PR Plan

Panoptic PR Agency

Table of Contents
Agency Philosophy.3 Executive Summary...4 Problem/Opportunity....5 Situation Analysis Market.5 Product6 Competition...10 Consumer..15 Meet Amy..16 Meet Samantha...17 Meet Nancy18 SWOT Analysis and Strategic Decision.19 Objectives..21 Target Market..21 Media/Non-Media Connectors..21 Positioning Statement/Brand Message...21 Recommendations....22 Timeline and Budget....25 Measurement and Analysis.26 Appendices28 Works Cited..46

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Agency Philosophy:
At Panoptic PR, doing exceptional work is the result of uniting diverse creative ideas combined with having a relaxed ambiance based on open communication, and an overall positive energy. Panoptic PR was created by four women, who have an extreme passion for the world of public relations. Panoptic means taking in all parts and aspects into one single view. Our team is all embracing and all inclusive when it comes to meeting our clients individual needs. Panoptic PR takes into consideration all of its team members backgrounds, unique thoughts and ideas to blend together in order to be as successful as possible. Our vision goes way beyond conservative public relations thinking, and helps us establish true client partnerships by seeing the big picture. Every idea is challenged to a new level in order to develop innovative, original, and effective plans and campaigns.

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Executive Summary Thrive Pilates, founded by Hally Bayer, is a full service Pilates studio located in the Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia. The studio not only focuses on the physical goals and achievements of its clients, but also the spiritual and emotional successes as well. Pilates is a body conditioning routine that helps build flexibility, strength, and endurance. Thrive has the problem of not having private session awareness. Thrive is looking to increase its private sessions by 52.6% per week by the end of the year starting August 1, 2012. A private session includes either a 30 or 55 minute one-on-one personal instruction, along with nutritional counseling. The three main competitors Thrive has are Centerpoint Pilates, UrbanFront Pilates, and Star Pilates. These three Pilates centers are all located throughout the greater Philadelphia area, and have clients attending private sessions. Unlike Thrive Pilates, the three competitors do not offer nutritional counseling as an option for any client. Thrives target audience for this plan is woman between the ages of 35 and 55, that have disposable income who live near Rittenhouse Square. By attempting to reach this target market to raise awareness of private sessions and get these women to attend Thrives sessions, Panoptic PR has created a plan that will run throughout one year. First, the connection of social media discussing private sessions will be put into effect, along with creating a new blog for Hally about her life, how she started Thrive, and her expert nutritional advice. Panoptic PRs goal is to also have Hally bylined in a featured article, about how to stay in shape for the holidays. During the third quarter, Thrive will hold a self-produced event that will be an open-house to show potential new clients all about Thrive. Finally, in the last quarter, Panoptic PR will pitch letters to television networks to have Hally booked for an interview. Through these four quarters, success will be measured mainly by word-of-mouth, a clipping serviceprimarily of print and online,
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but also a small amount of broadcastand follow-ups with the connectors to keep track of how progressive the plan is.

Problem or Opportunity Pilates is a body conditioning routine that helps build ones flexibility, strength, and endurance, through coordination with the legs, arms, abdominals, and back. There are two ways one can take part in Pilates at a studio; one is through a class (with multiple people) and the other is through a private (one-on-one) session. Panoptic PR conducted research, and found that Thrive Pilates is extremely successful in acquiring full attendance for its regular classes, but, has the opportunity to increase the amount of private sessions taken at its studio. Hally, Thrives owner, currently has at least 50 private sessions going on at the studio per week, and she aspires to increase that number to roughly 95 sessions per week. The problem with private sessions, is that many individuals are not aware of what exactly a private session entails, and are easily deterred when they hear the words one-on-one. Situation Analysis Market Pilates is a form of exercise that belongs to one of the largest and fastest growing industries in America.1 According to Hoovers, the U.S fitness industry, including both profit and nonprofit facilities, earn combined annual revenue of about $22 billion dollars, and U.S consumer spending on health services increased 1.8 percent from July 2010 to July 2011.2 Due to the continuing problem of obesity in America health trends are on the rise, and many people are trying everything and anything in order to get healthy and stay fit. Within this industry there are roughly 24,000 businesses in the U.S alone including: nutritionists, local gyms, national
1 2

Article; Marketing Pilates for Long-Term Success http://www.hoovers.com

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gyms, and of course the smaller niche market of yoga and Pilates studios.3 As you can see, Pilates studios have many competitors, and it tends to make it hard to differentiate themselves especially when it comes to the smaller markets. This is a result of these yoga and Pilates studios offering the same classes and packages, so its hard for one studio to stand out amongst the rest. Although the Pilates market has plenty of competition it remains currently to be the fastest growing exercise method in America. The method of personal training in both Pilates and yoga has grown by 8% within the year of 2009.4 However, competition isnt the only factor hindering future growth of this smaller market. With the rough circumstances of current financial situations in todays economy, people statistically have less disposable income available, thus causing it to be more difficult to afford gym memberships, private classes, or make healthy food choices. Therefore, it is important for a studio in this industry to correctly position itself in the market, as well as, have appropriate and well defined target segments. Product Thrive Pilates offers a variety of fitness classes and health services in an atmosphere that is fun, comfortable and filled with exceptional instructors. There are five main aspects to the Thrive studio; Pilates, fitness, sculpt, health, and dance. The main product that will be focused on, are the private sessions Thrive offers that are tailored to fit your specific needs and wants. These sessions are offered as either private or semi-private (duets). As mentioned earlier, private sessions are one-on-one personal attention with the instructor; and semi-privates, also known as duets, are for groups of two with personal attention from the instructor. When signing up for a session one can choose to either sign up for a 55 or 30 minute session. During these sessions access is provided to state of the art equipment including the Reformer, Tower, Wunda Chair,

3 4

http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/pilates-yoga-studios.html http://www.pilates-pro.com/pilates-pro/2009/8/3/pilates-still-showing-stable-growth.html

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and Mat as well as a variety of small props including: weights, exercise balls, resistance bands, and resistance circles. The Reformer provides exercise resistance that allows one to work very precisely to develop good alignment, core strength, and flexibility.5 The Pilates Tower is another piece of equipment which is commonly attached to the Pilates Reformers.6Additionally, this studio offers the Wunda Chair. Similarly to the Reformer, the Wunda Chairalso known as the Pilates Chairis another type of resistance exercise machine. The Wunda Chair is a box with one side that can be pressed down against the resistance of springs, like a large pedal.7 Thrive also, offers nutritional counseling as an optional add-on for any private session. For nutritional counseling there is an introductory price for $275 which includes three one hour meetings; after these initial sessions each additional session is priced at $90.8 These private sessions are held in either one of the two studio spaces available at the Thrive Pilates facility. The room dedicated to the Reformer and other equipment is a space that provides an intimate, at-home and very personal feeling. The space as whole is in the style of a loft, and is both unique and urban. This space allows clients to feel more at peace during their workout, thus, allowing them to become fully balanced through the body, mind and spirit. These private sessions are offered conveniently all throughout the day, and can be scheduled at the ease of using Thrive Pilates online appointment book or through personal contact via phone or email.9 Depending on the option chosen as well as the length of the session, the prices range between $35 and $90 per session.10 If one wants to take a 55 minute private session with Hally, a single session costs $90, a package of five costs $425 and a package of 10 costs $ 800. For a 30
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http://pilates.about.com/od/gettingstarted/ss/ReformerAnatomy.htm http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesequipment/ig/Large-Pilates-Equipment-Pics/TowerMontage. 7 http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesequipment/tp/Pilates-Chair.htm 8 Interview;Owner,Hally 9 http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com/privates.html 10 http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com/privates.html

