The Business of Leisure 2009 Marketing and Promotion

in Leisure and Tourism

Marketing and Promotionin Leisure & Tourism

• What is Marketing?“The development of goods and

services that meet customers’ ever changing needs.”

• For discussion today:Marketing Research

Target MarketingThe Marketing Mix

Marketing and Promotionin Leisure & Tourism

• Ensuring a sufficient number of guests visit and ideally stay over

• Developing and communicating the product in line with our brand vision.

• Ensuring that guests are aware of our total resort offering;At the right time Using the appropriate medium Key messages

The Alton Towers Resort

Market Research

• Market Research is a process that helps us to identify who our customers are and what their needs are.

• This allows us to understand ways to target these audience types and allows us to identify ways in which we can provide new or improved products and services

• It also allows us to identify patterns in the ‘type’ of guests that visit Alton Towers Resort and whether they are likely to visit again in the future

– This is known as “Intention to Visit”

Market Research

• Types of Research– Database– PDA– CSQ– Touch Screens

• We target every car in the car park with a feedback questionnaire.– This amounts to

approximately 1 in 4 guests, or around 500k guests per year – the response rate is around 10%

Market Research

• Results from our 2008 research revealed:

• 28% of guests staying away from home overnight stayed at one of the two Alton Towers Resort Hotels

• 96% of guests were already aware of the Alton Towers Resort Hotels before their arrival at the Park

• 93% of guests would recommend Alton Towers Resort to friend

Target Marketing

• Target Marketing is the development and promotion of products & services that appeal to a specific market segment.

• We target people on both their demographic and their attitudes

– Age– Gender– Social group– Ethnicity– Lifestyle– Propensity to visit a theme park

Marketing Mix

• The simple marketing mix is made up of the 4 P’s

Product

Price

Promotion

Place

The Marketing Mix• The marketing mix at Alton Towers Resort:

Product:Britain’s number one short break destination

Price:Competitively priced for the available product, offering value for

money options to suit all audience types

Promotion:Communications mix including TV, radio, digital and press to

maximise awareness and entice people to visit

Place:A unique, accessible environment

The Marketing Mix: Product

• The product covers both goods and services that we offer• Goods • – something that you can use or consume e.g. food and

drink, photography, merchandise• Services • – something that someone does for you e.g. the ride

experience

A brand name sets goods/services apart from other products

Alton Towers ResortSharkbait Reef by SEA LIFEOblivionSW6 ???

The Marketing Mix: Price

• Alton Towers Resort ensures that it is competitively priced and offers many value for money options to appeal across its target markets

• On occasion, we are able to drive guests to visit the resort at quieter times of the year through price incentives and special offers.

• Ticket types include:– Adult– Child– Under 4’s– Senior Citizens– Disabled– Family 4; Family 5– Groups of 10+– Annual Pass

The Marketing Mix: Promotion

• Alton Towers Resort works with specialist agencies in order to develop a suitable campaign strategy

• Promotional techniques are ways that an organisation communicates its product and services to drive awareness and promote trial

• ADVERTISING METHODS

• TV, Radio, Press, Digital, Cinema, Outdoor

• Direct marketing – Door drop, E-shots, Schools, Parent & Toddlers

• Public relations• Personal selling

2009 Resort Advert

2009 Resort Thrill seeker radio advert

The Marketing Mix: Promotion

• Sponsorship • Although Alton Towers does

not use sponsorship as a promotional tool, other companies approach us to sponsor our rides. Sponsorship can be used to:

• Create a corporate identity• Improve a corporate image• Launch a new product• Enhance effectiveness of A&P• Create merchandising

opportunities

The Marketing Mix: Promotion

• Sales Promotions– Promotion techniques can be defined as:– Immediate: where the reward is given to the

customer at the time of purchase e.g. discount coupon

– Delayed: where the reward requires further action on the consumer’s behalf e.g. collect vouchers

– Alton Towers Resort uses two forms of promotion

– Solus: builds brand awareness/association– Multi-brand: heavyweight coverage to drive

volume through greater offering

The Marketing Mix: Promotion

• AIDA helps ensure that promotional materiel grabs the attention of the customer

A Attention (gets the attention of the customer)

I Interest (keeps the interest of the customer)

D Desire (creates a desire to want to do something)

A Action (drives the customer to action)

The Marketing Mix: Place

• A unique, fantastical resort offering for people of all ages

• Guests can reach Alton Towers Resort by a range of methods

– Car– Coach– Bus– Train

Conclusion

• Market Research can be conducted in a variety of ways to identify who our guests are and what they want when they are here.

• Target Markets can be split by demographics and attitudes. This helps us to offer relevant goods and services to the appropriate audience through the correct communications mix

• The marketing mix comprises of Product, Price, Promotion and Place. By adapting our marketing mix, guests are more likely to visit and more likely to return in the future.

• Promotion is the communication of a product or service to a customer. A range of promotional techniques are available and a mixture of these elements will make sales of a product greater.

Any Questions?

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