Analysis of Thomas Cooks Marketing objectives and strategy
Analysis of Thomas Cook ‘s Marketing objectives and strategy
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Marketing objectives and strategy
It should be known that other than advertising, Thomas Cook should come up with marketing strategies and objectives. This will play a vital role in influencing tourists to visit Morocco through the help of the services provided by Thomas Cook. When coming up with the marketing program, it should be one that is easily understood, in order to obtain advantages that exist at the market place. Therefore, various techniques and strategies should focus upon then the best chosen method. The result is that Thomas Cook will attract a new customer base as well as have customers who are loyal. Also, it will be possible to ensure that the bottom line is not affected as there are usually quite a number of market shifts (Thomas Cook, 2012).
The marketing objectives for Thomas cook are as many and will assist it in realizing its goals. They include;
To introduce a new form of tourism to its customers, and in this case is desert tourism.
To promote the various tourist attractions that exists in Morocco, such as sandy beaches, cuisine and historical sites.
Thomas Cook seeks to establish itself in Morocco as a leading European tour company.
To promote high standards of customer satisfaction in Morocco as well as other tourist destinations.
To penetrate the Dutch market that has a high potential for frequent travelers to Morocco.
As part of the marketing plan, Thomas Cook should come up with a strategy that is both long term and short term. The tourism sector is highly competitive, and thus it is essential that Thomas Cook comes up with a strategy that ensures that it meets its objectives (Thomas Cook, 2012).
To ensure that its customers to Morocco have a variety of packages that are cost effective.
To have a budget that can fully cater for the advertising cost.
Working with the government of Morocco through a joint venture in an effort of branding Thomas Cook.
Marketing Mix Strategy
It is vital that when coming up with a marketing mix strategy, that the target market is well understood. This is in terms of their educational levels, income, location, sex, age, among others. By knowing what customers prefer it will be easy to market to them the destination being offered (Riege & Perry, 2000). For example, Thomas Cook should strive to know more about what the Dutch prefer, and this will assist in knowing what should be offered to them. Potential customers should be targeted and in turn, they will market to other people. A positive image of Morocco needs to be created as this will affect the perception of the tourist destination (Books, 2010). Lastly, all the existing competitors should be identified, and ways found to eliminate them.
In any marketing plan, there has to be strategies, which will help in accomplishing the goals that have been established. This means that the marketing four P’s should be included in the marketing mix strategy. They include promotion, place, price and product. The customers of the package to Morocco being offered by Thomas Cook should be informed of the benefits involved. This should be based on the perspective of the customer, by making sure that the product’s unique features are known. In the package, aspects should be marketed well, as a way of added advantage or selling points. It is vital to anticipate what the customer’s needs, so that they will be satisfied when they are in contact with the product being offered. For example, the package should contain information such methods of travel, length of stay, and travel itinerary, among others. Also, when making decisions about products, the following factors should be considered include; quality of services to be offered, as well as the brand name, among others (Riege & Perry, 2000).
Price is another strategy that should be considered by Thomas Cook as it seeks to establish its operations in Morocco. It is vital that the competitor’s strategies are known, and used as a benchmark towards achieving competitive advantage. The other tour companies that have operations in Morocco should not have a better pricing strategy than that of Thomas Cook. Product perception is often affected by the price that is attached to it. When the price being offered is low, the tourists will have a negative view of the destination. They often tend to think that the destination is cheap, and thus avoid travelling to such destinations (Thompson, 2001). After Thomas Cook has known about the existing industry averages, it can then adjust its price to meet one that is on par with the rest. In order for Thomas Cook to realize profits, it should constantly monitor its operating costs and prices. Moreover, it should establish policies that ensure that the strategy will result in high profit margins (Riege & Perry, 2000). Thomas Cook should also establish the expected revenue it hopes to achieve from the tourists that will purchase its package. Some vital pricing aspects that need to be known are discounts, list price, payment terms, and exchange rates, among others. They ensure that customers are aware of the price details of the package that they are choosing. The budget that Thomas Cook has set aside for advertising should serve its purpose. Tourists in the targeted marketing segments should all be reached and be informed of the tour packages being offered to Morocco by Thomas Cook (Riege & Perry, 2000).
The last strategy that should be employed by Thomas Cook is the one concerning promotion. Some of the ways it can advertise is through the internet, television, radio, billboards, brochures and travel magazines, among others. The more media sources are used in advertising, the better the success rates. Also, constant monitoring of the advertisement media should take place in order to promote Thomas Cook well. Market data should be available to the tourists who are being targeted in order to demonstrate competitiveness (Thompson, 2001). As mentioned previously, Thomas Cooks seeks to use the help of the government of Morocco to advertise. This is a successful strategy as the government is a credible advertising tool and many people are often influenced to travel if a government is involved. Other vital factors concerning promotion that need to be known are the amount of money to be used in advertising (Thompson, 2001). Also, the expected results from the ongoing promotions, as well as any other additional promotional programs need to be known. Another way of promoting Thomas Cook is through public relations, which involves talking with various tourism stakeholders, especially in Morocco (Books, 2010). They are the ones who know the most beneficial way of attracting potential tourists to Morocco. In conclusion, the marketing objectives of Thomas Cook will succeed if the strategy that they have is right.
References
Books, LLC (2010).Tourism in Morocco: Airlines of Morocco, Airports in Morocco, Hotels in
Morocco, Visitor Attractions in Morocco, Marrakech-Menara Airport. Chicago: General Books, LLC.
Thompson, J.L. (2001). Strategic Management –Awareness and Change 4th Ed. London: Thompson.
Riege, A. & Perry, C. (2000). National Marketing Strategies in International Travel and Tourism. European Journal of Marketing, 34 (11/12) 1290-1304.
Thomas Cook, (2012). Retrieved on March 15, 2012 from HYPERLINK “http://www.thomascookgroup.com” http://www.thomascookgroup.com