How Brand Community Practices Create Value - Essay Example

Executive Summary The long term goal for Motel Burundi is to provide temporary lodgings and restaurants to visitors visiting the capital of Burundi, Bujumbura. Its strategy of entering the market involves creating a difference motel experience from the common ones being offered by other competitors in other parts of the country. I plan to create a Motel that not only stands as unifying symbol to the growing country, but one designed with the current features which surpass the standards of most common hotels or motels in the country. Motel Burundi will be located in the current city of Bujumbura with its geographical region being in the central and eastern Africa. Motel Burundi is a new business which has never been operation in any country or region. After being established, Motel Burundi will operate as a vacation resort with the intent of attracting tourist and workers employed by different non-governmental organizations. The resort will only be functional during specific seasons of the year. However, the lodging sector will operate fully round the year and will open for locals and visitors throughout the week. Motel Burundi will be designed to accommodate master beds with humble space to allow for three sitter chair to be positioned and a kitchenette. It will also have a fully functional restaurant where different delicacies and meals will be provided at the customer’s request. In addition, Motel Burundi will have an in built bar and dance floor, which will cater for entertainment purposes and an effective, fully functional dating agency to offer hookups for single souls visiting the Motel. Motel Burundi target market strategy is to become a destination choice for both locals and international visitors paying Bujumbura a visit for one reason or another. The motel will expect an increase in sales as currently there is no serious motel which provides stiff competition in the hotel market. Objectives The objectives that will be set upon the operation of Motel Burundi will be as follows: Expand Motel Burundi by identifying other regions suitable for expansion. To provide a positive and welcoming hotel experience for all customers. To accomplish the growth targets within one year and within the proposed budget. Keys to Success The basic or primary keys of success for Motel Burundi will be based on the following factors. Creating a Motel, which has fast class facilities and standards in the region? Provide quality services and products to customers. Create loyalty among guest to ensure an increase in the level of sales. Makes customers feel they are the boss. Mission The motel Burundi statement mission will be to provide an outstanding hotel and lodging facility for all guests visiting the motel. The Motel will focus on personal businesses and group meetings by putting an emphasis on high quality standards in the rooms, bars, foods and dance floor. In addition, Motel Burundi will provide a fair investment return for the owners and all stakeholders responsible for its daily operations. Company Summary, Ownership and Start-Up Summary Motel Burundi will be located in Bujumbura the capital city of Burundi. It will be a corporation owned and operated by the sole owner who will also act as the chief Executive Officer; Motel Burundi will be acquired and built through loans and grants from banks and other financial institutions. The proprietors’ personal saving will act as down payment for the Motel as part of its investment. Summary of Market Analysis Motel Burundi targeted marketing strategy that is based on becoming the destination choice will focus on attracting new and potential customers looking for vacations of tourism destination in the region. In addition, it will lay focus on drop-in customers who will be considered mostly to be locals of the country. Motel Burundi will envision and increase in tourist coming from western countries like America and Britain. An employee employed by the numerous non-governmental organizations will also be a target and they will include employees of Red Cross who are working to restore peace and help victims of war in the region. The setting and implementation of facilities in the region will automatically turn the Motel a natural destination choice for people from all walks of life. Market Segmentation The motel Burundi target market will be separated into three major segments. This will be vacationers who will come from different countries with the intent of taking a retreat and enjoying other recreational activities in the country. Secondly, the drops-in segments will work to serve customers who will be looking for a room to spend for the night. The last segment will be tourism, which is a major source of revenue in the region as there are game parks, forest and other archeological sites. Service, Business Analysis Motel Burundi will beat room facility providing a range services from restaurant, bar and dancehall and vehicle parks, hookups, overnight lodgings, lunch and dinner among other things to cater for the numerous needs of customers visiting the Motel. However, since Motel Burundi will be new in the region and one of its kind, customers will be required to make advanced reservations to ensure that they get a room so as to avoid them any inconvenience on their part. Competition and Buying Patterns Motel Burundi will offer customers with the unique opportunity of enjoying a relaxing environment in the capital city Bujumbura. The lodges designed for the Motel will offer a home climate for where customers will be made to feel at home, hence in other cases making them prolong their visits. Meals and drinking will be sharable between the innkeepers allowing for connectivity of the customers visiting the Motel as they will freely and without restrictions interact with one another. Various settings like conference rooms and hookup scenes will further increase the comfortability of customers paying a visit to the Motel as they will feel like staying home. Strategy and Implementation Summary The marketing strategy and primary sales that will be incorporated into the operation of Motel