Properly Marketing Goods and Services for Tourism

Queensland Government disclosed that the state has an economy that has tourism as one of its four major pillars. The sector provides 220,000 employment opportunities and generates an annual amount of $17.5 billion dollars in revenue for the state (Queensland Government). The government then initiated a plan to double its income from $15 billion to $30 billion by 2020 (Queensland Government). QLD has been devoting the resources of the state working towards their goal. QLD has also decided to partner with leading companies, and stakeholders and agencies such as Tourism Australia. The government insists on the importance of partnership in achieving the goals set out in the tourism sector.

Marketing Activities

The overall marketing plan is to increase the number of visitors in Queensland (Queensland Government). The government seeks to employ a strategy of ensuring that their products and experiences in specific destinations are desirable to their visitors.
International Marketing Goals and Objectives
The Queensland government aims at increasing the overnight visitor expenditure (Queensland Government). It has focused on three levels to help the government realize this goal which includes more visitors, increased the length of stay and increased spend per night. The government has employed the visitation pull strategy which aims at attracting visitors into Queensland. To implement the plan, the government will identify destinations that deserve marketing support and then focus on marketing the designated goals to target audiences.

International Target Market

The government targets customers from both Australia and other parts of the world. The customers are determined depending on the revenue earned from them in previous years. The revenue has been forecasted to show the prospected revenue earnings. The international target market includes Greater China, Japan, South Korea, India, and the Middle East, Singapore. Malaysia, Indonesia, Other Asia, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and other Europe (Queensland Government).&

Marketing Activities for the Target Market

Brand differentiation is one of the marketing activities (Queensland Government). The government will have to ensure that the destinations are deliverable, desired and differentiated from the competitors to make their targeted customers choose them. Secondly, the government will have to conduct customer segmentation to help them identify the most valuable customers regarding yield and expenditure. The government will also invest in collaborative working with Regional Tourism Organizations (RTO’s) to help in the identification of the destinations to be marketed and gather relevant customer information (Queensland Government).
The government also plans on using the destination-based philosophy that focuses on marketing events in specific destinations to bring more people, encourage them to stay longer and therefore increase their expenditure per night (Queensland Government). The government will also offer packages that aim at engaging their visitors extensively and increase the opportunities and likelihood of visitors choosing Queensland as their preferred destination. The government also aims at using digital technology and social media to increase the speed of development of and visitation to destinations. Finally, the government aims at continuously improving its activities by reducing the number of resources spent on those that bring the least revenue.

Appropriate Marketing Services

Brand Differentiation. Brand differentiation is one of the most suitable marketing services for Queensland government. Brand differentiation aims at ensuring that Queensland government gets a competitive edge against rivalry in the industry which will then increase the number of visitors and hence the expenditure earned (Goodall and Ashworth 75). The government has used a three criteria model that focuses on the deliverable, desired and differentiating.
A differentiated position will ensure that the destinations in Queensland maximize the visitor expenditure by focusing offering hero experiences in these destinations (Kozak and Andreu 52). The differentiation will also set priorities for marketing activities that help to provide a focal point for collaboration with relevant destinations and partners. Desirability will ensure that most visitors prefer Queensland due to the experiences gained and as such drive strong market campaigns for the destinations in this state (Minazzi). The partners of the government will work collaboratively to ensure that the brands in Queensland deliver the brands to their customers.
Destination Based Philosophy. The marketing plan will focus on the target based philosophy that aims at ensuring efficient, coordinated and collaborative competition among the destinations in Queensland (Queensland Government). Although individual destinations will be the focus of marketing, this marketing philosophy aims at maximizing visitor expenditure in the region by promoting competition between the destinations therein. The collaborative competition helps various destinations to improve their services consistently, and this increases the visitation pull to different destinations. Moreover, the competition will lead to an increased value of the services offered which then leads to an increase in the number of visitors and length of stay.

Documentation of the Selected Marketing Activities

The costs incurred by both brand differentiation and destination based marketing activities will relate to the training of the employees, advertising and adoption of efficient technology (Kotler, Bowen and Makens 86). The destinations may also offer discounts, packages, and exciting offers to encourage more visitors to the country. The government must allow funding the destinations to facilitate efficiency in these offerings. Customers often prefer services that stand out from the typical experiences offered by other destinations (Goodall and Ashworth 57). As such, differentiation and the destination based philosophy increases the chance that customers will choose Queensland which gives them an upper hand in competition and meets the objective of attracting more customers.
The marketing activities also meet the legal requirements in Queensland as it focuses on collaboration amongst competitors. The government of Queensland discourages consumer exploitation and unfair competition such as the creation of cartels for businesses to meet their objectives (Hall, Timothy and Duval 63). The marketing activities also preserve the culture of Queensland which focuses on partnerships and competition. The activities are viable because they require little amounts of costs. Moreover, they have a high rate of return on the investment of the government.

