The Marketing Theory for the Development of Albury Center - Case Study Example

Marketing Case Study Practical Solution Introduction Albury has one of the largest inland populations in Australia having over 90,000 persons inhabiting the districts that are statistically recognized districts. The tourist attraction area is located along the Hume highway which is a major inland corridor that joins it with Sydney and Melbourne. the center boasts of manmade tourist attractions which include the Ettamogah pub and sanctuary, the lake Hume Trout farm and the Frog Hollow Tourist Attraction as well as the natural attraction sites which include the Australian Alps and the Lake Hume. The center also provides its visitors with sightseeing and visits to the historic towns of Yackandandah and Beechworth. The clubs are prestigious and well marketed to attract visitors from all around the world in addition to its local tourists (Blumberg 2005). It is estimated that through its vigorous marketing a total of 0.9 million domestic tourists visited the center in the year 2005. The average night spent at the center was 2.8 nights with a spending of $53 per night. The center can be accessed by land and air as well as connections via the ocean. It is divided into two regions namely the Sunshine coast and the Murray region. The tourism visitations in Southern coast are approximately more than that of the Murray Region. The regions offer unique blends of lively entertainment and cosmopolitan shopping in addition to the natural attraction sites that are invigorating. The regions are also known for their hard core game events which include rock climbing, hockey carnival and athletics (Blumberg 2005). The center has benefited from the support of the Albury city that provides funding for the development and growth of tourism through external organizations. The center relies heavily on the provision of information services to the visitors as a way of promoting the site. This has been done in collaboration with the Wadonga City and other councils within the region. Much of its advertisement and marketing targets the domestic tourists with minimum target to the external potential tourists. The marketing of the site witnessed the opening of the Albury Visitor information center and the production of a new logo that comprised of creative elements that are aimed at supporting the marketing efforts. In addition, the center launched a website (www.visitALBURYWADONGA.com) to help in the marketing promotion. Situational analysis In order for the center to meet its mission of increasing the contribution of tourism to the development of growth of the Albury economy, the center and it is vital for the center to conduct a SWOT analysis that is based on the marketing theory. The SWOT analysis will be based on the strategic objectives which hare the outcomes that the center has anticipated. The center will be able to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The center will also be able to have an analysis of its competition and identify the target markets that have not been exploited. By so doing, the center will be able to identify the adequate mode through which the target market can be segmented for the purpose of attracting them. The SWOT analysis based on the strategic direction Strengths The region has on outstanding strengths in its land and quality water that makes it essentially competitive and different to the other tourist regions in the country. The center provides a regional basis of its accessible nature by road and by air (Buhalis 2000). Weaknesses The center has not kept its pace with the changing and ever dynamic tourism marketing strategies in the recent years thus having a negative impact on the marketing efforts of the region and its consequent performance (Buhalis 2000). Opportunities The region has sustainable and willing partnerships from the surrounding and adjacent regions that will be able to assist in the marketing of the site to both the internal and external target groups through the utilization of modern marketing strategies. The region boasts of good and sustainable communication infrastructure and that is able to repackage its tourism product to suit the modern world (Leiper 2004). Threats Lack of the implementation of the sustainable and innovative marketing strategy will be an impediment to the success of the center. The center could have limited budgetary constraints that would make it impossible to realize the full implementation of the marketing plan (Leiper 2004). Marketing mix The market mix will involve the repackaging of the existing products through the use of the marketing theory while utilizing the findings from the SWOT analysis. This will include the marketing of the tour sites, the accommodation facilities in addition to the things that are to have a consumer value. In addition, the center is to identify the adequate and appealing marketing strategies including the use of social network sites and agencies. The pricing of the products should be related to their quality. Lastly, the center is to develop an action plan and a mode through which they are to monitor and evaluate the performance after the introduction of the marketing strategy to be able to identify the gaps and the strengths (Buhalis 2000). . Marketing activities in effect at Albury tourism To begin with, the industry has a comprehensive and detailed marketing plan which outlines details on branding, product development and improvement, events and attractions, public relations and marketing, recruitment, financial budgets, public and private partnerships and organizational responsibilities. In addition to this the industry has incorporated massive advertisement in its marketing strategies. This includes media adverts in the television and radio stations and also weekly brochures placed on the weekend newspaper. The brochures highlights current offers in different sites and their price quotes. Some of the brochures are placed in local tourism offices and in transit booking offices while some are distributed by sales persons to the general population. The industry has also invested in several promotional magazines which are sold out at reduced prices (Bischoff and Koenig-Lewis 2007). Albury tourism offers friendly prices for its products and services. Although rates for domestic tourism differ from those of international tourism they are both favorable and affordable which has contributed greatly to attraction of more tourists. The prices are discounted and the discounts can be negotiated with the tourist operators. Albury has made booking easy whereby customers can book and make any the orders through telephone calls or through their email contacts. Promotional activities conducted by Albury tourism include free tourism guides round tourist sites and free entry fees for children below the age of 13 in certain venues and events. They have also set a time in the year when they have special