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Bryce Johnston Intro to Media Advertising Choosing Geographic Priorities Cyclists as a Target Group Scheels Client Description Company Overview: Scheels started out as a hardware store in Sabin, Minnesota in 1902. It was not until 1954 that Scheels began adding a small amount of sporting goods to their stores, and as their sales increased Scheels added clothing and footwear to their stores in 1972. The first all-sports superstore was introduced in 1989 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Today, Scheels has 24 stores in 10 different states, with the largest one being in Reno, Nevada. Also, the Ferris Wheel in the Omaha, Nebraska store was voted one of the ten best Ferris Wheels in the country by AOL Travel (Scheels). Scheels hosts events such as Golf Simulator contests, running and walking clubs, and blood drives. And because they offer guns and other hunting equipment, some stores are holding classes to get concealed weapon permits. Scheels prides itself on making each visit to their store an experience. Each store has a different design and offers different amenities, such as bowling alleys, sports simulators, or archery ranges (Peisner). The purpose of Scheels is to offer more than other sporting goods stores give the consumer, and provide expertise in different areas of their store to ensure customer satisfaction. Although their customers have the ability to purchase items on their website, the site is not particularly smooth and could use some aesthetic adjustments. Company Offerings: Scheels offers sporting goods from any sport or activity a customer can think of. Their team sport offerings include baseball and softball, soccer, volleyball, hockey, football, wrestling and basketball. They also feature equipment for individual

sports such as golf, tennis, racquetball, and cycling. Scheels has an extreme sports section as well, consisting of skateboarding, snowboarding, inline skating, and BMX biking. Outdoor sports are also a large part of Scheels inventory, including hunting and fishing gear, canoeing, camping, and outdoor cooking. Also, they have equipment and clothing for exercise activities like running, aerobics, and cross fit. To counter all the athletic and fitness features, Scheels also sells Gramma Ginnas Fudge in some of their stores, and offers samples to customers who are browsing the store. Each of these departments has equipment and clothing that goes with an individuals particular activity, but their large shoe section also has footwear for any of these disciplines. Scheels also has athletic eyewear as well as swimwear. One feature they offer that separates them from other sporting goods stores, besides the immense variety of options, is the employees Scheels hires to assist customers in the various sections of the store. Each department has experts who have experience in each particular field, allowing them to give the customer advice to make an informed purchase decision. My Target Audience Choice: Cyclists Introduction A majority of cyclists are male and between ages 30 and 60, but younger females are starting to bike more, which could shift the market slightly over the next few years. Cyclists come from all income levels, and depending on income may bike for different reasons. Cyclists enjoy being social, staying healthy and seeing different sights while being outdoors they may not be able to see while doing other activities. Psychographic Elements of Cyclists

Many cyclists are looking for a sense of belonging, while improving physical wellbeing and leisure time (OConnor). According to the Bikes Belong Coalition, an organization dedicated to encouraging more Americans to ride bikes, and working towards improving biking conditions throughout the country, 93% of women cyclists do it because it is good for their health. Other reasons listed for motivations to ride were being out in nature, energy boost, the social aspect, and their spouse or partner rides (Enthusiast). Bicycle enthusiasts do not have to be inherently athletic, though many were athletes at some point. Some cyclists prefer to ride in groups on weekends, wearing gear similar to professional cyclists in the Tour de France, and riding five to ten thousand dollar bikes. These riders maintain a sense of shared meaning and involvement through riding with the group. But the great thing about cycling is that it does not require a large monetary investment unless the rider wants to, making it a possible activity to all income levels. Demographic Elements of Cyclists Cyclists in the United States are mostly male according to a survey conducted by the Bikes Belong Coalition. The results of their survey had 73% of recreational cyclists as male, and 23% female. This same survey had 80% of those who filled out the survey between the ages of 30 and 60. The two largest sections of these results were ages 50-54 (16.3%), and ages 40-44 (15%) (Enthusiast). Also, a chart accompanying these results showed that every age group below 50 had a higher number of female cyclists than males, which shows that more females are becoming interested in cycling at an early age, and males are continuing to ride bikes later in life. This also means the market for female cyclists will continue to increase. Bikes Belong also argues that although income does not have an effect on whether or not people ride bikes, it is the purpose of biking that changes

