Dancing Kings:

Targeting Zumba To A Male Demographic

Ball State University
Journalism 382
Research Proposal
A Proposal By:
Adara Crooks
Zachery Groth
Allison Jacob
Dylan Pieri
Olivia Romero
Nicholas Tee
Table of Contents
Executive Summary......................................
Introduction to the Problem.........................
Situation Analysis........................................
Audience Analysis........................................
Research Purpose........................................
Research Methods.......................................
Results........................................................
Recap..........................................................
Recommendations.......................................
Appendix.....................................................
References...................................................
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Executive Summary
According to Zumba.com, Zumba exercise classes are ftness-parties that blend upbeat
world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography, for a total-body workout that feels like a cele-
bration. Zumba tends to target a female demographic, so the purpose of this study was to deter-
mine how to market Zumba to a male demographic.
For our study, we decided to use college males aged 18 to 24 involved in various organi-
zations on campus. In order to get feedback from these males, we asked them to participate in a
30-minute Zumba session. Prior to the Zumba session, the males completed a short survey and
a pre-workout interview. Once the session was over, the males participated in a post-workout
interview to get feedback on their opinions of Zumba
Tere are three key fndings that we determined from our research study:
1) Zumba is at a disadvantage to begin with because males are generally uncomfortable
dancing in public;
2) Zumba should provide various forms of the workout to appeal toward a male demographic;
3) Te makeup of attendees in a Zumba class afects whether or not males will attend.
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Zumba has become a dance-ftness craze that is sweeping the nation. Millions of females
meet weekly to socialize with their friends, dance, and more importantly, get a good workout.
Its no wonder why this program is so popular among women. Tis widely successful business
has seen thousands of women and children participate, but very few men. Although, their mar-
keting eforts do not primary target males, we would still expect there to be a few men attending
these classes. Tis is not the case. In fact, 87% of group ftness participators are women (Sports
and exercise, 2008). It is evident that there is something preventing males from attending Zum-
ba classes.
Looking at the success and growth of Zumba since its introduction to the United States in
2002, it is evident that male attendance is not imperative for success of the company (Murphy).
However, according to the 2010 Census data, there are 151,781,326 males living in the United
States. Tat is a large pool of people that could be attending Zumba classes. In order to better
understand males hesitation in attending dance ftness classes, the Blue Team has conducted
implemented several diferent research methods, in order to get to the core of the problem.
Our research has provided us with a multitude of rationales related to the hesitations of males
from attending Zumba classes. Tey include, but are not limited to:
Problem A - Music
Te music used at Zumba tends to have a salsa twist. Afer conducting various research using
diferent methods, we found that this is discouraging to males. Tey would prefer more modern
music.
Problem B- Dance moves
Zumba instructors are typically females. Females tend to dance in fuid motions, whereas mens
dance movements tend to be more stif. Afer the trial Zumba session, the males gave feedback
saying they felt the Zumba moves were too difcult and consisted of too much butt shaking
moves.
Problem C - Group
Te males said they would not feel comfortable going to a Zumba class by themselves. Tey felt
that they needed to be with a group of males in order to participate in Zumba.
Problem D - Strictly Cardio
Men tend to want a workout that builds muscle opposed to strictly cardio. Men want to tone
their muscles and build more muscle opposed to just building endurance and strengthen their
cardiovascular system.
Introduction to the Problem
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Introduction to the Problem
Problem E - Stereotypes
In the American society, stereotypical Zumba goers are female. If males are participating in
Zumba classes then there is the automatic assumption that they are homosexual. Tere is also a
level of competition that men seek in a workout that Zumba does not provide. Zumba creates
an inviting and teamwork environment for all to enjoy.
Tere are certainly some implications if Zumba continues to only have females participate in
their classes. Tere are new ftness trends sparking up all the time. If a competitor created a
workout class that was more inclusive to males, then it certainly would present a threat to
Zumba. Woman could start taking their male acquaintances to the new ftness craze, and
Zumba would lose several of their participant.
