The Need for Public Relations Practitioners in the Gyms Industries - Coursework Example

The Need for Public Relations Practitioners in the Gym’s Industries and How Could the Public Relations Theories Be Applied Name: Unit: Professor: Submission Date: Table of Contents The Need for Public Relations Practitioners in the Gym’s Industries and How Could the Public Relations Theories Be Applied 1 Table of Contents 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 4 1.1.Introduction general overview 4 1.2.Significance of the study 5 1.3.Rationale of the study 6 1.4.Purposes of the study 6 1.5.Study questions 6 1.6.Study objectives 7 1.7.Content overview 7 Chapter 2: Literature review 9 2.1. What is the role of PR in gym and or sport club in creating awareness? 9 2.2. What are the strategies and sponsorships for PR of gyms and sports club? 11 2.3. What are PR tools used in creating awareness and building competitive advantages in sports and clubs? 14 2.4. How does the PR increase member’s base and growth and development in sports and clubs gym? 17 Chapter 3: Methodology 20 3.1. Type of study 20 3.2. Sample 20 3.3. Study techniques 21 3.4. Recruitment strategy 21 3.5. Data collection 21 3.6. Data analysis 22 3.7. Ethics 22 4.0. References 24 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1. Introduction general overview In today’s globalized era, the role of knowledge in structural strategies has been meaningfully growing. One of the most popular tools being utilized by various organizations around the globe is the Internet. More so, it is also being extensively used to distribute messages about the company’s goods and services to all participants. The internet is mostly being used by traders as one of the advanced advertising plans where one of the most powerful techniques is Public Relations (PR). PR is a crucial and integrated public service or policy component. A PR professional ensures that the activity of PR they benefit the target audience, whom the services or policies are being directed to (Palaniappan, Ramachandraiah, n.d. p3). Normally, salespersons would conduct research prior to launching public relation creativities in order to have a better idea about the status of the business’s location in the market or how the public sees the goods and services being offered. Public Relations is an important aspect for emerging organizational plans. In simpler terms, Public relations can be defined as a two-way communication between the public and the Organization. This involves knowing and listening to how the public perceives the Organization’s products and services in order to have a better understanding about consumers’ behavior toward the organization. This way, the organization will be able to build ideas on how to efficiently tool and manage their public relation campaigns (Palaniappan, Ramachandraiah, n.d. p12).  Throughout the last few years, gyms and sports clubs have made incredibly high increase in headlines, getting new members signing up with significant numbers of different types of sports interests. Gyms, as healthy way to live, have already been part of the people’s lifestyle, who showed unbelievable amount of passion and interests about these categories of sports. By its description, being fit and healthy is the term used to refer many modest to their new life style, whether for bodybuilding, Olympic weight lifting or even just normal cardio sessions. Healthy life style is been used by people who are competing or the ones who are not. For example walking into one of the new commercial gyms will allow the person to meet people who are getting ready to compete and those who just go to gyms for a quick workout to stay fit and healthy. 1.2. Significance of the study In the last five years before 2014, the Gym and Fitness Franchises firms have seen tremendous growth following the increasing rate of health club membership. Up to 2014, health club membership growth was estimated to rise at the rate of 6.1% per year to 54.1 million boosting the gym and fitness franchises membership sales. Additionally, to increase large customer bases many franchisers invested in franchise regional training and consultants subsequently, benefiting the operators in the industry. In the next five years from 2014 to 2019, there is a forecast growth of the industry revenue. The increasing public health campaigns proliferation which increases awareness pertaining fitness and health will trigger new market entrants in the new gym and fitness franchise. Additionally, more time-trapped consumers may need high level of services, such as individually organized nutritional plans, and fitness trainers, to attain fitness results with low time increase. Additionally, as more individuals opt for gyms that can cater local clientele there will be increase in popularity of these franchises. Thus, the health conscious environment will benefit the industry operators driving membership growth (IBISWorld, 2014 p1). This growth will require PR to maneuver the competitive gym and fitness environment. 