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minute session with Hally, it costs $40, and $35 for students. A 55 minute private session with any of the other staff members cost $80 for a single session, $375 for a five-pack and $700 for a pack of 10. For the 30 minute sessions with another staff member one could choose from a 10pack for $365 or a five-pack for $190. The duet sessions cost $50 per session, or can be purchased in a five-pack for $225 and a 10-pack for $400. Also available are introductory package deals which include private sessions and regular classes. These come in two options; three private equipment sessions plus three group mat classes for the price of $225, and three private mat sessions plus three group mat classes for the price of $175.11 According to owner, Hally, Thrive currently schedules an estimated 50 private sessions per week. There is ample space, time, for instructors to conduct at the most 15 sessions per day during the week, and 10 sessions per day on the weekends. All of Thrives staff members are certified, and well trained in their fitness expertise, Hally especially. Hally has an unbelievable passion for health and wellness that began early in her life. Starting as a dancer, she was always interested in physical fitness. Unfortunately, when she was only fifteen years old, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Over the course of the next couple of years she went through a series of three operations in order to save her life. This experience altered Hallys life in way that has inspired her to help others. Through her passion for overall health and wellness, Hally became a certified Pilates instructor. She trained for over 700 hours with Power Pilates, which is known as the Harvard of Pilates training programs12. From this she took her own experiences in healing through nutrition and began further training. While she was sick she sought out fitness, nutrition and healing coach, Catherine Carrigan. She studied with her in her Nutritional Mastery Course, and continues to do research with her.

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http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com/privates.html http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com/

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Hallys passionate background for overall health and wellness will inspire others to achieve a healthy lifestyle goal of their own. Thrive Pilates primarily use flyers and brochures located in the lobby of its building and at the Saxbys Coffee located down the street to generate word-of-mouth. Thrive creates awareness and demands by media relations, instructor announcements, e-mail broadcasts, bulletins, posters, and flyers. This is important because Thrive is looking to create large local customer database. Thrive Pilates also chooses not to spend ample amounts of money for advertising. Rather, it promotes the company products and services mainly through local communications and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and group deal sites. As of December 5, 2011, Thrive Pilates has 196 fans on its Facebook page. The company does not post statuses or updates daily, and it has no consistent pattern as to which time of day it creates posts. It seems as though it makes posts sporadically, whenever it has something to share. In addition, through research it is evident that private sessions have hardly ever been mentioned in a Facebook post. The same information applies to Thrive Pilates Twitter as well. Again, its Twitter has no specific pattern, and it posts the same information as Facebook, only shortened. Thrive Pilates has 60 followers as of December 5, 2011 on Twitter, and has only tweeted 218 times, never mentioning private sessions as well. When it comes to public relations, the company relies heavily on word of mouth. Thrives customers can spread the word by making Facebook posts to their friends about things they found interesting, as well as, re-tweet a Thrive Twitter posts. Thrive has a great program and it is very confident in its work, so its word of mouth is always positive. One could see this through its member return rate and new member rate, which is steadily increasing.

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According to yelp.com, a customer named Carla stated, After taking mat classes for a few months and bringing friends I decided to try my own private session and now I'm hooked!13 A large part of Thrive Pilates philosophy is to provide a welcoming, inspiring atmosphere, superior instruction and personal support to empower customers to provide optimal health and fitness. Kelly, a Thrive customer said, Hally and her team at Thrive are attentive, enthusiastic and extremely dedicated to your individual goals.14 (For more consumer testimonials see Appendix A) As one can see, Thrives unique selling point is that it offers a broad range of services to reach healthy goals that lead to an overall healthy lifestyle, while establishing personal relationships. Competition As for the competition, there are various locations all throughout the greater Philadelphia area that people could go to, to take a private session Pilates class other than Thrive. These places include: Centerpoint Pilates, UrbanFront Pilates, and Star Pilates. According to Yelp, out of all the Pilates studios in the Rittenhouse area, Thrive ranked number three. One of Thrives top competitors is Centerpoint Pilates, which came in at number two on the Yelp list. Centerpoint Pilates is a studio that is also conveniently located just out of the Rittenhouse area, on Chestnut Street. Centerpoint promotes that its companys provides an experience that is non-judgmental and nurturing, so that one can focus on created their new Pilates body.15 This studio bases their ideals around the concept that at this studio, one can leave their day behind and take some time to focus on themselves. With consistent practice, you will have more strength,

13 14

http://www.yelp.com/biz/thrive-pilates-philadelphia http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com 15 www.cpointpilates.com

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better posture and balance, joint flexibility, and more energy to get you through your busy day!16 Centerpoint offers the same exact services with the same names that Thrive does; these being private sessions and duets. According to its website, private sessions are offered at three different price options. The first option is a new client special which includes 3 private sessions for around $150-195. Then, one can either purchase a single session for $75, or, a package of 10 for $700. Duets, which as previously mentioned are private sessions where two people use of all the equipment, have three price options as well. For these private sessions there is no new client special. One can either purchase a single session for $50, a package of 5 for $240, or a package of 10 for $450.17 Centerpoint Pilates targets people of all ages and levels and reaches out to them through using both Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, Centerpoint has 428 friends, and the company, like Thrive, also does not post statuses daily. Also like Thrive, Centerpoint has no set time that it creates its posts. However, while many things remain the same, Centerpoint does post about its private sessions. For example, a recent Facebook post by Centerpoint Pilates on October 19th 2011 stated Always wanted to try a private Pilates session? Now is your chance! Come in on a Wed or Thursday and get a $50 session. All are welcome! Call or email for more infocpointpilates@gmail.com, (215)-568-0550.18 As for its Twitter page, it has 230 followers and has around 197 tweets. Centerpoint posts to Twitter the exact messages that are on Facebook as well. There is also no specific time of day that it posts and it do not post consistently every day. One thing that it does differently from

16 17

www.cpointpilates.com http://www.cpointpilates.com/prices-policies 18 http://www.facebook.com/cpointpilates

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Thrive on their social media sites is that Centerpoint Pilates is very engaging with its audience on Twitter. For example, Centerpoint often tweets messages that state: Happy Tuesday everyone! Today should be a beautiful day so try to get outside for a bit and get moving!19 Here is what consumers have to say about Centerpoint Pilates on Yelp! Jennifer states I signed up for several private lessons with Margie and they have been great so far. The classes are very reasonably priced and the studio offers a variety of classes. I am so happy to have found a place that is not at all intimidating, especially since Im such a beginner with Pilates.20 Another consumer Wafa stated: I began with Margie back in the fall of this year, and I can honestly say she is amazing, patient, and effective! She makes you feel so comfortable and doesnt force or pressure you into anything.21After observing what consumers on Yelp are saying one can see why Centerpoint is one of Philadelphias top rated Pilates Studios and a strong competitor for Thrive. Another competitor for Thrive is UrbanFront Pilates, which ranks #4 on the Yelp list of top Pilates studios in the Rittenhouse Area. UrbanFront Pilates is located on Sansom Street and offers diverse programming, as well as a flexible class schedule in order to accommodate the average persons busy life. Its philosophy is that it doesnt matter if youre looking to begin an exercise program, intensify the one you have already or become an avid Pilates student, UrbanFront Pilates makes a promise to meet your individual needs.22 UrbanFront Pilates offers services similar to Thrive and with the same names as well. For their individualized Pilates sessions, one can choose from a private session, a duet session or a semi private session. A private session at UbranFront is a one-on-one session with your teacher

19 20

http://twitter.com/#!/CpointPilates http://www.yelp.com/biz/centerpoint-pilates-philadelphia 21 http://www.yelp.com/biz/centerpoint-pilates-philadelphia 22 http://urbanfrontpilates.com/