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Situation Analysis
SWOT Analysis Results:
1) Strengths
a) Large involvement-Since being founded in 2001, 14 million people have participated at
140,000 locations, in 151 countries.
b) New Concept- Zumba is a global movement that combines entertainment, ftness, and culture
into enjoyable dances for people of all ftness levels
c) Community- Zumba classes provide a good sense of community. Many individuals come on
a weekly basis and strike friendships amongst their fellow classmates.
d) Accountability-When committing to multiple individuals to attend these weekly classes, you
create a web of people to hold you accountable. You decrease skip days because you dont want
to be called out.
e) Instructors- Dance ftness classes have well trained instructors that ensure the entire class is
performing the exercises correctly.
f) Efective marketing- Zumba has a strong social media following and utilizes a lot of yard signs
to draw attention to one of their 140,000 locations. Tey also have been able to efectively use
infomercials to sell DVDs, which in return made the ftness classes even more popular.
g) Goodwill- Zumba is ofen paired with several diferent causes to support the community,
such as their party in pink events, which raise money for breast cancer awareness. According to
Zumba.com, they raised $3.5 million dollars over the course of 9,380 events.
2) Weaknesses
a) Gender Bias- Most males feel as if these classes are only for women. Teir marketing eforts
have all been geared towards women.
b) Age Bias- By positioning their exercise classes as parties Zumba is struggling to reach
people of an older demographic. Teir major competitor, Jazzercise, has seemed to capture this
audience.
c) Muscle Development- Te classes primary focus on muscle toning rather than muscle
building.
d) Non-competitive environment- Men typically like a ftness activity where they are competing
against each other. At the very least, they are desiring to have benchmarks to be able to compete
against themselves.
3) Opportunities
a) Variety- Zumba ofers a wide rage of category classes which are targeted towards diferent
demographics. Tey could easily include one that was geared towards the kind of ftness classes
men are desiring.
(Continued on the next page)
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Situation Analysis
b) Physical Terapy- Zumba does have some classes that are aqua based. By promoting these
more they can reach older demographics, as well as athletes that have sufered various diferent
injuries.
c) Stress Relief- With anti-depression medication sales on the rise, Zumba can provide a non
medicated outlet towards stress relief.
d) Can Handle Large Groups- Zumba is perfect for large groups, whether it be a corporation,
organization, or just a group of friends.
e) Economics- People can no longer aford expensive gym memberships, so they are turning
towards other ftness outlets.
4) Treats
a) Stereotypes- Many males are concerned that if they enjoy these dance based ftness classes
they will be labeled into certain stereotypes.
b) Consistency- With several diferent instructors, it is hard for Zumba to uphold the same
quality of classes across the board.
c) Targeted Muscle Groups- Zumba focuses on the muscles located in the core and butt, while
males are more concerned with arms and chest.
d) Invitation- Males feel uncomfortable going to Zumba classes without being peer pressured by
females already planning on going.
e) Music- Zumba uses Cumbia, Merengue, and Salsa which can be exclusive to the people that
like that genre.
Stakeholders:
1) Instructors: Having a lack of male instructors or ones that do not know how to train the male
body contributes to their feeling of unwelcomeness.
2) Zumbas marketing team: Tere doesnt seem to be much of an efort to target males in their
advertising campaigns.
3) Male Bodybuilders: Males typically believe to be the most ft they have to have the biggest
muscles. Tis stereotype can lead males to not attending cardio based classes.
4) Women: Having a big impact on whether or not males will attend classes.
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Audience Analysis
Stakeholders:
1) Instructors: Having a lack of male instructors or ones that do not know how to train the male
body contributes to their feeling of unwelcomeness.
2) Zumbas marketing team: Tere doesnt seem to be much of an efort to target males in their
advertising campaigns.
3) Male Bodybuilders: Males typically believe to be the most ft they have to have the biggest
muscles. Tis stereotype can lead males to not attending cardio based classes.
4) Women: Having a big impact on whether or not males will attend classes.
1. Audience Analysis: the key stakeholders who are the focus of the campaign and research
a. Situation assess publics wants, interests, needs and expectations about the issue
Wants: An enjoyable workout that focuses on a progressive core workout, strength
building, full-body cardio, stress-relieving and energy producing ftness experience.
Interests: A fun environment and a group setting that allows the participants to
get an efective workout with their buddies. Giving the participants a sense
of community will ultimately give the males a feeling of success while working out
Tese men might also be interested in meeting a lady friend during Zumba and
allow him to gain more confdence during his workout. Tese men also might be
interested in learning diferent forms of regular and Latin-based dancing without
telling anyone about their interest.
Needs: To feel like they gained an exhilarating, easy-to-follow workout by
participating in Zumba. Tese men also want to feel more confdent and secure
about being able to do a cardio-based workout without feeling like its too girly.
