs and finding solutions of superior value, quality, and service. This presentation looks at understanding the concept, product, positioning and marketing strategy of one of the new bowling alleys (All Star Lanes), and identifying a path for repositioning and promotion with a view to improve profitability through improved customer satisfaction. The Present Product All Star Lanes has four lanes and two upstairs and is positioned as a leisure centre with multiple activities that includes offering a good eating facility and an ambience modelled on America of the 1950s. The face it presents to its customers is 'fresh and flippant and not too straight faced' (squaremeal.co.uk).It has a capacity to seat 80 and offers a cocktail bar and a menu that is American chow wagon based. The dcor is plastic, chrome and leather and tailored to attract young people and at the same time targets to attract clientele by offering a boutique type experience for parties. On all the present identified objectives, it scores well and has attracted very good ratings from critics; some even giving it a four to five star rating on ambience, service, value for money, and food (Time Out, 2006). Repositioning The proposed repositioning requires a total change in concept from being a leisure centre targeting young people, to become a luxury product aiming to meet the needs of high-income customers in the middle-age bracket. This repositioning entails a change of the product itself by a change of ambience and peripherals without changing the basic nature - bowling alley. A suitable public relations campaign will be developed to implement, and ensure success of this change. The theme is proposed to be changed to the English 'Tudor' style with sophistication and class built into every aspect of the ambience. The two exclusive lanes on the first floor will be converted to 'glow-in-the-dark' lanes with muted lights and period classical music. The lanes on the ground floor will remain as they are but the furniture and furnishings changed in line with the new theme. The restaurant will be changed from its present 'American Diner' style to offer gourmet food as also quality cocktails and drinks. Literature Survey Literature survey is primarily divided into two sections. These are, one to understand lifestyle change and to identify the target customers and their needs and two to explore the characteristics of a good public relations campaign. Life style change Every person has roles in life, which keep changing as one progresses in life. Life consists of a sequence of roles from childhood to old age many of which are associated with family and work, which cohorts enter then leave (Rosow, 1976). These roles change as a result of a natural sequence as one progresses through life, or may be triggered by social or stressful events (George, 1990),(Gilbert & Fortunato, 2003). England is faced with a situation where participation in sports and physical activities has remained static. The only exception being more women taking part in fitness related activities. Significant and growing numbers of people live their lives in sedentary way. The costs to society and to individuals are growing to the point where it is becoming a major public policy concern. Obesity levels are increasing year-on-year, rates of coronary heart disease although decreasing remains high, Type II Diabetes is on the increase and osteoporosis is becoming increasingly prevalent. The scientific evidence that increased levels of physical activity can bring wide-ranging health benefits is now compelling (Sport England, 2004). Figure 1 below shows the level of participation by people of different age groups and how the trends are changing with time. Figure 2 shows the difference between male and female populations. It is evident that people who are increasingly exposed to the risks associated with sedentary lifestyles (30-59 age groups) are those whose participation is the least. In figure 3 below we find that for different social classes the participation levels change as we go down the ladder of knowledge and experience levels. These data help us in the identification of our target customer to narrow down the focus on strata of people that may be broadly classified in the social class of professors and senior managers in the age bracket of 40-55 years. The selection of this demography has the following additional advantages: The sex ratio in this group conforms broadly to the pattern of participation levels in sport activities. These are the people who enjoyed bowling when they were more physically active and one can emphasise the nostalgia value. This group is most likely to be aware of the need to change lifestyle to a more physically active one, would like to act young and have time to spare only when scope for other physical activity is low. They have the time and money to spend on a luxury sport activity. Public Relations Campaigns Since the business is localised and not very big, a lot of stress will have to be placed on Public Relations (PR) to generate the necessary interest and attract customers rather than using an extensive advertisement campaign. Strategic Public relations planning and research techniques have evolved as the most powerful tools available to public relations practitioners. Getting your ad in the news can be good for the brand and PR can add real value to an advertising campaign. "PR can work really well when an ad campaign is truly interesting, newsworthy and where a PR team has been involved in the campaign development process from the beginning," Jackie Cooper. Not all media interest can be carefully choreographed, and just as important an aspect of effective PR is knowing when to back off, and leave an emerging story alone. "Who's talking And who's listening No message exists in a vacuum. It's tied to the personality and image of the speaker. It's also tied in to the needs and expectations of the audience. When the right speaker gives the right message