1. Freedom Wheelchairs
Blizzard Lightweight Adjustable Wheelchair
Ben Harder
February 17, 2015
Principles of Marketing 2142-30
Executive Summary
Freedom Wheelchairs is a company based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. We specialize in
mobility equipment specially designed for individuals who require the assistance of a

2. wheelchair. Our primary goal is to provide freedom to those who desire the ability to discover
the world without the restrictions that some wheelchairs exhibit.
The wheelchair sports and recreation business has grown significantly over the past 20 years.
Physically disabled individuals are now able to participate in just as many activities as their able-
bodied counterparts. Adaptations have been made to allow for people of all abilities to
compete in sports such as wheelchair racing, basketball and tennis. There are no longer the
boundaries that restrict a person who is wheelchair bound from taking advantage of enjoying
the rush of both indoor and outdoor sports.
Within the $50,000 first year annual budget, a multichannel marketing plan will allow Freedom
Wheelchairs to take advantage of direct sales, online and third party sales opportunities. Our
plan focuses on a customer first point of view. We have worked with local and nationally based
third party vendors to assist customers with product inquiries and orders. Through website and
social networking campaigns, our customers are able to order their Blizzard Lightweight
Wheelchairs with ease. We have created contacts with the U.S. Paralympics Committee to gain
access to their annual competitions in order to reach a greater percentage of potential
customers.

3. Descriptionof Product
Freedom Wheelchairs is announcing the launch of a new lightweight, fully adjustable
wheelchair. Constructed of durable aircraft aluminum and adjustable hardware, Freedom
Wheelchairs’ Blizzard Lightweight Adjustable Wheelchair is a new age example of mobility
equipment. We designed a product for disabled individuals who desire the freedom to make
adjustments to their wheelchairs without the hassle of making an appointment with a third
party company for a simple fix.
Demographic Characteristics
According to current statistical data, approximately 15% of the population in the United States
has some level of physical disability. This ranges from full paralysis of lower extremities to
partial disabilities that cause discomfort when walking longer distances.
(http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disability.htm#) We realize that these individuals may
require the assistance of a wheelchair to perform their day-to-day activities.
Each year, the United States Paralympic Organization hosts events to select a team of athletes
to represent the country in events around the world. In 2012, over 100 athletes from around
the country were a part of the U.S. Paralympic Team in London, England. The team was
comprised of athletes in racing, basketball, tennis and rugby. (http://www.teamusa.org/US-
Paralympics.aspx)
Freedom Wheelchairs also has an opportunity provide high quality wheelchairs to the younger
generation of wheelchair users. Annually, 200 athletes ranging from age 8 to 18 participate in

4. the Junior National Wheelchair games. Qualifying meets are held around the country to select
each athlete that will represent their state. (http://www.njdc2014.com/ )
Geographic Characteristics
Our target market includes persons throughout the country who require the use of a
wheelchair. Many physically disabled individuals reside in areas that don’t easily offer the
access to rehabilitation centers, Veterans Affairs Hospitals, or wheelchair repair businesses
where they can easily receive the assistance when they require a repair on their equipment.
(http://disabilityplanningdata.com/site/county_population_table.php?cntyname=Hennepin&st
ate=minnesota&submit=submit)
We have determined that our initial marketing plan would be best tested in markets with large
universities that offer established and successful wheelchair sports programs. The University of
Illinois Champaign-Urbana, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Arizona
have been long standing contenders in the world of wheelchair basketball and racing.
(http://disability.illinois.edu/athletics)
Each of these universities have student athletes who have competed on a world class level in
both basketball and wheelchair racing. They are well-educated and familiar with the
characteristics of a well-built wheelchair. By focusing our initial marketing in these areas, we
will be able to determine the level of success we will have against other competitors in the
market.