offers with reduced prices (Tourism Queensland 2007). Case Critique Within Albury, tourism marketing is defined as that activity which communicates various tourism services and goods by way of exchanging and delivery product which in return creates value for customers, partners and society at large. Albury Tourism and Destination have identified both their customers’ wants and needs. According to Dann & Dann, (2007), within their customers’ needs, the organization understands that customers require recognition of the difference that exists between desired state and the customer actual state. On the other hand, customers want should be framed in a manner that satisfies their outlined needs either being influenced socially and culturally. Despite the case study widely concentrating on the various marketing approaches of Albury Tourism and Destination, there are a number of issues that are questionable. These issues are going to be outlined basing on the various marketing activities of the organization and coming up with other alternative that would suit Albury effectively (Dann & Dann 2007). Within the case analysis, the Tourism and Destination marketing strategy gives a foundation for various development of strategic partnership which ensures that identified objectives are met. Despite this being a correct step towards tourism marketing, it is important for the organization to ensure that it widely plan its business. Paley (2006) asserts that, business planning is defined as that ongoing decision making process which guides the company both in short and long term haul. After the development of a business plan, the organization should develop a marketing plan. A marketing plan is usually guided by a business plan. Marketing planning is an important strategy since it assists the tourism and destination company in describing the tourism marketing environment, its stipulated marketing objectives, various strategies and the staff required to initiate marketing procedures (Paley 2006). Further, it is indicated that the organization has developed a strategy whereby it defines it primary objective so as to promote and develop Albury. By so doing the company gives recognition of need and value to promote Albury to Albury Wodonga. East & Wright (2008) maintains that, this is a good opportunity since the organization will be able to buy tourism and destination marketing, promotional activities from Wadonga thus establishment of a good marketing strategy. Partnership is an important marketing strategy only that; it requires one to understand both product and marketing emphasis. Product emphasis require Albury Tourism and Destination to outline its existing product in relation to new products expected to be developed when they form partnership with Wadonga, whereas market emphasis requires comparing its existing markets in relation to new markets likely to be developed from its merge with Wadonga (East & Wright 2008). The organizational management should understand its market segmentation within the tourism industry especially in today’s competitive business environment. The organization anticipated outcomes and strategic objectives should widely focuses on effectively marketing Albury tourism and destination offer, improvement of visitors’ experience, building events market and attracting investment with wide focus on tourism related product. For the organization to achieve its outlined anticipated outcomes and strategic objectives, it needs first to improve on its marketing process by understanding its consumer behavior. Kotler & Lee (2002) maintains that, tourism and destination consumer behavior entails dynamic interaction of cognition behavior, environment and affect especially in exchanging of tourism products and services. Here, decision making especially on marketing approach is needed. According to Kotler & Armstrong (2001), proper decision making in marketing can be experience when the organization is able to establish its products brands ideas. These products brands on tourism and destination are expected to be designed in a manner which customers are issued with several choices in which they can select from. The organization should be willing to use more of its resources so that it can try to influence consumer choice especially when focusing on the designated tourism and destination characteristics (Kotler & Armstrong 2001). Marketers should be trained in such a manner which will enable them able to highlight features of Albury Tourism and Destination products in their adverts. By so doing, these marketers are able to understand choice heuristics used by the loyal customers thus providing communication that will encourage marketing perceived to increase destination sales. Conclusion The utilization of the marketing theory is a vital component that is aimed at the development of Albury center as a fine and prestigious tourist attraction site. The variety of marketing strategies that are employed by the center are to provide a foundation for consultation between it and the strategic developmental partners to be able to develop an action plan that is aimed at the identification and achievement of the formulated objectives. The center needs to recognize the need to add value to the marketing strategies which will not only be aimed at targeting the domestic tourists but the external/international tourists as well. Based on the SWOT analysis, the center has the potential to scale up the promotional and marketing activities in addition to the partnerships in domestic marketing with the Wadonga councils and other external advertising agencies. These in addition to the development and enhancing existing tourism infrastructure and products will go a long way in the marketing of the center as a prestigious tourism site. References Dann & Dann, 2007, Competitive marketing strategy. Australia: pearson education Paley, N, 2006, The manager’s guide to competitive marketing strategies. London: Thorogood East, R & Wright, M, 2008, consumer behavior: application in marketing. Los Angeles: Sage Kotler, P, & Armstrong, G, 2001, Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Blumberg, K, 2005, ‘Tourism Destination Marketing—a Tool for Destination Management? A CaseStudy from Nelson/Tasman Region, New Zealand’, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 10 (1): 45–57. Leiper, N, 2004, ‘Tourism Management’, 3rd edn. Pearson, Sydney Buhalis, D,2000, ‘Marketing the Competitive Destination of the Future’, Tourism Management 21: 97–116 Tourism Queensland, 2007,‘Destination Management Plan for Tourism in Central Queensland—Gladstone Region 2007-2010’. Bischoff, E and Koenig-Lewis, N, 2007, VFR tourism: the importance of university students as hosts. International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 9, Iss 6, pp.465–484 Kotler, P, & N. Lee, 2002, Social Marketing: Improving the Quality of Life. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Read More