1.3. Rationale of the study Today there is increasing rate of obesity especially among children. Therefore, there is expected growth of youth/teens/children fitness market programs. Not until school reexamine their educational curriculums and re-fix real physical education to the education system health fitness and clubs expertise will continue filling the current gap. A technology progression is fundamental as it has given a room to clients to opt for various options and do their workouts. Thus, with the new media technology gym goers remain motivated. Additionally, interactive programs on various workouts incorporated within the gym equipment enable the exercisers track calorie burn, number of workouts, speed and mileage among others (Britt, 2012 p1). 1.4. Purposes of the study Therefore, in order to present a stronger view about the importance of public relations campaigns for a gym or sports club, this research will observe and analyze the sports public relations strategies and sponsorship of the gyms and the sports clubs in the context of creating awareness and building a strong competitive advantage. This research will attempt to prove the public relation plans, processes and research methodology in relation to gym’s member’s base growth and development. 1.5. Study questions i. What is the role of PR in gym and or sport club in creating awareness? ii. What are the strategies and sponsorships for PR of gyms and sports club? iii. What are PR tools used in creating awareness and building competitive advantages in sports and clubs? iv. How does the PR increase member’s base and growth and development in sports and clubs gym? 1.6. Study objectives This study sets forth four objectives that will be achieved on answering the question set forth in this study. i. To explore the role of public relations in gyms, sports and clubs in awareness creation ii. To investigate the strategies and sponsorships that sports, clubs and gymns embrace iii. To find out the tools used in public relations in creating areness and building competitive advantage in sports, gyms and clubs iv. To explore various ways in which the public relations necessitates member’s increase, growth and development in sports, gyms, and clubs. 1.7. Content overview Chapter one sets in the study topic in regards to gyms, and fitness sports and clubs. The chapter explores the current state in the field and its tremendous growth in regards to members’ growth. The chapters points on to the study objectives, study questions, rationale of the study, and significance of the study and the purpose of the study. Chapter two in details explores the existing literature in regards to the study topic, “The need for public relations practitioners in the gym’s industries and how the PR theories could be applied.” The literature sufficiently, gathers information that may assist in answering the four study question outlined in chapter one in relation to the purposes of the study. Chapter three discusses the methods that will be applied in this study. The study points to study design sample size, methods of data collection, and models of ensuring data validity and biasness elimination. Further, the chapter discusses the needs for ethical consideration and how the study will attain such expectation. Chapter 2: Literature review Serini and Krider, (2015) asserts that professionals in the public relations have a crucial role in the Millennials generation born 1982-2000, and thus they ought to be ready to take up their leadership positions in their career earlier as compared to any other generation. From findings of two in-depth interviews and focused groups conducted in the summer of 2014 shows that the manner in which the Millenials have been educated and raised is fundamental in regards to qualities of leadership embraced from the study. The focused group discussion did point out concerns linked to the Millenials in their work engagement in public relations such as worth ethics, business acumen, communication skills, and personal qualities. 2.1. What is the role of PR in gym and or sport club in creating awareness? Public relations play various roles in creating awareness in gym, sports and clubs and do this through marketing. Ferrand, and McCarthy, (2009 p397) marketing is an imperative process of good management practice. The process entails customer wishes, wants and needs identification and satisfying them. To remain in business, leisure and sports facilities and services rely on satisfied customers otherwise they will exist the business due to heated competition. Marketing entails creating the right services and goods and linking them to the market demand. Hence, far from mere selling, marketing in a business is an integral part from the starting process. Marketing is entitled to various roles including: Analyses, adjusts and evaluates, secure appropriate customer relationships puts in place various decisions in reference to ‘marketing mix’ ensure the product is well positioned in the market appropriately segments the market analyses the external environment and the internal organizational environment carries out the potential customers wants and needs Within the commercial environment, marketing has been recognized for effectively helping businesses remain competitive and realizing greater profits. In the leisure world, within the voluntary and the public sectors may help attain a broad set of objective. The common denominator in various disciplines