Unit 8 Marketing in Hospitality Sample Assignment

Unit 8 Marketing in Hospitality Sample Assignment

Introduction

Marketing may be defined as the process through which products and services move from mere concept to its actual and potential consumers. The environment around the business operations is known as marketing environment. In this Unit 8 Marketing in Hospitality Sample Assignment, the main focus will be on the environment in which the National Trust operates. We will discuss the product life cycle of the National Trust. We will have a view on the importance of marketing mix to National Trust and the pricing strategies being used by National Trust. Also we will discuss the functioning of the AIDA model in relation with sales promotion and public relations. The Marketing in Hospitality will focus on the importance of market research and marketing survey.

Task 1

a)  Analyze the environment that the national trust operates in. Conduct this analysis using SWOT and PESTLE analysis.

The National trust was established in the year 1895. Its main objective is to protect the buildings and coastlines of countries like England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It makes its income from the fees of the members, donations and the investments made by it.

SWOT Analysis: The SWOT analysis is conducted to determine the internal capabilities and the threats outside so as to correlate them. The National trust cannot be secluded from other regions.

Strengths:

• Welcoming Staff
• Environmental activities
• Member’s free admission
• Conservation of nature and history

Weakness:

• Relatively poor customer care
• Associations are wrongly connected with National Trust
• No communication at headquarters
• Expensive products

Opportunities:

• Articles in UK magazines and newspapers
• Cooperation with companies for rent
• To enlarge the offers of National trust accommodation

Threats:

• Value of Pound is quite high which makes it expensive to visit UK
• Sudden decrease in the number of visitors
• Standardization of National Trust activities (Anon 1, n.d.)

PESTLE Analysis: PESTLE analysis is an important way of having a understanding of the environmental factors which should be considered while doing any market research. There are a number of factors:

• Political: Political factors refer to government laws and taxation policies. The National trust abides by the laws of the government and legislation laws.
• Educational:The National Trust always keep in mind the literacy of its employees and the skills required.
• Socio-cultural: The main aim of National trust is to protect the natural inheritance of nation so that the money saved through the efficient energy can be used for other purposes.
• Technological:  In order to generate renewable energy, measures were installed at National trust. Several methods have been adopted in order to deal with heat loss.
• Legal: The laws and regulations which surround the area of organization are the legal factors. National trust always makes sure that all the laws are properly followed.
• Environmental: National Trust aims to cut down the emission of gases like CO2 contributing to the effectiveness of the environment (Anon 2, n.d.).

b)Highlight the National Trust relevance and its rationale for developing different market segments.

National Trust was established to save the heritage of the nation and the open spaces. After so many years, it is still working hard to keep its values.

Product life cycle: The main points of the product life cycle are:

• It consists of different stages through which a product goes. Expectation of sales at each stage is also expected.
• Different stages of Product life cycle are introduction in the market, growth, maturity, and decline of the product.
• At introduction stage, National trust will associate the cost of  production and advertisement
• At Growth stage, National trust will need to do the periodic review and determine the sales.
• At Maturity stage, To take decision about the extension strategies.
• At Decline Stage, National trust may take decision to stop the sale of a product.

National trust must always be aware of the factors which in turn affects the length og a product life cycle.

Below the line marketing: The marketing in which organizations have a greater control over the methods used is below the line marketing. It mainly consists of news articles, newspaper articles, direct mailing, and exhibitions. The National trust uses below the line marketing at micro level and have greater control over the methods used by it.

Above the line marketing: The marketing in which organizations generally do not have much control over the methods used is above the line marketing. It mainly consists of typical media advertisements like newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, cinema. National trust uses above the line marketing in order to promote its products (Business case studies 1, n.d.).

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Task 4

a) Focusing on the promotional mix, plan an advertising campaign for a product/service that the National Trust provides. Ensure you produce a poster along with your advertising campaign plan that is aimed at sales promotion; you must outline a clear strategy for promotion within the advertising campaign.

The promotional mix of marketing mainly consists of activities through which communication with customers and distribution channels can be made in order to increase the sales of the product. The main objective of the promotional mix is to tell the advantages of products to the targeted customers in order to convince them to buy the product.

