Table of Contents
Mr. Tung Dinah, the sole decision-maker and the owner of Quest Fitness Center is looking forward to attracting students from Murray State University. The business did not have many members when it began, but now it has many people including girls, women, and men training at the facility. Nonetheless, regardless of this success, the center does not have the desired influence because the public, as well as the clients, are not conscious of the brand of the business, its success, and contributions (Wilcox, Cameron, & Reber, 2015). Therefore, it is vital to carry out a public relations campaign for Quest Fitness Center to educate as well as inform people regarding the business in addition to enhancing its recognition and making it increasingly pertinent in the public eye (Grunig, 2013).
Situation Analysis
Introduction
In this section, the paper explores the case analysis of Quest Fitness Center. As such, it will take a decisive look at the existing state of the company for the reasons of assessing the existing products offered, the existing market, as well as the obstacles in regards to the future of the firm (Atkin & Freimuth, 2001). Therefore, the analysis is essential for strategic planning. In this connection, it will be conducted to develop the SWOT analysis framework to guide future planning. Accordingly, in the process of carrying out the situation analysis, it will be exceedingly essential to establish the areas of the business that are above expectations and those that are lacking. Other areas that will feature in this section will include Quest Fitness Center mission and goals, target audience, internal and external environment analysis, public perception and a problem statement.
Notably, Quest Fitness Center, which is run by Tung Dinah, is a gym facility looking forward to increasing its clientele. In that regard, it is looking forward to conducting an awareness campaign to entice students to join the gym at an affordable offer. Tung is the key decision-maker because he owns the gym, which is attended by girls, men, and women. With its excellent customer service, the gym expects that its clients attain utmost satisfaction from its services. Moreover, it has a social media platform on Facebook only.
Mission and Goals
Notably, the clients of the facility consider it an achievement when they can attain the inner confidence they never had before. Apparently, this makes them motivated to work harder to accomplish these designated objects. In that regard, the mission and goal of the Quest Fitness Center is to empower customers to attain positive results by assisting them in meeting their needs alongside living healthy lives.
Target Audience
When the facility began, there were exceedingly few clients, but it grew slowly as well as steadily. Nonetheless, the gym strives to attract more customers by equipping its personnel with enhanced skills that will assist in attaining customer satisfaction. The target audience of the gym includes women, men, and girls, and students looking forward to making friends, losing weight, taking shape, those with health requirements, and those sports people requiring increasing their performance (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2008).
The ‘making friends’ target audience is the people who are barely interested in the fitness benefits availed by the gym (Ellwanger & Human Effectiveness Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory. 2006). In that regard, these are the people who view the fitness center as a chance to mingle with individuals with similar objectives in addition to making new friends. The author audience, the ‘losing it’ individuals are those with the intention of losing weight. Such people perceive that regular exercise is vital for their participation. The taking shape group consists of the people who are fundamentally interested in enhancing their body appearance, perhaps through weight training and bodybuilding. Further, the peak performance groups are the people who are increasingly self-motivated and disciplined when it comes to their fitness and health (Valente & Pumpuang, 2007). As such, they are increasingly focused on attaining their individual best, regarding endurance, body building, weight lifting, and running times (Marcet, Rochera, & Garcia, 2012). Finally, the health requirements group is the people that attend because they are attempting to enhance their strength, health, or because they have been ordered so by a doctor.
Internal Environment Analysis
The facility began with exceedingly few clients but has since grown to accommodate many customers as a result of equipping its personnel with the necessary skills required for increasing customer satisfaction. The Quest Fitness Center is focused on the experience that one has during training or as goals to meet for preparatory training. As such, it has curved out a niche since it defies the trend away from spinning classes that are apparently in decline (Hunger & Wheelen, 2003). Notably, by matching compelling instructors with what might otherwise be a prescribed format, the facility has created a fervent base (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2007).
Moreover, the gym offers quality services due to its advanced structure which includes a sports and recreation building, arenas, Gymnasiums, and pools. Nevertheless, despite these facilities, the business faces an internal impediment of increased cost of operations associated with customized, individual services (Mennen, 2010). Ideally, the gym attends to the requirements of every client personally, and this increases the cost of operation because everything has to be customized according to the demands of that particular customer (Kazmi, 2009).
Public Perception
Schweigert, (2016) claims that public perception is seen as the divergence between an absolute truths grounded on facts alongside a virtual reality shaped by media coverage, popular opinion, or reputation. Most of the attendants of the facility claim that its online visibility is exceedingly limited. Notably, the business has its presence only on Facebook while there are other numerous online platforms where it can increase its visibility. Nevertheless, they applaud the management of the gym for its excellent services. Accordingly, customers are warmly welcomed with the instructors bearing in mind the fundamental aspect of meeting the needs of each client. Moreover, the support staff is humble as well as hardworking, and they strive to make a positive difference in the customer’s lives. In other words, the facility has a positive reputation among its clients.