is customer because is only through customers’ satisfaction; loyalty is build and subsequently attaining the organizations objectives. Public relation is all about connectivity. The core to PR is media. Today, there is a paradigm shift from traditional medium for PR to modern technology; sports media marketing. Media is a fundamental role in the modern society. Media does increase public awareness and gathers the attitudes, information and the views towards certain issue. Thus, media remains a strong communication tool in increasing awareness in the emerging world and presents the actual phase of society. Using the media PR is build and thus, people are linked with the present world and remain linked with what is happening (Dwivedi and APdey, 2013 p67). Media helps in promotion of the right things within the right time and provides information strongly on the right or wrong happenings in the world. In communicating its significance to people, the author first focuses to the place, people and the need. For example: Los Angeles in the United States is the second largest City with 470 square miles areas and with over 3.8 million people comprising the whole population. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks remains the most comprehensive City’s Social Service Agency. RAP provides affordable cultural and recreational programs and activities to the Los Angeles. The programme communicates what it offers, and why. The programs offers outdoor fitness zones to all people across lifespan. This is significant in the US because over a third of the adults in the US are struggling with obesity issues. Some problems linked with obesity include various types of preventable morbidities and mortalities, cancers, type 1 and 2 diabetes and cardiovascular related diseases and conditions. Further, obesity related illness caused the states about 21% of health care expenses per year about $190.2 billion in the United States (Laparks.org, n.d. pp3-6). Thus, PR ought to apply the elements of marketing mix in regards to people, place, product, price, promotion, and process and physical evidence. In ensuring healthy and fitness communication campaigns ought to provide the right message to the right group of people at the right place and time via right channels. Research shows that communication campaigns narrowed in informing people what they ought to do have been found to be inefficient and they fail in most cases. Effective campaign understand the loopholes existing in other campaigns and shows the idea is good rather than claiming it is good and further, highlights how and why it calls upon someone to act upon it (Ferrand, and McCarthy, 2009 p410). Therefore, marketing mix helps in understanding the segment of the market be reached and marketing positioning, and this will only need an PR expertise. 2.2. What are the strategies and sponsorships for PR of gyms and sports club? The public relations discipline has had a tremendous growth from the traditional research which basically focused on mass media effects, campaigns and messages production on audiences to the modern times where it’s more of using PR to ensure sustainability. Hence, public relation is seen as a communication management between a given organization and its public. This is possible using the strategic public relations management model. The strategic PR management theory entails a lot of know how in the public relations strategy foundational knowledge together with the public relations models, and the public’s situational theory (Rhee, 2004 p1). Public relations involvement in strategic management helps organizations develop communication programs to connect with strategic publics, within and outside internal and external organizations environment likely to offer greatest opportunities and threats to the organizations (Rhee, 2004 p3). According to Woratschek and Schafmeister, (2005 p1) in the last couple of years, most organizations in the top level have had a paradigm shift from working with volunteers to embracing professionals. An example is the European football clubs, were star players have been engaged in as employees rather than volunteers. More so, any organization in sporting discipline ought to make money to meet the expenses of daily basis. Therefore, making money ought to go hand in hand with value creation. To appropriately understand value creation, suitable models of value creation ought to be employed. This is so as using the wrong model leads to unsuitable strategies suggestion and so wrong PR strategies applications. To understand this business models and revenue models ought to be treated separately. Woratschek and Schafmeister, (2005 p2) a business model describes the governance, structure and content of designed transactions to be able to create value through business opportunities exploitation. On the other hand, the revenue model is the strategies that a business model lays out to be able to grow its revenue. Thus, the business model looks at the aspects of growing customers while revenue model focuses on the monetary growth aspects. Abiodun (2011 p2) sport sponsorship in a tool in employed to market various companies to reach more customers globally. This is important as it ensures that various organizations