Expectations: Weight loss and muscle toning while enjoying the workout. Tey want to
feel invigorated and refreshed afer Zumba. Tese men want to feel more confdent afer
walking out of a Zumba class and not feel embarrassed that they participated in a cardio
dance-based workout each week.
b. Organization consider publics relationship with organization
As of right now, males view Zumba in a negative light because its not their idea of getting
a good workout. Most males are interested in weight training and running and not
necessarily focusing on weight loss. Since Zumba is taught primarily by females, some
males might feel like being taught by a woman is degrading and wouldnt beneft them.
Tere might be a chance that men would be more accepting of Zumba if they knew of
another male who taught one of these classes. Tese males might consider trying out a
Zumba class if their other male friends or girlfriends were into it, or if they didnt feel like
it would make them feel less manly doing it.
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Audience Analysis
c. Communication study publics media use, communication patterns, credible message
source and level of information activity/passivity
Media Use: Males aged 18-24 are present on many social media platforms, including
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Tey spend a lot of time talking with their friends over
these diferent social media platforms and also spend a lot of time watching television,
primarily sports.
Communication patterns: Tese males will not be actively seeking out information on
Zumba, there must be more face-to-face communication for them to acknowledge and
consider taking a Zumba class. Terefore, word of mouth and peer infuence are the
primary communication patterns among this age group, as well as advertisements within
the workout facilities they use.
Credible message source: If they hear from other males that Zumba is an efective and
enjoyable workout, they may be more inclined to participate in a Zumba class. Males aged
18-24 are easily swayed by their peers and view them as a credible message source.
Level of information activity/passivity: Males tend to have a high level of information
passivity. Unless their male peers are promoting the benefts of Zumba and partaking in
this form of exercise, the level of information activity will not increase. Males may want
to take a Zumba class, but never act on it because they are embarrassed about what other
males might think of them partaking in this form of exercise. Te level of information
passivity will remain the same unless they feel more confdent in taking a Zumba class.
d. Demographics identify relevant traits such as age, income, gender, etc.
Age: 18-24
Income: Low income, college aged males to young professionals just beginning their career.
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Any ethnicity.
e. Personality preferences consider psychological and temperamental preferences of public
Psychological preferences: Te sensation of getting a good workout in and feeling
accomplished is something males pride themselves on. Most males want to feel more
confdent about their bodies for their own physical well being and also to feel more
comfortable about approaching women.
Temperamental preferences: Some males might change their mood based on how they
feel about Zumba once they have participated in it. Tese males might actually enjoy
Zumba, but if they dont have their friends with them, they might not want to go back due
to not feeling comfortable in that environment. Terefore, these males might go back and
forth with how they feel about taking a Zumba class, but its something that could be
somewhat altered so that its seen in a more positive light.
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Research Purpose
Fitness has become one of the major concerns of our generation. While females have been
able to fnd multiple group ftness opportunities, the exercise community has struggled to fnd
an outlet that males will enjoy. Tis why we decided to explore and research the rationale that is
contributing to males lack of interest in these energetic, upbeat, engaging dance ftness classes,
such as Zumba. Terefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how to market Zumba to a
male demographic.
From initial observation, we have determined that males prefer to participate in
strength-gaining exercises, so this poses a major obstacle for dance-ftness classes like Zumba.
However, the problem extends past this. It seems as though males prefer to not attend Zumba
because it is so heavily-populated with women. With widely successful business has seen thou-
sands of women and children participate, but very few men. In fact, 87% of group ftness partic-
ipators are women (Sports and exercise, 2008). Tis why we decided to focus our research on
why men are lacking interest in Zumba classes and how Zumba can better target males to per-
suade their participation in the ftness class.
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Research Methods
Justifcation of the selected method
For our study, Internet surveys and one-on-one interviews were our selected methods of choice.
We felt that these methods would allow us to gather the most detailed information possible.
By conducting interviews before the Zumba session, we were able to understand what males
thought of Zumba. Tey stated what they thought Zumba was and what they felt the average
Zumba participant looked like.
Information about participants
Te study population for our survey consisted of targeting males between the ages of 18 to 24.
Tis study population consisted of college males who are involved in various student
organizations. We decided to target this age group as our study population because these males
are focused on staying active, enjoy dancing, and are more apt to attend events by word-of-
mouth from their peers. With student recreation facilities and accessible ftness classes, this
demographic is easily exposed to Zumba classes. Tis makes them an easy target for Zumba
when trying to target the male audience.
All of the participants in the Zumba session were Caucasian fraternity men aged 19 to 22. Te
participants were in moderate to good shape. None of the participants had participated in a
Zumba class prior to this demonstration. Furthermore, they had not participated in any
dance-based ftness class.Tey all seemed a little hesitant to start the class, but all knew to dress
appropriately in ftness clothing.