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that can utilize any of the equipment ranging from the Reformer, mat, Wunda chair, wall unit, Cadillac and barrels. These private sessions are known to help one better understand and connect with the Pilates fundamentals, as well as, key in on your individual needs. There are 3 pricing options for private sessions; one can purchase 10 sessions for $700, a single session for $75 and a student session for $70.23 A duet session is identical to the private sessions; except for instead of one on one, two students are in a class with one teacher. There also are three pricing options for these; one can purchase 10 sessions for $400 per person, a single session for $45 per person and a student session for $40 per person.24 A semi-private session is used for those who feel comfortable with the Pilates language, and movement, and are able to work out with others. Semi-private sessions use the same equipment as the private and duet sessions, but, allows one to work out in an intimate group setting at your own level with 2 or 3 other students. As like the other sessions, the semi-private session has three pricing options as well; one can purchase 10 sessions for $450 per person, a single session for $50 per person and a student session for $40 per person.25 Similar to Centerpoint Pilates, UrbanFront Pilates targets customers of all ages, and reaches out to them through social media. The only difference is that UrbanFront uses Facebook only whereas most of the competition uses both Facebook and Twitter. UrbanFront has 321 friends on Facebook, and does not post daily or at a specific time. UrbanFront uses very engaging posts on its Facebook page, and also posts about their individual session classes, for example: New Semi-Private session added to our May schedule! On Tuesday at 1:30 with

23 24

http://urbanfrontpilates.com/rates.php http://urbanfrontpilates.com/rates.php 25 http://urbanfrontpilates.com/rates.php

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Karen. Call (215)-564-4410.26 Another thing that UbranFront does that the competition does not, is that it hosts an annual open house and fundraiser for its studio. UrbanFronts customers on Yelp had nothing but great things to say about this local studio. Sarah stated, I will definitely be adding UrbanFront to the would totally come back list. Heres why: 1) Sparkling clean facility with mats so plush they could double as travel mattresses, 2) Varied workout incorporating just the right mix of cardio, strength and stretching to elave you feel refreshed and not overworked and 3) Bright, cheerful instructors who guide you through the whole workout.27 Another customer Allie stated: Amazing Pilates Studioinstructors know how to teach well, and really care about the advancement of your practice. Small atmosphere- so you really feel connected to your instructor.28 Lastly, the third competitor for Thrive is Star Pilates which ranked #6 on the Yelp list for top Pilates studios in the Rittenhouse area. Star Pilates is located on Locust Street, and is a classical and private Pilates studio that offers strictly one-on-one private sessions. Star focuses on your bodys needs as the exercises strengthen, stretch and lengthen your body. All of the Star instructors are certified by Romana Kryzanowska, the protg of famous Joseph Pilates. Some of clients that currently attend Stars facilities are: busy center city professionals, members of the dance community, active retirees, college students, stay-at-home moms, and even men! Star believes that the Pilates Method is beneficial to just about everyone and it welcomes people of all skill levels and body types.29 As previously mentioned, Starr Pilates is a studio that offers only Private one-on-one sessions. If one wanted to purchase a private session, the session could be purchased in single

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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1833423294&sk=wall http://www.yelp.com/biz/urbanfront-pilates-philadelphia 28 http://www.yelp.com/biz/urbanfront-pilates-philadelphia 29 http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/

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session or in package form. The single sessions are priced as followed: a 55-minute private session is $70, a 30-minute private session is $40, and a 45-minute private (which is a lunch special, weekdays from 12pm to 1:30pm) is $55. If you want to purchase a package, you have two options: five 55-minute sessions can be purchased for $325 or ten 55-minute sessions can be purchased for $600.30 One of the most interesting things about Star Pilates is that they do something that is so unique that none of the other competitors do. Star offers a 20-minute complimentary session to anyone who would like to try it out. Star Pilates as already noted, targets people of all ages, however, it is quite new to the social media scene, unlike their competitors. Like UrbanFront, they dont have a Twitter, and its Facebook page is fairly new; it only started up in October of 2009. On Facebook, it has a page with roughly 127 likes and it doesnt post consistently at all. It looks as if it only posts once or twice a month, if that. Despite the lack of social media presence, Star is still getting great reviews from their clients. One woman, named Marie stated: At age 64+, I had pretty much given up all hope of ever having a waistline again. A friend had recently become a Pilates student and highly recommended that I try it. What a discovery! Not only have I redefined my waist I have strengthened my entire body! Finding Amy Berger and Star Pilates has truly changed not only how I look, but also how I feel.31 Consumer The possible target markets for Thrive Pilates are external. Panoptic believes that there are three potential consumer segments that Thrive could possibly target. These target segments include females between the ages of 35-55 that have disposable income who live around the area of Rittenhouse Square; young professionals around the area of Rittenhouse Square; and college
30 31

http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/rates/ http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/testimonials/

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students within the city of Philadelphia. To further illustrate the three possible target markets, Panoptic PR has assigned real life identities to each. Meet Amy: Amy represents a potential customer segment at Thrive. This segment consists of female college students between the ages of 18 and 23. Amy lives in the urban area, with a lower to middle class income. She rents an apartment and drives a Volkswagen GTI. Amys favorite store to shop at is Banana Republic, but enjoys shopping at other stores such as Forever-21 and Urban Outfitters. While attending school, she likes to stay active, playing sports, especially soccer. Watching young culture talk shows such as Ellen DeGeneres and Tyra are some of Amys guilty pleasures. She is staying in contact with friends via social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Because Amy is a college student, she has plenty of free time, but lower income. Given her open schedule, Amy has the time to join fitness classes/gyms, so attending private lessons at a Pilates/yoga studio is a potential activity for her.32 The article Attitudes Towards Health and Fitness Clubs gives three key insights on the young gym members such as college students. The article shows how younger gym members believe that gyms are overcrowded. This shows how many young adults would prefer small, intimate workout classes in comparison to a jam-packed gym. Due to the overwhelming atmosphere of a crowded workout facility, college students enjoy the ability to register for private sessions that smaller studios allow. The priority of being able to register for classes and

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http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Content/tabs/filterMenuFrameWork.jsp?page=../Segments/sn apshot.jsp&menuid=91&submenuid=911

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reserve exercise equipment strictly for their own personal use is an encouraging factor for choosing private sessions over gym memberships.33 Thrive Pilates currently has many college students participating in its classes, however, not as many students become regular private session clients. Meet Samantha: Samantha is a young professional who lives in the urban area. She recently graduated from college, and is eager to start her career. She still rents her apartment because she makes a moderate level income. Samantha is not married nor does she have a family yet, so she has plenty of time for herself. Samantha is into athletic activities, the latest technology as well, as nightlife and entertainment. Samantha drives a Nissan Xterra, and watches television stations such as MTV and E!. One can find Samantha shopping at stores like Express and Macys.34 After interviewing eleven female young professionals, Panoptic PR came up with four key insights to better understand this specific target market. When surveyed whether they preferred to work out with instruction or without it, six out of the eleven preferred with instruction. Additionally, the survey revealed that the women questioned preferred smaller work out environments in comparison to larger facilities. Nine out of the eleven females surveyed said they would prefer private classes than having a gym membership. However, nine out of the eleven females surveyed said they would feel more motivated to work out if they had someone to go with them going against the whole essence of the personal and one-on-one instruction provided through private sessions (See Appendix A). Thrive Pilates currently has many young professional clients attending both classes and private sessions because they enjoy the

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http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_acaedmic/search_results/shows&/display/id=543330/display /id=582354?select_section=582343 34 http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments

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atmosphere and the one-on-one instruction. Nonetheless, due to their busy work schedules, as well as their desire to attend with other people, it can be difficult to plan out their private sessions or duets, so many just attend workout classes that fit their schedule and comfort levels. The article, Struggles with Exercising gives three key insights on males and females between the ages of 18 and 34. The survey revealed that women with gym memberships are more likely than men to have a difficult time getting motivated to actually go. Young female professionals live stressful lives which can make it hard for some to find motivation to go to private Pilates sessions. As the women got older in their late 20s and 30s they became more interested in workout classes, and more routine work outs with structure.35 Although they still were more likely to join an all-purpose gym they were more likely to participate mostly in classes at the gym that fit their time schedule.36 Meet Nancy: Nancy is a stay at home mom living in the Rittenhouse Square Area. Her husband makes a steady, high income allowing her to use some of their familys disposable income on private work-out classes. She loves to shop at Banana Republic and Ann Taylor. Nancy drives her children to school in her Lexus IS, and because they are in school, she has a lot of free time during these couple of hours each weekday. 37 After researching and interviewing women from ages 18-55, it became apparent that women ages 30 and older were the first age group to say that they would join a gym solely for classes such as yoga, Pilates, kickboxing and nutrition (See Appendix B). Women 35-55 realize what types of exercise they like or dislike and can easily chose which classes they would like to