have competitive advantage as well as awareness creation that ensure they realize a higher profit margin. Through sports and various clubs specific audience in the target market are reached hand in hand with potential customers allowing penetration quite effectively by using the promotional mix elements. This is happening because although in the olden days, sponsors were viewed as charitable organization today they are viewed more of partners in sports than anything else. Therefore, is difficult today to find an organization of big events expects to get some amount of funds without giving back something. Sponsorship is defined as rights acquisition to directly associate or affiliate with event or a product with an objective of deriving benefits linked with that association or affiliation. The sponsor uses the existing relationship to attain its objectives of promotion or to support and facilitate its wide objectives of marketing. Abiodun, (2011 p11) many companies today understand the need of customer for business existence and thus understand the significance of marketing to this objective. This enables the organization remains competitive. It is through marketing mix management that companies need to meet the needs of the customer to have a high competitive advantage compared to their competitors. It is through promotion, that companies meet their target audiences via mass communication. Promotion is more than merely traditional advertising forms. It entails all types of communications to consumers. For most organizations sports and gyms are becoming the center for reaching the current and future market efficiently and effectively. Sponsorship principle objectives includes gaining publicity, creating entertainment, fostering favorable company association and brand, improving community relations and creating promotional opportunities. Thus, PR helps in benefiting both the sponsor and the sports and gym activities. Directly the sponsor’s organization benefits from potential and existing customers behavior change. Indirectly the increased products and brands visibility contact with a specific market segment increases its client bases and ensure image enhancement together with ensuring sales growth in the long-term. The mutual- relationship build by the sports and sponsors leads to financing the sports either in monetary terms of materials or equipments, sports promotion and sports marketing. On the other hand, the sponsors industries benefits from image building, competition, sales increment, relationship marketing, secure entitlement, building goodwill and create exclusivity. It is through this relationship that the two parties realize competitive advantages over their competitors. 2.3. What are PR tools used in creating awareness and building competitive advantages in sports and clubs? In the modern competitive business environment, it is a non-compromising fact that attracting and maintaining customers and other stakeholders, high quality services and products are not sufficient factors. It has dawned to the modern organizations developing public relations aspect as element of relationship building and communications strategies is fundamentals in ensuring that they differentiate themselves, their brand and gain competitive advantage. It is this same understanding embraced by sports and gyms industries and sport product promotion (Bond.edu.au, n.d. p2). Public relation is geared towards relationship building. Studies show that organization-public relationships that are effectively managed importantly affect key public member behaviors, evaluations and attitudes. From this theory, is that publics are likely to show long-term repeat purchase behavior and loyalty behavior to a service, brand and or company in the application of relationship-based grounded to the PR of the organization. This theory of building relationship is in line with Gruning’s PR two-way Symmetric model which aims to build mutual understanding and employs a two-way balanced form of communication from and back to group. Thus, application of PR at this level requires trained PR practitioners in all First Class Count Clubs (Bond.edu.au, n.d. P20). The public has already interest with sports, gyms and clubs activities. There it remains imperative for those involved from the media, player or administrators to communicate all that is important pertaining sports and their teams regularly and consistently. This is in line with human communication theories which are the building blocks of the current PR. Such theories of importance are the social exchange and social penetration theories. Social penetration points to the strategies where people get to know each other at varying levels and intimacy. The theory views communication quality in regards to the exchanged materials between relational partners which is fundamental to the maintenance and development of relationship. Positive relationship forms positive linkages and thus the memorable encounter is the fundamental element. Thus, in sports, gyms and clubs the theory points to getting into and through association knowing each other to attain the mutual understanding in reference to the two-way symmetric PR. To ensure that the sports, gyms and clubs nurture their