Marketing Analysis and Strategic Planning: Lough Gur Heritage Centre

This report provides a comprehensive marketing analysis and strategic plan for the Lough Gur Heritage Centre in Ireland. It begins with an environmental analysis using IPEST, assessing international, political, economic, social, and technological factors influencing the center. A SWOT analysis identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, followed by a TOWS matrix to develop strategic options. Porter's Five Forces framework evaluates the competitive landscape, while Internal and External Factor Evaluation matrices assess internal capabilities and external factors. The analysis reveals challenges such as low visitor numbers and competition from digital resources. The report recommends differentiation strategies focusing on innovation, diversification, and targeted marketing, including primary school programs and tour packages. The report concludes with strategic options that focus on enhancing brand image, promoting the culture, and increasing awareness to attract visitors, and support of government. This report aims to provide insights and practical recommendations to enhance the center's marketing efforts and achieve its goals.

Business Strategy and Planning

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Environmental Analysis
Environmental Analysis is strategic process in which the external factors have been
identified, which directly indirectly affects the organisation. Environment analysis of the
company helps to identify the strength, weaknesses, threat and opportunity for the company.
The evaluation of these analyses is used by the company in decision making process. There
are many strategic analysis tools that are used by the companies to analyse the external
factors such as PESTLE Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces Framework and
many others.
IPEST
IPEST Analysis
International –
Diversity
Encouragement
Positive factor (Rastogi, and Trivedi, 2016).
Political-
Support the Campaigns
No regulation regarding the Non-profit
organisation
Economic-
Strong financial
Increasing GDP
Inflation is increases
Social –
Attractive landscape in Ireland
Incentive preserve
Economic benefit for the creation
High purchasing power of consumer
Increasing Unemployment rate

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Technology-
Positive factor
High Technology
High investment
International-
The employees of the company came from the different place across the Ireland. Diversity is
a factor which has positive impact on the centre due to different thoughts of people which
helps to learn more about the history of the other culture (Murphy Marketing, 2015).
Political-
It has been seen that the government of the country support the political campaigns and the
other campaigns. High interference of the government in the organisation due to non-profit
organisation (Knoke, 2018).
Economic-
It has been analysed that the economic condition of the Ireland is not good. It is expected that
the GDP of the country will grow with the rate of 5-6 per cent. Inflation is also increasing in
the Ireland which is reached by 1 per cent or by 1.30 in 2019. The commission of the
company is also estimated in the euro zone which is also growing by 2.1 per cent this year
(Taylor, 2018).
Social

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The social welfare of the Ireland is divided into three types of payments such as social
insurance payments, Universal Payments and means-tested payments. The government
provides the facilities to those who contribute in the growth of the economy. As the inflation
increasing, the purchasing power of consumer is decreases. The many of the people go there
to visit the place in the vacations. It is also observed that the unemployment rate is also
increasing in the country and which is also considered as the main factor which affects the
company (Citizens information, 2018).
Technology
It has been evaluated that technology is the positive factor for the company because the
Ireland uses the advance technology. It is also observed that the centre can easily do their
work by using the advance technology. Technology is the main business of the Ireland and it
also the investment rate of technology is more with the amount of €274 million (Dodgson,
2018).
SWOT
Strength
It has been seen that asset is the main strength of the centre which increase the high brand
image. The main strength of the centre is its digitalised screens and the advance technology
which is used by the centre to represent their information in the exhibition related to the
history. Exhibition is also a strength for the company due to the large number of visitor
attract towards it services. Lough Gur promotes the heritage centre in order to provide the
knowledge of history to the students. The centre has full support by the Lough Gur Company
and the other companies (Doz, 2017).
Weaknesses

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The weakness of the centre is less awareness of the people and the visitors towards the
services of the centre. If the number of visitor is less than the sources of income is decreases
due to which the Lough Gur heritage centre faces the heavy loss (Huang, & Sarigöllü, 2014).
Lack of skilled personnel is the other weakness of the company which reflected that the
employees of the company have lack skilled in digital as per the requirement. It also totally
depends on the machines and not using their and these are not good sign for the company in
future.
Opportunity
It has been seen that the heritage centre of Lough Gur has the opportunity to expand the
business by developing the packages for visitors. The company can also promote the services
through advertisement tool. Advertisement tool helps the company to achieve its mission that
is to promote the history. As the centre provide the whole information regarding the history
of their culture and country in order to promote the culture in other countries (Lough Gur,
2019).
Threat
External factors of the company is affected the demand of the customer as well as the society.
Unemployment rate of the country is increases which affects the growth of the company.
Political factor is also a threat for the company because it is a non-profit organisation so that
the decision of the government directly affects the company. Smart classes and the others are
the competitors for the centre which reduce the demand of the customer. Substitutes are the
threat for the company which replace the services of the centre. As the company is a non-
profit organisation that is why it organise the exhibition in the low cost due to which
sometimes it face the heavy loss (Mind Tools, 2018).

