Reference no: EM132223364

Mike Boyle’s Services Are Not for Everyone

Everyone wants to be strong, healthy, and fit. But not everyone is in the target market for Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC). With two Massachusetts locations, MBSC offers a variety of services to help athletes at all levels build strength, improve endurance, and enhance performance. Cofounder Mike Boyle developed his approach to athletic training as a result of working as a trainer for various sports teams and with Boston University. He’s also trained Olympic athletes, professional athletes, and celebrities.

Over the years, Boyle noticed how many people join a gym with good intentions but then lose their motivation and rarely use the facilities. So when Boyle opened his first gym, he went down a different marketing path. He wants to provide services to customers who expect to actively train, customers who will set personal goals and then come to the gym for regular one-on-one or group training. Boyle recognizes that his business doesn’t just provide equipment and space for workouts—it also offers social support and professional guidance, encouraging customers to make progress toward their fitness and performance goals, week after week.

For school athletes in their teens and twenties, MBSC offers services such as middle-school athletic training, high-school performance training, and college break workout sessions. For adults, MBSC offers small-group strength and training services and private or semi-private personal training geared to each customer’s individual needs and goals, including weight loss, better stamina, and better mobility. In addition, MBSC provides services to help adults improve capabilities and performance in specific sports, such as golf. Prices vary, depending on the duration of the service programs and whether customers receive private or group training.

As they age, professional athletes who want to continue their high-performance careers see MBSC’s services as a way to keep up their strength, speed, and endurance. Even adults who aren’t athletes see MBSC as a resource for taking fitness to the next level, learning to prevent injuries, and getting in shape to look their best. Customers also have the option of requesting services such as massage therapy and physical therapy to regain strength and improve agility.

Boyle reaches out to a wider audience with “how to” videos that educate and encourage people who want to know about his training and services. His Facebook page has 41,000 likes, his Twitter account has 33,800 followers, and his YouTube channel has 10,000 subscribers. Boyle maintains a dialogue with customers and prospects by posting notes and videos on his blog and social-media accounts about diverse topics, including effective training techniques and the benefits of school athletics.

Today, MBSC offers services to customers as young as 11 years old, and at the other end of the spectrum, to members in their 80s. A small percentage of customers are professional athletes, and many of his customers are young men and women who want training to supplement their school sports activities. Because he was known for his work with the Boston Bruins hockey team and with Boston University’s hockey team, Boyle attracts many varsity hockey players from the Boston area. These days, Boyle has little extra time for the kind of extended workouts he once enjoyed. Still, he makes the rounds of his gyms every day, training in brief, intensive stints and serving as a role model for the ongoing benefits of maintaining strength and conditioning at all ages and for all lifestyles.footstar.png

Questions

1. In terms of services marketing, why is it important for customers to see Mike Boyle working out and supervising trainers at his gym facilities every day?

2. Mike Boyle only wants to attract customers who will be frequent users of his facilities and training services. What does this suggest about how MBSC manages service expectations?

3. How, specifically, can customers evaluate the search qualities, experience qualities, and credence qualities of MBSC?