Response Rate
Te blue group was able to recruit 10 people to participate in our Zumba class. For our survey
we had 50 males respond for our survey on survey monkey.
Measurement Items

We put a lot of thought into our survey questions to ensure that we would get the feedback that
would be most benefcial when trying to determine how to market Zumba towards males. Te
survey consisted of ten questions. Te frst question asked for the participants age range. We
gave six options: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 or 23 and over. Te second question asked how many days
each week does the participant participate in 30 minutes of physical activity. Te third question
asked if the participant is comfortable dancing in public, and the fourth question asked if they
had ever participated in a Zumba class. Our next question was open-ended and ended up being
one of the most valuable questions of the survey; in one sentence, describe Zumba. Te sixth
question of the survey asked the participant to describe the typical Zumba participant in a few
words.
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Research Methods
In order to get a feel for what males are looking for, question seven asked which of the
following Zumba classes would appeal to them: an all-male Zumba class with a male instructor,
an equally mixed gender Zumba class with a female instructor, a strength-building Zumba class,
more modern music and dances, or beginner, intermediate, and advanced class levels. Question
eight asked if the participant felt that Zumba would be an efective workout. Question nine asked
how Zumba could be more appealing to a male demographic. Tis open-ended question
provided us with great ideas when determining what suggestions we would make. Finally,
question ten asked the participant where they would look for additional information about
Zumba. Te choices provided included using an Internet search engine, Zumba website, social
media, ftness magazine, friends recommendation, or fiers on campus. Tis fnal question was
valuable because it gave us a sense of various avenues to take with marketing strategies.
Data Collection Procedures
For the various aspects of our research, we used diferent collection procedures. For the
pre-workout survey, we had hard copies of the surveys for participants to fll out. We collected
the data by compiling the various answers to the questions in a word document. For the pre and
post-workout interviews, we compiled the data by videoing the interviews. We played back the
videos and put the answers into a document. Finally, for the survey, we used surveymonkey.com.
Tere is a data collection feature on the website that gives feedback and charts based on the
participants answers.
Recruitment
Te blue group utilized diferent recruitment strategies for diferent phases of our research study.
In order to get participants for the Zumba session, we chose a convenience sample to ensure
both the quantity and quality of our participants for our recruiting strategy. Te participants
were in FIJI, Dylans fraternity, or Sigma Chi, Nicks fraternity. Text messages were sent out to
chapter members and phone calls were made, asking if they would participate in a short Zumba
class. Dylan and Nick explained that it was for class, and we needed at least 10 men to
participate. Both recruiters expressed a difculty in convincing gentlemen to give Zumba a
chance. Multiple request denials responded with something along the lines of, No way I am
dancing. Tis suggests they were at least familiar with what Zumba is, just that they were not
comfortable dancing. In our future research endeavors we will put on emphasis on methods that
would make males more comfortable dancing; it is evident we will not be able to increase male
participation in Zumba until we address the underlying causes.

(Continued on the next page)
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Results
Te result of our research is consistent with what we had assumed from the beginning:
Zumba does not efectively appeal to our target. Trough our research we found out why this is
true. Zumba, while being a good overall workout, is not competitive and is not targeted at muscle
building. Instead Zumba creates a positive environment that all ages and body types can enjoy.
Te survey was a pivotal part of our research. It is where we received primary information
from participants that were honest with their responses. Te surveys results have shown us that
our targeted audience is not males. We knew this as we sent the survey out, but with the survey
we had defnite words and phrases that give meaning to why males do not participate in Zum-
ba. Te survey also brought to light a point that was interesting to the efectiveness of the study.
Some of the participants clearly stated that Zumba was emasculating and inherently
feminine. Tere was also feedback that enabled us to better target the male population.

Making the workout more masculine would involve, making the workout more of a com-
petition with a clear winner. Stereotypically, men appreciate the competition and race of working
out and playing in active sports. Tere were also multiple responses of males saying how men
typically want to do more of a strength building exercise instead of a cardio workout. Even
though the males in our survey dont necessarily fnd Zumba to be as appealing because it doesnt
have anything to do with bodybuilding, they do recognize that Zumba is still a tough workout.
Te results of our survey have lead us to believe that our target just wants to be
physically pushed in ways that Zumba does not ofer to them.
Another interesting aspect to the surveys fndings is that males acknowledged that being a
bandwagon Zumba fan would help them regularly attend. Tey conveyed that they would be
much more likely to attend if they were going with a group of friends. Zumba could look into
the possibility of group rates, or discounts for males, who are able to convince their friends to tag
along.
