Gyro Marketing Plan

2. Gyro Marketing Plan

3. Major Issues • Gyro has an aging and declining membership base • Friendship as a concept is difficult to sell • Gyro hasn’t embraced social media • Gyro’s branding lacks consistency

4. How can Gyro adapt to appeal to the next generation of retirees – baby boomers?

5. External Analysis Opportunities Threats Competition for leisure time High degree of rivalry Rising cost of living Membership numbers for civic organizations of most varieties are down • Baby boomers are retiring • Recession means men need to network for business • Diversity • Green movement (Gyro Parks)

6. Target Market: Baby Boomers • Born between 1946 and 1965 • The next generation of retirees • Represent 29.6% of District IV’s membership

7. Internal Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Declining membership base Online presence Friendship as a selling proposition Branding consistency • History • Established membership base • Fun • Friendship

8. Gyro Branding • A Fraternity of Friendship. • Gyro has 17+ slogans, two mission statements, and two logos.

9. Gyro Online Presence • Gyro.ws has room for improvement in terms of aesthetics and breadth of features. • Many individual clubs have their own websites, but few are kept up-to-date. • Gyro International recently formed a Social Media Committee. • Currently on Facebook, Gyro International has a modest 32 ‘likes’ and District IV’s group has 66 ‘members’.

10. District IV Age Distribution • The average District IV member is 69 years old:

11. Membership Survey • When asked about their level of satisfaction with club events, District IV members returned a rating of 4.51:

12. Membership Survey • 77.1% of members have invited two-or-fewer people to Gyro in the past two years:

13. Membership Survey • 28.0% of respondents currently use social media:

14. Red Hat Society (RHS) • The Red Hat Society is a Women’s social organization with a similar purpose to Gyro. • RHS strives for fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitnessfor members. • RHS had two chapters in 1997; over 47,000 chapters today. • Compared to Gyro’s 99 clubs.

15. RHS has grown by word-of-mouth, facilitated by their easily identifiable red hats. • They have a visually appealing website, rich with information and features. • 11,000+ ‘likes’ on Facebook • 2,400+ ‘followers’ on Twitter

16. Marketing Strategy • Align all Gyro’s activities towards fun • Target baby boomers by increasing Gyro’s online presence and offering fun club events

17. If you put a group of men together under the pretence of friendship, they might not necessarily have fun. But if you provide fun for a group of men, they will likely become friends by sharing mutually positive experiences.

18. Nanaimo Club • Founded in 1922. • Currently has 85 members:

19. Vancouver, WA Club • Founded in 1930. • Currently has 66 members:

20. Vernon Club • Founded in 1953. • Currently has 25 members:

21. Friendship

22. Branding • Promote fun. • Adopt a new slogan: “Committed to Fun.” • Select a single mission statement.

23. Member Benefits • Gyro has the opportunity to leverage its large membership base to offer discounts: • Travel • Insurance • Tourist attractions • More • Turn-key solutions are available through organizations like CARP/AARP. • Alternatively, Gyro could also develop its own affiliate card program to offer benefits.

24. Social Media • Promote Gyro’s Facebook page at the International Convention. • Educate members on social media in the Gyroscope. • Plan to launch Twitter and LinkedIn accounts at the next International Interim.

25. Social Gatherings • Conventions: • Offer the opportunity to attend conventions to those who might not be able to afford to-do-so by running contests or having fundraisers. • Club Events: • Offer events which appeal to baby boomers and older generations alike: sports, drinking, mixed dances, gambling, travel, etc.

26. Website • Launch new version of Gyro International’s website at Gyro.org. • Optimize Gyro’s website for search engine results. • Include more interactive features: • Blog from Executive • Members only forum • Buttons linking to Gyro’s social media accounts

27. Culture • Improve club diversity under the mandate of fun. • Adopt the term Gyro Ladies in lieu of Gyrettes. • Adopt an easily identifiable wearable symbol:

28. Community and Charity • Gyro should partner with an international charity promoting fun and friendship. • Promote friendly fundraising competition amongst clubs. • Encourage clubs wishing to help in their community to take on tasks to create fun.

29. Gyroscope • Infuse the Gyroscope with fun, including puzzles, contests, and NHL/NFL pools. • Run contests for best costume, joke, or poem. • Highlight community and charitable efforts.

30. Implementation Plan

31. “Monday Morning” • Introduce the “Committed to fun” message to your clubs. • Begin getting member feedback to take to the International Convention. • Form action plan committees to oversee the implementation of the plan.

32. How can Gyro adapt to appeal to the next generation of retirees – baby boomers?

33. Major Issues • Gyro has an aging and declining membership base • Friendship as a concept is difficult to sell • Gyro hasn’t embraced social media • Gyro’s branding lacks consistency

34. Resolution

35. Thank You! Questions? To ease navigating the marketing plan, please see: Table of Contents, Page 2 Table of Figures, Page 6 Summary of Recommendations, Page 44