Marketing Strategy and Plan Analysis: Kiwi Experience Case Study

This project analyzes the marketing strategy and plan of Kiwi Experience, a backpacking tour operator in New Zealand. It examines consumer behavior, the buyer's decision process, and how expectations influence customer satisfaction. The project explores the total product concept, considering both...Read More

Running head: MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLAN
MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLAN
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1MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLAN
Task 1: Using the Kiwi Experience product demonstrate your understanding of the first-
time zone and the steps a consumer may take when selecting [or not selecting] this product.
Ensure you also discuss how expectations influence customer satisfaction.
The first time zone of the buyer’s decisions process is purchase behavior. During this
time zone the consumers search for the product information that will satisfy the demand and
meet the needs and requirements of the consumers. They estimate the value of the product and
upon determining the value of the product, they consider the product and select it having
perceived that it would be the best product to satisfy their needs and demand. The most
important considerations of the consumers are their needs and the situational factor of the
consumer. The purchase considerations are primarily based on the motivation to travel and
categorized by lifestyle instead of age bracket (Fanning, 2019). Kiwi experience responds to the
customer needs and motivates them through their product offerings and their product
augmentation. To motivate the consumer to act on the product, the need for the product has to be
sufficient (Purdie, 2013). The layers pof travel motivation includes the stimulation needs, kiwi
experience entrench a stronger emotion as it connects culture. The socisl needs of the customers,
it offered shared bus hop on/ hop off experience. It offers self esteem needs through self
development through culture, nature and other activities. Customers search for happiness.
Further the customers engage in cost benefit analysis. They evaluate the quality of the product,
upon which they evaluate their purchase decision (Hall and Williams, 2013). The purchase of
the product is dependent upon the perceptions of the consumer about the product. At that time
product expectations are formed and based on the expectations, benchmark for the customer

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satisfaction is evaluated during the purchase decision. Therefore, product expectations influence
customer satisfaction.
Task 2: Given this statement, holistically, demonstrate your understanding of the total
product relevant to the example
Kiwi experience offers its product linked to the outside product factors including new
destination, what is constitutes and what are the experiences. The customers of Kiwi Experience
are price sensitive and this segment of considers valuable experience rather than augmented
luxuries. This is the expectation of the customers of kiwi experience (Fanning, 2019). Therefore,
to meet the consumer demands, kiwi experience keeps operating its costs to a minimum. To meet
the demands, have one driver/guide per bus. The drivers are chosen by their driving skills and
outgoing personalities. It is understood that some of their value proposition comes from social
value aspect and they promote it as the customer become a co product of the product offered.
This is evident as they have mentioned in their website “travel alongside likeminded people”
(Fanning, 2019). . Further, the training process is rigorous. During the training procedure, an
experienced DG is assigned (Fanning, 2019). They induct a month long training program. Hence
kiwi experience promises its consumer to have a trip of a lifetime. The DGs are vital part of the
product, it challenges the backpackers to move out of their comfort zone and have fun and
interact with the likeminded consumers. The DGs represent the entire organization; they find out
the dissatisfied passengers and undertake appropriate recovery strategies. They highly believe
that interaction between the staff and the customers are important for the customers overall
evaluation of satisfaction. It organizes internal marketing and ensure that the organization adapt

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to customer centric philosophy (Purdie, 2013). They provide 3 product layers what must be
considered by a marketing manager that is the core product, the expected product and the
potential product. Kiwi’s core product is the service it offers. The expectations of the customers
are high; kiwi meets the expectation by reaching on time, offering good service at a competitive
price. This leads to customer satisfaction (Fanning, 2019).
Task 3: Identify the most important [relevant] product considerations [6] and then discuss
the implications, from the perspective of a marketing practitioner, each selected product
consideration.
The marketing manager considered product positioning, as it is a perceptual attribute a
consumer considered while making a purchase. Product desirability is often considers by the
marketing manager to relate the amount of satisfaction sought by the consumers. the marketing
manage relates the importance of consumer acceptance factors on the product and balancing it in
such as way that it is most effective in the market and maintains a competitive advantage of the
organization (Hall and Williams, 2013). The marketing manager of the organization envisages a
return on the product commensuration the operational cost of the product or service. The
production or the operational cost is considered by the marketing managers while forecasting the
market for the product. It includes the factors such as time and effort of the organization and the
requirements for offering the service to the customers. The complementary products and services
are also considered by the manager. The similar services in the market are analyzed by the
marketing manager. They also consider the effects of the service or product on existing product
or service as the new product fills out the line of products. Introducing cheap service to widen

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the market might lead to depression later. Hence this is considered important by the marketing
fractioned (Fanning, 2019).
Task 4: Identify the product components within the Kiwi Experience product; rank them
by importance; justify your decisions.
The 6 components that constitute product offerings include:
Service: service is one of the most important components. The drivers of the kiwi experience
make the trips or break it (Fanning, 2019). The drivers are selected based on their experience and
passion for adventure. Their enthusiasm, knowledge and skills are also considered. The drivers
represent the organization.
Experience: it is composed of the opportunity to adventure, sightseeing and interaction with the
likeminded people (Fanning, 2019). Hence, experience is the second most important component.
The driver is the key success factor of the organization. The customers seek adventure,
sightseeing, meeting new people and gathering experience.
Ideas: The idea is to help the customers experience the unique value proposition of the product.
Hence, idea is the third most important factor. They communicate the idea in the market in a
most efficient manner. They position themselves as the market leader and offer the best service.
People: Kiwi experience has budget accommodation, emphasizes on meeting new people,
focuses on independent and seeks adventure lovers (Fanning, 2019). People are crucial for Kiwi
experience. Sharing the experience with likeminded people is the best part of their product.

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Place: The place is New Zealand, the country attracts major tourists. It provides ample of
opportunity to visit the attractions of New Zealand (Fanning, 2019). The tourists seek holidays in
countries with limited time horizons.
Goods: Kiwi experience offers reliable and assurance of service. It highly differs with the quality
of manufacturing goods. The product offerings of kiwi experience are entrenched in experiences
and quality of service is provided to attain customer satisfaction (Hall and Williams, 2013).
References
Fanning, S. (2019). activity KE | The Marketing Concept. [online] Themarketingconcept.com.
Available at: https://www.themarketingconcept.com/activity-ke/ [Accessed 18 Apr.
2019].
Hall, C.M. and Williams, A.M. eds., 2013. Tourism and migration: New relationships between
production and consumption (Vol. 65). Springer Science & Business Media.
Home | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/
Kiwi Experience | New Zealand Hop-on Hop-off Bus Passes. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.kiwiexperience.com/
McDonald, C., 2012. Kiwi drivers the New Zealand dollar experience (No. AN2012/02).
Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

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Purdie, H., 2013. Glacier retreat and tourism: Insights from New Zealand. Mountain Research
and Development, 33(4), pp.463-473.