Executive summary - rachelharris2018.files.wordpress.com · Web viewExecutive summary. The Peak Performance program offered by CASL is open to all CASL members and allows them the

PEAK PERFORMANCEBY THE CAPITAL AREA SOCCER LEAGUE

Marketing Plan Proposal

Provided byRachel Harris

Peak PerformanceMarketing Plan Proposal

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Peak Performance program offered by CASL is open to all CASL members and allows them the opportunity to enhance their athletic abilities through soccer-specific performance training. As a newer program, there is still much room for growth. An analysis of current Peak Performance customers revealed the U8-U11 age groups to be a largely untapped market for the program. The U8-U11 CASL Classic and challenge players have therefore been identified as the target market for this marketing plan.

The goal to be achieved through this plan is to provide the Peak Performance program to a larger breadth of CASL members. The marketing strategy will be to increase U8-U11 registration in Peak Performance by 30% for the Spring season starting mid-March.

The tactics by which this strategy will be implemented include email marketing, a price promotion, trial training sessions, new signage, and the release of a new program logo.


TABLE OFCONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................II

INTRODUCTION..............................................................1

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………...2

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………...6

CUSTOMER ANALYSIS……………………………………………………………………8

MARKETING GOAL & STRATEGY………………………………………………………9

MARKETING TACTICS…………………………………………………………………...10

IMPLEMENTATION & CONTROL……………………………………………………….12

APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………….14


INTRODUCTION

Peak Performance Mission StatementThe Capital Area Soccer League’s Peak Performance program collaborates

with the CASL team training system to provide its players with superior supplementary athletic development opportunities through soccer-specific fitness training to develop exceptional athletes that excel on the soccer field.

History of the Peak Performance ProgramThe Peak Performance program within CASL had its inaugural season in

2013. The program was implemented within the Academy and ECNL level teams on a trial basis, and it was found to be extremely successful. The use of the Peak Performance curriculum yielded a significant decrease in game injuries, as well as an increase in over-all game fitness among the players. The program has since been offered to all interested CASL players and has quickly seen growth over the last few years.

Previous Target Markets SelectedThe most targeted groups for the Peak Performance program have

historically been players involved in the top-level teams within CASL and players that are preparing to begin their collegiate soccer careers. These players are the staple members of the Peak Performance program.

Past Marketing EffortsCASL has previously done the bulk of their promotion of Peak Performance

using word-of-mouth, and have supplemented this with social media boosts and information posted on their website.

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SITUATIONAL ANALYSISInternal AnalysisPeak Performance’s Strengths-

Leadership. Richard Huxford, the Peak Performance Director, received his bachelor’s degree in Sport & Exercise Science and his master’s degree in Performance Coaching. In addition to his outstanding academic preparations for the role, he has earned his UEFA A Coaching License and has several years of experience in soccer and athletic performance coaching. Few soccer leagues have comparable leadership for their athletic development programs.

The Curriculum. The Peak Performance curriculum is comprehensive and multi-faceted; objectives include the development of strength, flexibility, speed, balance, and agility. It is divided into three major age groups (U8-U11, U12-U14, and U15-U18) to provide appropriate training for players based on their current phases of development and growth. The curriculum is designed to augment team training, which prevents the possibility of overtraining. This specific and structured curriculum is unique to CASL’s Peak Performance program.

CASL’s Extensive Membership. CASL is home to more than 11,000 soccer players. As Peak Performance is offered to any CASL player in age groups U11-U18, much of those 11,000 players should be treated as potential Peak Performance participants. This large membership pool is a great strength to the program.

Sklz Sponsorship. Sklz produces high-quality performance training equipment used by top soccer players from around the world. CASL has obtained a sponsorship agreement with Sklz that provides CASL’s members with a 25% discount on all the products that the Peak Performance staff has selected as excellent tools to prepare for the soccer season. More than 100 Sklz products are included in this agreement. By making this equipment more readily available, CASL players can practice athletic movements at home and the Peak Performance program can be that much more effective.

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Increased Supplemental Training Activity at CASL. With the recent incorporation of supplemental goalkeeper training in CASL’s competitive teams, more and more players are involved in some sort of additional training activity. This trend strengthens the Peak Performance program because it makes players feel more inclined to be interested in getting involved in their own form of supplemental training.

Peak Performance’s Weaknesses-

Young Program. Peak Performance was introduced in 2013. Many of the competitors were in operation far before 2013, and as a result, may have greater brand awareness and recognition in the Triangle.

Coach Support. It is extremely important to the growth of the Peak Performance program that the coaches have been properly informed of the details of the program. This includes CASL’s challenge coaches. Challenge players are often looking to advance into the Classic program, and would be very interested in a program like Peak Performance. Coaches need to be more aware of the benefits of the program.