Burundi will involve the following factors. To concentrate the Motel’s marketing in other parts and region of Burundi. To provide quality and unique services to all customers paying a visit at the motel. To provide a motel, restaurant, hookups and parking facility that will appeal to all customers visiting the motel. Competitive Edge Motel Burundi will be different from other hotels and motels offering similar facilities and services in the region or country because of the following strategies. The motel will be strategically located in one environment with a motel, bar and parking lots for customers visiting the Motel as they will not be forced to move to look for outside services. Moreover, its position as the capital city will attract more customers as it is basic common sense that most individuals reside in cities. The designs of the rooms will be decorated with country settings, which will elude a sense of taste and relaxation to the customers as they will more relaxed and comfortable. Customer service in the motel will be too impressed. Unlike other hotels, employees of Motel Burundi will treat all employees visiting the Motel with courtesy and as if they were family members. Renewed service innovation will be introduced inside the Motel where a pyramid like the one following will be introduced in the motel to attract more customers paying a visit at the motel. Suspects who are considered to form the targeted audience of the Motel will be given a tour at the opening of the motel to encourage them to return with intent of booking one of the rooms. Prospect who are considered to be one contacting the Motel Burundi through the websites of cell phone during convenient times will be offered will smaller rooms at a much reduced price. Customers consider those who have paid a visit to the motel. They will be enticed into visiting the Motel again by being offered package deals which are reality when you make a booking for more than one night. The packages will be at a much reduced fee than the normal fees. Premium customers are considered as customers who have a habit of paying the hotel several visits for various purposes. They will be enticed in continually returning to the motel from being offered a penthouse suite and laxity available for the ones who visits the motel regularly. Marketing Strategy Motel Burundi objectives for the marketing strategy will be to be the destination choice for most customers by communicating a unique set of services which are appealing to most customers. The motel will direct the focus of their customers to the issue of quality and value contrary to money or the costs involved in staying at the Motel. The marketing strategy used will promote the communication of the Motel brand values through the process of developing a close and tight working relationship between customers and the Motel’s staff to identify and short comings or needs of customers which are not satisfied at the motel. In addition, the motel will incorporate and apply continued differentiation, growth strategy in expansion processes and also attracting more customers’ booth locally and internationally. Sales Plan The motel Burundi sales plan will greatly depend don the sales strategy, sales procedures and prospecting plan laid out at the initial operation of its operation. Sales Strategy Motel Burundi will rent its lodging rooms directly to repeat customers and through the help of travel agents who will be working on a commission. Lastly, the rooms will be sold through the internet as customers will be able to book their rooms prior on the internet before traveling to Bujumbura the capital city of the country. Customers coming back to the motel for more than the first time will have an opportunity of priority reservation when the number of customers visiting the motel is high. The physical address and location will be availed at the various methods or channels which customers will use to purchase rooms. Sales Process Motel Burundi will make it a habit to email out their corporate packets after a period of time. The packets will contain all the relevant information on corporate pricing like discounts and pricings charged by the motel and other resources owned by the motel with the intent of sharing them with other customers or prospective customers. Web Plan Summary The website of Motel Burundi will focus on the different service features that will be available at the motel. Rooms with different options and designs will be available at the website and the prices for the customers to make his or her choice and book then one that is pleasing to his taste. Food menu will also be displayed on the website and the meal prices for each and every dish served to the customers. In addition, the website will relay the contact information for the physical location and contact information for the management of the Motel. Website Marketing Strategy The website marketing strategy will place a focus for tourist, vacationers and drop-in and will majorly focus on tourist or employees coming into the country. Motel Burundi will be promoted via the website through the use of the following strategies. Room price list and Motel’s food menu Photographs of the motel, rooms, bar and outside environment like parking lots. Management Summary Motel Burundi will be operated as a self owned business because. A small staff will be hired as the opening of the motel and they will consist of two security men, three cooks, a barman, two maintenance men and four maids. The remaining task will be seen by the owner of the hotel. The owner will also be the general manager of Motel Burundi and will be responsible for making allmajor decisions related to management of Motel Burundi. Foods and products used by customers in the motel will be supplied by various local and international vendors as the foods and products will vary with the culture of the different targeted customers. Management of Information systems Motel Burundi will have a financial records of all its activities like profits, expenses loses among other costs associated with the running of the motel. This will be made possible through the help of cash registers