sexta-feira, janeiro 01, 2016

Um exemplo da polarização do mercado


A isto que se segue aprendi a chamar de polarização do mercado no artigo de 2005 que refiro em ""Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once."" e continua válido e cada vez com mais força à medida que Mongo se entranha:
"For several years, I have been paying close attention to the emergence of the global low-cost gym segment. I understand the business model and how they compete to win customers and the pressure they apply to many ‘legacy’ or established operators. However, it was only after taking a step back that a broader perspective emerged and I realised that mature health and fitness markets seem to be bifurcating or forking along two distinct pathways, which I describe as ‘self-service’ and ‘supported’.
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Many consumers have steadily been taking control of activities once outsourced to others – selfscanning groceries, using apps to book hotels and flight tickets – and enjoy the empowering feeling of serving themselves. Low-cost gyms have very effectively tapped this phenomenon, attracting members seeking a ‘narrow’ fitness experience who are competent exercisers and content to serve themselves. However, perhaps less evident is the second ‘supported’ pathway, where  customers seek and pay for a more guided experience. This is where the very best micro gyms and studios are to found, purposely engaged in helping customers reach a desired health and wellbeing aspiration. So one pathway serves up outputs (facilities, equipment, programmes etc) and the other outcomes (creating a meaningful difference in a member or customer’s life).
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If a club is stuck between these two pathways it is a vulnerable position [Moi ici: Stuck in the middle] because it creates a sense of confusion, not just among existing and new members, but also staff and other stakeholders. Also the experience the member receives may not be aligned with the price – members may feel they receive little or no valued support and yet are paying two or three times more than a low-cost, self-serve
experience. Journalists, if at all interested in the business, would also struggle to understand what the club believes in and what it excels at.
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An interesting trend which is presently better evidenced in the United States is the growing number of consumers choosing to hold membership of multiple clubs or instead opting for a ‘pay-as-you-train’ relationship taking advantage of class and gym pass booking platforms
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It suggests that some consumers are seeking a more open relationship with fitness providers, one based on a ‘best-in-class’ approach to their health and fitness regime. This means they ask themselves ‘where is the best indoor boot camp experience in Boston on a Thursday evening?’ – not the closest, but the best. This phenomenon begins to erode the idea that a single fitness operator can ‘monopolise’ a consumer’s health and fitness experiences."
E a sua empresa, também está atolada no pântano da indefinição?
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Também precisa de um choque ao estilo de Mateus 10, 34-36?
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Talvez possamos ajudar.

Trechos retirados de "Health club industry mid-market report – investigating how brands are repositioning in an era of rising competition" (Researched and written by Ray Algar, Managing Director, Oxygen Consulting, UK. December 2015).