to the right audience, the combination can't be beat." (Detz). The need to identify the correct approach is through the reverse cycle viz. identify the customer, then the message that will have maximum impact and finally the media that will be used to deliver the message. A major reason why a company experiences frustration in its PR activities lies in how they conduct and apply research. "Research and planning are not simple remedies for every organization ... Nevertheless, a practitioner's use of research, planning, and evaluation contributes to an informed organizational decision-making process with a greater likelihood of success" (Weintraub and Pinkleton). Good preparation, total understanding of the subject and a complete mastery of basic techniques generates confidence and allows more natural and good expressions, gestures and body language in interview situations. "Preparation isn't everything, it's the only thing" (Hal Hart). Although newspapers covered bowling extensively in the first half of the 20th century, it wasn't until the second half that the biggest deliverer of the message emerged: television. Were it not for TV, hardly any attention would have been paid to bowling in the past several decades, especially as print-media coverage began to erode. In the 21st century, it is up to the Internet to pick up the slack. Perhaps watching bowling on-line and even playing simulated games will be the wave of the future that will drive interest in the sport. Apart from face-to-face interaction, no communications technique is more effective in allowing a person to say things more creatively, expressively, precisely, and powerfully than the Internet. "That's where PR has an advantage. It can react instantly, shifting to accommodate any schedule or news cycle" (Middleburg). The mode of addressing the customer can be directly assessed through an examination of the findings of a survey sponsored by Hill and Knowlton and carried out by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates (Tactics, 2004). The results are shown graphically below: Source: Hill and Knowlton / Penn, Schoen and Berland The above clearly indicates the importance of word-of-mouth publicity, internet sites and event marketing as a means of communication today. Though the situation is different in this case the basic principles hold. This shall form the media selection guide for promotion of the revamped and repositioned luxury bowling centre. In another survey carried out by City Business Journals Network (quoted in Tactics, ibid) it was found the 87 percent of people surveyed agreed that once they have a positive experience with a brand they develop long-term relationship with the brand. The same source quotes that the impact of recent news coverage is huge and that 77 percent people said they would pull out their money from mutual funds that had some adverse reports in the news recently. The effectiveness of websites in publicity generation and improvement in the image of an institution are explored in detail in a study conducted by Jo & Kim that helps in understanding the characteristics of an effective website and how these help in promotion of a business. Marketing Plan The marketing plan is discussed in its distinct facets in the following paragraphs. Product and Packaging has been discussed in the section on repositioning above. The package will promise and deliver an exclusive and luxury experience in keeping with the needs of the audience targeted. The customer is in the upper echelons of society and expects top quality both in the product and service. Emphasis will be on providing a venue for having small social outings with friends, colleagues and family and of course entertaining important business guests in a 'different' setting, bowling being an added bonus. Pricing will match the quality of the service provided and geared to match similar facilities. This shall require a detailed investigation of prices in similar restaurants and facilities across the city and suburbs. In order to be a success the bowling industry typically recommends a population density of 2,000 per lane, residing within in a 5 mile radius. With 6 lanes we are looking at a population of 12,000 people residing in this area, not a problem in London even looking at the high profile of the target customer. The first step in the promotion campaign would be to identify a brand name and what it stands for and what it does not. It is necessary to consider that this decision requires utmost care so that the name chosen brings inherent strength to the Brand and supports the image and the type of service planned to be provided. While a brand image can be built up with advertising and promotion the initial selection is critical to the long range prosperity of the business. Brand names help identify the product but more importantly take on their own meaning and presence because they represent a rich configuration of symbols and meanings that are embodied by products (Levy, 1978). A brand name will be created that not only appeals to the customers it also has all the desirable properties associated with the luxury sport market, is easily memorable and distinctive. Trademark clearance will also be obtained to avoid later complications. The next step is to develop a website. As discussed in the literature survey the internet is one of the most powerful communications tool in the modern context. Professional help will be sought to develop a website that provides all information about the new facility and keep the website updated with the latest news and information about the sport centre. The website shall also allow clients to check for availability of preferred days and make reservations on line, book favourite lane and even order special meals in advance. It shall also have a special page offering tips and techniques for the customers to improve their game. On the same lines as the website shall be developed a news letter for circulation among the