Implementing International Marketing Activities

Brand differentiation and the destination based philosophy are the highly prioritized marketing activities as they help in creating a visitation pull (Queensland Government). The two marketing activities help the government to generate as much visitor expenditure as possible by beginning with areas where the pull is strongest. As such, the government can acquire resources that are also used in developing the destinations that do not have a strong visitation pull. The two strategies also foster the other marketing activities. For instance, brand differentiation gives the need for customer segmentation as it helps the government identify its target customers, their needs and therefore come up with solutions to help in achieving the expectations. Destination based philosophy also gives an avenue for advertising such as the use of digital based technology which helps the government to reach out to their target customers concerning the destinations in the state (McCabe 102).

Required Resources

The Queensland government needs money (Fyall 120). As it allocates its budget, it needs to set apart some funds to help in the achievement of the vision 2020 tourism strategy. The financial resources will be used in differentiating the services offered by the destinations in this country to those of competitors. As such, the destinations will need to invest in high-end products to meet the anticipated expectations by their customers. The money will also be used in financing partnerships with various RTO’s, training the employees and even advertising the differentiated destinations to target customers (Queensland Government). Moreover, the government will have to finance the offers, packages and discounts offered which aim at attracting more clients into the destination.
Human resource is crucial in ensuring that the government achieves its objectives (Kozak and Andreu 36). The employees are the part of this strategy that will mainly interact with the customers. As such, they will portray not only the image of their destinations but also that of the government. Therefore, there is the need for continuous training to ensure that the growth needs of the employees are met which will help them serve the customers more efficiently. The government also needs to invest in incentives such as commissions on positive customer feedback, increase in salaries and reduced over time to increase employee motivation. These incentives ensure employee satisfaction, and hence customers are served well which enhances the strength of the visitation pull.
The government must also understand that time is a required resource for the implementation of this strategy (Lewis 28). The marketing strategies will take the time to reach the customers. The customers may also take some time to respond to the visitation pull depending on factors such as availability of disposable income, prevailing weather conditions and political stability in the state. Moreover, the government needs to invest time in ensuring that the RTO’s and the management in various strategies are open to this approach and therefore integrate it in their business objectives.
Requirements to Implement the Marketing Activities
Legal Requirements. In the brand differentiation and destination based philosophy strategies, the government must ensure that it abides by all the legal needs of the state (McCabe 52). First, there must be fair competition between the destinations identified by the government in its strategy and those that are run by private investors. The destinations must oblige to similar tax laws and tariffs. The content used in marketing also need to abide by the legislation of Queensland.
Ethical Considerations. The government must ensure fair treatment of all stakeholders to avoid exploitation. The employees must receive the right treatment regarding salaries, working hours and insurance policy covers (Goodall and Ashworth 85). The investors must receive their fair pay off dividends promptly and all the suppliers must be treated fairly. Supply of products and services must be chosen in a competitive bidding style and they also need to be paid in a timely way. The government must also be transparent and ensure accountability of the resources allocated to them (Fyall 126). As such, they must provide their books of accounts to the scrutiny of the public to ensure that government funds are used to meet its objectives. There is also the need to take part in corporate social responsibility activities that are funded by the profit made from the tourism sector. For instance, the government can engage in environmental protection activities.
Cultural Requirements. Queensland has been described as one of the most conservative states in Australia. Although the culture has been changing over the years as seen with the passing of a bill that supports same-sex civil unions in 2011, the people still have a high degree of conservativeness towards social and racial issues (Lewis). Therefore, the government must be sensitive to the cultural needs of the country (BSBMKG416). For instance, the government should ensure that the content used in marketing is regulated. The government should also focus on collaboration and partnerships in the marketing activities to preserve the culture of Queensland. Moreover, the marketing activities should include the cultural heritage of their state to ensure that the target customers are familiar with the lifestyle of Queensland to avoid culture shocks that may lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Safety Requirements. The government should ensure political stability and tolerance to avoid disrupting the marketing activities of the tourism sector (Goodall and Ashworth 58). Moreover, the marketing activities should majorly concentrate on target customers who are not from countries that are a threat to the security of Queensland. For instance, countries that have high political policy intolerance or a high prevalence of terrorist groups may disrupt the safety of both the visitors in Queensland and the citizens therein.

People Involved

The government will be majorly involved in the marketing activities (Queensland Government). The government will act as an overseer to ensure that the target of increasing the visitor expenditure is met. As such, they will provide the guidelines to various destinations on the standards of quality that they should meet, the factors to consider in their brand improvement, the guidelines to collaborative competition and also provide the necessary resources. The government will also ensure that involved destinations understand the importance of the marketing plan to them and the entire state. Moreover, various destinations will be answerable to the government and provide accountability details on the use of resources.
The management of different destinations will also be involved in the marketing plan (Queensland Government). The management will act as an intermediary between the government and the employees to ensure that the objectives of the marketing plan are understood, integrated into their corporate goals and implemented. The management also consults with the government and provides all the relevance information to ensure that the plan is implemented efficiently. The management also inspires and motivates the employees to ensure that they work effectively under minimal supervision which promotes the efficient use of government resources.