and computerized reservation systems. Moreover, the use of these tools will provide the management of the motel with constant information regarding sales, cash receipts and inventory of all financial process taking place within the hotel. Financial Plan Motel Burundi will expect its business to grow gradually until it reaches all its targeted financial objectives for the year. The Motel will be growing slowly through profits and at a stable rate as all expenses will be managed by the management, enabling the Motel to make profits even amidst market conditions like low seasons and others. Basic cash projections will be made in accordance with basic assumptions governing revenue collections as revenue factors are known to carry weight when it come to financial projection of cash flow in any business. An example is that when the Motel will be experiencing a stable cash flow of revenues, there will be no need of investing additional capital into the business as the collected will be used in the expansion process after a clear projection of the essential and non-essential elements is completed. Marketing Mix The marketing mix of Motel Burundi will sell the place or location, product and service information to the customers through various channels like personal selling, direct planning, advertising and internet marketing. Product Marketing: Motel Burundi will offer high quality services and products which will be accompanied by an outstanding customer service to reflect the overall brand strategy of the Motel in the region and the country in the long run. Pricing: Motel Burundi pricing strategy will remain constant as it will have differentiation objective of issuing customers value at a reasonable price contrary to other price services like offering discounts to increase sales. Promotion: The basic promotional focus of Motel Burundi will be on mass communication as it the only source capable of reaching a large number of targeted customers in a specified region. The management of the Motel will deploy direct mail campaigns to customers who have already paid a visit at the motel and those who plan on visiting the Motel as it will be an affordable and cost effective way of reaching the audience. Moreover, the Motel will venture in public relation activities to improve its image among the locals. Burundi being a country not politically stable, the Motel will promote the provision of social amenities, services or resources like constructions of public toilets for the citizens to use. This will significantly uplift the image of the Motel to the locals as they will easily identify it with its charitable courses. Controls and Implementation The motel Burundi marketing plan is designed to help the motel and the management key strategic goals they have put in place for increasing profits and expansion. The Motel’s marketing team or management will ensure that all the plans are implemented in the motel to the ladder and with a high level of efficiency and accuracy. The implementation process will ensure that each stage is monitored and as per the actual basis of the marketing plan’s projection. Damage control will be an essential aspect of the Motel Burundi marketing plan, hence it will be accurately implemented during the opening and operation of the motel. When left unmonitored, an example is that the performance of the Motel may be affected negatively by unsatisfied customers who automatically will complain to the weaknesses in the operation process, hence discouraging other prospective customers from visiting the Motel and destroying the Motel’s image in the long run. Conclusion In conclusion, Motel Burundi will build loyal customers through its charitable ventures in the community. It will improve its image both locally and internationally as it will be considered as a sustainable business, hence many customers will pay a visit to the motel as they at the back of their minds, they will know that they are contributing to a course. The quality of services that will be offered by Motel Burundi will also be enough evidence to increase the sales plan of the Motel as most customers love quality for their money. By being offered the best services, customers will select Motel as a destination choice build its image while accruing profits and encouraging plans for further expansion processes. Moreover, the strategies that will be used by Motel Burundi will keep it on top of the competition that will be from other companies or hotels as the strategies will be unique to the competitors hence they will be left behind with their businesses. The project involves the preparation of a marketing plan for Motel, which will be opened in the capital city of Burundi known as Bujumbura. It is more than evident from the marketing displayed above that Motel services has a good potential for introduction in the Burundi hospitality industry. However, the process of creating the Motel into a full functioning organization will not be an easy task and adequate care will be required for the successful implementation of various strategies and projects, especially considering the Motel business will be a new business hence the management who is inexperienced in the hospitality field facing double challenges of making the process a success. In addition, a good feedback mechanism will be essential in allowing the room for enhancements and operations of Motel Burundi. A good feedback mechanism will also contribute to customer satisfaction in the motel hence an increase in the level of revenues collected by the management. Works Cited Schau, Hope Jensen, Albert M. Muñiz Jr, and Eric J. Arnould. "How brand community practices create value." Journal of Marketing 73.5 (2009): 30-51. Barnett, Michael L., John M. Jermier, and Barbara A. Lafferty. "Corporate reputation: The definitional landscape." Corporate Reputation Review 9.1 (2006): 26-38. Green, Paul E., and Donald S. TuU. "RESEARCH FOR MARKETING, 2/E." Journal of Marketing (1970). Rust, Roland T., Katherine N. Lemon, and Valarie A. Zeithaml. "Return on marketing: using customer equity to focus marketing strategy." Journal of marketing 68.1 (2004): 109-127. Read More