ProgramsSummer 2025 Industry Capstone ProgramProjectsKen Pilates: Empowering Growth and Strengthening Community and Clie...

Project Title: Ken Pilates: Empowering Growth and Strengthening Community and Client Base

Ken Pilates

Details
Project Title Ken Pilates: Empowering Growth and Strengthening Community and Client Base
Project Topics Community Organization and Social Action Entrepreneurship Growth Strategy Marketing Operations Research & Development Sales & Business Development
Skills & Expertise
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
This Industry Capstone Program project is with Ken Pilates and the corporate partner is Matthew Cunningham. The faculty advisor is to be determined (will update this shortly). This is a great opportunity to support and learn from a local business in Hoboken, New Jersey!

General Information:

At Ken Pilates, we are facing two primary challenges that are limiting the growth and sustainability of our business:

  1. Third-Party Client Conversion: Our group fitness classes attract a younger demographic (ages 20-35) through third-party platforms like ClassPass and Gympass. While these platforms help us fill classes and give us exposure to new clients, they also offer steep discounts, which leaves little margin for reinvestment in marketing, workshops, or general business expansion. Our concern is converting these lower-paying, discount-driven clients into loyal members or private studio clients. We recognize the opportunity to build a more consistent and higher-value customer base, but are struggling to find effective ways to bridge the gap between group class offerings and private training services.
  2. Private Client Acquisition: Our private Pilates studio offers a top-tier, personalized experience with high-quality equipment and expert instructors. However, we struggle to attract new private clients, particularly those transitioning from group classes, which tend to be focused on price-sensitive individuals rather than those seeking premium, tailored services. Once clients do come into the private studio (typically ages 40-65+), they remain loyal, but new inquiries are sparse, limiting growth potential for this segment of the business.

We believe that there is a significant opportunity to refine our offerings and improve profitability without drastic changes, enabling us to continue delivering high-quality services while ensuring financial sustainability.
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
To address our challenges, we envision a multi-pronged approach focusing on both third-party conversion and private client acquisition. As an example, key activities could include:

  • Improving the Group Class Experience:
    • Class Upselling: Train instructors to introduce the benefits of private training during group classes, especially for clients who express interest in improving their practice or have specific needs (e.g., recovering from injury, improving form). A soft approach to upselling private sessions in this way could help drive conversions without seeming overly sales-focused. 
    • Instructor Commission: If determined to be financially feasible, provide a commission to instructors who upsell the private studio, group memberships, or other offerings.
    • Workshops and Masterclasses: Introduce occasional workshops or masterclasses that offer a bridge between group classes and private sessions. These can be specialized sessions that attract both current group clients and new prospects interested in specialized knowledge.
  • Maximizing Group Class Revenue:
    • Class Optimization: Evaluate the current group class schedule to identify peak hours and underutilized times and average mat pricing. Adjusting class schedules and pricing to optimize for demand could help increase attendance and reduce reliance on third-party platforms
    • Membership Plans for Group Classes: Create more flexible membership plans that encourage clients to commit without needing deep discounts. For example, tiered memberships based on frequency of visits or discounts for members who purchase packages upfront could help increase loyalty and revenue without sacrificing too much on pricing.
  • Private Client Acquisition Strategies:
    • Exclusive Promotions for New Private Clients: Offer introductory packages or discounted rates for new private clients who book a series of sessions. 
    • Seasonal Campaigns: Leverage the time of year to run targeted campaigns, such as New Year’s resolution promotions or summer wellness packages, that offer private session discounts for new clients. This could create a sense of urgency and prompt inquiries during slow periods.
  • Increase Brand Visibility in Local Community:
    • Brand Assessment: Understand how our brand and offerings are received to first-time clients and determine if the branding aligns with the offerings and services.
    • Partnerships with Local Health & Wellness Providers: Collaborate with local gyms, physical therapists, chiropractors, or yoga studios to offer referral programs, where clients from those businesses are introduced to our private Pilates offerings as part of a holistic approach to wellness.

Additional Areas to focus on for the summer semester include:

1) Analyzing the initial direct mail campaign and executing a second one
2) Reviewing the customer survey (to be sent out in Spring 2025)
3) Researching 2026 retreat locations
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
For this project to be considered a success, we are looking for tangible improvements in the following key areas:

Increase in Private Client Inquiries:A measurable increase in new client inquiries for the private studio, ideally leading to a higher number of consultations and sign-ups for private sessions.

Higher Conversion Rate from Group Classes to Private TrainingA defined percentage of group class clients converting into private clients, ideally leveraging targeted marketing efforts and instructor conversations.
Increased Group Class Revenue:A reduction in reliance on third-party platforms (ClassPass/Gympass) through a stronger core membership base, and an increase in direct bookings for group classes.

Sustained Client Retention:A measurable improvement in client retention in both group classes and private training, demonstrating that clients are both engaged and satisfied with their experiences.

Improved Cash Flow:We are looking to generate enough additional revenue from both group and private studio improvements to cover operational costs, allowing us to reinvest in marketing, staff training, and long-term business growth.

Ultimately, success for us will be about creating a more sustainable, profitable business model that allows us to continue providing high-quality Pilates training, while ensuring that we have the financial means to reinvest in and grow the studio for long-term success.

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Initial Onboarding Information

 Apr 14 2025 Other

Stevens Brand Guidelines

 May 19 2025 Other

First Day of Classes & Academic Calendar

 May 19 2025 Event

Pre-Kick Off Self Evaluation for Students: Summer 2025

 May 30 2025, 23:59 PM Evaluation

Midterm Presentation Information

 Jul 07 2025 Other

Midterm Student Temperature Check: Summer 2025

 Aug 05 2025, 23:59 PM Evaluation

Midterm Presentation Submission: July 2025

 Aug 05 2025, 23:59 PM Other

Final Presentation Information

 Aug 26 2025 Other

Final Presentation Submission: August 2025

 Aug 29 2025, 23:59 PM EST (UTC-05:00) Action Item

Final Student Temperature Check: Summer 2025

 Aug 29 2025, 23:59 PM Evaluation

Program Managers

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