New Website Layout. CASL recently transitioned to a fantastic new website. Unfortunately, the new Peak Performance page features less information than was previously provided. The current sessions (tryout preparation opportunities) are listed and briefly described, but there is no longer a detailed description of Peak Performance or its objectives. This new layout caters well to previous participants, but may leave prospective new players confused.

External AnalysisOpportunities-

Women’s Academy. CASL is now the first soccer club in the Triangle to introduce a women’s academy program. This will attract several high-level women’s soccer players to CASL. These competitive players are often the most interested in programs like Peak Performance.

NC Courage. The North Carolina Courage, formerly the Western New York Flash, are now playing in the Triangle. Bringing an NWSL team to the

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Triangle provides a significant opportunity for CASL. Already partnered with North Carolina FC, CASL has an opportunity to partner with the Courage on the women’s side of the club. Should the Courage partner with the new women’s academy programs at CASL, it could easily align with the academy partnership the men’s side has with North Carolina FC. As the North Carolina Courage generate a fan base in the Triangle, an affiliation with the team could attract more female players to the CASL system.

Uniqueness of Peak Performance. Most local soccer organizations (TFCA, TUSA, Carolina Soccer Club, Wake FC, and XL Soccer) do not provide a comparable “in house” program for soccer-specific athletic development. There is a great convenience for parents and players in participating in both team and supplemental training with CASL, and this opportunity is uniquely found in CASL.

Threats to Peak Performance-

Small Staff. As the Peak Performance program continues to grow, it will become difficult for Richard Huxford to lead all the training sessions needed.

Liberty Elite Development Academy- LEDA is one of the very few other groups in the Triangle area that offers a structured soccer-specific athletic performance training program. Their Spring session runs for 10 weeks and includes 3 training sessions per week, all for the cost of $250. Peak Performance’s Spring Tryout Prep season includes 8 sessions for $200. LEDA is a direct competitor with Peak Performance.

Peak Performance Program PositioningPeak Performance offers a unique opportunity for CASL’s players to develop the athleticism required to find success on the soccer field. While the “in house” set-up of the Peak Performance program is exceedingly convenient for CASL athletes, Peak Performance is also a high-quality program with excellent leadership. CASL’s athletes will find great success through their involvement in this program. Peak Performance is positioned as one of the only programs in the Triangle area offering soccer-specific performance training.

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Ultimate Sales Proposition-Superior athletes will be superior soccer players.

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COMPETITIVE ANALYSISWho is competing with Peak Performance?

Liberty Elite Development Academy- Similarly to Peak Performance, LEDA combines soccer and athletic development in their program. LEDA offers three training sessions per week for several weeks. Each training emphasizes technical skill development while also incorporating speed, strength, and agility training. While they do provide more regular training than Peak Performance, it is not aligned with club training sessions in the manner that Peak Performance is. LEDA primarily works with players ages 8-18 years old.

Brown Strength and Conditioning- Brown Strength and Conditioning is a sports performance organization that provides a variety of program types. Located in Raleigh, BSC offers programs emphasizing injury prevention, fitness conditioning, weight loss, speed and agility, or injury recovery. BSC attracts athletes of all ages and sports.

Athletic Performance Center- The Athletic Performance Center is a sports performance facility affiliated with the Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic. APC specializes in return to sport programs, but also offers performance classes. They provide speed, strength, and agility classes for athletes of all ages (youth, college prep, adult, etc.). APC also has a nutritionist on staff to address the nutritional needs and questions of their members. Professional athletes often train at APC, which gives the Center an “elite” feel.

D1- D1 Sports Training works with athletes age 7 through adult professionals. The emphasis of the programs is to lay an athletic base to excel in a sport. Strength, speed, agility, and flexibility are key areas of emphasis. There is no one sport specialty at D1.

Sport HQ- Sport HQ provides soccer (in the form of futsal) in combination with sports performance training. They may be considered a direct competitor, but they do not offer soccer beyond supplemental futsal leagues. CASL’s Capital Area Railhawks have a partnership with Sport HQ for their futsal facilities. Futsal and athletic performance training opportunities are

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offered to elementary through high school age players. The programs are designed to work in conjunction with other club’s training schedules.

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CUSTOMER ANALYSISCustomers Currently Served by Peak Performance

Academy & ECNL Athletes

o Highly competitive women’s and men’s athletes from CASL’s top-level

teamso Primarily players aged 13-18

Classic Team Players

o Primarily ages 13-18

Few Challenge Players

Why are the Current Customers Participating?

College Preparationso Increasing athletic ability prior to advancing to collegiate soccer

Off-Season Improvemento Working to improve during the off-season to advance to a higher-level

team Injury Prevention

o Improving athletic ability (flexibility, strength, stability) to prevent injuries during competition

Identifying the Target Market for this Plan

Emphasizing athletic development is very important for athletes aged U8-U11, and yet this age group is largely unreached in Peak Performance. The program has only recently expanded to include this age group, and there is much room for growth.

