Introduction
This paper will offer a new online platform to promote personalized nutrition and exercise plans. Marketing plays a vital role in offering and promoting new products to a wide range of people. Many business organizations define new marketing approaches and strategies to ensure their services are recognized.
The last several years have been challenging for millions of people across the globe because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fitness industry has changed and improved to maintain health (Guo et al., 2022). People try to create additional health and fitness goals and search for professional help and support online (“The future of the fitness industry,” 2022). Their needs constantly change, and the task is to offer a platform combining personalized activities, informative links, and communication.
Product Concept
COVID-19 has become a severe pandemic that shows people how fragile their health can be, even in the safest environments. In addition, social isolation promoted new unhealthy patterns like sedentary lifestyles, stress, depression, and poor dietary habits (Melamed et al., 2022). Many individuals use online services to solve their problems and improve their health. This product concept is based on four integral aspects: interface, opportunities, goals, and cooperation.
The platform has a user-friendly interface for customers to save time and make the right decisions. A variety of nutritional plans and physical exercises should attract their attention. Having one goal is not enough; the app allows one to choose several objectives and approaches. Finally, professional counseling online is a priority to increase health literacy levels. Instead of caring for themselves alone, users join a network where certified nutritionists and fitness trainers share their opinions.
Creation History
If someone wants to know how I came up with an online platform with nutritional and exercise plans, they should understand that the story is relatively simple. First, I could not ignore the impact of the pandemic and all the lifestyle changes people had to face during social isolation. Many of my friends and relatives could not deal with challenging situations and needed additional access to professional help. They continued developing unhealthy habits, eating a lot, and neglecting their health. Communication was essential to ensure they paid much attention to their health and learned to make the right dietary choices. Guidance for physical exercises was also critical because it was easy to choose the wrong plan and provoke new problems.
Overall Market
The fitness industry is changing today, and predicting which progress could be achieved within the next several years is hard. According to Rizzo (2021), a decline of about 32$ was observed in the sphere in 2020, but the demand increased rapidly, bringing about $160 billion rebound in 2021. In addition, more than $435 billion is expected to be invested in online fitness in 2028 (Rizzo, 2021).
The overall market where the current online platform can be offered is complex. Many well-known competitors offer their services online: Nike Training Club, Jefit, and Burn. Fit (Hall & Williams, 2023). Their free trials attract many customers from different parts of the world. With time, paid subscriptions are required. Finally, personal demands and the desire to cooperate with experts negatively affect online fitness and dietary services. Unsafe and unstable environments caused by distance, technologies, and personal involvement determine the overall fitness market.
Market Type
To promote the right market type, it is necessary to compare the main characteristics of B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) approaches. B2B marketers focus on logic, establish high prices, endorse education, and maintain long-term success and goals. B2C services must underline human emotions and prove that high-quality applications might have low prices.
Entertainment through short-term goals is a core issue in B2C marketing activities. Thus, I chose the B2C market type and helped clients with their intention to improve their health. Their emotions and desire to cooperate and work must be identified and appreciated.
Marketing Mix
Product
Product is the first element of the marketing mix, also known as the 4Ps. It is usually a good or service that a company has to market and promote to achieve the desired behavior in the target audience (Costello et al., 2022). In this case, the product is an online platform that aims to meet users’ fitness and health purposes to ensure health improvement through regular physical exercises, dietary plans, and communication with real nutritionists and fitness experts.
Price
Price is another essential part of the marketing mix that has to be addressed when developing marketing strategies for new products. According to Costello et al. (2022), price is based on the sum of costs necessary for product promotion and application in the market. Planning price policies should be studied to avoid the wrong approach: too high prices might challenge new customers, and too low prices provoke additional concerns and questions. The existing price system among competitors is between $5 and $30 monthly and $40-$85 annually (Hall & Williams, 2023). Based on an online platform, the current application will be $20, including all monetary and non-monetary exchanges to cover access to a professional network.