based on income. Lower income people ride bikes for transportation, and higher-income cyclists do so for recreation (2011). How Target Aligns with Scheels Offerings Scheels has a cycling section that has a large variety of biking equipment from some of the top brands including: Pearl Izumi, Camelbak, GoPro (cameras), and Bell Sports. Some of the sections offers include bike parts, helmets, gloves, attire, shoes, and tires. The store also offers a variety of GPS devices that can track how far a rider has gone, and depending on the device can map their route through their computer. Scheels as a whole appeals to a large demographic, but the concentrated sections allow for niche markets to find what they need at the super store. Geographic Choice Explanation Metro area priority No. 1: Green Bay Appleton, WI Even though this area does not have the highest amount of cyclists out of the three chosen cities, it has a substantial amount of cyclists (307,000) and there is a Scheels location in Appleton which is only 30 miles from downtown Green Bay. According to TrailLink.com there are at least 20 available trails in the Green Bay-Appleton area, two of which are over 80 miles (Appleton). According to the SRDS, Green Bay-Appleton has a 28% rate of cyclists in the population. Both Green Bay and Appleton have their own newspapers (Green Bay Press Gazette, Appleton Post-Crescent), all six major television networks are represented, and there are 45 AM and FM radio stations in the Green Bay metro area.

Metro area priority No. 2: St. Louis, MO Despite St. Louis low lifestyle rank in the SRDS, it still has a very high number of cyclists (579,000) in the metro area. However, it is below Green Bay-Appleton because the nearest Scheels is in Springfield, Illinois, about 95 miles from St. Louis. But despite the distance, there is too large of a cycling population to ignore. St. Louis has the nations oldest bicycling group the St. Louis Cycling Club, and according to STL Biking has events for cyclists on a nearly weekly basis (STLBiking.com), and there are more than 20 bike trails in the St. Louis area (Missouri). St. Louis has the Post-Dispatch newspaper, over 60 AM and FM radio stations, and all 6 network television stations. Also, the St. Louis sports market has three professional teams, providing numerous marketing opportunities between sports broadcasts and in-game promotions

Metro area priority No. 3: Des Moines-Ames, IA Des Moines-Ames has the lowest amount of cyclists of the three cities chosen (235,000), about 22% of the population according to the SRDS, but there is a West Des Moines Scheels location. Des Moines has 43 AM and FM radio stations, the Des Moines Register newspaper, and all six major television networks. Ames also has its own newspaper, the Ames Tribune. This area also has the Des Moines Cycle Club who sponsors events and weekly rides, and also has a racing team.

Target Bullet-List Summary Targets Psychographic Summary o Enjoy cycling o Want to be healthy o Enjoy being outside o Enjoy the group dynamic and feeling a part of a group o Motivated by those around them o Trying to save gas money/reduce car emissions Targets Demographic Summary o Gender: 70% male, 30% female o Marital Status: Could not find definite numbers on marital status o Age Range: 30 60 Targets Geographic Summary o Metro Priority No. 1: Green Bay-Appleton, WI o Metro Priority No. 2: St. Louis, MO o Metro Priority No. 3: Des Moines-Ames, IA

Works Cited "2011 Update on U.S. Bicycling Levels and Trends." Bikes Belong. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. <www.bikesbelong.org>. "Appleton, Wisconsin (WI) Trails & Maps." Appleton Trails & Trail Maps. N.p., 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Biking. Athletic Gear. Scheels. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.scheels.com/shop/en/scheels-catalog/search/biking>. "Enthusiast Demographics and Industry Trends Survey." Bikes Belong. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. <www.bikesbelong.org>. "Missouri Bicycle Trails and Trail Maps." Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. O'Connor, Justen P., and Trent D. Brown. "Real Cyclists Don't Race: Informal Affiliations Of The Weekend Warrior." International Review For The Sociology Of Sport 42.1 (2007): 83-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Peisner, Lynn. "SCHEELS: Conservative Company, Wild Ride." Editorial. Shopping Center Business 31 May 2012: n. pag. SCB - PRODUCTION. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content>. "STLBiking.com." STL Biking Calendar of Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.