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MARKETING GOAL & STRATEGYMarketing Goal

The goal of this marketing plan is to provide the Peak Performance program to a larger breadth of CASL members.

Value Proposition

Participating in the Peak Performance program with CASL will allow an athlete to develop soccer-specific fitness, while simultaneously preventing injuries during competition. Through the emphasis of strength, balance, and speed, Peak Performance produces holistic athletes and provides them with the athletic tools to excel on the soccer field.

Marketing Strategy

To provide the Peak Performance program to more participants, CASL will pursue a 30% increase in Spring registrations among the U8-U11 age groups.

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MARKETING TACTICSHow will the strategy be implemented?

Email Blast to all U8-U11 CASL Challenge & Classic Players. The email blast would be sent to CASL’s U8-U11 age group players to create awareness among the target market. Challenge and Classic players, rather than Recreation players, would be selected to receive the email because they have chosen to invest more time in soccer to play competitively. The email would include a summary of the program, a testimonial from a former participant, Spring season information and dates, and a link for registration. (A draft of this mass email can be found in the Appendix of this document).

Challenge Team Trials. All U8-U11 CASL challenge teams would be able to request a trial Peak Performance session. This sample session would last for 30 minutes during their regularly scheduled training and would be led by a Peak Performance coach. Parents would be asked to watch the trial and would have the opportunity to ask the Peak Performance coach questions after trial has ended. This tactic would create a desire among players and parents to join the program, as well as initiate their action to do so. CASL would email all U8-U11 challenge team coaches to make them aware of the opportunity to request a trial session. (A draft of this email can be found in the Appendix of this document).

Discounted Season Rates for New U8-U11 CASL Players. Players, within the U8-U11 target age group, that are completely new to the CASL system would be offered a discounted rate for the Spring season of Peak Performance. Each of the new U8-U11 players would have the opportunity to register for the Spring season with a 10% discount. This price promotion will help create a desire among parents to take advantage of the deal and therefore initiate action among the group of U8-U11 players entering CASL teams. The discounted rate for new U8-U11 players would be

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posted on the CASL website homepage so new players will be likely to see the promotion information.

Create a Logo. The Peak Performance program does not currently have a logo. The creation of a logo for the program would yield increased recognition and awareness of the program. (A sample logo can be found in the Appendix of this document).

Signage at WRAL Soccer Park. The Sky Zone Fitness Center at the WRAL Soccer Park currently features a sign on the front of the building indicating the building name. Many Peak Performance program activities are held in this fitness building. A sign promoting Peak Performance would be added to the adjacent exterior wall of the building to generate awareness of the program. The sign would feature the new Peak Performance logo, the new USP for the program, and website information. (A draft of this sign can be found in the Appendix of this document). Many players within the U8-U11 age groups are unaware of the Peak Performance program and by placing a sign at the main CASL park, near the main bathroom facilities at the park, it will allow widespread exposure to the program.

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IMPLEMENTATION & CONTROLAction Plan

Marketing Tactic Projected Completion

Email Blast to all U8-U11 Challenge & Classic Players

March 1, 2017

Trial Session Invitation Email to all U8-U11 Challenge Coaches

March 2, 2017

Post Discounted Rate for New U8-U11 players Price Promotion online to CASL Homepage

March 2, 2017

Release new Peak Performance Logo March 10, 2017

Post new Peak Performance Signage on Sky Zone Fitness Center

March 8, 2017

Budget**This is a low-cost marketing plan and the greatest expenditure would be employee time allotted to the implementation of the plan.

Item CostTactic Implementation(Sign)

$75.00

Staff Time Allotted to Plan $300.00TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET $375.00

Evaluation- Measuring the Results

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Because Peak Performance is still a newer program, it may be difficult discerning the difference between program growth over time and program growth attributed to effective implementation of a marketing plan. Below are the ways in which CASL can specifically evaluate the success of the plan.

Send the U8-U11 Challenge/Classic players email blast through Constant Contact. Constant Contact will allow CASL to track how many recipients opened the email and interacted with it (clicked links, etc.). Constant Contact will also provide the opportunity for CASL to see when the emails were opened, which can help determine possible correlations between registration surges and the email.

Track which challenge teams use trial sessions, and subsequently track how many players from each of those teams register for the Peak Performance Spring session.

Observe how many registrants took advantage of the discounted price offered to new CASL members. If the number of players registered in this manner are high enough to replace the cost of the discount, the promotion can be considered a success.

Did Spring registrations increase by 30%?

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APPENDIXDraft- Email Blast for U8-U11 Challenge & Classic Players

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Draft Email to Challenge & Classic Coaches

Sample Peak Performance Logo Rendering

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Draft of New Sky Zone Fitness Center Signage

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Executive summary - rachelharris2018.files.wordpress.com · Web viewExecutive summary. The Peak Performance program offered by CASL is open to all CASL members and allows them the