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http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/my_reports/display/id=543330 http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=543330/display/i d=582354?select_selection=582355 37 http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp

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sign up for. This age group of women will work out for themselves, and will eagerly participate in the classes in which they enjoy. Mothers are becoming more health conscious. According to the article, Moms, Food and Nutrition, apparently, Most moms claim to read nutrition labels, and about a third say they are doing so more than a year ago, reflecting increasing attention to nutrition 38. This quote from the article explains that mothers are more concerned with healthier options. This can be a benefit for Thrive, because they offer nutrition classes that can help mothers learn more when they are cooking and providing for their family. Moms are ordering takeout or deliver foods (that are usually more costly and not as healthy) for meals less often than they were a year ago (Moms, Food and Nutrition). When a survey was conducted for 1,020 female adults ages eighteen and older, they were asked: out of a list of twelve factors, which they consider to be the top three factors that contribute to healthy living for them. Out of all of the respondents replies, the main two percentiles that stood out, and were much higher than any other factor52% percent answered, Eating a balanced diet, while forty-five percent answered, regular exercise39 Although there were other choices, it is obvious that exercise is important to women of this age group.

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http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=542923/display/i d=567161#hit1
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http:///academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.sju.edu/sinatra/oxygen_academic/my_reports/diplay/id=393522&anc hor=atom /diplay/id=469513

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SWOT Analysis and Strategic Direction

STRENGTHS Convenient location Private sessions are offered throughout all hours of the day Full attendance at classes Variety of services available Staff focuses on their customers individual needs Intimate atmosphere Superior instruction Offers a variety of services in nutrition counseling, stress management and healthy lifestyles Uses social networking such as Twitter and Facebook

WEAKNESSES No awareness of private sessions Hard to navigate website Expensive private sessions No word-of-mouth for private sessions

OPPORTUNITIES Increase in healthy lifestyle trends

THREATS Lower competitor prices Many local competitor studios in the area Possibility of new entrants

The strategic direction that Panoptic PR has decided to take is to focus on turning a weakness into strength. The weakness Panoptic is choosing to focus on is gaining awareness of private sessions.

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Objectives Panoptics marketing goal for Thrives PR plan is designed to increase the amount of private sessions taken by 52.6% per week within 1 year of the plan. As previously stated, Hally, the owner of Thrive, already obtains about 50 sessions per week, and aspires to reach 95 sessions a week. One other objective for this plan, from a communications perspective, is to acquire at least 8 media mentions by the end of the year. Target Market (Publics) Through the market research conducted it is clear that the best possible consumer segment to target for this plan will be women who range in age from 35-55 (Aka Nancy). These women, as previously stated, will be located around and within the area of the studio, near Rittenhouse square, as well as, have both the time and the disposable income to dedicate themselves to their workout. Media and Non-Media Connectors Panoptic PR wishes to gain coverage from traditional media as well as non-traditional media through the appropriate connectors. For the media connectors, Panoptic has chosen the NBC 10 Morning Show, Foxs Good Day Philadelphia Morning Show, Philadelphia Magazine, and the Metro Philadelphia. As for the non-media connectors, the plan will use The Publics Health Blog, Be Well Phillys Facebook page, With Love Philadelphias Facebook page, and Rittenhouse Rows Facebook page. (See Extensive List -Appendix D) Positioning Statement/ Brand Message The positioning statement for Thrive will go as follows: For women ages 35-55, Thrive Pilates is the one Pilates studio which provides private sessions plus nutrition counseling to promote an overall healthy lifestyle unlike Centerpoint Pilates which provides private sessions

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only. Through our positioning statement we want to convey the message that the Thrive brand maintains an intimate atmosphere under the professional, personable, and superior instruction provided by all of its dedicated and highly involved staff members; and provides not only healthy exercise methods, but an overall healthy lifestyle. When consumers think of Thrive Pilates we want a few words to stand out to them: energizing, supportive, elite, trendy, personal, and uplifting. Some of the words we dont ever want Thrive to be associated with is: ordinary, overwhelming, inadequate, and boring. Recommendations As previously stated, Thrive is focusing on turning a weakness into a strength. Through market research Panoptic PR has found that Thrive Pilates is the only studio in the Rittenhouse area that offers nutritional counseling. In order to achieve this marketing objective of increasing the number of private session by 52.6 % per week, Thrive will capitalize on the idea of an overall healthy lifestyle. The big idea of this plan will be to package private sessions with nutritional counseling, and position Hally as a local fitness guru. Using Hallys inspirational background, and expertise Panoptic wants the target audience to understand that with Thrive its not just about healthy exercise methods, but a healthy lifestyle. Hally can help show the way, through her private sessions plus nutritional counseling. In order to obtain our communications objective of acquiring at least 8 media mentions by the end of the year Panoptic proposes a series of recommendations. During the first quarter of the plan, Hally will start to make more posts about private sessions plus nutritional counseling. By using the social media platforms Thrive already uses, such as Twitter and Facebook to build awareness of private sessions and creating word-of-mouth (See Appendix E for Facebook sample). Then, Hally will start up a blog of her own, in which she can make posts about daily

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health tips regarding an overall healthy lifestyle, but always referencing back to Thrives private sessions and nutrition counseling (See Appendix F for Sample Blog). As a supporting objective for the first quarter, Panoptic would like Hally to be featured in at least one publication in order to increase the traffic to her blog, website, and social media platforms by the end of the quarter. In doing so, a press kit will be sent to all of our connectors, along with a pitch letter to each editor explaining why writing an article about a hidden health and fitness guru within Rittenhouse Square would be beneficial for both the editor, and his or her audience (See Sample Pitch- Appendix G). As of now, most women are unaware of what a private session entails; getting this story out, will let people know what it is, where it can be taken and why its beneficial. Once Hally gets her name out that she is the number one Pilates instructor (guru) for private sessions, Panoptic would like our second quarter supporting objective for acquiring at least 8 media mentions by the end of the year, to be, to have Hally placed in a bylined article in at least one publication. Similar to the first quarter, we will send out a pitch letter to all of our connectors, positioning Hally as an expert. We will search the connectors editorial calendars for holiday related health articles, such as beat the holiday bulge in which Hally can participate in. These types of articles would be beneficial because during the second quarter months of November and February because everyone is working on watching their weight for the holidays. In an article titled Holiday weight management Dr. Roger A. Clemens, states "We have four months of constant feasting. If we do feast, as many people do, without control, then we set ourselves up for bad patterns, ill health, and weight gain."40 Panoptic wants owner, Hally, to talk about how its not only important to watch their weight and make healthy choices half of the