We can do it today.
External Environment Analysis
The external environments of any organization are the aspects outside the business that influence its capacity to function (Mercer, 2010). The external environment of Quest Fitness center includes some of the fierce competitors in the fitness industry. Some of the key competitors include Preston Center, Anytime Fitness, and Club Fitness. These facilities present major rivalry to Quest Fitness Center as they offer almost similar services. Moreover, Club Fitness offers lower prices to its customers and thus, attracts many people within the West Kentucky area. Preston Center, on the other hand, has its market in lower-income families and students who require accessibility alongside affordability of fitness facilities (Analoui, & Karami, 2003). Further, Anytime Fitness aims at informal fitness-seekers that never work out with a high concentration but still yearn the recognition and status. Consequently, with these facilities within the same locality with Quest Fitness Center, more clients are likely to switch to them depending on their requirements and abilities (Caliskan, 2008).
SWOT Analysis
Internal
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Outcome-oriented approach to attract as well as maintain clients | Escalated cost related to customized, personal service |
| An increasingly researched, detailed health fitness program, which is long-term in focus | The incapacity to work on a lofty volume corporate model |
| Highly trained support and personnel | The costs of attracting a vast corporate clientele |
External
| Opportunities | Threats |
| Involvement within an expanding market | Diminished immunity to an economic recession |
| The vast escalation in clients that follows within the acceptance of Quest Fitness Center programs | Probable rivalry from larger, well established rivals |
| The capacity to leverage prospective quantitative analysis, which supports the contention which long-term wellness programs have an important, positive influence on the bottom line of a company. | A transformation in society where the person begins taking far more responsibility for his or her health maintenance |
Problem Statement
On the grounds of the above analysis, Quest Fitness Center has the opportunity of attracting more clients by expanding its service offering to include the different requirements of different customers. It is evident that its competitors specialize in certain niches, which limits their capacity to attract clients with various needs. As such, the Quest Fitness Center, through eliminating the weakness of the inability to accommodate high volume corporate model, and by offering different services to suit the needs of the different customers, can be increasingly attractive to other clients, especially Murray State students.
Focus Group
Krueger and Casey, (2009) state that a focus group is a research carried out by organizations to collect data regarding customer perspectives alongside opinions regarding new ideas, services, or products either being offered or in the stage of product development. Below is the focus group for Quest Fitness Center.
Developing Campaign Goals and Objectives for Quest Fitness Center (3rd March 2017)
Introduction
I am Robert Williams, and I am creating as well as implementing some aspects of a public relations campaign for Quest Fitness Center. Research is the initial step of the public relations procedure. Accordingly, it allows agencies to establish key publics alongside realistic campaign goals as well as objectives. Therefore, to assist in developing campaign goals alongside targets for Quest Fitness Center, I request that you participate in this focus group. Certainly, in this group, I will ask for your honest opinions regarding Quest Fitness Center. Accordingly, your identities will be kept confidential throughout the process of the campaign. The information that you will avail will not be published for any gains. Nonetheless, your responses will assist me in fulfilling course requirements in addition to assisting me in determining efficient campaign goals, objectives alongside message strategy for Quest Fitness Center. You should also note that your responses would be taped for future reference.
However, because the campaign is formulated to fulfill course credit, I am not needed to get Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Nonetheless, it is vital that I still have signed consent forms from the participants of the focus group. Each member will sign two forms, taking one with him or her, and returning the other one.
Before we begin, it is vital to remind everyone that in this discussion, there are no wrong or right answers. The purpose of this event is knowing what each one of you thinks. Therefore, everyone should feel at liberty to be guileless and to share perception, in spite of whether you concur or not with the points being raised. It is increasingly vital that all of you present your viewpoints.
Probably, you desire that your remarks be not told to individuals’ external to this group. As such, let everyone treat other team members as they would wish to be treated by not conversing with someone regarding what is said in today’s debate. Thus, let us start by introducing ourselves (the six members present themselves as Peter Parkey, Emily Teegarden, Joshua Su, Grace Bett, Brad Evans, and Briana Sasha all of Murray state University) All have signed the consent form and returned one form to me.
Questions
Awareness
- What do you think regarding the topic that has gathered us here today (Quest Fitness Center)?
