Table of Contents
Introduction
Feedback received for Part A: Provide a stronger mission statement that conveys a shared sense of purpose to customers, employees and shareholders. Include better quality references and citations. Eliminate the use of first or second person such as I, we, our, you, yours, etc. Finally, aim for three to five sentences per paragraph. Incorporating this feedback to affect changes in the plan will create a stronger mission statement that includes the company’s values, goals and market segment the business will occupy. (1) Quality references will provide stronger support for the marketing plan and branding strategy. Eliminating the use of first or second person when writing and including three to five sentences in paragraphs will make the document more professional and easier to read.
In Motion Fitness is a combination ride share service and gym in Los Angeles. It exists to provide its customers the ability to work out while riding to work. Los Angeles has one of the longest and most stressful commute times in the United States and struggles with poor air quality because of the city’s traffic. (2) In Motion Fitness will pick up customers at designated locations and provide transportation to and from work. The customers can use the onboard gym with the assistance of fitness instructors to work out while drivers get them to work. The goal is to maximize customer time and help reduce air pollution by reducing the number of cars on the road.
Part B of this marketing plan will explore the branding strategy. Specifically, how the brand elements such as the name, logo and slogan for In Motion Fitness will help customers easily recognize how IMF is unique to the fitness industry. The plan will provide details on primary and secondary target market research and the expected impacts to the business. Finally, Part B will cover the positioning statement and consumer behavior relevant to the fitness industry and expected impacts to IMF performance.
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Branding Strategy
The brand name, logo and slogan for In Motion Fitness have been designed to help differentiate it from other companies in the fitness industry. These brand elements help customers easily recognize what IMF is offering and why it is unique. The elements highlight the mobility, efficiency, and positive environmental impact that separate IMF from the competition.
Brand Name
In Motion Fitness is the name of the company. The name incorporates what is important and exclusive about the service IMF is offering. The name is a play on words because fitness involves motion but motion, in this instance, also literally means the gym is in a trailer being pulled to a destination. The customers are exercising in a gym that is in motion while the driver shuttles them through traffic to their place of employment.
Logo
The logo for In Motion Fitness has multiple elements (see Figure 1). It is comprised of the company initials in Harlow Solid Font. The letter I is in lowercase and the M and F are capitalized. The initials are green and centered on a blue sphere. The M and F in a Harlow Solid font have loops giving the illusion of wheels. The small I in Harlow Solid font creates the impression of a person with arms extended to the M. The colors green and blue along with the sphere shape are meant to conjure thoughts of the earth by customers and are used to symbolize the positive environmental impact of the business. The Harlow Solid font also leans to the right giving the impression of movement from right to left.
The logo for In Motion Fitness is an easily recognizable symbol quickly communicating the company’s goal to impact the environment and the mobility of the gym.
Slogan
The slogan for In Motion Fitness is catchy and quickly conveys to customers what In Motion Fitness is all about. It communicates the very essence of what makes IMF unique among fitness centers the customer’s ability to work out on the way to work. Time customers would normally spend in traffic driving to work is now being used to exercise. The combination makes the customers life much more efficient. In Motion Fitness – turning drive time into fitness time.
Brand Extension
In Motion Fitness offers a basic app that currently provides basic calorie intake and exercise tracking. The app also provides a schedule for pick up and arrival times to help customers get to work on time. An advanced app is available for a small monthly fee. The advanced In Motion Fitness app provides the same functions as the basic app but includes advanced AI features. The app is a fitness partner that is always with you through your phone. The AI built into the app uses location services to help customers make good fitness decisions.
The AI fitness partner can recognize that the customer is in a fast food restaurant and will make a healthier suggestion to a restaurant nearby. The AI fitness partner tracks calories consumed vs calories burned and recommends exercise or movement to move the customer to a balanced and healthy day. The AI will also track and chart progress over time. Positive progress will prompt positive reinforcement from the AI and negative progress prompts motivational reinforcement. This product provides an enhanced experience for IMF customers that use the transportation and gym services for a small monthly fee. It provides IMF access to customers that will not be using IMF transportation and gym services allowing In Motion Fitness to reach a broader range of customers.
