Airship Tours Limited – Description
Overall company description
The chosen plan is Airship Tours Limited. This is a new company in the US hospitality industry that offers tours and picnic services to different classes of customers. The company will be situated in the city of San Francisco, United States. The company has airships that will be used in conducting airship tours and sky ride for customers. This will make customers to experience different sceneries around the United States.
Product description
This company operates within the services industry and is meant to expand its services as it gains strong grounds of competence in the industry. The services offered by the company are aimed at enhancing the customer experience. There are two main services offered. These include sky riding services and airship touring, which forms the main products of the company. These services will be highly guarded to enable customers attain what is intended by the company. In this case, customers will get an experience, which will continue to be desired and sought for by customers.
Benefits of the concepts to potential buyers
This business is meant to attract customers through the nature of services that will be given to customers, who are also considered as buyers. The benefits that accrue to the services that are offered by Airship Tours are numerous. They are classified into two: entertainment and learning. Entertainment will be gained through treatment and luxury in the service that will be offered. Buyers of this service will get an opportunity to explore and understand the terrain and geography of the United States through the airship rides.
Marketing management orientation
The market will be classified to capture different classes of customer customers. Buyers are expected to be drawn from different classes of people who work and reside in the city of San Francisco. Therefore, the company will categorize services being offered. The categories will be based on the distance of airship ride covered and the nature of airships used by the customer.
Marketing concept and its application in the company
Having noted that there are other companies that offer services that are related to what the company is offering, strategic approaches of marketing will be applied by the company. Modalities of differentiation will be applied in positioning the products of Airship Tours from those of other companies in the market. Marketing activities will include the use of effective mechanisms of introducing the company and its products to customers, as well as the effective provision of services.
Mission statement
The mission of the company is to provide diverse world class services tour and picnic services enabling customers to fly over and experience beautiful sceneries across the US.
Integrating a Service Marketing Approach
Characteristics of competitive operation
Intangibility
Intangible factors are critical to understanding the business environment in which a company operates. The organization will have a research section that will help in analyzing and understanding the market dynamics, as well as economic conditions and how they can be tailored to benefit it.
Separability
The company will ensure that different marketing sections and practices are separated in order to avoid duplication of marketing functionalities. All marketing segments will have a clear definition of their roles and functions. Major marketing departments will include communication and public relations, research and development section, and the advertising department.
Heterogeneity
The company will be responsive to the needs of customers and the forces that arise from the general market. Different services will be designed in order to meet the demands of customers. The trends in demand for different services by customers will be assessed and help in the development of service that fit the identified customer groups.
Perishability
This industry performs basing on seasons. The company will come up with extra services that will entice customers during low seasons to ensure continued operation across seasons. This will ensure that the business remains active across the seasons by enticing customers to demand services during low seasons.
Service quality management
As earlier noted, the company will have a research section that will be critical in identifying the tastes and preference of customers. The recommendations will be given to the service quality management team. This team will be responsible for implementing notable changes in service offering sections that have been identified. The maintenance of quality services is often based on continuous checks on organizational operations.
Servicescape
The company will be operating in an active industry. The company will target business people working in the city, as well as those touring the city. In addition, the company will target the general middle class population in the city who desire to consume the services. Therefore, three main service categories will be designed. In order to expand the external marketing environment, the company will classify and define the services under each category. This will help the customer quickly choose the products that fit their needs and abilities.
Management of capacity and demand
While establishing the basis on which to begin working, maximum standards of operation will be set. As demand grows, it will easily fit into the larger business that is already set by the company. The initial operational capacity will be set higher than what is required. Projection of demand will be made in the initial stages of operation. As the number of customers increases, services will be easily expanded.
Managing consistency
Consistency of work determines the stability and sustainability of a company. The company will keep close checks and conduct evaluations at close intervals to ensure consistency in service offering. Evaluation reports will be used in implementing controls in the service offering. Customers will also be given a room to express their views concerning the services that are offered. Possibly, propose improvements will be reviewed and implemented by the company.
External Environment Analysis
Competitiveness
Assessing the industry and the economy in which a company operates is critical in setting standards of competing with other companies in the market. An assessment of the competitors will be done in order to understand the services that they provide and how they manage to sustain their operations in the market. There are a number of companies that are dealing in airship service within the U.S. The company will position itself in several ways. Airship Tours will seek to fill a gap that has been left by other companies in the industry. This will be one of the main means of making the company competitive. Another aspect of competitiveness will be in the continued focus on quality of product and services. Customer-centered approaches will be a highly employed.