5. Psychographic Characteristics
Wheelchair users aspire to live a life just as those who have full use of their bodies. They enjoy
spending time outdoors, playing sports or just spending time with friends and family. In an
attempt to not let the world interrupt their daily lives, persons who require the use of a
wheelchair work to adapt to any situation that may present itself.
Staying in good physical health is vital to wheelchair users. There are many options for adaptive
sports. Whether an individual just incurred an injury or was born with a physical disability,
rehabilitation centers are available that offer adaptive sports programs for those who wish to
take on a new challenge in life. (http://www.couragecenter.org/)
Benefits
Because a person in a wheelchair uses their arms to get around just as an able-bodied person
uses their legs, we designed a product that can be customized to the users specifications.
The individual target markets listed represent a small percentage of the potential customers.
Our product benefits those who are not involved in sports or other strenuous activities. We
have an opportunity to gain a market of customers who want a wheelchair that is easy to
maneuver and repair.
The benefits of using our wheelchair are endless. The Lightweight Blizzard Wheelchair provides
the ability to adjust the height of the footplate for desired comfort. We have also designed an
axle that is fully adjustable. Whether the primary use is typical day-to-day activities or fast

6. paced sports such as basketball, the camber of the rear wheels can be manually adjusted to
cater to the user’s activities. (http://www.usatechguide.org/articledisplay.php?artid=23)
Additional equipment such as push handles, handbrakes and anti-tip bars can also be ordered
to accommodate the needs of the user.
Competition
Eagle Sportschairs, out of Snellville, Georgia builds a diverse line of wheelchairs for sports
focused use. They have designed their products depending on which primary sport the
individual is participating in. Eagle Sportschairs offers basketball, rugby, tennis and racing
wheelchairs. Their wheelchairs range in the price from $1,800 to $3,600 and are made from
either aircraft aluminum or titanium. Currently there are no products offered by Eagle
Sportschairs that are intended for everyday use. (http://www.eaglesportschairs.com/)
TiLite is another competitor of Freedom Wheelchairs. Based out of Southern California, TiLite
specializes in a variety of lightweight wheelchairs made of titanium. Because the materials that
are used in the construction of their wheelchairs, the cost to purchase ranges from $2,800 to
$4,000. (http://www.tilite.com)
Freedom Wheelchairs has a competitive advantage over the majority of the companies that
build lightweight sports wheelchairs. Our wheelchairs are constructed of a lightweight and
durable aircraft aluminum. This material provides the qualities that are needed in a wheelchair
that is used for everyday purposes. By using the aluminum material, we are able to build our
wheelchairs at nearly one-half the cost of our competitors.

7. SWOT Analysis
Strengths-
 The Blizzard Lightweight Wheelchair is constructed of a material that allows us to keep
our costs lower than a majority of our competitors.
 Many parts of the Blizzard Lightweight Wheelchair are easily adjustable. These
adjustments can be done by the individual themselves.
Weaknesses-
 It may be difficult for Freedom Wheelchairs to convince potential customers to try our
equipment.
 No wheelchair racing chair at the time of initial launch.
Opportunities-
 When a research and development team is established in racing wheelchair equipment,
Freedom Wheelchairs has an excellent opportunity to enter an additional market that
has grown significantly year after year.
Threats-
 There are a number of large, well-known companies that have been in the market of
providing high quality wheelchairs.
 Established companies have long standing relationships with advertising companies that
assist in customer awareness and sales opportunities.

8. Objectives
1. Freedom Wheelchairs will work to further broaden its connections with nationwide
magazines in order to market wheelchairs in their advertisements.
2. Due to the specialty equipment involved in competitive wheelchair racing, Freedom
Wheelchairs will establish a research and development team to begin to expand into
wheelchair racing community. By gaining entry to the world of wheelchair racing, we
can further increase our presence in the industry.
3. By the end of our second year in the industry, Freedom Wheelchairs will increase our
sales of the Blizzard Lightweight Wheelchair by 6% over our initial launch.

9. Marketing Strategies
Freedom Wheelchairs has established a comprehensive multichannel marketing strategy. Our
program recognizes the strong influence that advertising, sales promotion and personal selling
has on the success of companies in the wheelchair equipment industry.
Advertising
Freedom Wheelchairs has contacted two of the largest wheelchair lifestyle magazines in the
United States. We have signed agreements to place full-page magazine and online
advertisements in monthly editions of Sports N Spokes and New Mobility Magazines. Freedom
Wheelchairs selected these outlets due to the wide variety of readers that can be reached.
Sports N Spokes magazine averages over 17,000 readers per issue. Their content reaches
individuals with all forms of physical disabilities. The content covered in Sports N Spokes is
primarily based in wheelchair sports; from youth basketball, tennis and wheelchair racing to
Paralympic level competition. (http://pvamag.com/sns/)
New Mobility is a magazine that has been in circulation since 1989. They have a monthly
readership of 10,000. Their content is focused in the areas of wheelchair sports, lifestyle and
disability advocacy. (http://www.newmobility.com/)
Personal Selling
Freedom Wheelchairs has incorporated multiple channels into their personal selling strategy. In
the initial product development stage, we contacted a major wheelchair and wheelchair
accessory publication. Through our work with Sportaid Magazine, we have arrived at an