lucrative relationships they need to attract more future supports, a fact that calls upon the application of the social exchange theory (Dittmore, n.d. pp21). In reference to the social exchange theory, public; individuals involved in interactions with an objective of being positive have to define and negotiate their requirement for negative and positive communication and come into consensus on the behaviors and rules needed to express the relationship. The theory asserts that interpersonal communication remains a symbolic process where two people have a bonding providing one another resources or being able to negotiate the resources for exchange. Therefore, the theory remains at the public relations practice core (Dittmore, n.d. pp21-23). PR does not occur in a cocoon. Thus, various tools are used to create and build good PR. The tools used in marketing ought to be maintained simple and maximize the existing wide varieties and exiting the modern media technology. In choosing the tools ensure that they are prioritized in their ability to reach the target audience that the club finds them as potential customers. During sport promotions importantly use familiar images that are associate with the people to ensure people feel include in the study from the beginning (Sport England, n.d. p3). To necessitate the two-way communication model; social media is the main tool. Emailing and or phone calls were the major tools for communication in most athletic department. Today, there is need to engage fans more often as possible via Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube among other modern forms of social media (Bakalar 2013, p1). In regards to Amy Martin former director in Phoenix Suns digital-media and a social media consultant, marketing executive social media is the new dialogue platform that replaces the traditional model of tenets of marketing. This is so as social media offers accessible organizations enabling fans messages and other followers to have their messages attended to promptly and the people are updated what happens behind the scenes and overall does humanize a brand and a team. Marketing and public relations, social media offers a room where audiences screen the information they prefer unlike waiting to be delivered to them, this open access to unlimited audiences. Social media enables people to create links to similar information on other sites and to other people when they find their information of significance. Further, social media are best suit for sport, gyms and clubs industries as real-time events remain thrilling. Mostly common social media tool used in sports, gym and clubs are Twitter, Facebook and YouTube clips. Twitter allows message from the participants, the brand, the fans and anybody who can tweet creating an interactive dialogue. At the end of the day Twitter is a substantial platform for forming communities. Facebook on the other hand enables interaction with consumers extending face-to-face interaction with brands as it enhances image and brand communication via content public relations (links, videos, photographs, status updates etc). These interactions platforms necessitates sports, gyms and clubs firms to build authentic relationships with the market they target as they enhance and reinforce a presence of strong brand (Balakar, 2013 pp8-9). Using YouTube clips a person can follower what is happening, and follow activities done in a gym and or clubs. Further, using YouTube it is possible to workout outside the venues and viewers can leave comment to the authors and feedback message can be found (Boyle and Haynes, 2012 p3). 2.4. How does the PR increase member’s base and growth and development in sports and clubs gym? From this collection it is clear that PR and promotion overlaps to a greater degree. Nevertheless, with PR you need to have strategic goals and objectives that need to be met at the end of the day, where there will be attitude and behavior change. PR is geared towards enhancing a change in awareness or attitude of an organization with resulting outcome in Publicity. Therefore, it is the PR function to raise the organization Profile. PR entails various techniques and practices employed in creating understanding and rapport organization’s target audiences (Hillary Commission Supporting Sport, n.d. p10). PR strategically explores the market it needs to reach. Throughout, gyms and sports and clubs carries out a broad survey to understand who their clients are, the product best suited to these groups, the substantial place to offer the product and interplay with market price to remain competitive. It is through PR management that comes up with customized membership options, convenience of the service and result oriented strategy. In regards to various researches generally the overall fitness enterprise there is a paradigm shift from traditional workout session like running and weights to group session where these programs have shown to be motivating and enjoyable among the participant. Gym membership is another paradigm shift experienced today via employers engineered packages making part of the compensation package. This is so with increased need for work out among most people especially in America where workout is been included by