Demographic
The city of San Francisco has a high population. It is characterized with the presence of many businesses and business tycoons. The city receives a large number of tourists who come from different cities and states in the United States. Characteristics of the population found in the city are a strong indicator of the presence of potential customers for the company.
Economic
The US has a strong economy with numerous resources and opportunities. The majority of the people in the country are working and can afford to make savings. The economy is rated as one of the highest performing economy. The company will not suffer from the lack of customer as people in the economy can save and spend on the services that will be offered by Airship Tours Limited. The company will capitalize on the economic strength of the population in maximizing service offering.
Natural
The most important country features that favor the performance of the company is the size and the number of physical features of the country. The United States is a large country with a varying landscape: hills, valleys, rivers, and many other features. The country has a large forest cover in different places across the country. The natural environment is suitable for the business offered by Airship Tours.
Technological
The US is termed as the hub of technology in the world. The company will readily get the supply of Airships and other services within the country. This saves on the cost of procuring machines and equipment from distant places. The advanced information and communication technology and ease in access and use of technology will be an advantage to the company. It will help in the advertisement of the company and its services. Customer engagement will also be easily done.
Political
Political stability is a desired activity in enhancing the performance of companies. The US has stable political structures that have managed to maintain a peaceful environment. The airspace of the country is safe and convenient for air tours. The government ensures that it sets the best environment for entrepreneurship in the country. The company will ensure that it follows all the stipulated rules of doing business as laid down by the government.
Cultural
The United States has a population that is drawn from different regions in the world. One of the important traits of the population of the United States is the consumerism aspect. People in the country like innovation and are open to spending on new products and services. The culture of exploration that is common amongst Americans.
Marketing Research Plan
Suitable market research
Marketing surveys are best suited in generating helpful data for the development of a comprehensive marketing plan to be used by Airship Tours Ltd. Marketing surveys are structured in such a way that they generate voluminous data, which is critical in decision making. The marketing survey will assess the aspects of competition in the industry together with other factors that should be considered in setting up the operations of the company. The company will ensure that all factors of the business environment have been captured to ensure that marketing survey generates quality data. This includes the technology, cultural practices, the economic forces, political environment, consumption trends in the country, legal issues, and geographical set up of the country.
Exploratory and descriptive elements in research
The survey will include explanatory and descriptive questions. The combination of these two aspects of the survey is useful in generating information from a wider scope of comprehension. Explanation gives significant details hence effective understanding of the environment.
Primary and secondary data
Primary data will be used in getting fresh information, which is a true reflection of the prevailing business environment and market for the company. Secondary data are also desirable in the survey, and will be used in supporting the data collected using secondary research. Primary data will be combined with secondary data to generate more accurate information.
Approaches in primary research
The tools of collecting primary data that will be used in the survey are questionnaires and interview guides. Interview guides are most desired in collecting detailed information in focused group discussions. Focused group discussions will be organized by people who have information about the business. Questionnaires and observation will be used in collecting information from open sources like the public.
Analysis of the Market
Target market
The targeted market for the Airship Tours Limited is quite broad. San Francisco occupies the 5th position on the list of population of cities in the US. It includes the business class people who are doing business in the city of San Francisco, tourists, and the young population working in the city.
Market size and spending power
The targeted market for the company is large. The company will be situated in the city of San Francisco. Therefore, the entire population in the city will serve as potential customers to the company. The city of San Francisco is quite large and active in terms of business. This indicates a good income pattern for people living in the city. The city has a spending power of around 98, which is a good sign for the company (Maltbia & Power 29).
Features of the market
Geographic
The market coverage is large since the city of San Francisco is part of the larger city of California. The city has a lot of physical features, which make it attractive for tourist activities.
Demographic
The market is comprised of a large working population. The city has a dense population. The population has shown high prospects of spending. This is evident in tourism expenditure patterns of the population.
Psychographic
Most of the people in the market are young, working people. Young people are known to spend a lot on entertainment and leisure. This is what has promoted tourism in the region. The company expects to bank on this characteristic to expand its business.
Usage
The market is sophisticated and friendly, which makes it easy to access. The consumption rate for the services of the company is projected to grow faster.
Benefit
The market has most of the features that are desired by the company. Most of the features of the market indicate that the market will be receptive to the company leading to its growth.
Main attributes of customer motivation
The company will offer a wide range and high level of hospitality and classy services to customers.
Competitive advantage of the business concept
The company will offer a wide range of services, which have never been offered by other companies operating in the market thence attracting a large number of customers.
Perceptual map: Business concept and competition
Bridging the gap between company services and consumer needs and demands
The dissatisfaction of the consumer may arise when the company does not adjust to the external environment. Continued research covers for that by helping in the identification of issues that affect the expectations and needs of customers.