40

http://www.medicinenet.com/holiday_weight_management/article.htm

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year; she will give easy tips on how important it is to work to achieve a healthy life, made by healthy choices. At this time, Hally and the Thrive brand will become increasingly more popular, as more people realize that she really does know her stuff when it comes to private sessions. The target audience will also hopefully become more interactive with the brand via the social media platforms. For the third quarter in order to reach our communications objective, Thrive will plan to host its first ever self-produced event at its studio. Here at this event, Hally and her staff, will be conducting an open-house for anyone who wants to come down throughout the day to receive a personal information session, as well as tour the faculties. The purpose of this event is to create an intimate and inviting atmosphere in which our target audience is able to feel out their own thoughts on Thrive, before they commit to attending a session. For this event, all of the local press outlets and connectors will be alerted ahead of time via a press release, as well as contacted during, and after the event. Special reminder invites will also be sent to the media, the followers of Hallys blog and Thrives Facebook and Twitter followers. At the event, the attendees will not only receive valuable information regarding the private sessions plus nutritional counseling, but each person will walk away with a coupon for 10% off their first private session purchase. The fourth quarter is the quarter in which Panoptic hopes Hally, and her company can reach the next level. By this time, most of the local Rittenhouse Square area will know all about Hally, the Thrive brand, and the importance of having healthy lifestyle patterns including both fitness and nutrition. In order to reach our communications objective it is important to go after a much larger audience, by pitching a letter with an idea for an interview to the connectors of local broadcast mediums. With this pitch letter, a press kit and B-roll will also be sent, so that the networks can have visual aids for what a private session plus nutritional counseling would look

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like, as well as a tour of the studio. The idea behind this is to have Hally tell her story, and why it is important to have healthy exercise methods as well as nutritional habits, thus, referencing/promoting Thrives Private sessions. By the fourth quarter the summer months will be approaching and one topic Hally can discuss during her interview is about how everyone is crash dieting to try to get their beach body ready, but, if you follow these tips, you can have your beach body all year round. From this quarter Panoptic hopes to reach a supporting objective of being named Best of Philly by the end of the plan. At the end of this extensive plan, Panoptic wants Hally, and the Thrive brand to be well known for Hallys story and Thrives private sessions and nutritional counseling, Thus, reaching our main marketing goal of increasing the amount of private sessions by 52.6% per week within one year of the plan. Timeline and Budget (See Appendix I) The PR plan will begin on August 1, 2012 and end on August 1, 2013. In the first quarter which runs, August 1, 2012 to November 10, 2012; the goal is to get Hally more recognized via social media. The beginning of the plan will be concentrated on updating Thrives Facebook. On August 1, 2012Hally will also begin a blog about the importance of living a healthy life. While this renovation of the social media and blog startup will take place at this time, it will be a continuous effort. On August 26, 2012Panoptic PR will send out press kits ($500) and pitch letters to our connector list that Hally is a Hidden Fitness Guru. On August 1, 2012 will also begin the clipping service for print and online media ($3,500) each); which will be a constant effort. In the second quarter which runs from November 11, 2012 through February 9, 2013; the plan is to have Hally bylined in a feature article related to keeping fit through the holidays.

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Panoptic PR will pitch this story, along with the press kit, to the media outlets on November 11, 2012. The third quarter which begins February 10, 2013 through May 11, 2013; will be focused around the event ($1,000), which will take place March 24, 2013. Panoptic PR will send a press release ($250) on February 10, 2013 to the media connectors about the event. The fourth quarter; May 12, 2013 through August 1, 2013, will be fixated on Hally being booked on a local television network. Panoptic PR will send a pitch letter press kit, and B-roll ($1,200) to the connectors on May 12, 2013. The week of May 19, 2013, begin utilizing the clipping service for broadcast media ($3,500). Measurement and Analysis Panoptic PR will measure the progress and success of the results with respect to the goals of the plan by using metrics such as media mentions and word-of-mouth. First, media mentions will be applied by keeping track of the traffic of the various social media websites that will be usedFacebook and the blog. In each of these cases, the amount of likes, followers, fans, and comments will be kept track of, in order to see the improvement of the tactics. Determining how many people are discussing Thrivespecifically the private sessions and nutritional counselingwill be important as well. This will show how well the point is getting across, and what the opinions are of the target audience members. In order to measure the success of the featured article of Hally, it will be essential to stay in contact with the media connectors that Panoptic PR has chosen to pitch the idea of the article to. This will be done through follow-ups with each contact person. Panoptic PR will need to gauge the depth of coverage to make sure that the article was the same or similar to what was pitched to each media connector, and make sure that it is a featured article, like it was intended to

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be and not just a sentence or two. This will help determine if the coverage was favorable. Once an article has been written and published, it must be clipped and saved, so show that the goal was achieved. It will be important to use a clipping service for both print and online to check if there were any mentions formed from that one article. Also, in order to effectively measure the impact of our article, it is important to have a clipping service to keep track of the various media mentions because some mentions are more impactful than others. During quarter three, there will be an event to promote awareness on the private sessions along with the nutritional counseling that is available. This will explain why it is useful for Thrives target market to take these sessions at Thrive. The event will be measured by first seeing how much media comes to the event, then follow-up with each contact. It will also be measured by using a clipping service to see how much it is being mentioned both before and after the event. Because the event will have a take-away coupon for its attendees, it will be measured by determining how many people redeem their coupon. The success will be measured by seeing which local television networks Hally is featured in. It will be a goal to have Hally featured in one specific network, so the measurement will be to see which network decides to pick up the story and interview Hally. This will be a similar measurement to how the featured article about Hally will be measured. There will be a paid clipping service for broadcast used during this time to track the mentions. The overall measure of success will be by continuous word-of-mouth. Because a relatively small social media campaign will be executed, it will be easily manageable to personally monitor each medium. A weekly check can be done by using a paid print and online clipping service to evaluate the progress and updates throughout the entire plan, adding on the paid broadcast clipping service to the final quarter of May 2, 2013 to August 1, 2013.

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Appendices
Appendix A
Consumers view/perceive Thrive Pilates as a positive energy in which they excitably attend and continuously return. Thrive customers have stated: Being new to Pilates, I was nervous about going into a class setting. Thrive Pilates made me feel welcome from the moment I stepped into their building. Everyone talks like they've known you forever. The teachers remember your name and what you have trouble with and pay special attention when you need it. The environment is friendly and very clean, but best of all, it was fun. There are a good variety of classes offered at Thrive Pilates which you could also sign up for online. The teachers know how to instruct in a way that doesn't make you feel defeated. They truly help your form and self esteem. Everyone is welcomed into the classes no matter what level you're on but you also have the choice of selecting a class based on your level for maximum comfort. A very comfortable setting. Wow. Well what can I say...this place rocks for so many reasons: Hally Bayer is at the helm of Thrive Pilates, which is the Pilates "arm" of PhillyPowerYoga. She is fantastic, and her instructors are all very different but have their own unique way of teaching pilates. The studio resides upstairs from PPY on the second floor. It's conveniently located right off of Rittenhouse Square. I've actually taken private lessons with Hally for some time now, so when she went to start the new program at PPY, I obviously wanted to see what it was like. The vibe at the classes is really nice--communal. Whatever level you're at, there's a spot for you in a mat class. People are friendly, instructors are helpful. Overall a good spot to learn Power Pilates in a friendly, approachable environment. There's a lot more room in this studio than others I've been in, so the mat classes easily fit 12+ people at a time. PS Get to know Hally - she is fantastic! As a new comer to the world of Pilates, I was happy to find a class that suits my level and my schedule. For 2 weeks I have attended Jay-Hoon's Saturday morning Pilates mat class, and I'm hooked! I find the class challenging but easy to follow through Jay-Hoon's instruction. He gives several options of modification for each pose so that if you injured or want to really push it, there's a modification to suit you. The studio itself is beautiful and the price ($50 for 5 mat classes) is very reasonable for the quality of the class. Certainly would recommend this studio to friends. It's been a long time since I've come across such a great Pilates studio! Thrive at first seems very low-key and laid back. The instructors are young yet have an amazing wealth of knowledge of the Pilates Method and are all certified under the most rigorous certification process. Each instructor brings a different flavor to class with backgrounds ranging from dance to nutrition to counseling to even law! This studio is a great place to really dive into the Pilates method, no extra. Even though the atmosphere is easygoing (a welcome change from the Pilates "factories" in town and the hustle and bustle of the gym) as soon as the class starts it is all serious and dedicated work. Every instructor is easy to approach and can answer any questions I have whether in class or after. There are mat classes everyday but several Private
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instructors as well, including an "apprentice" who offers lower rates. After taking mat classes for a few months and bringing friends I decided to try my own private session and now I'm hooked! Thrive is a hidden gem in the Rittenhouse Square area. Before finding Thrive, I had taken pilates classes at a local gym for approximately 2 years. When I came to Thrive, I met instructors who are passionate about pilates and love to help students improve. There are many classes available at all times of the day, 7 days a week. The rates are very reasonable, with discounts for students! The studio is clean and accessible. Equipment, including mats, is available for students. Instructors are kind and friendly and will go out of their way to help you in any way they can. If you are new to pilates, Lauren and Bonnie are awesome. Dana's class is fast paced and intense. My technique has improved leaps and bounds thanks to Bonnie's direct feedback and "practice to perfection" way of teaching her classes. Hally and Gina are excellent, though I have not taken as many of their classes. Thrive now offers kickboxing classes which have taken the studio to a new level. The kickboxing class is awesome and a great way to get some cardio into your workout schedule!