customers as they grow in numbers. The initial spread would be to attract clientele through distribution to places where the customers are likely to go, for example libraries, offices of companies that are located in the area and which employ a number of high ranking managers, etc. Also would be used to keep the media and press informed about progress and events from time to time to keep up their attention and with the hope that some of the contents would be found to be newsworthy and find their way into their publications and news coverage. Develop rapport with members of the media, through regular contact and excellent treatment, including 'on-the-house' parties at regular intervals. While a good rapport is not easy to achieve in a short while beginnings would be made through a concerted effort to come across as a clean and responsible management that values and cherishes its relationships. These would be used as publicity campaigns by themselves and planned and organised with the objective of making the guests feel that they have been treated respectfully and their queries met in all earnestness and clarity. The initiative to provide information would be taken from the side of the organisation and not have to wait for their queries should any problem arises at a later date and stay on their 'radar'. Another element of the activities to create the market hype at the time of the nearing of the launch to prepare and place posters with tear off cards and brochures highlighting the event and the luxury sport centre would be placed in key locations and up-scale markets and shops in the area. Development of compelling messages for the posters and brochures would be essential for this and in synchrony with the central theme. The central theme of all publicity material prepared would drum out the nostalgia angle while informing customers of the unique nature of the superb experience being offered. Benefit of changing to a more active lifestyle would occupy a very marginal yet insidious place. The launch itself would be an extensive event and press conference, with a detailed presentation accompanied by press handouts in the form of print and electronic (CD-ROM) matter. The event would be organised in such a way as to create news value and also to demonstrate the facility to select potential customers. The design, organisation and execution of the event shall be done in the same concurrent theme running through the entire campaign and publicity preceding it - nostalgia - luxury - active lifestyle. Vital to the success of the re-launch of the sports centre in its new avatar would be efforts made to generate support from the internal clientele, viz. the employees and get their wholehearted support for the project. Their voluntary and enthusiastic participation in the entire process would be the keystone for success of the venture. Time Frame Plan The Launch of the repositioned sports centre is targeted for Easter 2007. In order to draw out the timetable for the pre-launch activities the following broad guidelines have been used: 1. Identify each milestone with clear and measurable goals for achievement. 2. Plan to ensure that we bite only what we can chew. 3. Identify responsibilities (not done at this stage) and deadlines. 4. Have a contingency plan for any unforeseen events and situations. The activities and time frames are given below: Activity No. Activity Start End Responsibility 1 Discuss, brainstorm and Finalise Strategy September 10, 2006 September 30, 2006 2 Identify Key personnel, activities and responsibilities September 10, 2006 September 30, 2006 3 Brand name identification, character October 1, 2006 October 10, 2006 4 Website - Develop and Launch October 10, 2006 November 30, 2006 5 Newsletter - first issue develop, print and circulate December 1, 2006 January 7, 2007 6 Secure media coverage - develop a media list and map out a timeline and strategy for securing interest in story December 1, 2006 January 15, 2007 7 Press and materials ready and timely January 20, 2007 March 31, 2007 8 Posters and Brochure design print and place January 7, 2007 April 1, 2007 9 Identify media and develop initial rapport October 1, 2006 April 14, 2007 10 Lunch Event prepare and conduct April 4, 2007 April 14, 2007 References Detz, J.: "It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It", NY, St. Martin's Griffin. George, L. (1990). Social structure, social processes and social-psychological states, in R.H. Binstock & L. H. George (eds.): Handbook of ageing and the social sciences (3rd edition) San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Gilbert K.G. and Fortunato, V.: Reconstructing Lives, 2003, Melbourne, Australia: The Learner. Hal Hart "Successful Spokespersons Are Made, Not Born"; Bloomington, IN, USA 1st Books Library. Jo and Kim, 'The Effect of Web Characteristics on Relationship Building': The Journal of Public Relations Research, 15(3), 199-224. London Town electronic magazine, accessed on September 2, 2006 from: www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Restaurant/All_Star_Lanes Middleburg, D.: "Winning PR in the Wired World" New York, McGraw-Hill. Rowe, N and Moore, S, (2001), Participation in sport - past trends and future prospects: London UK, Sport/Sport England Sport England, 2004: Publication No. SE/2291/0.1M/05/04 accessed from the website www.sportengland.org Sports Council/Health Education Authority/Department of Health (1992) Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey: Main findings London: SC/HEA/DoH Time Out, London, issue 1850, February 1-8, 2006 Urban Path electronic magazine, accessed on September 2, 2006 from: http://www.urbanpath.com/london/cocktail-bars/all-star-lanes.htm View London electronic journal, accessed on September 2, 2006 from: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/info_club_1040.html Weintraub, E.A. and Pinkleton, B.A.: "Strategic Public Relations Management"; Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Read More