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TOWS
SWOT

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Threat
External factors
Competitors
Heavy loss
Opportunity
Developing the packages
Promote the culture
Weaknesses
Relies on visitors
Heavy loss
Digital technology
Strength
high brand value
advance technology
Exhibition
TWOS Weaknesses
1. Awareness
2. Lack of skilled
personnel
Strength
1. High brand image
2. Exhibition
Threat
1. Competitors
2. External factors
(Social and Political
Factor)
WT
1. To increase the
awareness with the
help of advertisement
tool which will also
give a threat to the
competitor
2. It adopts the
employees in the
company as per the
requirement which
ST
1. High brand image
will help in attracting
the visitors through
different promotional
activities such as
discounting. This will
also help in giving
competition to the
rivals.

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reduce the
unemployment rate
(Enterslice, 2018)
2. The exhibition is
focus towards the
increasing awareness
of the heritage which
will also get the
attention and support
of government.
Opportunity
1. Developing the
packages
2. Promote the culture
WO
1. By providing the
different types of
packages at the
discounted rate will
support in increasing
the awareness of the
site.
2. Promoting the culture
will support in
attracting the socialist
personnel.
SO
1. High brand image and
developed packages of the
company will support in
attaining the vision of the
business that is to promote
the history and archaeology
of the surrounding areas.
2. The company will promote
different cultures of the local
area with the help of different
exhibitions.
Porters Five Forces Framework
The threat of new entrants
It has been seen that the centre has lower level of threat of new entrants. As the company is
non-profit organisation due to which the risk of new entrants is low because it is difficult for

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the new entrants to take the permission from the government for the license of the
organisation. The government does not provide the license to the every organisation to enter
the market. Decreasing the threat of new entrants reduce the risk of competitors with the
same industry. Non-profit organisation also requires the high cost and the support of
government which reflects that it is difficult for new companies to enter the market (Ethiraj,
Gambardella, and Helfat, 2018).
Bargaining power of Consumer
Bargaining power of consumer is low due to increasing number of companies who promote
the culture in the society. Visitors are the consumers of the company which encourage
consumer the services in the low cost and that is why, they neither did not require bargaining
for the services. The company provide the low cost of services to the consumer in order to
promote the history and archaeology of the surrounding areas (Morden, 2016).
Bargaining power of Supplier
The bargaining power of suppliers is moderate because it is a government organisation in
which the agents are the main suppliers. The suppliers of the company contain the high fees
from the government that is why they cannot bargain for the prices. It has been seen that there
are less number of agents in the market which is also a reason of low bargaining power of
suppliers (Wheelen, Hunger, Hoffman, and Bamford, 2017).
The threat of Competitors
It has been analysed that the threat of competitors is moderate because there are many digital
companies provide the services to the consumers. But it is founded that there is no other non-
profit organisations can beat the competitors in the competition. The digital classes are the

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main competitors of the company but they are profitable organisations. Thus, it can be said
that the companies have moderate level of threat.
The threat of Substitute
Substitute refers the thing which can replace the other items and provide the same level of
satisfaction to the consumer. It is observed that the threat of substitute is high because there
are many other companies who provide the information to the consumers related to the
history with the different way. Oral presentation or written papers who promote the history
are the substitute of the company.
Table of Porter’s Five Forces Frameworks
New Entrants
High Threat
Permission from the government
High Capital
Bargaining power of supplier
Moderate
less number of agents
Already have high fees
Bargaining power of Customer
Low
Low cost of services
Less number of organisations
The threat of Competitors
Moderate degree
Digital companies
No other non-profit organisation
Digital Classes
The threat of Substitute
High Degree
Oral presentation or written papers
Other ways to promote the history

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The Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix
Strength
Strength Weight Rating Weighted Score
Earnings per share 0.05 4 0.20
The company has
high brand image
0.07 3 0.28
The company invest
in technology
(Rothaermel, 2016)
0.05 4 0.20
Brand earn less and
invest more as per
the non-profit
organisation
0.10 4 0.40
Heritage centre
create the high brand
image of the
company
0.10 4 0.21
Focus on lower price
products to target the
price sensitive
consumers in order to
promote the history
0.07 4 0.28
It is number one non-
profit organisation in
the Ireland
0.04 4 0.16

