MARKETING PLAN REPORT - Essay Example

?Marketing Plan Report (Center Parcs UK (LTD Introduction Center Parcs UK (Ltd) is a leading provider of high quality accommodation in lodges, villas and apartments, and it specializes in short break holidays. The facilities offered by Center Parcs are village-based and distributed all over the country’s forests and around streams with each village installed with a private deck. In 2005, Center Parcs Ltd had four villages, namely Sherwood Forest, Elveden Forest Brandon in Suffolk, Oasis Whinfell Forest Penrith Cumbria and Longleat Forest in Warminster, Wilshire; offering a variety of retail outlets, bars, restaurants, sports as well as leisure facilities that have been established in an environment that is natural and with the basic elements, water and woodlands. Center Parcs announced in December 2004 that it had submitted a planning permission so that it can open a new and 5th village at Woburn in Bedfordshire called Warren Wood costing an estimated ?160 million. In 2005, the organization became a public limited company. Mission Statement The mission statement of Center Parcs is “Every day, the perfect break, naturally (Center Parcs 2012). SWOT Analysis Strengths The organization is located or rather has villages all over the UK The physical and or natural environment it uses provides attractive surroundings Center Parcs carries out environmentally friendly activities Provides a wide range of accommodation Accounts for a distributed market, for instance families, businesses etc. Center Parcs employs a wide range of promotions The organization treats its staff as the most important asset and recognizes them by promoting training and other initiatives that enhance their development (World Bank, 2006). Brings employment opportunities as well as money to the local economy Availability of quality systems and or technology for communication (Warschauer 2003). Weaknesses The organization can only accommodate well-off customers There is a long lead time for future projects and/or developments The organization’s activities involve extensive use of natural landscape. Overreliance on weather despite the fact that the domes can provide heated water for swimming; but not for all the guests in the villages. Opportunities Accommodating business customers Leasing out of all the facilities of the park Maximization of marketing opportunities via the use of the customers’ database (ITU 2007) Plenty of land for further development of more villages Threats Complete focus on business customers may deter families Continued development is a threat to the environment Customers’ dependence on economic issues, for instance, the exchange rate etc Competitive prices from foreign holidays Existence of competitors such as Butlins. Competitor Analysis Being an organization in a market or rather field that has high demand, Center Parcs has found itself competing with other organizations that offer similar products and services. The main holiday service providers competing with Centre Parcs UK are Pontins, Butlins and Haven (Center Parcs 2012). Based on the target market which primarily consists of families with young children as well as empty nesters (parents with grown children who have left home), these organizations pose a competitive threat to Center Parcs. Most customers who visit live within a three-hour drive from the villages with a 60% repeat. A 60% chance of customers returning to the Center Parcs means that out of 10 at least 6 return (Center Parcs 2012). Butlins and Pontins offer stiff competition in this area since they offer similar services to those of Center Parcs’ but at a different level (World Information 2006). The Competitive Advantage The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix Product-market growth v. Market share High Low High Star – Center Parcs should maintain its marketing investments so as to keep realizing the prevailing profits. Problem child – this situation requires the organization to increase its marketing support in order to increase the market share. Low Cash cow – this situation calls for profits f the organization to be diverted to marketing of stars as well as the problem child. Dog – this is where the organization should consider doing away with the product as well as not offering any marketing support. Product-market portfolios that are profitable are under continuous competitive pressure due to the changing market conditions. Consequently, Gartrell (1994) argues that the organization should work towards updating and augmenting their products and services constantly so as to match the changing demands of customers as well as in the market conditions. Ansoff (1987) incorporates a number of options for strategic growth in his model as shown below. This present the organization’s marketing objectives. Product v. Market Existing New Existing Penetration – this is where Center Parcs should modify its products as well as intensively promote the current products to the current market (Hotel Industry 2011) Market development – involves repositioning and targeting the present products it offers at new markets around the world New Product development – introduction of a new product to the current market e.g. catering for businesses. Diversification – this is where a new product is developed and launched in a new market Kotler, Hamlin, Rein and Haider 2002). Perception Mapping This involves the creation of perceptions in the market with an intention of differentiating Center Parcs UK and its products from its competitors (Kotler, Bowen and Makens 2003). Positioning in this case supports the growth of the product or market share via the creation and sustenance of a lasting image that is favourable among the company’s potential clients (Atkinson and McKay 2007). Strategies and Markets Communicating with the Customer A marketing mix is a way in which a given strategy is implemented, commonly represented as an integration of 4Ps (product, price, promotion and place or means of product distribution) (Kotler, Haider and Rein 1993). In high contact services like those offered by Center Parcs, other factors are included, namely people, delivery process and physical evidence. Center Parcs values its customers, and thus the 4Ps can be replaced by 4Cs where product is customer value, place is the ease or convenience of access, price is the cost while promotion represents communications. Center Parcs UK Ltd has developed into a worldwide holiday facility over the past few years; through its continued development and offering of quality but diverse services in the region, the organization is headed towards being the topmost holiday service provider around the globe. References Ansoff, H.I. (1987) Corporate strategy, Penguin, London. Atkinson, R.D. & McKay, S.A. (2007). Digital prosperity – understanding the economic benefits of the information technology revolution, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Washington D.C. Center Parcs Annual Review (2012). Retrieved Dec. 10, 2012 at http://www.centerparcs.co.uk/images/pdfs/cp_annual_review_2012.pdf. Gartrell, R.B. (1994) Destination marketing for convention and marketing bureaus, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, Iowa Hotel Industry Magazine (2011). Travel Trends 2012, viewed 10 Dec 2012 . ITU. (2007). International Telecommunications Union and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Information Society Report 2007 – Beyond WSIS. Geneva. Kotler, P., Bowen, J. & Makens, J. (2003) Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism, Prentice Hall – Pearson Education, New Jersey Kotler, P., Haider, D.H. & Rein, I (1993) Place Marketing. Free Press, New York Kotler, P., Hamlin, M.A., Rein, I. and Haider, D.H. (2002) Marketing Asian places: attracting investment, industry, and tourism to cities, states & nations, John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd., Singapore Middleton, V.T.C. & Clarke, J. (2001) Marketing in travel & tourism, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Warschauer, M. (2003) Demystifying the digital divide, Scientific American. World Bank. (2006) Information and communications for development 2006: global trends and policies, Washington D.C. World Information Technology and Services Alliance. (2006) Digital planet 2006: the global digital economy, Arlington, VA. 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