Service classification
The services of the company are related to other services that are offered by competing firms. However, there are many aspects of differentiation. Among these aspects is the diversity and classification of service to meet the diverse needs and demands of customers.
Differentiation
Differentiation is one of the means of branding, which will be used by the company in branding its services. It entails:
- The first factor of differentiation is the specialization of the company on air tours.
- Diversity in the number of services to cater for a wide range of customers.
- Customer centered and high quality services.
- Strategic location of its operation base.
Marketing Mix Strategies
Product
- The company lies in the services sector and will be offering air tour and picnic to customers. This will be supplemented by catering and entertainment services.
- The brand name of the company is Air Tours and Nature Experience.
- The logo presents the map of the world with a person flying high with trees, hills, mountain, valleys, and animals under the person. This implies that the person is experiencing the world from the air.
- The industry in which the company is entering is quite competitive. However, the industry is broad and is expected to broaden further. With creativity that is depicted in the services on offer from the company, prospects of growth are quite high.
Internal marketing process
Internal marketing will be centered on ensuring that customers are updated with happenings, and are satisfied with the nature of the services they received. The company aims at developing a strong culture of excellent service offering to customers, which will be impressive and an enticing factor to customers.
Every employee will be informed and made aware of the expectations of the company. The employees will have direct lines and channels of communication through which they will receive information on service and send feedback. This is called instant communication. It will be healthy for the coordination of marketing.
Pricing
The company will utilize a skimming marketing strategy. This will help in offsetting the high cost of setting the business. As the company enters the market, it will employ several pricing strategies.
The different categories of services will have their prices, which will depend on the nature and number of packages being offered. Discount rates will be offered in each package depending on several factors. These include the rate of consumption, season, quickness in service purchase, and category of service purchased.
The company is supposed to gain financial stability, as well as functioning stability. Therefore, these two types of value will be emphasized in the early years of operation. As the company gains stability, it will start promoting experiential value.
Place
The company will be based in the central business district of San Francisco. The city is active in tourism. Business is also active in the city, and customers can easily access the company and its services. There are plenty of services in the city, which will enhance the activities of the company.
The company intends to have a wide marketing platform. The social media will be used to engage customers directly. The company will also partner with other player in the tourism industry like hotels and tourism agents. This will help in promoting their services to tourists and other people.
Promotion
Integrated marketing communication practices will aid in reaching a large number of customers. The company will assess the impact of using each communication platform in promoting its products to customers. The main communication platforms that will be used in promoting the products of the company are the internet, direct promotion through sales agents, and the print, audio, and visual media.
Television stations will carry direct advertisements of the company by airing video clips, footages, and images of the services of the company. Radios will air commercials that will explain the company and the nature of the services offered. Blogs and online communities will be created on the internet where people will inquire and receive responses about the company and its services. The print media such as magazines and newspapers will be used in carrying explanations of the company and its products. It will also carry the complete contact details of the company.
Copy of advertisement
Airship Tours Limited!!!
Experience air tourism services beyond your imagination at Airship Tours Limited!!!!!
Airship Tours now offers limitless air tours, travel, and picnic services to its customers. Do not hesitate to get a suitable package for yourself today!
Sales promotions
Several promotional tools will be used in enhancing marketing in Airship Tours. These include rebates, sales coupons, displays, contests, and service samples. Some of the tools will be combined into single promotional events.
Public relations will be highly applicable in promotions. This will include the provision of clear calendars of promotional events, continued updates on the events and their outcomes, as well as the provision of transport and other services to such events. The company will also have help lines for people who want to inquire about the events. Press releases will be availed to customers on the internet.
Building customer relationship
The company will rely on modern communication technologies in accessing and building relationship with the customers. Customer will be engaged through service offering and direct communication with employees. Direct telephoning and the use of emailing and other internet tools will be applied in the development of customer relations.
The company will create a website, which will carry diverse contents. The website will carry the details of the organization like contacts, structure, mission, goals, and objectives on its home page. In addition, the website will display other interactive information like display of its services, promotions, and update of information and news about the company.
Strengths
- The presence of many tourists in the chosen strategy.
- The ability of the company to offer services in diversity.
- New company and new services to customers.
Weakness
- Presence of many other players in the industry.
- Exposure to high risks and costs as a new company in the industry.
- Length of time taken in attracting customers may impact on the initial operations of the company.
Marketing penetration strategies’ chart
Works Cited
Maltbia, Terrence & A. Power. A Leader’s Guide to Leveraging Diversity. United Kingdom: Elsevier Inc. 2009. Print.