STP

When I first began thinking about segmentation, I was in class considering what type of relationship children would have with Play 60. After working with children in high school and mentoring a 12 year old in Psych 211 (an undergrad Mich course), I have come to the realization that children are totally irrational and unpredictable. Although I do believe many children care about their health, I do not believe that too many 6-13 year olds are thinking, "I need to start exercising more because high blood pressure and cholesterol will cause health problems in the future". I think that many children in my target audience have a hand relationship with Play 60's product, which is comprised of events, after school athletics, and activities suggested on the website that promote daily exercise. They may choose to participate in athletic activities occasionally, but it is not an important aspect of their lifestyles. Play 60 hopes to get kids emotionally involved with physical activities; this involves convincing them that athletics are not only fun, but also provide the opportunity to have a positive social experience with a group of peers. Therefore, I hope to convert hand loyals to heart loyals through the Play 60 campaign. In the strategic context, I want to focus on the most receptive competitive users, which would be overweight/obese children who enjoy physical activities occasionally but choose to participate in sedentary activities most of the time.

Selecting segmentation variables was a relatively straightforward task for me. Since my category is "voluntary daily activities" and my target is children, I define the main variable as fun/enjoyment. Have you ever met a child that voluntarily chose to participate in an activity that he/she didn't enjoy? I know I haven't. The dynamic variable is trickier, but I believe the main benefit physical activities offer (especially for team-based activities) is the opportunity to have a socially rewarding experience with peers that is based in reality. Modern video games do have a social aspect because you can play with people online. For many kids, this experience is probably not as satisfying as playing with friends outside or on the playground. I think that Play 60 has a great opportunity to differentiate its activities from the other things children spend time doing.

The following is my target audience description: Marcus Ray (OK, I watched the 1997 Michigan-Ohio State football game again last weekend...if you haven't seen what Michigan safety Marcus Ray does to David Boston when Joe Germaine lobs a pass over his head late in the game, suffice it to say that it was just slightly short of assault) is an overweight 10 year old who lives in Galveston, Texas. Although he occasionally participates in sports and physical activities, he chooses to play video games or watch TV in his spare time for a number of reasons. Not only does he find these activities more fun, but also his school does not have the funding to support many sports teams and his parents do not have the time to play outdoors with him because of their demanding work schedules. He would like to engage in more physical activities, but he has friends who also enjoy playing inside like him and his neighborhood can be dangerous in the early evening/night. Marcus vaguely understands that being overweight can cause health problems in the future, but he is not willing to participate in physical activities when he can have more fun with sedentary activities.

Although this is a work-in-progress, this is my concept for what Play 60's 5 box positioning statement would look like:

Currently do: I occasionally participate in physical activities, but I choose sedentary activities much more frequently in my spare time.

Current Belief: Physical activities can be a fun way to spend time with others, but I have lots of friends who like to play video games or watch TV with me, and these activities are significantly less strenuous.

Consumer Proposition: With events, sports teams, and activities sponsored/suggested by Play 60, you can have a positive social experience with your peers, meet NFL players and coaches, and improve your health/physical appearance at the same time.

Desired belief: Athletic activities are fun and they also give me the chance to interact with a larger group of my peers. Losing weight makes me feel better about myself too.

Desired do: I engage in some form of physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions about how I can improve the STP portion of my marketing plan. In my final document, I will talk more about how the core competencies of the NFL will help Play 60 move children from their current belief to the desired belief. Also, check back soon for my outline of the 4 Ps.