Read the case study below and answer the questions that follow. Le Sportif Health and Sports Club Le Sportif is a health and sports club located in Paris. The club has performed well over the last two years but now faces competition from two clubs, Wellness and Glides, which have just opened. Wellness has been particularly successful and has attracted a number of customers from Le Sportif. The management of Le Sportif conducted some extensive market research to find out more information about their customers. They used a series of focus groups to find out customers views on Le Sportif and a questionnaire to provide them with more precise data about the way customers used their club. Le Sportif has responded positively to its market research by adopting the following strategies: Introducing a family membership scheme Introducing a range of family-based classes to encourage health and fitness Opening a coffee shop The management of Le Sportif believe that this new customer-orientated approach, which targets health and fitness for the whole family, will give the club a unique selling point and enable it to stand out from the competition.

1. Define the following terms:

a. market research

b. unique selling point [2 marks]

2. Explain the way focus groups could have been used to provide Le Sportif with market research information. [5 marks]

3. Using Porters Five Forces model, analyze two factors that might have affected Le Sportif. [6 marks]

4. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of Le Sportif using market research to guide its new strategy of targeting the family market. [10 marks]