- Are you aware of the importance of enrolling in a fitness center? If yes, what are some of the benefits?
- Have you ever contemplated on joining Quest Fitness center?
Communication
- Do you think the Quest Fitness Center’s visibility is adequate? Where did you hear about it?
- Online
- From friends
- Personal visit
- What others ways can you propose to the gym management in regards to communication?
- Are there people you can recommend to join the facility?
Programs
- Have you ever enrolled in any fitness program?
- What programs would you expect to be offered by the facility?
- What programs would you participate in?
Closing
- Let us summarize some of the primary points of this discussion
- Do you have any questions?
I am exceedingly thankful to all of you that made this discussion a success. I appreciate and thank you for taking your time to talk to me. Kindly ensure that every one of you has returned one consent form and taken home the other one. Otherwise, thank you once again.
Findings
- Most participants thought that Quest Fitness Center was only for body builders and weight lifters
- Most of them were aware of the importance of fitness most of them citing health reasons.
- Most of the participants had not contemplated on joining Quest Fitness center most of them citing busy school schedules.
- The members claim that the facility had a poor communication strategy, as most of them had never heard of it despite being located in the same locality. Nonetheless, those that had knowledge of its existence found it on Facebook.
- Most people proposed twitter and the creation of its website as additional ways to uplift its communication strategy.
- All the participants said that they had people they could recommend to join the facility.
- Half of the participants claimed to have enrolled in a fitness program but dropped along the way due to various reasons such as school schedule.
- Some of the participants stated that they expected the facility to have a gymnasium, and a swimming pool, while others especially those that had not enrolled in a fitness program before, did not have an idea of what they would expect.
- All females stated that they would participate in aerobics to shape their bodies and keep fit while the males reported that they would take part in body building and weight lifting for health and professional reasons.
Analysis of Key Publics
Introduction
Quest Fitness center has the opportunity of attracting more clients by expanding its service offering to include the different requirements of different customers. Because most of its competitors offer specialized services or target a particular niche, Quest Fitness Center can diversify its services to accommodate the people that cannot be provided in other facilities. Nonetheless, it can only achieve this by expanding its ability to provide high volume corporate model and by offering different services to suit the needs of the different customers, can be increasingly attractive to other clients, especially Murray State students (Ledingham & Bruning, 2007).
Publics 1: Full-time Undergraduate students at the Murray State University Campus
Identification
Apparently, Murray University has many full-time students that can be targeted as customers for the Quest Fitness Center. The group is distinguishable because it is comprised of youths who are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of fitness. The group is exceedingly important to the business as it forms a large customer base that can boost the revenues of the organization (Cain, 2009). Moreover, the group is accessible through various social platforms and one-on-one conversations. The group of publics is also homogenous, as it comprises of people in one single institution with almost similar time schedules. The group would form a large customer base.
Analysis
Undergraduate students at the Murray State University are aware publics because they recognize that they have a problem in regards to fitness. They understand that for them to remain active in life, they require their bodies in the best forms possible. As such, most of them think that taking fitness sessions would be increasingly advantageous to their lives. Therefore, most of them are ready to join a fitness center that is affordable and that which can accommodate their tight schedules. Most of them would want the facility to offer specialized services in accordance to their personal needs. Mostly, the group comprises of individuals between 20 years and 25 years, which can be categorized as low-income earners as most of them are financed by their parents and the government (Cain, 2009).
Public 2: Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University
Identification
The faculty has many students and employees with flexible schedules. The group is distinguishable as it is one that has a lot of free time compared to other departments. As such, it is relevant to the business at it would be a source of frequent customers (Guth & Marsh, 2007). It is also accessible through social media, as it comprises of youths that are increasingly active in such platforms. Moreover, it is significant enough to form a solid customer base. Additionally, it is homogenous as it is from a single faculty of the University. As such, it would establish a dedicated customer base.
Analysis
The faculty in the College of Arts and Letters can also be categorized as an aware public because the people in it recognize the essence of physical fitness. Individuals in this group think that keeping fit would enhance their lives in addition to their health. As such, they require a fitness center that caters to their specific fitness needs. In that regard, considering that they are low-income earners, they expect an affordable and flexible facility. Social media would be an excellent place to target this group, as it comprises of young individuals of between 20 years and 30 years, who are increasingly active on such platforms (Guth & Marsh, 2007). Most of them would prefer leading a healthy life through keeping fit, a service that the Quest Fitness Center can avail.