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Advance technology 0.12 4 0.48
Digitalised exhibition
in order to promote
the history
0.7 5 0.32
Weakness
Weakness Weight Rating Weighted Score
Lack of facilities 0.02 1 0.02
Value of brand is less
in balance sheet
0.04 1 0.04
Less Awareness 0.05 1 0.05
The company Spent
less in advertisement
department
0.07 1 0.07
Visitors are not
aware of all
attractions of the
company
0.03 1 0.03
Lack of skilled
personnel
0.05 3 0.06
The External Factor Evaluation Matrix
Opportunities Weight Rating Weighted Score
Consumers are 0.03 2 0.05

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interested in histories
which is promoted by
the company
Young generation are
more attracted
towards the
advertising of social
media
0.06 2 0.12
Traditional
advertisement is less
effective than the
Social Media
advertising
0.06 2 0.12
Development of
different types of
packages of tour
0.06 3 0.18
Visitors are
increasingly with
their appearance, due
to which the
company open a new
branch
0.08 3 0.24
As per the research,
low prices services
attract the large
0.08 3 0.24

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number of visitors
towards the services
of the company
The services which
are fame by celebrity
have high demand in
the market
0.08 3 0.24
It promote the culture
in the different
countries in order to
expand the business
0.9 4 0.26
High purchasing
power
0.6 2 0.12
Threats Weight Rating Weighted Score
High competition in
the market
0.02 4 0.08
Government
restrictions
0.03 3 0.09
The competitors
expansion is
increases globally
from the different
industry but provide
the similar services
0.08 4 0.32
Substitute services 0.08 2 0.16

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increases the risk of
losing visitors of the
company.
Discount on the
expensive services in
order to promote the
surrounding areas.
0.04 3 0.12
Regulations are
increasing due to
high services
0.07 3 0.21
Competitors are the
big threat for the
company such as
Digital classes and
the digitalised
companies
0.07 3 0.21
Substitute are also
the main threat of the
company
0.05 4 0.20
Digitalised exhibition
are the threat due to
lack of knowledge in
the environment
0.04 2 0.08
Totals 0.93 2.84

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Strategic Options and Methods
Focus strategy
Focus strategy is a marketing strategy in which a company can mainly concentrate on its
services and resources in order to expand the business. A focus strategy is that in which the
company knows about its segments and products to completely satisfy the consumer. It is one
of the main strategies of porter’s generic strategy. This strategy helps the company to
promote the services in the market.
In this case, the main aim of the company is to promote, protect and preserve the history,
archaeology, and environment of the surrounding areas. The heritage centre of the company
organise the exhibition in the digitalised form to promote the history, archaeology in the
surrounding areas. The activities of the company promote the history in the surrounding due
to which the awareness about the culture of the country is spreading. This focus strategy
helps the organisation to meet the vision of the company (Lasserre, 2017).
The company has to target the students as the visitors because it is necessary for the student
to know about their culture and tradition of the surrounding areas. Each and every student has
to know about it but the company has to promote these services to the history, tourism, and
geography students. The students of primary, secondary and the third level encouraged to
know about the history. But the students of history, tourism and geography subjects learn
about the history in order to clarify the exams. These students also give takes the tuitions
classes in order to learn these subjects (Safari, Farhang, and Rajabzadehyazdi, 2016). The
heritage centre of the company has the opportunity to attract the students in order to aware
them about the history of surrounding areas.
The company can promote the services to the student by focusing on its own digitalised
resources. The company organise the exhibition in the digitalised form in which they can

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provide the whole information to the students regarding the history of the surrounding areas.
The company has to develop the packages of the tour in order to enhance the popularity,
recognition of the centre. Develop packages is the technique of the company in which it
attracts the large number of students to take participate in the different activities. The
company develop the packages for the different activities which are offered to promote the
history of the surrounding areas. The company has to promote its services of teach centre,
craft classes and workshops with its exhibition so that the student learn quickly about their
culture (Young, and Ghoshal, 2016).
The company has to develop the packages of these activities so that the history, geography,
tourism student attract more towards its services. As the company is non-profit organisation
which means it provides the services in low cost (Sargeant, and Macquillin, 2016). It is a
beneficial factor for the company because people attract more towards the low cost services.
It has been seen that the students getting bore at the time of reading histories in their classes.
The company has to provide the services in the different manner by focusing their activities
so that the student will enjoy to study about the history of the country.
Promotion is a technique which is used by the company to promote the services. The
company has to focus on the services and use the promoting tools such as advertisement and
many mores to attract the large number of consumers towards the services. Social media is an
important method which can be used by the company to promote the services due to high
attraction of students towards the social media. The company has to focus on the History,
heritage and dark tourism while educating the students in the trial classes. These topics are
the main topics of the history subject thus, the students can attract easily towards the services
of the company. Heritage centre has to use the focus strategy to promote the services. Mainly
the company has to focus on its own services such as teach classes, workshop and craft
classes by targeting the history, geography and tourism students.

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