Cate1178 Tourism And International Development Assessment Answers

Answer:

Introduction:

Marketing communication plan refers to a plan which conveys the company marketing message to the target customers (Kitchen and Burgmann, 2010). In other words, marketing communication plan refers to the use of marketing techniques to enhance the communication of a consistent message of the organization’s brand to business partners. This report describes the Visit Cambridge and Beyond integrated marketing communication plan. Visit Cambridge and Beyond is famous official tourism service for Cambridge and surrounding areas. The report explores the company activities, assess the current market position of their product and service and determine the current market actions organized by the organization in order to promote their product and services. The study also implements the SWOT analysis and creates an integrated marketing communication plan for the organization.

Background

According to Hjalager (2010), Visit Cambridge and Beyond is the official tourism service for Cambridge and the encompassing areas, accountable for marketing Cambridge to the residential United Kingdom and developed European and other global markets and for promote the best that Cambridge has to offer. All postings on this site are paid for listings. Every single business highlighted in these listings and has paid a membership charge to visit Cambridge. Visit Cambridge and Beyond will have an operational side to the organization concentrating on producing revenue and giving a good visitor experience as well as marketing destination. This tourism service presently employs 19 staff members and has around 350 members over a wide range of segments. The organization intends to develop participation by proceeding to audit and establish the membership plan to make sure that it increase the value of its individuals. A specific concentrate will be on developing participation in the more prominent Cambridge region. Key accomplices already involve Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridge College, Cambridge University Colleges, and East Cambridgeshire District Council. The CEO of organization states that this venture is advancement of the previous Cambridge City Council drove, Visit Cambridge and Beyond tourism service and will continue to operate under the same name (Tung and Ritchie, 2011).

Analysis current market position: According to Pullman and Rodgers (2010), one of the imperative key centralizations of the organization is to grow the city value and surrounding areas that is derived from tourism, encouraging guests to extend their stay and travel Cambridge and the nearby area. Visit Cambridge is generally new destination Management Company which established a year back, and which is responsible for delivering tourism service and the nearby area. The organization is effectively connected with the other same companies to share the best practice. This is especially critical given the big reduction in public financing for tourism over the previous year and the need, therefore for tourism companies to become more independent. Presently, Visit Cambridge makes different promoting techniques that will expand its products and services across the world.

Determine marketing activities being conducted by the organization: According to Morrison (2013), the organization has created various marketing activities in order to expand its product and services among the customers. In the Visit of Cambridge and Beyond, there is selection of galleries showcases is a great scope of craftsmanship, from the contemporary to exemplary, a humming theater and execution scene presents dramatization, dance and family shows and individuals can appreciate a wide range of live music from internationally acclaimed symphonies and blend to visiting pop-stars, the celebrated Folk Festival of world and magical Secret Garden Party (Bornhorst, 2010). In Cambridge, individual prefer to soak some understanding into the zone’s history culture in one or two of the many galleries and museums. The local museums offer an understanding into the zone’s history and an essence of former days. The marketing strategy conducted by the organization is the audience-led approach to the display activity which allow for bespoke and tailored communications to accomplish their customers, delivering promotion which is relevant at a customer level.

Implementation of SWOT analysis

According to Goranczewski and Puciato (2010), the assessment of SWOT analysis of the organization is explained as follows:

Strength:

• The standing position of Visit Cambridge and Beyond in the tourism industry is number one with reference to all of its core activities.
• The organization has built the strong brand image in the industry. This is because of this brand image, individuals trust and selects the organization for traveling.
• Brand and occasion with worldwide interest and scope, for example, Windsor Castle, Eton College, Windsor Racecourse, Royal Windsor Horse Show.
• Windsor's superb scope of shops and eateries
• More than average number of destinations
• Large industry venture, for example, Hotel speculation
• Appeal to groups, incentive, meeting and exhibition market both household and abroad
• Vibrant night time economy
• The organization is
• It involved the customer in the foreign exchange market by providing the trading facilities to its customers. Along with the reliability of rational tax, the customers are make sure that it provides simple access to getting the currency rate alter whenever they need to change (Evans et al., 2012).

Weakness:

• Lack of budget accommodation
• Limited organization working between local business from diverse sectors
• Lack of destination or themed restaurants
• Inconsistency in the phase of available accommodation
• Residual consumer care issues
• Signage between car parks and destinations
• Restricted data in foreign language
• Market product fit
• Pull on workforce of the Olympic Games into London
• Allegedly declined to pay statutory European Union compensation to clients

Opportunity:

• Recruitment into hospitality within the United Kingdom could become more challenging, the organization could penetrate the small tour operating business in industry to expand and create new markets
• To become largest travel company in United kingdom and Europe
• To rise their share prices by expanding the business
• To digitalize their operations for better entrance
• Creation of Windsor gift card

Threat:

• There is reduction in the family operated traditional business to business
• Cost wars can reduce market share
• Rising rent and rate levels and expanded cost for administrations
• Reduction in the requirements for packages holidays
• Severe rivalry from the other travel operators incorporating the virtual ones as extensive scale advertising is a major threat to the organization
• Increasing rivalry from neighboring towns and city centers areas, for example, Eden High Wycombe, Slough town focus advancement.

Integrated Marketing Communication plan

According to Yeshin (2012), integrated marketing communication plan refers to approach accomplishing the goals of a marketing campaign by the use of well-defined marketing strategies that are seek to strengthen each other. The integrated marketing communication plan for Visit Cambridge and Beyond which will help the organization to expand its products and services and maintain its position in the tourism industry are as follows:

Determine target audience: According to Grissemann and Stokburger-Sauer (2012), the initial step created in the integrated marketing communication plan is to identify the target audience for the delivering the products and services. The target audience can be segmented on the basis of demographic factors, such as gender, age, race, education level, income and place. Visit Cambridge and Beyond has to identify the target customers for the marketing of their products and services. The target audience includes demographic factors such as income, gender, age, race, education level, and place. Visit Cambridge and Beyond business activity is offering their products and services internationally. For this purpose, the organization can target high income, health conscious peoples, families, children and youth market.

