Happy Feet Marketing Plan

Line dance origins date back to traditional folk dance (Tatum, 2012). Traditionally, dancing has been around for many years, although there are many different styles and genres. Line Dance is where individuals form one or more lines parallel without a partner, to perform choreographed, repeated, in unison series of steps to music (Free Dictionary). Line dancing provides health and exercise related activities to create a positive lifestyle.

Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group will serve the Tampa Bay Area. We will help individual to learn to dance through line dancing while improving their health. There is not a line dance studio for people, who want learn to line dance and meet other people who have similar interest. African-Americans suffer from high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, line dance give them the opportunity to improve these health issues. Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group vision is to become the leading studio providing line dance that helps each participates improve a health issue. In order to achieve this, we must embrace our mission to provide a place where people can learn to dance for enjoyment, exercise, or meet new people. Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group has currently outgrown their current location. Expansion into a private studio, will allow public and private instructions, private groups parties, and opportunity to offer other different type of dances.

Company Description

Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group was started as a group to learn the current soul line dance in February 2011. This group conducts and teaches line dances once a week, for an hour and half at a neighborhood Elks Lodge. There are three line dance instructors, who teach new line dances and provide individual assistance to new members to the class. Instructors learn new dances from different clubs, parties, or from YouTube. The current genre is R&B/Soul. Although, there is not a weekly or monthly cost to use the Elks lodge; however there are many bystanders, onlookers, and smoke. Mission and Goals

Happy Feet’s mission is to provide a place where individuals can exercise at their own pace, learn to dance, meet new people, increase and improve their health, social life and self-confidence. Overall, be comfortable dancing in front of others. Our goal is to encourage individuals to be involved with improving their own health. According the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure and 10% less likely to have it under control than causations. American Heart Association (2011) states that 44.8% of non-Hispanic black men and 44.3% of women have Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). It further states 70.3% of men and 77.7% of women, who were non-Hispanic black, are either overweight or obese.

Core competencies
Formed in 2011, Happy Feet has set out to be the best soul line dance group. The core competencies consist of the ability to teach the different soul line dances, fun and loving atmosphere, encouraging environment, and promote health exercise practices. Participates can wear regular, everyday clothes. However, we do suggest participates wear sneakers, comfortable form fitting, non-binding clothes. Although any attire can be worn, socks and shoes must be worn at all times. The music for the line dances are up-tempo and current r & b selections, as well as old school music. Happy Feet line dance does not require any prior experience, we welcome all experiences; advanced and non-experience dancers. Happy Feet provides a place for individuals to exercise or just to increase their physical activity in their lives. Situational Analysis

Happy Feet looks to provide and implement wellness within the community. Furthermore, incorporating exercise into the daily lives of each person who visit Happy Feet. As a line dance group, Happy Feet will be known by its dancers for teaching line dance as a way to stay healthily, lose weight, and make new life long friends. Legal and Political: Happy Feet will need a business license to operate as a business. Happy Feet studio will need insurance for the building, as well as liability protection against
accidents.

Strengths
•Low cost
•Low impact exercise
•Don’t need a partner
•Improve overall health
•Formal training not required

Weakness
•Offers one type of dance
•Use of only one genre
•Offer only line dancing
•Choreography of the dance could be difficult

Opportunity
•Use different genre for line dance
•Offer different style of dance

Threats
•Fitness centers offers variety of dance style
•Established dance studios
•Economic downturn

Competitors
Happy Feet competitors consist of fitness centers, Ballroom dance studios, and specific dance center studios. Fitness centers, such as the YMCA and L.A. Fitness offer monthly membership while providing different type of dance class (L.A. Fitness) & (YMCA). These classes are zumba, hip-hop dance, and line dance. Ballroom dance studios offer professional type lessons in ballroom setting, which teaches The Tango, the Waltz, and Swing. The specific style of dance would be pole dance classes. Stiletto-Fitness offer classes that tone the butt and abs, pole dance at beginner lever to advance level, Pilates, chair dance (Stiletto Fitness). Furthermore, they give each customer who signs up for a membership a pair of stilettos. Target market

Happy Feet believes that everyone has the ability to dance, and present line dance in a social environment. The potential dancers are categorized into six groups: •Children (ages 7-12): this is the age group where we would like to increase their interest in dance. •Teen (ages 13-19): teens will want to learn to line dance because they have watch their friends line dance, at the homecoming dance, prom or party. •College/young adults (ages 20-24): Young adults will want to learn to line dance because when they go to the dance clubs the DJ is playing line dance and all of their friends are dancing. •Single and Married adults (ages 25-55): will be the biggest supporters, because they are looking for something to do. Happy Feet offers the opportunity to meet new people. Additionally allows changing the first dance at weddings from the more traditional waltz. Married Couples can learn to dance together, while meeting other married couples •Retired/Seniors (ages 55 and up): Line dance for this age group is exercising to stay health, keep healthy, and to meet new people. Although this is a smaller market, they become long-term dancers. •Corporate Wellness Programs or Business Retreats: businesses that provide wellness program or have annual business retreats. The Marketing Mix