employers as part of allowances. Additionally, health insurance companies also have started providing reduced or free membership. Therefore, PR is likely to leverage on these phenomena’s to attract more members via corporations or small businesses in the region. Further, understanding market trends is another phenomenon which encourages the need for people to ensure weight lose and live a lifestyle which is healthier (Thomas, 2010 pp4-8). The positive values, sport communication dimensions, social connection and physical activity and using careful well-designed programs have a big potential in attaining health goals. This is feasible through mobilizing and engaging professional sports federations, clubs and high-profile elite athletes. This may necessitate harnessing this communication’s power may help deliver critical messages and information in health, model healthy living behaviors and attract health initiatives resources. Thus, the universal and unique power inherent in sports enables it to inspire, motivate and attract highly effective tool for empowering and engaging countries, communities and individuals to take action in health improvement (Sport and Health, pp27-29). In summative form, PR leverages on strategic assessment and application of the market mix tools and sport marketing application to attract and retain more customers and ensure it remains competitive. This is so as PR move is driven by realizing that what PR has succeeded to accomplish does not measure success rather the opposition encountered and the courage to stay fighting against odds does measure success (Thomas, 2010 p12) Chapter 3: Methodology 3.1. Type of study Goksel and Serarslan, (2015 p277) this study will employ a qualitative study model. The primary reason for using qu.xalitative studies in research is to explore in depth either one or more cases. Hence, the usage of Public relation tool in sports, gyms and clubs as one tool of reaching out to the target market was found to fit squarely using this method. The study will explore how PR is applied in these fields, how it affects various brands and ensures that they grow their customer base and leverage in competitive environment and maintain competitive advantage factors which call upon PR expertise. 3.2. Sample According to Unite for Sight, (2015 p1), a sample is paramount in every study. Sample will randomly be employed to ensure generalization of the data in regards to the question stated in this research. Qualitative sampling technique will be used to aid in answering the questions set forth in this case and attain the study objectives. In various findings, sample of more than 30 cases and less than 500 was found to be reasonable in addressing research needs. Further, sample size varies with the required information. Big study samples are likely to result to resources wastage, while small sample may omit out reliable cases and possibly benefit the wrong cases or result to biasness. Further, with qualitative research small sample sizes are recommended (Wilmont, n.d. p3). Hence, this study depending on the topic under investigation will use 150 study cases following the need for the study objectives. 3.3. Study techniques Qualitative researchers basically do not carry out external generalizations following the fact that their ultimate objective is to obtain insights regarding a certain familial, social and educational practices and processes that are inherent in a particular context and location. Hence, sampling plays a fundamental role in the process of qualitative research. Sampling choice is imperative in all qualitative researchers. This study will employ a purposive sampling technique. This is so as the study focuses on use of public relation in sports, gyms and clubs and this will be the center of interest (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2007 p242). 3.4. Recruitment strategy According to Eide, (2008 p1) a research ought to consider recruiting participant that helps the study attain its efficacy. Thus, the study will use various corporations and or owners of sports, gyms and clubs industries, sponsors and consumers in UK to these services to ensure the study questions leverage in their presence in understanding the significance to these industries. The study will employ non-probability random sampling to ensure those cases gets a chance of being recruited. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be directed by the study variables in the objectives outlined in this research. 3.5. Data collection The data will be gathered using focused group interviews among the participants and descriptive methods will be used to analyses the data. Interviews will be carried out using experts in communication and public relation in these three categories of study sports, gyms and clubs. The study will use open-ended structured question and semi-structured question to help in attaining the study objectives (Goksel and 2015 p278). Further, the study will get to review the social media used by various subjects in the study in regards to their connectivity to various clubs, sports and gyms in understanding the role those sports marketing media pages play in building PR in various groups and or organizations. 