NOTES: All of the above comments are provided by Yelp (yelp.com).

Appendix B
Survey of College Students Target Segment Insights: 1. When surveyed on whether they preferred to work out with instruction or without it, 6 out of the 11 preferred with instruction. This would be ideal for Thrive Pilates to use to their advantage. Hally wishes to emphasize the personal training aspect of her business so, it is an advantage that this target market would like to attend classes with instruction 2. The survey revealed that the women questioned preferred smaller work out environments in comparison to larger facilities. This again is ideal for Thrive Pilates due to the fact that they provide a small, intimate workout environment. Also, this directly relates to Hallys desire to enhance her private training part of her business. Hally and her employees could emphasize the quaint, warm feeling of her facility to bring in this target market. 3. 9 out of the 11 females surveyed said they would feel more motivated to work out if they had someone to go with them. Thrive Pilates could target this group and this preference of theirs by offering up sessions for two private classes. These groups of two could consist of work colleagues, college friends, or maybe even couples. 4. 9 out of the 11 females surveyed said they would prefer private classes than having a gym membership. Clearly, this is extremely helpful to the success of Thrive Pilates and this target market.

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Thrive Pilates Survey 11 Females Surveyed 1. Please state your age a. 22 b. 21 c. 25 d. 22 e. 27 f. 24 g. 21 h. 25 i. 21 j. 26 k. 25

2. Do you currently have a gym membership? a. Yes: 11 b. No: 0 3. On average, how often do you use your gym membership per week? a. 0-3 days: 6 b. 3-5 days: 4 c. 5-7 days: 1 4. Does your gym offer any workout classes? Do you participate in any of these classes? Why or why not? a. yes, sometimes, usually not because i dont have time/i am lazy b. yes they do and i do use them often. It is nice to switch up my exercise routine. c. It does not d. yes, yes zumba, because I like the group dance sessions e. Yes. No because timing does not work with my schedule f. Yes, No because i get bored in classes and i do not feel like they push me g. Yes. I participate in spinning classes sometimes h. Does not offer classes i. Yes. Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, and Kick Boxing j. Yes it offers workout classes. I rarely participate because I only go to the gym when it fits my schedule and don't usually have time around the classes that I enjoy k. None, don't have time due to work schedule

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5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how easily are you motivated to go to the gym? 1 being extremely easily motivated and 10 being high difficulty. a. 1: 0 b. 2: 2 females c. 3: 2 females d. 4: 0 e. 5: 1 female f. 6: 2 females g. 7: 2 females h. 8: 2 females i. 9: 0 j. 10: 0 6. Do you enjoy going to the gym by yourself or with other people? a. By Yourself: 5 females b. With Others: 3 females c. Indifferent: 4 females 7. Would you feel more motivated to go to the gym if you did have others go with you? a. Yes: 9 females b. No: 2 females 8. Do you prefer to workout with or without instruction/help? a. With Instruction: 6 females b. Without: 5 females 9. Would personal training/private classes be more appealing to you than a gym membership? a. Yes: 9 females b. No: 2 females c. Other: 0 10. Do you prefer large accommodations or smaller, more private accommodations a. Large: 3 females b. Small: 8 females c. Other: 0

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Appendix C (NANCY)
Target Market: Women Ages 27-45

1. What is your age? 28 (1) 32 (2) 42 (2) 44 (2) 45 (3) 46 (1) 2. Do you have a full time job? Yes: 8 No: 2 3. Do you have children? Yes: 9 No: 1 4. On average, how much leisure time do you get a week? 20 hours (5), 10 hours, 8 hours, 1 day(2), 6 hours 5. How often do you attend a health and fitness center? Never (6), 5 times a week (2), 3-4 times a week (1), 4-8 times per month (1) 6. If you dont attend a health and fitness center, what is the primary reason? Too busy (5), have work out machines at home (5) 7. Do you have a gym membership? Yes (4) No (6) 8. If you attend a health and fitness center, how often do you spend working out? I dont attend: (6) 10-15 minutes: 20-30 minutes: 30-45 minutes: (1) over an hour: (3) 9. Would you be interested in pilates? Yes: (8)
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No: (2) 10. If the answer to the above question is yes, would you prefer a group or a private class? Group: (7), Private: (3)

Appendix D
Target Market Connectors Media: 1. Name: Emily Goulet Title: Editor of Lifestyle Topics and Home Contact Information: Phone: (215) 564-7700 Address: Philadelphia Magazine 1818 Market Street 36th Floor Philadelphia PA 19103 Publication: Philadelphia Magazine/ Be Well Philly Circulation/Reach: Total paid and verified subscriptions is 98,788 and total paid and verified circulation is 116,840. The publication is passed to various local upscale offices, hotels, and retail stores. Demographics: include that 46% of the viewers are between the ages of 45-64, 62% being female. In addition to that 57% have an annual household income of $100k. This website has over 1.3 million pages views a month. Rationale: The reason Panoptic chose this as a media connector is because Philadelphia Magazine possesses all of the aspects of the chosen target market for Thrive Pilates. The magazine also includes a BeWellPhilly section which is dedicated to create awareness about health and wellness. Be Well Philly presents the latest trends in health and exercise as well as a daily blog. It also has a section called the Best of Philly, which could potentially be a great opportunity for the business. This section would be a perfect goal for Thrive to achieve. 2. Name: Meredith Engel Title: Well-being Editor Contact Information: Telephone: (215)-717-2600 Email: Meredith.engel@metro.us Website: www.metro.us/philadelphia Address: 44 Wall Street Floor 8, New York, New York, 10005-2417 Publication: Metro Philadelphia Daily Newspaper Circulation/Reach: It has a daily circulation of 122,475 people and a daily readership of
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282,003 people. It is also said to be the number one paper in Center City. Also Metro Philadelphia offers an e-newsletter that has 20,000+ recipients which is called The Loop. This includes a special offer incorporated into a custom written promotion with an image and a link to your website Demographics: the median age of the readers is 44 years old as, 54% being female. Rationale: This paper would be a good media connector for Thrive Pilates because it reaches the demographics that we would like our target market to be. Also, like Phillymag.com they have a separate section for health and wellness that would be easily attractable to people who are interested. They have a large database of viewers/readers as well as recipients who receive the e-newsletter. 3. Name: Tom Louden Title: Producer WTXF-TV Contact Information: Phone: (215) 982-5500 Email: Thomas.louden@foxtv.com Network: Fox Good Day Philadelphia Circulation/Reach: This is broadcasted to an estimated 99 percent of all homes with television sets in the U.S. This affiliate serves the Philadelphia community by producing news, sports, and public affairs programming that address local needs. Demographics: The viewers age 35-54 account for 34%, of that 50% are female and 35% have a household income of 75k or more. Rationale: This would be a good connector for Thrive because it reaches a wide range of consumers in our target market. People who watch local news are looking to find new information on happenings in the area. 4. Name: Lulu Laubenstein Title: Producer WCAU-TV Contact Information: Phone: (610) 668-5728 Email: lulu.laubenstein@nbc.com Network: NBC 10! Show Circulation/Reach: This is broadcasted to an estimated 99 percent of all homes with television sets in the U.S. This affiliate serves the Philadelphia community by producing news, sports, and public affairs programming that address local needs. Demographics: The viewers age 35-54 account for 33%, of that 49% are female and 37% have a household income of 75k. Rationale: This would be a good connector for Thrive because it reaches a wide range of consumers in our target market. People who watch local news are looking to find new information on happenings in the area.
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Non Media: 1. Name: Dana Bank Title: Elected Committee Board Member Contact Information: Phone: (215)-972-5100 Partner Website:www.rittenhouserow.org Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rittenhouse-Row Position of Influence: Rittenhouse Row Facebook Page Circulation/Reach: 1,900 people are fans of this page and 232 people are talking about it. Demographics: People who reside in the Rittenhouse district of Philadelphia who are interested in finding out what is happening around them with local businesses Rationale: This non-profit business organization responsible for promoting more than 200 local businesses in the Rittenhouse district Philadelphias Five Star Location. This Facebook page would be perfect for Thrive to use, because as stated previously, Hally, the manager at Thrive mentioned to us that her best clients came from the Rittenhouse district. This is because the location is close enough from them to walk to, and the people who live in this area have the disposable income to spend on extra activities such as Pilates. Another reason this page would be a great non-media connector is because it allows local businesses to post specials, deals or events that are taking place in the area. 2. Name: Emily Leman Title: Social Media Relations Contact Information: Website: Philadelphiamagazine.com Phone: (215)-564-7700 Address: Philadelphia Magazine 1818 Market Street 36th Floor Philadelphia PA 19104 Position of Influence: BeWellPhilly Facebook Page Circulation/Reach: The Facebook page for BeWellPhilly has 1,026 fans. Demographics: The demographics for this Facebook page are very similar to those of the BeWellPhilly e-newsletter, which include: 62% female with the target ages being between 35-44. 57% percent of the readers have an average income of 100k+. Rationale: This would be a great media connector because it is targeted towards people who live in the Philadelphia area, and are interested in products and services that have to do with health and fitness. Not every person subscribes to Philly Magazine or receives the e-newsletter. This is a great way to reach even more people, and get them aware about Hallys story and Thrives private sessions plus nutritional counseling. 3. Name: Michel Yudell Title: Blogger