Public 3: Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University
Identification
Even though the faculty does not have many students, it is sufficient to form an excellent professional training base as students specialize in sports and leisure education, also making it distinguishable. Therefore, the group is vital to the business as it can use their expertise in improving its services. Similar to other groups, it is accessible through social media (Bao & PKC, 2004). It is also homogenous, as it comprises students in the sports and leisure education, in which the fitness business falls under. This group would form an excellent customer base for the organization.
Analysis
The group can be categorized under the active publics’ level of development, as they are aware of their fitness problem and are certainly doing something about it. Notably, most students in this group either are members of a fitness center within the university or outside as it is a requirement of their course. The team thinks that keeping fit is a requirement and that Quest Fitness Center requires expanding its facility and services to accommodate more members. Similar to other groups, this group is accessible through social media, as it comprises of young individuals of between 20 and 30 years who are very active on such platforms (Bao & PKC, 2004). Quest Facility would offer a significant advantage to this group, as it would act as a training center as well as a learning center for them.
Goals and Objectives
Publics 1: Full-time Undergraduate students at the Murray State University Campus
Goal: Increase Quest’s Fitness Center reputation among full-time undergraduate students at Murray State University
Awareness Objectives: To have an influence on the awareness of full-time undergraduate students at Murray State University, specifically to enhance their understanding of the benefits of keeping fit (40% of the students within three months).
Acceptance Objective: To have an influence on the acceptance of full-time undergraduate students at Murray State University, specifically to escalate their positive attitudes toward membership in Quest Fitness Center (30% of the students within three months)
Action Objectives: To have an influence on the action of full-time undergraduate students at Murray State University, specifically to escalate their attendance at Quest Fitness Center (20% of the students within three months)
Public 2: Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University
Goal: Increase Quest Fitness Center image among Faculty members in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University
Awareness Objectives: To have an influence on the awareness of the Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University, specifically to improve the perception of the facility (60% of the faculty members within three months)
Acceptance Objective: To have an influence on the acceptance of the Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University, specifically to enhance their interest in joining the facility (40% of the members within three months)
Action Objectives: To have an influence on the action of the Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University, specifically to escalate their patronage at Quest Fitness Center (35% of the members within three months)
Public 3: Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University
Goal: To attract faculty colleagues in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University as a sellout crowd
Awareness Objectives: To have an influence on the awareness of the Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University, specifically to pass on a good perception of the business to other students (50% of the members within three months)
Acceptance Objective: To have an influence on the acceptance of Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University, specifically to increase their positive attitudes toward membership in Quest Fitness Center (30% of the students within three months)
Action Objectives: To have an influence on the action of the Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University, specifically to sell out the business to other students in different departments (25% of the members within three months)
Strategy Plan
Publics 1: Full-time Undergraduate students at the Murray State University Campus
Goal: Increase Quest’s Fitness Center reputation among full-time undergraduate students at Murray State University
Objective 1: To enhance understanding of the benefits of keeping fit
Strategy 1: Distribute fitness booklets among the students
Strategy 2: Call for seminars in the university regarding the advantages of staying fit
Objective 2: Escalate positive attitudes toward membership in Quest Fitness Center
Strategy 1: Distribute brochures regarding Quest Fitness Center and the services it offers along with their prizes
Strategy 2: Employ brand ambassadors among the students
Objective 3: escalate attendance at Quest Fitness Center
Strategy 1: Develop flexible schedules according to the availability of each student
Strategy 2: Minimize cost of membership
Public 2: Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University
Goal: Increase Quest Fitness Center image among Faculty members in the College of Arts and Letters at Murray State University
Objective 1: Improve the perception of the facility
Strategy 1: Employ a professional support team
Strategy 2: Listen and handle the personal training needs of every client
Objective 2: Enhance interest in joining the facility
Strategy 1: Form platforms on different social media
Strategy 2: Minimize membership fee
Objective 3: Escalate patronage at Quest Fitness Center
Strategy 1: Encourage students to attend training sessions on their free time
Strategy 2: Give members free gym t-shirts with a business logo on them
Public 3: Faculty in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University
Goal: To attract faculty members in the College of Sports and Leisure at Murray State University as a sellout crowd
Objectives 1: Pass on a good perception of the business to other students
Strategy 1: Ask the students to preach the good word of keeping fit, and the reason Quest Fitness Facility is the best
Strategy 2: Offer the group free membership to attract other students
Objective 2: Increase their positive attitudes toward membership in Quest Fitness Center
Strategy 1: Avail flexible schedules to the students
Strategy 2: Give some of the students a part-time job at the facility
Objective 3: Sell out the business to other students in different faculties
Strategy 1: Give free t-shirt to members with the company logo on it
Strategy 2: Ask them to assist in distributing facility booklets and brochures to other students
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