Troughout our survey, we discovered that attending a Zumba class is more appealing to
a male if there is an equally mixed gender Zumba class, with a female instructor. It appears that
having attractive women at the classes is an incentive to male participation. However, if they are
the only male in attendance, they feel uncomfortable.

Our target feels that Zumba would be an efective workout, but the workout itself does not
appeal to the general male population as much as the female population. Although our target
market feels that Zumba does not equally target males, they had all heard of Zumba or
participated in a Zumba class before. Te results of this survey actually brought to light that a cer-
tain percentage of males are not open-minded to Zumba being an efcient and efective workout
in the frst place.
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Results
Te Blue Team conducted two diferent surveys. One of the surveys that the team con-
ducted was on SurveyMonkey.com and the other was conducted in-person before the focus
group was conducted. Troughout both of the surveys conducted we found that people seemed
to used words with more of a negative connotation in the Survey Monkey survey than the
in-person survey. Te Blue Team has found that this is because people felt better about being
more honest when the survey was anonymous. While both surveys are accurate and credible we
found that the Survey Monkey survey provided a better explanation of how males genuinely feel
about Zumba, and other ftness workouts, as a workout.
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Recap
Te purpose of our study was to fnd out why there is a bridge between Zumba as a work-
out and mens stereotypical way of thinking of Zumba as a workout. Te dance workout has
proven to
be an efective way to lose weight and get a good exercise in, our research found out why men do
not attend or have numbers of attendees comparable to women.
We targeted males ages 18-24. We decided to target this age group as our study population
because these males are focused on staying active, enjoy dancing, and are more apt to attend
events by word-of-mouth from their peers. With student recreation facilities and accessible
ftness classes, this demographic is easily exposed to Zumba classes for minimal costs. Tis
makes them a great target for Zumba when trying to target the male audience.
As stated in our problem statement, our challenge was to research the rationale that is
contributing to males lack of interest in energetic, upbeat, engaging dance ftness classes, such
as Zumba. Our research targeted the right audience and completed with reasons to why men
typically do not attend Zumba classes.
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Recommendations
1. Include more masculine aspects into the dancing
Some of the participants clearly stated that Zumba was emasculating and inherently
feminine. Tere was also feedback that enabled us to better target the male population. Tere
were multiple responses that said if Zumba was more masculine, males would be more likely
to participate. Making the workout more masculine would involve making the workout more
of a competition. Some ways to accomplish this would be implementing an intensity tier
system. For example, having three diferent levels of intensity would encourage the males to
push harder to be Stereotypically, men appreciate the competition and race of working out and
playing in active sports. Tere were also multiple responses of males saying how men typically
want to do more of a strength building exercise instead of a cardio workout. Even though the
males in our survey dont necessarily fnd Zumba to be as appealing because it doesnt have
anything to do with bodybuilding, they do recognize that Zumba is still a tough workout.
However, including weights in the Zumba classes would not only accomplish this strength
building desire of the men, but also encourage competition based on diferent weights to be
used in the class.
2. Attendance appeals should be implemented
Another interesting aspect to the surveys fndings is that males acknowledged that being a
bandwagon Zumba fan would help them regularly attend. Tey conveyed that they would be
much more likely to attend if they were going with a group of friends. Zumba could look into
the possibility of group rates, or discounts for males, who are able to convince their friends
to tag along. Also throughout our survey, we discovered that attending a Zumba class is more
appealing to a male if there is an equally mixed gender Zumba class, with a female instructor.
It appears that having attractive women at the classes is an incentive to male participation.
However, if they are the only male in attendance, they feel uncomfortable.
3. Search Engine Optimization must be improved
In our survey, males said if they wanted to learn more about Zumba they would use the
internet to search information about Zumba. It would be smart of Zumba to pay for search
results on some of the major search engines that males are using to fnd this information.
(Continued on the next page)
Strategic Communication Needs
One of our suggestions for Zumba to do in the next 90 days would be to create a strategic plan
that would involve the research done by Te Blue Team and be a long-term recommendation.
Tis is not a plan that we feel could be accomplished in 90 days, but is something that could be
started in the following 90 days. A strategic plan could be created in the next 30 days, In the
next 20 days afer the strategic plan was created, Zumba could implement that plan in select
international markets. Afer that implementation, markets would strategically place the male
opportunities at other international locations. If this is not done then Zumba has created a
window of opportunity for other markets and ftness workouts to swoop in and fll the gaps in
the markets.
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Recommendations
Gaant Chart
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Appendix
Budget
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Appendix
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References