HND Unit 4 Research Project: E-marketing and Customer Satisfaction

This research project assesses the impact of e-marketing on customer satisfaction within tour organizations, specifically focusing on Thomas Cook in the UK. The study evaluates the use of e-marketing in the UK tour industry, analyzes its role in organizations like Thomas Cook, and determines its importance in raising consumer satisfaction levels. The methodology includes an interpretivist research philosophy with an inductive approach, employing a descriptive research design and a survey method for data collection using a simple random sampling method. The research utilizes thematic analysis to analyze primary data collected. Key findings reveal that customers frequently use tour organizations, with e-marketing significantly influencing their purchasing decisions. E-marketing tools, including social media and direct email, create a major impact on users when purchasing tour products. The report concludes that e-marketing is a highly effective technique, providing adequate information, saving time and money, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Recommendations include that Thomas Cook should continue utilizing and expanding its e-marketing strategies, focusing on social media and direct email, to improve customer satisfaction and achieve its business goals.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Aims and Objectives
Aim:
 "To assess the impact of E- marketing on the satisfaction level of customers in
tour organisations- A study on Thomas Cook"
Objectives:
 To evaluate the use of E- marketing in tour industry of UK.
 To analyse the role of E-marketing in tour organisations like Thomas Cook.
 To assess the importance of E- marketing in raising the satisfaction level of the
consumers.
 To recommend ways in which Thomas Cook can make an effective use of E-
marketing for enhancing the satisfaction level of its customers to a great extent.

Literature Review
Role of E-marketing in tour organisations
Internet marketing also termed as E- marketing where it
is known to have distinct roles and characteristics, with
a special context of tour based organisations in UK in
accordance to the bestowed views of Kropinova,
Zaitseva and Moroz (2015). This is specially for being
an information intensive sector where internet is
referred to be the most efficient mean for exchanging
information at a global level. It is where the tourism
industry is stated to be a very data concentrated sector
where the collected set of information represents the
strength of the establishment where they are also known
to hold distinct producers within the industry. This
involve the tour operators, attractions, cruise lines,
airlines, travel agencies, other suppliers and car rentals,
etc. It in turn results in a prime requirement of
generating, collecting, processing, applying and
communicating such extensive data on regular basis as a
way of handling their daily operations.
Importance of E- marketing in raising the satisfaction level
of the consumers
According to Christie and et.al., (2014) the main reason
behind the success of tourism companies that they are
adopting E-marketing strategies. They carefully analyse
and observe how people interact with surrounding
environment while they travel. These things help them to
recognize the need of a customer. The increasing fight in
the global tourism market promote tourism operators to
invest more in promotion, resources, knowledge and
quality in order to achieve satisfactory development
(Marcoz, Melewar and Dennis, 2016). Therefore, it is
very important to be in touch with the latest
technological trends and have the knowledge required to
effectively respond to the challenges of global contest.
Internet technology provides high-quality and efficient
operations in all economic sectors, including the tourism
industry. The following material study the main features
of the Net, in comparing with conventional media and
with relevance to marketing, as an impressive and
economic communications' means.

Research Methodology
 Research philosophy: Interpretivism
philosophy
 Research approach: Inductive
approach
 Research Design: Descriptive
design
 Data collection: Primary data
(Survey method)
 Data sampling: Simple random
sampling method
 Data analysis: Thematic analysis
tool
Activities of research project Time period
Choosing problem statement 1
Framing aim and objectives 2
Reviewing views of several
literatures
3-4 week
Selecting the research methods 5th week
Conducting survey to gather
primary data (Smith, 2015)
6th week
Preparing questionnaire 7-8th week
Arranging data in proper structure 9th week
Analysing information 9th week
Discussion and conclusion 10th week
Final submission 10th week

Primary results
Theme 1: Customers travel by taking help of
tour organisations of UK on half yearly basis.
Theme 2: E-marketing is one of the best
effective marketing strategy which
influence purchasing decisions of
customers.
Theme 3: E-marketing tools create
major impact on users towards
purchasing tour products of Thomas
Cook.

CONTD…
Theme 4: Customers aware about the E-
marketing used by tour companies of UK.
Theme 5: E-marketing helps consumers
in making purchasing decisions of tour
packages of Thomas Cook.
Theme 6: Customers highly agree
that E-marketing provides each and
every detail about tour products
properly.

CONTD…
Theme 7: E-marketing helps to users for
booking online tickets of tour packages
of Thomas Cook.
Theme 8: Consumers highly agree that
E-marketing saves their time for booking
tour packages in Thomas Cook.

Conclusion
 From the above study it can be analysed that, E-marketing is one of the highly
effective technique which creates positive impact on purchasing decisions of the
customers.
 Once they start to buy tour products from Thomas Cook then ultimately it can meet
its goals and objectives.
 E-marketing consists of wide range of tools like social media, direct e-mail, mobile
marketing etc. which has major role to influence purchasing capacity of users.
 In addition to this, E-marketing is highly significant for Thomas Cook where it able
to provide very information in adequate manner.

CONTD…
 Further, using this they can book their tickets online where customers not have to
visit physically up to the office. It saves money and time both things of people
which enhance their existing satisfaction level.
 E-marketing plays a major and pivotal role within Thomas Cook where it delivers
adequate information about products and services to the customers.
 Through E-marketing, customers are easily able to get knowledge about new or
upcoming tour packages.

Recommendations
 Thomas Cook should continue with the E-marketing strategies
 It needs to use each and every kind of techniques involved in
E-marketing which are like social media, mobile application,
direct e-mail etc.
 Further, the company requires focusing on social media
marketing as well as direct e-mail rather than mobile
application.