Ice Skating

Q1:
StrengthsOpportunities
λIt is the only indoor ice rink in a northern U.S. city.
λNewly installed soft lights and selected music.
λThe rink is big enough to have 700 people at one time.
λOffering ice skating program.λWinter is a popular season to skating. λHolding some “social activity” as roller skating rinks do. WeaknessesThreats
λWeather variability
λThe program does not attract as many people as Swan think. λGenerating more cost and less revenueλThe city’s recreation department operates outdoor rinks in the winter. λOnline games and networking makes more youth stay home rather than meet friends in weekend evening.

Profits come from customers. As long as Swan wants to make profits, he should satisfy target customers’ needs. He has included 14 public skating sessions in his ice schedule. Some sessions are successful while some failed. Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions ---- “kidsitting” session ---- are most successful. Friday and Saturday evening sessions ----- teenager and young couple session ---- are failed. I think Swan can change teenager and young couple session to obese teenager session. The teenagers eat many high calorie foods and drinks, and they always stay at home play on-line games on weekend evening as SWOT analysis indicates. That’s why they get fat. At the same time, young girls always want a good fit and boys want to catch girls attention by doing sports. Swan should make a strategy to attract those teenagers, because skating is a perfect choice for these teenagers. He can hire a trainer and hold a competition which can appeal teenagers to exercise in the rink. Get what teenage wants can make a profit. After determining the target market, Swan will decide the 4Ps --- product、place、promotion、price. He provides a service. The indoor rink is competitive advantage as SWOT discussion. There are too many ways to do great promotion, e.g. advertising. Price should be economic.

Q2:

In my opinion, Swan determined the style "color important;" target market by using combined target market. He scheduled the public program into different session but the charge is same ($5 per person). From the other perspective, he segmented the market into two kinds----hockey and public skating program. Hockey is charged $200 an hour (plus concession sales) for entire rink which is different from the public skating program. This is a multiple target market. We only focus on the public skating program. If I were a marketing manager, I choose the multiple target market, but a little difference in public program. Swan already has 14 sessions which cannot be more specific. What he needs is more specific strategy for different sessions. Market segmentation is necessary and useful. Treat different market with different strategy is effective, although it may increase cost. When you find the right strategy for target customer, you will make more profit than you can imagine.