Expedia Internet Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example

Chairman Barry Diller controls about 60% of the company." This paper serves as a complete marketing plan for the Internet traveling company Expedia. The information contained in this report is designed to help an individual gain a thorough understanding of the company's current standing and situation, as well as to gain a good idea of their opportunities and threats for the future. In addition, internal components to the company are discussed. The purpose of this paper is to include and/or explain a variety of components related to Expedia.

It includes an executive summary, the company's overall business objectives, the company's specific marketing objectives, Expedia's business situation and SWOT Analysis, the internal situation at the company, the company's performance analysis, data on programs of a similar nature if available, resource availability and allocation, the company's external situation, the market(s) the company operates in, the company's competitors, the technological infrastructure of the company, the value chain associated with the company, a summary of strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats, marketing problems and opportunities, identification of target market(s)/market segments, marketing action plans, products and/or services offered by the company, price, integrated marketing communications-online and offline, customer acquisition and retention plans as appropriate based on objectives, distribution and fulfillment, quality and customer service, technological infrastructure and data requirements, testing plans if appropriate, the plan for testing critical marketing or program variables, the plan for usability testing of their website, evaluation techniques, their budget, and an implementation timetable.

Overall Business Objectives Expedia.com lists their business objectives as follows:Expedia delivers consumers everything they need for researching, planning, and purchasing a whole trip. The company provides direct access to one of the broadest selections of travel products and services through its North American Web site, localized versions throughout Europe, and extensive partnerships in Asia. Serving many different consumer segments - from families booking a summer vacation to individuals arranging a quick weekend getaway, Expedia provides travelers with the ability to research, plan, and book their comprehensive travel needs.

Expedia-branded Web sites feature airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rental, cruises, and many other in-destination services from a broad selection of partners.(Expedia.com, 2008, pg. 1)Specific Marketing Objectives Expedia sets their marketing objectives under a strategy formulation in their annual report. They claim, "Our objective is to create long term shareholder value by creating a business that delivers significant value to customers and to suppliers with each travel purchase, and has sustainable sources of competitive differentiation" (EDGAR Online, 2008, pg. 1). Their strategy involves several key elements (EDGAR Online, 2008).

The first key element that they include in their formal marketing strategy is to make their customer base larger. They plan to do this by continuing to increase awareness of their company and what it has to offer. "We believe that this increased awareness will cause increased numbers of consumers to visit our websites. Our current