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Contact Information: Phone: (215)-762-6515

Email: myudell@drexel.edu

Position of Influence: The Publics Health (Philly.com) Blog Circulation/Reach: 140 people follow this blog Demographics: 40% percent of the viewers are women, 65% are 35+ years old, and have a household income of 99,000 Rationale: This Blog would be a good non-media connector for Thrive because it is targeted towards people who live in the Philadelphia area, and have an interest in health. The demographics for this blog are also almost identical to those targeted in this plan. They are women who are between the ages of 35-55, live locally, and have disposable income. 4. Name: Rachel Ferguson Title: Local Media Relations Contact Information: Address: 30 South 17th Street, Suite 1710, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: (215)-599-2291 Email: rachel@gptmc.com Position of Influence: With Love Philadelphia XOXO Facebook Circulation/Reach: This Facebook page has 99,421 fans and 2,342 people talking about this page. Demographics: The demographics for this page are residents from the greater Philadelphia area who have an interest in local happenings. Rationale: This Facebook page would be a great connector for Thrive because it is targeted towards people who live in the Philadelphia area, and are interested in local news. Here people post happenings that are interesting and exciting in the Philadelphia area.

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Appendix E (Sample Facebook Posts)

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Appendix F (Sample Blog)

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Appendix G (Press Kit) Company Backgrounder

Thrive Pilates located in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia was founded in 2007 by owner, Hally Bayer. Hally has an unbelievable passion for health and wellness that began early in her life. Starting as a dancer, she was always interested in physical fitness. Unfortunately when she was only fifteen years old, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Over the course of the next couple of years she had to undergo a serious of three operations in order to save her life. This experience altered Hallys life in way that has inspired her to help others. Through her passion for overall health and wellness, Hally became a certified Pilates instructor. Hally become certified from completing her training program of over 700 hours with Power Pilates. From this, she took her own experiences in healing through nutrition and began further training. While she was sick she sought out fitness, nutrition and healing coach, Catherine Carrigan and studied with her in her Nutritional Mastery Course and continues to do research with her til this day. Hallys passionate background for overall health and wellness will inspire others to achieve a healthy lifestyle goal of their own. Thrive Pilates offers a variety of fitness classes and health services in an atmosphere that is fun, comfortable and filled with exceptional instructors. There are five main aspects to the Thrive studio; Pilates, fitness, sculpt, health, and dance. Thrive also offers private sessions which are tailored to fit ones specific needs and wants. These sessions are offered as either private or semi-private (duets). Private sessions are one- on- one personal training with the instructor. These sessions can be taken as either a 55 minute class or a 30 minute class. During these sessions access is provided to state of the art equipment including the Reformer, Tower, Wunda Chair, and Mat as well as a variety of small props including: weights, exercise balls, resistance

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bands, and resistance circles. Hally now packages private sessions with nutritional counseling to further her goal of helping others reach their overall healthy lifestyle goal. Thrives inimitable, urban, friendly environment helps clients feel more peaceful and balanced through the body, mind, and spirit. All classes and private sessions can be scheduled at the convenience of using Thrive Pilates online appointment book or through personal contact via phone (516-395-4214) or E-mail (thrivepilatesphilly@gmail.com). Whether looking for a fun new activity with some friends, experiencing Pilates for the first time, strengthening your current workout, wanting one-on-one personal instruction, or nutritional counseling, Thrive Pilates will satisfy your needs.

For more information, visit Thrive Pilates www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com

Alex Baker Panoptic PR Thrive Pilates Alexandra.baker@sju.edu (973) 600- 8736

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Fact Sheet
Thrive Pilates is a full service Pilates studio Private and Semi-Private sessions o A tailored workout that adheres to your desires and goals in Pilates and health o Sessions include Pilates plus nutrition counseling the only studio to offer this in the Rittenhouse area o Can be scheduled online at any time the studio is open o Sessions of 55 or 30 minutes, using the Reformer, Tower, Wunda Chair and Mat o Atmosphere is inviting with no distractions, you have the ability to concentrate on you o Rates are $35-$90 per session State of the art equipment o Reformer o Wunda chair o Tower o Weights o Rollers o Exercise balls o Rotating disks o Resistance bands Hallys Credentials o Cornell University: studied human development o 700 hours with Power Pilates o Nutritional training from nutrition and healing coach Catherine Carrigan Instructors o Thrive prides themselves on the quality of their trainers o Instructors are enthusiastic and dedicated o Instructors are fully trained in their area of expertise and committed to helping you Studio o Intimate atmosphere o Have the ability to focus o Cozy and quiet Ways to Stay in Contact: o Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrive-Pilates o Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ThrivePilates o E-mail: thrivepilatesphilly@gmail.com o Phone: 516-395-4214 Alex Baker Panoptic PR Thrive Pilates Alexandra.baker@sju.edu (973) 600- 8736
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Thrive Pilates FAQs:

What is Pilates? Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Pilates develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong posture, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and evaluates the spirit. Thrive Pilates is a Pilates studio located in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. The studio offers many types of classes: Thrive Pilates, Thrive fitness, Thrive sculpt, Thrive dance, and Thrive health. Thrive has a dedicated team of trainers to help achieve your goals. The atmosphere of the studio is entrancing; it forces you to forget everything, and concentrate on yourself.Thrive Pilates also offers sessions that are personally tailored to fit your wants and needs in the area of Pilates (private sessions). What is the difference between the types of equipment? The Reformer is the most widely used and most important apparatus used in traditional Pilates studios. It provides exercise resistance that allows someone to work very precisely to develop good alignment, core strength, and flexibility. The Pilates Tower is another piece of equipment which is commonly attached to the Pilates Reformers. Similarly to the Reformer, the Wunda Chairalso known as the Pilates Chairis another type of resistance exercise machine. The Wunda Chair is a box with one side that can be pressed down against the resistance of springs, like a large pedal. What does a regular private session class entail? A private session includes one-on-one personal instruction by a trained teacher that utilizes equipment such as the Reformer, Wunda Chair, Tower, and mat. These sessions run for either 55 or 30 minutes. Depending on which option the consumer chooses, and the length of time the session runs; the prices range between $35 and $90 per session. The atmosphere is inviting with no distractions, which enables you to have a tailored workout that adheres to your desires and lifestyle goals. Can I buy a single private session or do I have to purchase a package? Single classes and packages are both available at Thrive. A client is able to sign up for any type of class or classes in which they prefer. See above question for single session rates; as for package rates. What is the benefit of private sessions? Through Hallys inspirational background and professional training private sessions are beneficial to your mind and body. One benefit of private sessions is they are intimate, personal one-on-one instruction that will help you at your own comfortable level and pace. Through private sessions you not only learn healthy exercise methods, but Hally and her team work to help you achieve an overall healthy lifestyle, by being the only studio to offer private sessions plus nutritional counseling.

Alex Baker Panoptic PR Thrive Pilates Alexandra.baker@sju.edu (973) 600- 8736

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August 26, 2012 Emily Leaman, Be Well Philadelphia Editor Philadelphia Magazine 1818 Market Street 36th Floor Philadelphia PA 19103 Dear Emily: Did you know there is a hidden fitness guru right here in Rittenhouse Square? The secret to your healthy lifestyle may be right around the corner. Hally Bayer (Thrive Pilates owner) is an amazing trainer with a remarkable background. Her private sessions plus nutritional counseling will have you feeling better in 10 sessions, seeing the difference in 20 sessions, and give you a new body in 30 sessions. Thrive Pilates is a personalized Pilates studio that will help you achieve your overall healthy life. Hally has dedicated her life to helping others achieve their goals. Studying human development at Cornell University, she has always had an interest in people. Hally was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, forcing her to change her lifestyle, and become involved in nutrition and fitness. Hally owns the only studio in the Rittenhouse area that offers private sessions plus nutritional counseling; therefore, though nutrition and fitness Hally is able to transform womens lives. Hally works mostly with women to help them make the same changes to their lives. These women are locals of Rittenhouse Square, and Philadelphia area. They live here, work here, eat here, and send their kids to school here; they are the women of the community. Her loyal students already know her as their guru; shouldnt you? Hally has already changed the lives of many women with her story and practices. She has such a large return rate; her studio usually needs to add pop up classes to fit all her students into a day. The studio is almost never closed, and she is willing to help anyone that wants to join. Hally has a blog, posting weekly posts about health counseling, and healthy life tips. Thrive also has a Facebook with additional information about private sessions and classes. I believe your readers would be inspired by Hally, and interested about her amazing methods and tips. There is an amazing opportunity for you to investigate the hidden guru right in this area. Panoptic PR will follow up in a few days to discuss your interest. Sincerely, Panoptic PR Alex Baker Panoptic PR Thrive Pilates Alexandra.baker@sju.edu (973) 600- 8736
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Appendix H- Press Release

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release February 10, 2013 Contact: Alex Baker Panoptic PR Thrive Pilates Alexandra.baker@sju.edu 973-600-8736 Are You Open to Private Sessions? Attend Thrive Pilates Open House Event to Learn About What Private Sessions Entail, Hear About Exceptional Nutritional Counseling, and Take Home a Coupon PHILADELPHIA, PA, February, 10, 2013 Thrive Pilatesan intimate health counseling, and fitness facility in the Rittenhouse Squareis hosting an open-house for the studio which will take place March 24 from 12 PM to 6 PM for both its potential, and current clients. Anyone who attends Thrives open-house, will receive a 10 percent off coupon for a private session. The open house will be informativeshowing what private session consist of, how the personal one-on-one instruction is beneficial, answering any questions, and explaining how nutritional counseling can help one contain a healthy lifestyle. Thrive is the only studio in the Rittenhouse area that offers private sessions and nutritional counseling. HallyThrives ownerhas combined fitness and healthy eating to ensure that people are living healthy in both aspects. Our open house will be a great opportunity for Thrive, to welcome current and potential clients in a new way. Health and wellness is a huge part of my life, and I want to inspire others to have a healthy lifestyle as well, said Hally Bayer, owner and director of Thrive Pilates. This will also show a new experience of individual instruction to those who are not aware of what a private session entails. Bayer added, Our open-house will help show how Thrives private sessions are exceedingly valuable, and directed to each specific clients wants and needs with nutritional tips along the way, in a way that no-one else does. About Thrive Pilates Hally Bayer, owner and director, started Thrive Pilates in 2007 with the idea that people should not only have healthy exercise habits, but rather, an overall healthy lifestyle. Hally graduated from Cornell University with a degree in human development. She trained for over 700 hours with Power Pilates to become a certified Pilates instructor. After, Hally received her nutritional training from nutrition and healing coach, Catherine Carigan. Thriveone of the most personal Pilates studios in the citycares about its clients and focuses on providing a welcoming, inspiring atmosphere, as well as outstanding instruction and personal support that allows its clients to create maximum health and fitness. For more information, please visit thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com ###

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Appendix I (Flow Chart)

4%

2% 7% 9%

Social Media Blog Word of Mouth Press Kit Press Release Event B-roll

78%
Clipping Service (print, online, broadcast)

Budget Breakdown Social Media Blog Word of Mouth Press Kit Press Release Event B-roll Clipping Service (print, online, broadcast) Total Cost of PR plan

$0 $0 $0 $500 $250 $1,000 $1,200 $10,500 $13,450

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"Pilates Equipment - The Pilates Chair Is a Wunda Chair." Pilates - Exercises and Equipment for Strength and Flexibility - Pilates DVD Reviews and More. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. <http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesequipment/tp/Pilates-Chair.htm>. "Pilates Equipment." Web. 28 Oct. 2011. <http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesequipment/ig/Large-Pilates-EquipmentPics/TowerMontage>. "Pilates Reformer - The Parts of a Pilates Reformer." Pilates - Exercises and Equipment for Strength and Flexibility - Pilates DVD Reviews and More. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://pilates.about.com/od/gettingstarted/ss/ReformerAnatomy.htm>. "Prices and Policies." Centerpoint Pilates. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.cpointpilates.com/prices-policies>. "Rates." Star Pilates. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/rates/>. "Rates." URBANFRONT PILATES. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://urbanfrontpilates.com/rates.php>. "Search Results - Mintel Group Ltd." Mintel Oxygen - Mintel Group Ltd. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_acaedmic/search_results/shows>. Squarespace - Account Not Available. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pilatespro.com/pilates-pro/2009/8/3/pilates-still-showing-stable-growth.html>. Star Pilates. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/>. "Struggles with Exercising." Health and Fitness Clubs - US - June 2011 - Market Research Report. Mintel Oxygen. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.

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<http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/my_reports/display/id=54 3330>. "Testimonials." Star Pilates. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.starpilatesphilly.com/testimonials/>. "Thrive Pilates." Thrive Pilates Philadelphia at Philly Power Yoga. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.thrivepilatesphiladelphia.com/>. "Thrive Pilates." Yelp. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/thrive-pilatesphiladelphia>. "Urban Front." Yelp. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/urbanfront-pilatesphiladelphia>. "Urbanfront Pilates." Facebook. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1833423294>. URBANFRONT PILATES. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://urbanfrontpilates.com/>. Zamora, Dulce. "Holiday Weight Management Tips for Surviving the Feasting Season." Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <http://www.medicinenet.com/holiday_weight_management/article.htm>.

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