An Activity Brief

An event aimed at creating awareness on the potential of the marketing industry would be an appropriate activity brief in these marketing activities. The management and the government representatives ought to understand the potential of the tourism sector in generating visitor expenditure. When they understand the potential and its importance in promoting the growth of the economy in Queensland, they are likely to be more effective in their marketing activities. The awareness campaign will also help the people involved to identify with the plan and therefore feel the need for personal contribution. Moreover, it will provide a platform for clarification on any issues and open up a means for providing feedback on the progress of the marketing activities.

An Action Plan for Implementation

The first step of the action plan is for the management to various destinations to communicate with their staff (Fyall 39). The employees ought to understand the need for brand differentiation and destination based philosophy and align them to relevant personal and departmental objectives. They will, therefore, set goals that are achievable and ambitious. The evaluation of progress efforts is also established to measure performance and compare it with set targets.
The second step is to monitor the progress of the marketing activities (Kozak and Andreu 72). The government will monitor the performance of various destinations on issues such as a number of visitors in a particular month, appropriate use of resources, customer feedback, the length of stay for customers and approximate spend per night. The management will, in turn, monitor the performance of their staff on matters such as customer satisfaction, positive customer feedback and a number of visitors. Thirdly, when results do not match targets, a corrective action plan will be developed and implemented (Fyall 54).

Survey to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Marketing Activities

A survey will be conducted one year after the marketing activities have been implemented. The survey will seek to identify the opinion of different stakeholders in some of the destinations. The destinations will be chosen randomly to eliminate the chance of biases. The survey will conduct interviews to identify the opinion of the customers towards the marketing activities and services offered. The opinion of the staff will also be identified to determine their level of satisfaction and perception towards the marketing. Finally, the survey will seek to understand the number of visitors during the year, their length of stay and increased spend per night. As such, the survey will determine the effectiveness of the marketing activities and come up with a corrective action plan or a contingency plan if a need is identified.

Monitoring and Reviewing Market Performance

Progress against Targets

Brand differentiation and destination based philosophy which are the primary marketing activities are likely to increase the number of visitors who prefer destinations in Queensland as opposed to other destinations offered by competitors (BSBMKG416). The marketing activities also lead to an increase in the length of stay by the visitors and hence their spend per night. The improved service will also make Queensland a market leader in the tourism industry (BSBMKG416). The quality of the service led to a positive customer feedback that attracted more clients from the target population.

Record of Over-Performance

The continuous increment in the number of visitors to various destinations, their extended length of stay and hence their spend will are trends that indicate a high likelihood for over performance of the marketing plan. The government is highly likely to develop a very strong brand that surpasses the service offered by competitors and therefore develop a strong visitation pull. The government of Queensland should further the brand differentiation strategy to include branded web sites for the destinations in the land. They should also include brand sponsorships where various destinations feature consumer opinions and recommendations. These marketing activities foster the current marketing activities, and as such it will continuously increase the number of customers from the target population.

Potential Business Opportunity

The tourism industry in Queensland should focus on attracting business events into their destinations (Fyall 98). Business events will also attract a wide range of customers from their target population. Moreover, the visitors who go to Queensland on business events are also likely to go back to the state on leisure and vocational travels. As such, the marketing plan should focus on marketing activities that target corporations, agencies and non-profit organizations who hold business events abroad.
 
Works Cited

BSBMKG416. "Market Goods and Services Internationally." n.d. Web. 2017.
Fyall, Alan. Contemporary Cases in Tourism. Volume 1. Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers, 2011. Web.
Goodall, Brian, and Gregory Ashworth. Marketing in the Tourism Industry: The Promotion of Destination Regions. London: Groom Helm Publications, 2014. Web.
Hall, Colin Michael, Dallen J Timothy, and David Timothy Duval. Safety and Security in Tourism: Relationships, Management and Marketing. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press, 2013. Web.
Kotler, Philip, John T Bowen and James C Makens. Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism. New York: Harlow Pearson Publishers, 2017. Web.
Kozak, Metin, and Luisa Andreu. Progress in Tourism Marketing. Burlington: Elsevier Publications, 2006. Web.
Lewis, Martin. The Culture of Queensland and the Desire to Divide the State. 22 March 2012. Web. 11 August 2017.
McCabe, Scott. Marketing Communications in Tourism and Hospitality: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases. New York: Routledge Publishers, 2012. Web.
Minazzi, Roberta. Social Media Marketing in Tourism and Hospitality. Cham: Springer Publishers, 2015. Web.
Queensland Government. 2020 Strategic Marketing Plan: Tourism and Events in Queensland. 2012. Web. 11 August 2017.