Advertising: It is the tool of the promotional mix used by the business in order to promote its products. It is a kind of non personal presentation of ideas, services and products for which sponsors pay to the advertisers. Through advertisement, the producer of the product conveys many messages like advantages of using the product, its price and its availability in the market. It attracts the customers and pull them towards the product. Its main features are:

• Paid form: The sponsor of the advertisement has to pay for advertising so as to take the cost of connecting with customers
• Impersonality: No face to face connection is made with the customers through advertisement. Only a monologue is created.
• Identified Sponsor: a firm which is well identified makes the advertisement Your article library, n.d.)

National trust launched a new Campaign ‘Nation’s love for new places’ with 18 feet & rising to celebrate the love of the people towards natural places. It aims to attract the public towards the places they love and to motivate then to return to those places in order to make more memories. The objective is to make people share their love for natural places with the organization (Thedrum, n.d.).

b)  Using the AIDA model, analyze the role sales promotion and public relations play with the promotional mix for the National Trust.

Sales Promotion: Sales promotion includes short term offers in order to increase the sale of a product. The programs such as contests, coupons, trade programs, discounts, locusassignments. product demonstrations etc are the programs that companies create in order to increase the sale of a product during a particular season of time. The objectives of sales promotion are:

• To increase short-term sales
• To build long term share of market
• Motivating retailers to carry new and additional items
• Motivating retailers to advertise more and more
• To increase support of sales force
• To increase the number of new accounts

Public Relations: It is a kind of communication of organization whose aim is to build good working relationship with the customers, stakeholders and government. It aims to make a good and favorable image of the organization and preventing any unfavorable rumor about the firm. Its objective is to build a long term positive image of the organization. Writing press releases, Special events holdings and conducting various surveys are examples of public relations. Main objectives are:

• To build and to maintain national relations
• To build relations with high government officials
• Improving the image of the company
• Publicity of specific products to customers and organizations

The National Trust is a charity organization that looks after the cultural heritage. It is now adopting promotion strategies for various purposes. The AIDA model defines the different stages of promotion:

• It initiates Awareness among its non-customers and increase the knowledge of any new offers to its customers
• It generates the Interest for the product.
• It creates Desire for the product.
• It makes sure the Action to purchase the product.

Therefore, National Trust focuses on promotion strategy so as to make customers know of its various offers and what kind of jobs that the National trust has (Business case studies 2, n.d.).

Task 5

a)  Design a questionnaire that will act as a marketing survey which will assess the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, the aim of the survey should be to evaluate the stability of the approach for promotion you have selected in Task 4.

There are many reasons to determine the effectiveness of advertising campaign. Some are:

• To find out whether or not the campaign accomplished its objectives
• To evaluate the strengths and weakness of media plans

Therefore, advertisement effectiveness is required to determine whether the particular advertisement should be used or not and whether the on going campaign should be continued or stopped (Anon 4, n.d.).

Questionnaire: Questionnaire consists of a number of questions in order to gather information from the respondents. Below is an example of questionnaire:

How much do you remember this advertisement

• Do not remember the advertisement
• Remember the product but not company or advertisement
• Remember the product and the company but not advertisement
• Only remember the advertisement

What was the main aim of the advertisement other than convincing you to buy the product

What was the thing you like most about the advertisement

 What was the thing you like least about the advertisement

 While telling your friend about this advertisement, what would you say it is

• Active
• Attention getting
• Boring
• Cheerful
• Creative
• Emotional
• Energetic
• Sincere
• Informative
• Irritating
• Memorable
• Natural
• Offensive
• Pleasant
• Satisfying
• Strong
• Unique
• Warm hearted

The message conveyed by advertisement is understandable

• Strongly agree
• Somewhat agree
• Neither
• Somewhat disagree
• Strongly disagree

The advantages described in the advertisement are believable

• Strongly agree
• Somewhat agree
• Neither
• Somewhat disagree
• Strongly disagree

Please indicate your age

• Under 18
• 18-29
• 30-40
• 40-50
• 50-60
• Above 60

 Gender?

• Male
• Female

b) Present the results of the marketing survey and discuss the relevance of market research.