3.6. Data analysis According to Glaser and Laudel, (2013 p1) it is a great challenge to understand how a particular mechanism works in qualitative data analysis. This follows so following the fact that information of identified patterns ought to be integrated in respect to existing theories. Among other methods, coding content analysis and qualitative content analysis form the various methods applied in analysis qualitative data. The two methods have similar technique of categorizing gathered data. Further, the obtained information can be followed to understand patterns and link the pattern with theoretical information. However, this research will employ coding method. Coding methods entails using codes for the data obtained. Codes are done in simpler terms as tags or labels assigned to either descriptive or inferential data obtained in a research. Further, codes can mean a picture in a paragraph connecting to the study aspect. Codes imply the information explored in a given segment. Codes assist in obtaining text in a given section and necessitates thematic data grouping. Prior to analysis research, codes might be obtained from theory or data collected. 3.7. Ethics In any study ethical consideration are mandatory. This study will seek ethical approval from the university research ethics committee in…(insert the name of your college)……The study will employ anonymity to all participants. The study will seek consent from all participants. All participants will be at liberty to undertake the study or leave at any given stage of the study. Confidentiality of study participants and data obtained will be maintained. The researcher will in details explain all the requirements of the study to the study groups to ensure that the information obtained is reliable and can be trusted. The study group will be informed that the data obtained will only be used for this study and for educational purposes and thus, further use of the information will be conveyed to them. 4.0. References Abiodun, O.R. 2011. The significance of sponsorship as a marketing tool in sports events. International Business. [Online]. http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/24945/Student_Abiodun_Oladunni.pdf, accessed 5/24/2016. Balakar, A. 2013. Public Relations: The Use of Social Media as a Tool for Increasing Awareness about College Club Sports Team. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Bond.edu.au, n.d. Applying the Public Relations Functions to the Business of Sport. [Online]. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=maria_hopwood Boyle, R. and Haynes, R. 2012. Sport, Public Relations and Social Media. [Online]. http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/92902/1/92902.pdf, accessed 5/25/2016. Britt, D. 2012. Business and technology: the shape of the fitness industry. The Fitness Issue. [Online]. http://source.southuniversity.edu/the-shape-of-the-fitness-industry-85375.aspx, accessed 5/23/2016. Dittmore, S. n.d. Applying the public relations functions to the business sport. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, pp1-32. [Online]. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=maria_hopwood, accessed 5/25/2016. Dwivedi, P.K. and Pandey, I. Role of media in social awareness. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(01):67-70. Eide P.J. (2008). Recruiting Participants. The sage encyclopedia research methods. Ferrand, A. and McCarthy, S. 2009. Marketing the Sports Organization: Building Networks and Relationships. Routledge, London. Glaser, J. & Laudel G. (2013). Life with and without coding: two methods for early-stage data analysis in qualitative research aiming at causal explanations. Qualitative Social Research 14(2) Goksel, A.G. and Serarslan, M.Z. 2015. Public relations in sports clubs: new media as a strategic corporate communication instrument. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health, 2(2):275-283 Hillary Commission Supporting Sport, n.d. Marketing and Public Relations. Running Sport. [Online]. http://www.fencing.org.nz//files/RS4%20Marketing%20%20And%20PR.pdf, accessed 5/24/2016. IBISWorld, 2014. Gym and Fitness Franchises in the US Industry Market Research Report from IBISWorld Has Been Updated. [Online]. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/02/prweb11564951.htm, accessed 5/24/2016. Laparks.org. n.d. Outdoor Fitness Zones, Re-Creating Recreation for Los Angeles. [Online]. http://www.laparks.org/partnerships/pdf/outdoorFitness.pdf, accessed 5/24/2016. Onwuegbuzie, a.J. and Leech, N.L. 2007. Sampling designs in qualitative research: making the sampling process more public. The Qualitative Report, 12(2):238-254. Palaniappan, S.N. and Ramachandraiah, S.A.M. n.d. Training Programme on Public Relations. Anna Institute of Management Chennai. Rhee, Y. 2004. The Employee-Public-Organization Chain in Relationship Management: A case Study of a Government Organization. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University Of Maryland, College Park Serini, S. and Krider, D.S. 2015. Millenials and public relationship leadership in the 21st century: are they ready? Public Relations Journal, 9(4). Sport and Health, n.d. Sport and Health: Preventing Diseases and Promoting Health. [Online]. http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/sport/shared/sport/SDP%20IWG/Chapter2_SportandHealth.pdf, accessed 5/24/2016. Thomas, O.L. 2010. Business Structure and Integrated Marketing Communications Plan. Simply Fit: A Community Fitness Center. [Online]. https://www.sbu.edu/docs/default-source/imc-documents/see-lauren's-completed-project.pdf?sfvrsn=0, accessed 5/24/2016. Unite For Sight 2015. The importance of Quality sample Size. [Online]. http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/importance-of-quality-sample-size, accessed 5/25/2016. Wilmont, A. n.d. Designing Sampling Strategies for Qualitative Social Research: With Particular Reference to the Office for National Statistics Qualitative Respondent Register. [Online]. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwip-IaaifXMAhXCuRQKHbwaC8cQFgg4MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ons.gov.uk%2Fons%2Fguide-method%2Fmethod-quality%2Fgeneral-methodology%2Fdata-collection-methodology%2Freports-and-publications%2Fdesigning-sampling-strategies-.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEJeRJGfMpq3QQ8uq_m3Y30o9TLeg, accessed 5/24/2016. Woratschek, H. and Schafmeister, G. 2005. New Business Models for the Value Analysis of Sport Organizations. University Bayreuth. Read More

In the next five years from 2014 to 2019, there is a forecast growth of the industry revenue. The increasing public health campaigns proliferation which increases awareness pertaining fitness and health will trigger new market entrants in the new gym and fitness franchise. Additionally, more time-trapped consumers may need high level of services, such as individually organized nutritional plans, and fitness trainers, to attain fitness results with low time increase. Additionally, as more individuals opt for gyms that can cater local clientele there will be increase in popularity of these franchises.

Thus, the health conscious environment will benefit the industry operators driving membership growth (IBISWorld, 2014 p1). This growth will require PR to maneuver the competitive gym and fitness environment. 1.3. Rationale of the study Today there is increasing rate of obesity especially among children. Therefore, there is expected growth of youth/teens/children fitness market programs. Not until school reexamine their educational curriculums and re-fix real physical education to the education system health fitness and clubs expertise will continue filling the current gap.

A technology progression is fundamental as it has given a room to clients to opt for various options and do their workouts. Thus, with the new media technology gym goers remain motivated. Additionally, interactive programs on various workouts incorporated within the gym equipment enable the exercisers track calorie burn, number of workouts, speed and mileage among others (Britt, 2012 p1). 1.4. Purposes of the study Therefore, in order to present a stronger view about the importance of public relations campaigns for a gym or sports club, this research will observe and analyze the sports public relations strategies and sponsorship of the gyms and the sports clubs in the context of creating awareness and building a strong competitive advantage.

This research will attempt to prove the public relation plans, processes and research methodology in relation to gym’s member’s base growth and development. 1.5. Study questions i. What is the role of PR in gym and or sport club in creating awareness? ii. What are the strategies and sponsorships for PR of gyms and sports club? iii. What are PR tools used in creating awareness and building competitive advantages in sports and clubs? iv. How does the PR increase member’s base and growth and development in sports and clubs gym? 1.6.

Study objectives This study sets forth four objectives that will be achieved on answering the question set forth in this study. i. To explore the role of public relations in gyms, sports and clubs in awareness creation ii. To investigate the strategies and sponsorships that sports, clubs and gymns embrace iii. To find out the tools used in public relations in creating areness and building competitive advantage in sports, gyms and clubs iv. To explore various ways in which the public relations necessitates member’s increase, growth and development in sports, gyms, and clubs. 1.7.

Content overview Chapter one sets in the study topic in regards to gyms, and fitness sports and clubs. The chapter explores the current state in the field and its tremendous growth in regards to members’ growth. The chapters points on to the study objectives, study questions, rationale of the study, and significance of the study and the purpose of the study. Chapter two in details explores the existing literature in regards to the study topic, “The need for public relations practitioners in the gym’s industries and how the PR theories could be applied.

” The literature sufficiently, gathers information that may assist in answering the four study question outlined in chapter one in relation to the purposes of the study. Chapter three discusses the methods that will be applied in this study. The study points to study design sample size, methods of data collection, and models of ensuring data validity and biasness elimination.

Read More