Case Study- Consumer Behaviour

Class Assignment – 14/7/2021

Yoga Boom in the US
Whoever isn't focused on capturing Baby Boomers over the next two decades isn't focused well on the
future. (A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom.)

In the coming 20 years, boomers will inherit estates worth over 10 trillion dollars. And every year, 4 million
Boomers turn 50 and 4 million turn 60.

So what does this huge, affluent, aging population need? And why are private yoga sessions the best
solution for meeting its needs and multiplying your program profits?

Targeting Boomers' Needs

Most maturing Baby Boomers share three priorities:

1. Quality of life-the ability to pursue an active lifestyle as they age.

2. Freedom from the limits of health concerns and physical problems-in order to enjoy leisure time for
travel and family activities that they have earned the resources to pursue.

3. Stress management-in "A Study of Consumer Attitudes Toward Physical Fitness and Health Clubs," 2002,
by American Sports Data Inc. [ASD], the percent of Americans who reported feeling stressed out-26%-was
one of the largest measurable psychographics in the United States.

The thing that will most quickly make these priorities seem out of reach is a sudden or chronic physical
limitation, especially one that will not respond to traditional medicines or surgery-and there are many of
those. As Boomers age and see friends start to suffer from nagging injuries and preventable diseases, they
will want to do everything possible to prevent two things:

1. Overuse injuries, which are exacerbated by limited flexibility and strength.

2. Unnecessary accidents, which result from falls caused by lack of balance and strength.

Yoga – The Fastest-Growing Fitness Activity

Most fitness industry people and active consumers now believe that a variety of disciplines can help
people avoid and recover from problems caused by overuse injuries. The most common activity choices
include strength training, Pilates, tai chi, yoga and cardio training. All these disciplines are useful, but with
an 18% increase in participation, yoga was the fastest-growing fitness activity in 2005, according to ASD's
SUPERSTUDY® of Sports Participation, fielded in January 2006.

Why?

1. Yoga is the only discipline in which strength, flexibility and balance are often used together, increasing
all three in those who practice.

2. Yoga relaxes both muscles and minds-key in retaining health and longevity.
3. The breathing practices of yoga increase the ability to oxygenate the body, leading to an overall feeling
of energy and well-being.

Practically speaking, yoga is also the most accessible form of exercise: It requires no special equipment
or clothing and can be practiced in whatever space is available, even in an airplane seat or on a bed. It can
be practiced anytime, anywhere, by anyone of any age.

A Singular Opportunity for Greater Profits

Despite its obvious popularity and many benefits, economically speaking, yoga is being given away in most
health clubs and undervalued in studios. Yoga is offered almost entirely in classes, which are generally
included in monthly or other fees. What clubs in general, and even many studios, are missing is the great
potential that exists for one-on one yoga instruction.

For several millennia, yoga was taught to people of all ages in a one-on-one format. Traditionally, the
discipline addressed the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the individual. Today's class format limits
the leader from working on the specific needs of different individuals. What's more, there is rarely any
effort to teach participants how to utilize yoga to help them in their daily lives.

However, the Boomer market for individual (or very small group) yoga sessions is huge, offering
substantial advantages for consumers and facilities alike. For people with physical limitations, I would
argue, private instruction is the only safe and effective way to learn. And there are many other types of
clients who can benefit from studying this way, even if only to get started.

Healthy, Active Boomers

The youngest, healthiest and most active Boomers don't see themselves as having special needs; may not
yet be worried about the effects of aging or overuse; and tend to be interested in fitness, fun, stress relief
and improved athletic performance. Why would these people find private yoga appealing?

Athletic coaches of individual sports like tennis and golf have discovered that yoga offers more than a
way to increase flexibility, balance and strength without creating bulk that gets in the way of performance
and adds weight. Many coaches also understand that controlled-breathing skills help maintain target
heart rate zones for optimal performance and that yoga has positive effects on managing distractions and
improving concentration and body awareness.

Since tennis and golf are still the sports of choice for affluent male professionals wishing to be active and
competitive with friends and business associates, it makes sense that private yoga will be an attractive
offering. For people in this vital, moneyed segment of the club industry (ASD reports there are
approximately 5.2 million regular tennis players and 5.6 million regular golfers), a practice that will help
them control both their skills and their temperament during performance will be a powerful attraction.

The private yoga instructor need not be particularly knowledgeable about a specific sport to improve a
player's performance. General observations about the applicability of the physical and mental aspects of
yoga will be quickly seen by this bright demographic as soon as its members begin to experience yoga.

Women Over 40
Yoga class participants are more than 75% women. Almost half of those who practice are at least 35 years
old (the youngest Boomers are now 41), and 20.5% are 55 or older, according to the ASD SUPERSTUDY for
2005

Women participants with dance backgrounds are not the best candidates for private yogabecause they
thrive in a class setting. The only yoga promotion they need is a reminder that they will enjoy the dance-
like movements of flowing (vinyasa) yoga.

But women who have not grown up with dance, and who may not feel athletic, are likely to be attracted
to a brief tutorial that will get them up to speed before they try following along with others who seem to
need no guidance or special help. A one-on-one introduction will give these less experienced or less
confident women a nonpublic opportunity to improve their self-esteem by mastering yoga's slow,
repetitive movements.

Aging Single Men

Among the older set, single men who can show off a strong but softer side can be especially appealing to
women. But in order to show off, they have to know what they are doing, and for most older men-even
those who are still athletic-the movements of yoga are foreign and may make them feel awkward. Private
yoga sessions offer a quick way to get these clients up to speed.

One-on-One Yoga Details

The particular components of private yoga tutorials will vary according to clients' needs. Generally,
sessions focus on the following:

1. adapting asanas to individual needs and abilities

2. designing specific yoga routines to deal with health issues such as low-back pain, stress, etc.

3. outlining a preventive health routine and offering general guidelines on healthy eating (within the
instructor's scope of practice) and simple meditation instruction 4. teaching breathing practices and
explaining their specific benefits

The Right Skills. Yoga certifiers such as YogaFit® offer specialty classes in which teachers learn the technical
poses and variations that clients need in order to address a wide array of common problems. Within the
Boomer millions there are many subgroups with diverse needs. Choosing areas to focus on requires first
understanding the common issues facing this generation. Different target subgroups may need instructors
of different genders and ages, and they should be trained to relate to the populations they choose to work
with.

Boomers are the largest and richest macro group in the U.S., and with proper marketing, one-on-one yoga
has the potential to attract them in huge numbers.

Questions

1. How has the consumer attitude towards physical fitness changed over the decades?

2. What makes Yoga so popular in US, especially among the baby boomers?