The basics of marketing
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At a time when most pundits predict more of us holidaying in the UK and tougher competition for overseas visitors, it may be opportune to return to basics. We must ask ourselves the following questions: · Are we doing everything we can to exceed expectations? · Are our core activities spot on or do they need fine-tuning? By getting the fundamentals right we are setting out the strong foundations required to weather the ups and downs of the economy. But in addition to the business operations side of things, we also need to address the basic proposition that we represent. As tourism businesses we simply cannot afford to lose sight of what we are all about: the customer. We need to understand, for example, why we are attracting the visitors that we do. While we like to view our clientele as individuals, there is also the requirement to classify them as target markets and market segments. For instance, a target market may be the North of England and a market segment, hill walkers. From there it is possible to determine which type of customer make up the greatest percentage of our trade throughout the year. And which markets we can attract and convert into repeat business. Bear in mind, however, that some markets may be more appropriate and beneficial to attract in greater numbers than others. Right now, though, there is understandable emphasis within the industry on consolidating and maximising existing markets. Just don’t get bogged down in trench warfare – keep a firm eye on the bigger picture and what tomorrow may bring. |