Happy Feet wants to increase its participation and promote health-related exercise. Therefore, we will employee a health professional, who will give personalize health assessment, based on your personal goals. Product Strategy: Happy Feet target market is individuals who enjoy dancing for fun and/or need a place to exercise that reduces the impact on the joints. According to AARP, Line dancing provides physical, mental, and healthy benefits. It further increases memory and tones muscles. Happy Feet will teach ages from seven years old to 55 plus. Eventually, Happy Feet will expand into other forms of dance, such as zumba, salsa, and exotic. Distribution Strategy: Happy Feet is known for being up to date with the current soul line dances. Happy Feet will establish a website for information regarding performance, group class schedule, including day and times. Happy Feet will provide begining level lines dance, for those who have never soul line dance. Promotion Strategy: Happy Feet instructors and current participates will perform presentation at various community functions, including health fairs, conventions, corporate retreats and churches.

The presentation will include the benefits of line dancing. Furthermore, these promotions include the following: advertisements through social media, such as Facebook, flyers, word of mouth, as well as mini presentation at birthday and anniversary parties. Corporate Wellness programs creating awareness of Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group. There is not a social dance studio in Tampa Bay Area, where individual can come to dance for fun. Price Strategy: Happy Feet will have different levels of monthly membership; however, a monthly membership is not required. There will be daily fee, if monthly membership is not purchased. The level membership can be cancelled at any time, with at least 30 days’ notice. The levels of membership will include a basic level, silver level, gold level, and a platinum level. Music CDs with the line dance songs will be for sale for $5.00.

1.Basic level membership – will allow admission to three group classes per week, which will cost $50.00 per month. 2.Silver level membership – will allow admission to five group classes per week, which will cost $75.00 per month. 3.Gold level membership – will allow unlimited admission to group classes, five one-guest passes and three private individual instructions each month, which will cost $100.00 per month. In addition, this membership will provide a free CD each month with the line dance songs for at home practice. 4.Platinum level membership – will allow unlimited admission to group class, 10 guests passes each month, five private individual instructions each month, which will cost $150.00. In addition, this membership will provide a free CD each month with the line dance songs for practice. 5.Daily fee – will allow attending daily any class for a daily fee, if a membership is not purchase, which will cost $5.00 per class per level. 6.Private individual instructions- the cost starts at $25.00 per instruction. Private instructions only allow a maximum of five people. 7.Corporate Retreats- The cost is dependent upon the number of employees being taught. Customer Relationship Management

Happy Feet will become a customer focus organization. Hoping to meet the needs and expectation of each customer by providing the best deal for the services we provide. To build this successful relationship with our customers, we will have a clear understand what the customer hopes to accomplish from taking line dance class. Happy Feet instructor will be trained on how to determine which dancer need each individual help; moreover, they will know how to breakdown each step of a dance. In addition, assist the dancer in a courteous and respectful manner.

Furthermore, Happy Feet will offer a referral program, where a customer will receive a free one-hour private session of instruction, for every five referrals that purchases a level membership. Happy Feet promises to keep the prices affordable and not to pressure sell. Therefore, Happy Feet guarantees each line dance class will meet the needs of the customer. Additionally, each line dance class will not exceed an hour and half. The instruction class level will include a beginner’s level class, intermediate level, advanced and multilevel class. Dancers in the beginners’ level are not allowed to move up to the intermediate level until six or more classes have been completed and can perform basic moves required in most line dances. At least twice a week, a Live DJ will play music. Additionally, water and a healthy snack will be provided after each level class session.

Budget and Monitoring
Happy Feet’s first year sales are projected as a loss, as it attempts to gain a steady customer base. The estimated start-up costs are $10,000, with a monthly expense of $5,000. The monthly expenses include lights, water, advertisement, insurance and rent, disc jockey on retainer, instructors and staff. The start-up costs include: Initial expenses:

100 pack of Blank CD………………………………$40.00
Four 24 cases of bottle water ($4.99 per case).……..$20.00
First and last month rent for a dance studio………$4500.00
Installation and purchase of mirrors………………$3000.00
Advertisement…………………………………….$500.00

Summary and Conclusions
Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group has different levels suitable for each individual’s abilities; therefore, offering private and group instruction. Additionally, Happy Feet will offer each interested person an opportunity to try one free class. As a customer-focus line dance group, each level will give each dancer the opportunity to increase their bone and brain health, improve their balance and posture, reduces stress and fatigue, while fighting off diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression.

Happy Feet uses word of mouth and social media promotion, such as Facebook, to build an interest in line dancing, whereas giving the benefits of line dancing. Happy Feet’s marketing technique will engaged to build clientele; personal, private, and corporate. These marketing techniques include advertising in the newspaper, collaborating with health organizations, presentations at different charity events and fairs, and through word of mouth. Happy Feet membership level pricing gives everyone the opportunity to pick which membership is suitable for his or her needs. Customer Referral programs gives dancers a chance to receive private instructions, through encouraging friends and family to partake in line dancing. Happy Feet Soul Line Dance Group vision is to become the leading line dance studio, that helps each participates improve their health issue. Therefore, be a place where people can learn line dances for enjoyment, exercise, or just meet new people.