10. agreement to place Freedom Wheelchairs’ Blizzard Lightweight Adjustable Wheelchair in each
of their monthly printed issues. Our product will also be placed for order on their retail website.
Secondly, we established working relationships with a medical and wheelchair supply
businesses who will actively offer Freedom Wheelchair products as an option to their clients.
Employees with each medical supply company will work with our internal sales teamto process
the customer’s order.
As a third sales channel to promote and sell Freedom Wheelchairs’ Blizzard Lightweight
Wheelchair, our current and perspective customers will have the option to visit the Freedom
Wheelchairs website to custom order their wheelchairs and supplies. Our online sales teamwill
process the order and assure our clients receive their wheelchairs in a timely and efficient
manner.
Sales Promotion
Our goal at Freedom Wheelchairs is to offer the most seamless, customer friendly experience as
possible. While we have third party vendors available throughout the country, our products can
easily be self-ordered through our company website.
To promote the process of online ordering, we are implementing an online promotional
strategy. For the first year that Freedom Wheelchairs’ Blizzard Lightweight Wheelchair is
available for distribution, we will offer an automatic $100 discount on the full retail price of
each order.

11. We are confident that putting an off-the-top discount in place for those who visit our website,
customers will realize the ease of use that we have established in our ordering process.
Public Relations
Through our contacts at the U.S. Paralympic Committee and the Junior National Wheelchair
Championships, Freedom Wheelchairs has reached a vendor agreement to promote the Blizzard
Lightweight Wheelchairs at each of the Paralympic and wheelchair track meets throughout the
year.
Freedom Wheelchairs has also worked directly with Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center
locations throughout the country to participate in each of their functions. Working with the
Courage Kenny organization gives Freedom Wheelchairs the opportunity to reach physically
disabled individuals who are not directly involved in the sports community.
Social Media
Social media is a channel that is widely available and rapidly evolving in today’s society.
Freedom Wheelchairs has developed Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to promote our
products. We have also started a YouTube account where we can upload demonstrational
videos, allowing current and potential customers can view and share firsthand the features and
benefits of Freedom Wheelchairs’ Blizzard Lightweight Wheelchair.

12. Financial Information
Advertising (Sports N Spokes, Sportaid)1 $20,000 annually*
Personal Selling/Public Relations $3,000 annually**
Social Media $20,000 annually***
*Full page advertisements are budgeted to run in bi-monthly editions of Sports N Spokes and
monthly Sportaid Magazine & Sports N Spokes and Sportaid websites.
**This budget will allow Freedom Wheelchair to participate in vendor activities at United States
Paralympic meets and Junior National Wheelchair Championship events.
***Social media budget will give Freedom Wheelchair exposure on social media sites, assuring
that our products and advertisements appear in the News Feed of our fans and subscribers.
1 Pricinginformation isbased off information received from Marketing Director at Sports N Spokes

13. References
Centerfor Disease Control DisabilityStatistics
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disability.htm#
UnitedStates Team USA Paralympicwebsite
http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics.aspx
National Junior Disability Championships website
http://www.njdc2014.com/
Local Disability Statistics
http://disabilityplanningdata.com/site/county_population_table.php?cntyname=Hennepin&sta
te=minnesota&submit=submit
University of Illinois Wheelchair Sports website
http://disability.illinois.edu/athletics
Courage Kenny Organizational website
http://www.couragecenter.org/
Technical wheelchair definition guide
http://www.usatechguide.org/articledisplay.php?artid=23
Eagle Sportschairs
http://www.eaglesportschairs.com/
TiLite Wheelchairs
http://www.tilite.com
Sports N Spokes Magazine
http://pvamag.com/sns/
New Mobility Magazine
http://www.newmobility.com/
Facebook Advertising Information
https://www.facebook.com/help/318171828273417