Primary and Secondary Target Markets
The primary market for In Motion Fitness is young married people with children, who live and work in and around Los Angeles. One or both parents commute to work daily and belong to or would like to join a gym. College graduate professionals of any race earning between $50,000 – $100,000 or more as a household. Consumers identifying as millennials who are socially conscious and concerned about the environment doing their best to ensure purchases and items do not negatively impact the environment or community. The members of the target market enjoy their careers but work to live not to spend time at the office or in traffic. This group enjoys time with family and being active. This demographic appreciates a more efficient use of time allowing more time to spend with family and friends. (3) This market also includes Gen Xers who are well educated and use technology to simplify life. (4)
The secondary market for In Motion Fitness is single millennials. This market includes adult male and female college graduates between the ages of 22 and 40. Young professionals focused on career who work hard and play hard. The average income is between $50,000 and $100,000 per year. Socially and environmentally conscious customers who get involved in the community to make an impact. They volunteer to clean up litter along the roadside and make many of their buying decisions based on the company’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. This group pays more to ensure purchases are not harmful to the environment, are good for the community and fair to the labor making the products. This group does not view going to the gym as an opportunity to socialize but are focused on staying fit and appreciate the ability to combine commute time and work out time efficiently allowing them more time to dedicate to work and leisure activities
Positioning Statement
There are almost 900 health clubs, studios and gymnasiums in Los Angeles. The competition ranges from big box chains like Lifetime Fitness, Gold’s Gym and 24 Hour Fitness to boutique gyms like Pure Barre and Equinox. These gyms vary in cost and convenience. Gyms like Equinox are very expensive but offer excellent equipment and facilities. Gyms like the YMCA and Crunch cost less but are less convenient because of location, hours or overcrowding. In Motion Fitness claims the spot of most convenient gym in the market because it combines the customers commute to work with their daily trip to the gym.
IMF is more cost effective than most gyms because members spend less money on gas, car insurance and vehicle maintenance. The main competitors for IMF are fitness programs like Peloton and gyms like Lifetime Fitness. Peloton allows customers to work out in the convenience and comfort of their own home and Lifetime Fitness positions itself as a luxury fitness resort community providing each customer with what is most important to them. Figure 2 below is a perceptual map that indicates the market position of In Motion Fitness against other fitness companies in LA.
For fitness enthusiasts, In Motion Fitness will transform your drive time into gym time. In Motion Fitness is committed to providing you a great work out and a safe green ride to work. Our mobile gym promises to give you back more time to spend with family and friends.
Consumer Behavior of Target Market
Health and fitness are very important to Millennials. (5) Members of this group are willing to dedicate a large percentage of their income to health and fitness products and services including gym memberships. Members of this market are very tech savvy and major users of social media. Members of the target market utilize social media apps to read and write reviews about products and services. This group is influenced by popular figures in social media as well as celebrity opinions.
Millennials are ethnically diverse and generally more tolerant of difference. They are socially conscious and concerned with the environment to the extent that buying decisions are heavily weighted on these two factors. It is important for Millennials to have work life balance. Flexibility is important because they want career success and the time to do things that are important to them.
Marketing In Motion Fitness as the most convenient gym with the biggest environmental impact will capture the attention of our target market. The cultural, social and personal factors of our target markets discussed in the previous two paragraphs match the IMF brand. In Motion Fitness provides the customer with a convenient and efficient way to get to work and exercise providing the customer with more free time and a better work life balance. The company is open and transparent about being environmentally conscious and a green company.
The IMF logo is easily identifiable and connotes both the environmental impact of the business and the mobile aspect of the gym. The slogan “Turning Drive Time into Fitness Time” clearly aligns with target market values. The millennial consumers want more time to do things they enjoy, and IMF is the only company providing the unique service of combining ride share and onboard gym to allow customers to maximize otherwise wasted commute time thus giving customers back valuable time in their day. The IMF positioning statement speaks to the core values of our target market: health, fitness, environment, and work family life balance.
The In Motion Fitness Premium Fitness App is the company’s brand extension. It is a great fit for the target market. Both the primary and secondary markets are very tech savvy. Millennials use apps daily and many have fitness apps on their devices currently. The premium app will have a monthly cost, but the target market will find the AI useful to keep their focus on staying fit when away from the gym.
Conclusion
In Motion Fitness fills a unique segment of the Los Angeles fitness industry. The brand name, logo, and slogan symbolize and embody the core values of the company, in turn, matching the values of IMF’s target market. This report explored IMF’s branding strategy and how those brand elements convey the company’s message to consumers. The perceptual map and the positioning statement communicated how IMF fits into this marketplace among the many competitors. Finally, the report focuses on how branding and positioning, aligned with consumer behaviors, drive a successful marketing campaign.
References
- 1) Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Chapter 2/ Developing and Implementing Marketing Strategies and Plans. In A Framework for Marketing Managment(6th ed., pp. 20-21). Pearson Education.
- 2) Los Angeles: Traffic and smog. (1994). Environment, 36(2), 12. Retrieved from http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9403107525&site=eds-live&scope=site
- 3) BUCUŢĂ, A. (2015). A Review of the Specific Characteristics of the Generation Y Consumer. Proceedings of the International Conference Marketing – from Information to Decision, 8, 38–47. Retrieved from http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=111547015&site=eds-live&scope=site
- 4) Miller, J. D., & Laspra, B. (2017). Generation X in Mid-Life: A Summary from the Longitudinal Study of American Life. Generations, 41(3), 27–33. Retrieved from http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=125985340&site=eds-live&scope=site
- 5) Settembre, J. (2018, January 22). This is the insane amount millennials are spending on fitness. Retrieved from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-the-insane-amount-millennials-are-spending-on-fitness-2018-01-21