Setting communication goals: After identify the target customer the next step in marketing communication plan is to set the organization goals and objectives which is considered a key element communication plan. (Jimenez-Zarco et al., 2011). Visit Cambridge and Beyond has set the communication goals keeping in mind the promotion of products and services for the customers. The main goal of Visit Cambridge and Beyond is to maintain favorable, stable growth, experience a development in new customers who can become the long term customers and to be customized as the premier high-end adventure trip provider. The organization has a financial objective of continue diminish the variable cost connected with the making of trips. The organization also has the basic aim of tourism and culture is to enhance the diversity and motivate the customers by offering various tourism services at a reasonable cost.

Marketing techniques and channels: The use of marketing channels play an important role in the marketing of the company products and services. According to Leung et al. (2013), there are various methods of marketing available for Visit Cambridge and Beyond in order to expand its products and services among customers, such as advertising, use of social media which help the business to increase its brand awareness. The organization is launching a brochure of various tourism services in order to attract the customers. Visit Cambridge and Beyond work closely with the national tourism organization, visit England, Britain and other industry bodies to stay up on the key issues affecting the industry and to screen customer and tourism trends. The company is robustly concentrated on establishing and maintaining sustainable revenues streams alongside conveying on organization business destinations. On the other hand, the company market strategy is focused on generalization, innovative technology, versatile new products and services, and enables organization by thorough execution and an integrated information technology framework. By establishing the partnership, organization created both nationally and regionally and company has possesses the capacity to draw down national tourism financing for this region.

Assessment and measurement: According to Martinez et al. (2013), when the marketing communication plan is created by the manager, the finals step is to evaluate and assess the results of the plan. The supervisor can assess the results of the plan by using key performance indicators. This tool is suitable measure which can be used by Visit Cambridge and Beyond to assess the accomplishments of an organization, employee and the communication goal of the company.

SMART recommendations for the future action

According to Kabassi (2010), the following recommendation can be adopted by Visit Cambridge and Beyond which will help the company to effectively promote their products and services globally and maintain its position in the tourism industry:

Health and Safety: Organization should enhance significantly the internal resources apportioned to health and safety. The main aim of the company for this additional resource must be prepared for the legitimate changes which will probably need more extensive checking and the creation and conveyance of new employees training in a destination that better incorporates with the new tourism services.

Quality assurance: According to Kapiki (2012), the organization should organize framework advancement to ensure that Group quality assurance and the Quality assurance supervisors have accessible delicate customer information to help organize their workload. The reporting line of Quality assurance supervisors makes the potential for a conflict of interest. This will expand local and concentrated knowledge and checks should be set up to ensure their autonomy is safeguarded.

Customer service and relations: The Company should evaluate the progress on the execution of the new customer charter. This evaluation determines clear inadequacies and suggests far-reaching packages of changes (Seto-Pamies, 2012). The organization should need to make a formal procedure for destination and customer service representatives in order to challenge the exactness of brochure entries, specifically when they recognize the pamphlet section does not mirror the contracted administration level.

Conclusion:

From this report, it has been concluded that marketing communication plan a significant role in the creating brand awareness among the customers towards company's products and services. This report presents the integrated marketing communication plan for an official tourism service organization. The report analyzes the current market condition of the company products and services which concludes that the company is performing well and encouraging the visitors to enlarge their stay and tour beyond Cambridge. In order to expand its products and services in the market, Visit Cambridge and Beyond should create innovative marketing strategies which will provide both visitor experience and marketing destination. The report also creates integrated marketing communication plan for an organization which will enable the company to explore its business activities globally. The study also recommends some measures which company can adopt in order strengthen its position in the market and also expand company strengths which will result in enhancing their customer base.

References:

Bornhorst, T., Ritchie, J.B. and Sheehan, L., 2010. Determinants of tourism success for DMOs & destinations: An empirical examination of stakeholders' perspectives. Tourism management, 31(5), pp.572-589.

Evans, N., Stonehouse, G. and Campbell, D., 2012. Strategic management for travel and tourism. Taylor & Francis.

Goranczewski, B. and Puciato, D., 2010. SWOT analysis in the formulation of tourism development strategies for destinations. tourism, 20(2), pp.45-53.

Grissemann, U.S. and Stokburger-Sauer, N.E., 2012. Customer co-creation of travel services: The role of company support and customer satisfaction with the co-creation performance. Tourism Management, 33(6), pp.1483-1492.

Hjalager, A.M., 2010. A review of innovation research in tourism. Tourism management, 31(1), pp.1-12.

Jimenez-Zarco, A.I., Martínez-Ruiz, M.P. and Izquierdo-Yusta, A., 2011. Key service innovation drivers in the tourism sector: empirical evidence and managerial implications. Service Business, 5(4), p.339.

Kabassi, K., 2010. Personalizing recommendations for tourists. Telematics and Informatics, 27(1), pp.51-66.

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Kitchen, P.J. and Burgmann, I., 2010. Integrated marketing communication. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leung, D., Law, R., Van Hoof, H. and Buhalis, D., 2013. Social media in tourism and hospitality: A literature review. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), pp.3-22.

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Seto-Pamies, D., 2012. Customer loyalty to service providers: examining the role of service quality, customer satisfaction and trust. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 23(11-12), pp.1257-1271.

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Yeshin, T., 2012. Integrated marketing communications. Routledge.