Marketing Surveys: Marketing survey is a very important part of market research because it evaluates the needs of the customers and their preferences in the market. Companies decide what to offer to the customers and to market those products. To achieve the results there are certain steps which are as follow:

• Define the nature and estimate the size of the market
• Evaluate what features of the market you want to investigate
• Determine by what way you can reach your customer and at what time
• Determine the sample size for the survey. It should be as large as possible
• Design a questionnaire that will provide you the information for your market research
• Group in categories the answers received by you
• Identify the group of changing elements in your answers that might affect the result of the survey
• Decide a particular time period and location for a survey
• Prepare the forms of survey
• Conduct the final survey keeping in mind the accuracy of answers

Relevance of Market Research: All the successful business conducts market research from time to time in order to have the information of the changing trends of the market. Market research is very important for the continued success in the market. The importance of market research can be understood by having a look at the following factors:

• Market Information
• Knowing the customers
• Identifying the future customers
• Needs of the customers
• Behavior of the customer
• Knowing your competitors
• Correct business decisions
• Develop business strategies (Flatworld solutions, n.d.)

c) Evaluate the marketing plan developed earlier based upon the result of marketing survey and make recommendations and reflect upon your understanding of Marketing in Hospitality.

Marketing may be defined as the process through which services or products of organization actually move from mere concept to its potential customers. In marketing the business should have a basic understanding of what customer need and what they value. Finding the correct person to convince for your business is marketing. Marketing includes allocating your time and money in order to achieve success. There are 4P’s of marketing:

• To identify, select and develop the product
• To evaluate its price
• To decide the channel through which it will reach its customers
• Implementation of its promotion strategy

Hospitality industries mostly deal with the customer satisfaction. The sectors included in hospitality are hotels, airlines, cruises, fancier trains etc. Its main objective is the happiness of the customers. It is different because it deals with physical products such as maintain bed in the hotel or looking after the food in the restaurant. It also deals with the non-physical services to customers. Hospitality marketing is the process through which hospitality industry such as hotels, restaurants, airlines etc promote their products or services. Its main direction is towards bringing revenue to the hospitality industry. Hospitality marketing is very important for the success of any tourism or hospitality industry. By the help of proper marketing efforts, customer needs are met. In this way, marketing brings profit to the hospitality industry.

 Conclusion

From the Unit 8 Marketing in Hospitality Sample Assignment, we conclude that market research and marketing survey are very important for the success of any business. We also concluded that for charity organizations like National Trust, the 4P’s of marketing mix are very vital. We have discussed successfully the product life cycle of the National Trust and referred above-the-line and below-the-line marketing. We also conducted a survey questionnaire and produced an advertising campaign. We also discussed the importance of market research and marketing survey for sectors in hospitality industry.

References

Anon 1, Introduction ,[Online], Available: https://www.gbz.hu-berlin.de/publications/working-papers/downloads/pdf/Engelhardt.pdf [Accessed 5 December, 2014]
Anon 2, National Trust UK,[Online], Available: http://www.ashden.org/files/NT%20full%20winner_0.pdf [Accessed 6 December, 2014]
Anon 3, Pricing made Simple,[Online], Available: http://www.sayervincent.co.uk/Asp/uploadedFiles/File/Publications/MadeSimpleGuides/Pricing_Made_Simple.pdf [Accessed 9 December, 2014]
Anon 4, Advertising Effectiveness,[Online], Available: http://www.slideshare.net/hemanthcrpatna/a-project-report-on-advertising-effectiveness [Accessed 11 December, 2014]
Business case studies 1, The Use of Social Media in Promotion,[Online], Available: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/national-trust/the-use-of-social-media-in-promotion/above-the-line-promotion.html#axzz3Lf6V1BC6 [Accessed 6 December, 2014]
Business case studies 2, The Purpose Of Promotion,[Online], Available: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/national-trust/the-use-of-social-media-in-promotion/the-purpose-of-promotion.html#axzz3Lf6V1BC6 [Accessed 10 December, 2014]
Flatworld solutions, Research and Analysis Services,[Online], Available: http://www.flatworldsolutions.com/research-analysis/articles/market-research-for-business-success.php [Accessed 12 December, 2014]