Place
The third component of the marketing mix is place, and its identification is necessary to realize how and where products can be distributed. The target audience learns about the product via different means, also known as channels (Costello et al., 2022). In this case, it is planned to use social media as the primary source of data distribution: Facebook and Twitter are commonly addressed. Users will be able to download the app by following the offered link. Such elements as public opinions, ratings, and brief descriptions will be offered for their information.
Promotion
Finally, in any marketing mix, business organizations pay special attention to understanding the promotion’s success. There are many ways to advertise and make the product recognizable among the target audience. Costello et al. (2023) recommend social media resources, posters, and events. To achieve this, I want to visit several local gyms and talk to people directly about their needs and expectations. I will also observe how they behave and cooperate, and use these results to understand what opportunities are available.
SWOT Analysis
Creating a new platform for specific services is characterized by particular strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, also known as the elements of a SWOT analysis. The strengths include evident health improvements for clients, safe data storage and privacy, connection with people via social networks, and convenience in using multiple opinions. Still, threats like a lack of cooperation (users become responsible for their activities), possible technical incompetence, and online service illiteracy cannot be ignored.
To offer more opportunities, geographical freedoms, unlimited databases, simple instructions for technological advancement, new sources of information, and cooperation might attract people’s attention. Despite potential competitors, the inability to control costs, and the impact of external threats and problems (no Internet connection or health deterioration), this nutrition/fitness platform may be an interesting proposition for modern online users.
Target Market
Males and females may be interested in improving their health to become a target market for the online platform. However, children or older adults might show less interest in the product because of their parents’ or caregivers’ control and intention to avoid online activities. Thus, individuals between 20 and 50 years of age from any social class and any level of education will be reached with the help of the SNAP selling technique. This method is effective for the B2C market due to its simplicity, promotion of services as invaluable, service alignment, and prioritization. Social media, brochures, and informative links will be offered to gather feedback, increase communication and cooperation, and define the importance of customer loyalty.
Positioning
To succeed in marketing a platform, a strong positioning should be chosen. In this case, it is based on establishing the first impression on potential customers and sharing the main idea of the product. I choose to follow the 3E principle for this platform, namely Exercise, Eat, and Enjoy under professional supervision.
People do not expect to get as many explanations and promises as possible. They need some guarantees and background knowledge to start using a service. In this case, everything is clear: a team of professional nutritionists and trainers will support users’ exercise and eating habits and ensure the enjoyment of the preferred lifestyle.
Service Philosophy
The final step of my marketing campaign is choosing a practical service philosophy. I aim to promote a healthy lifestyle with online fitness and nutrition plans. Safe nutrition and physical activities will be offered via an online platform based on certified services to address current health concerns and social isolation. Communication and cooperation with experts in the required fields introduce a core element of my service. All customers’ questions and opinions will be heard and considered so that professional recommendations and explanations can be offered.
Conclusion
A well-designed marketing plan helps introduce and promote a new product for online users who like discovering enjoyable and educational platforms and services. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged millions of people across the globe. They continue searching for simple, user-friendly interfaces to get their questions and concerns answered and explained quickly. Finally, meal and exercise plans will be developed to maintain well-being and prevent health complications.
References
Costello, L., Dare, J., Dontje, M., Lambert, C., & Straker, L. (2022). Applying the 4Ps of social marketing to retain and engage participants in longitudinal cohort studies: Generation 2 Raine study participant perspectives. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 22(1). Web.
The future of the fitness industry: Consumer trends, recovery, and solutions. (2022). Wellnessliving. Web.
Guo, Y., Ma, X., Chen, D., & Zhang, H. (2022). Factors influencing use of fitness apps by adults under influence of COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23). Web.
Hall, A., & Williams, V. (2023). 10 best fitness apps of 2023. Forbes. Web.
Melamed, O. C., Selby, P., & Taylor, V. H. (2022). Mental health and obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Obesity Reports, 11(1), 23-31. Web.
Rizzo, N. (2021). Fitness industry statistics 2021-2028 [market research]. RunRepeat. Web.