Marketing in the Hospitality Industry: A Thomas Cook Case Study

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of marketing strategies employed by Thomas Cook in the hospitality industry. It begins with an introduction to marketing concepts, including production, product, selling, and marketing concepts, and their application within the context of Thomas Cook's travel services. The report then examines the impact of the marketing environment, including micro and macro factors such as customers, competitors, political, economic, social, and technological elements. It evaluates the relevance of consumer markets, analyzing consumer behavior and its influence on marketing decisions. The report also explores market segmentation strategies, including demographics, geographic, behavioral, and psychographic segmentation. Furthermore, it delves into the importance of the marketing mix components, including product, price, place, and promotion, with specific examples from Thomas Cook's operations. Pricing strategies, such as premium pricing, price skimming, penetration strategies, and economy pricing, are discussed in detail. The role of the promotional mix, including public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, and sponsorship, is also examined, with a focus on sales promotion techniques like discounts, gifting, coupons, and online promotions, as well as public relations through social media and sponsorships. The report then covers the relevance of market research and the components of an advertising campaign. Finally, the report concludes with a summary of the findings and recommendations for future marketing strategies in the hospitality industry, specifically using Thomas Cook as a case study.

MARKETING IN HOSPITALITY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Concept of Marketing ..........................................................................................................1
1.2 Impact of Marketing Environment .......................................................................................1
1.3 Relevance of Consumer Markets .........................................................................................3
1.4 Developing different Market Segments................................................................................3
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Importance of the components of Marketing Mix................................................................4
2.2 Pricing strategies and policies ..............................................................................................5
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Role of the Promotional Mix ................................................................................................6
3.3 Role of Sales promotion and public relation ........................................................................6
4.1 Relevance of Market Research .............................................................................................8
TASK 4 ..........................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Plan an Advertising Campaign .............................................................................................8
4.2 Undertake the market research..............................................................................................9
4.3 Different Media for Marketing ...........................................................................................10
4.4 Implementation of Marketing Plan.....................................................................................10
CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................2
Online .........................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is the management process and activity of selling,buying of goods and
services. It is to identification products, determine the prices, selection the place and
implementation the promotions strategies. Marketing in hospitality is the important for selection
the segment such as hotels, restaurants, resorts and utilized the marketing promotes their
products or services. Thomas Cook is the one of largest travel groups in world that is second
largest in the UK. In this report, it will discussing the concept of marketing, impact of marketing
environment, evaluate the relevance of consumer markets and importance of marketing mix
using by Thomas Cook (Baloglu, 2016).
TASK 1
1.1 Concept of Marketing
Marketing is the concept of buying and selling of goods and services for the customers.
Thomas Cook is the group who is to providing travels services for completion of customer needs
and wants. Marketing is to defined through some concepts:
Production Concept: It is the concept of issues which are related to manufacturing and
production of goods and services. It is to defining the marketing concept. It is concept for
availability of goods and services which is fulfilment of customers’ needs and wants.
Product Concept: It is the concept including quality, performance and innovative
features in goods and services. Customers wants to better quality and quantity of product.
Thomas Cook is the travel company that is providing better services according to customer’s
needs and wants (Bowie and et.al., 2016).
Selling Concept: The concept of selling is to define the demand and supply of goods and
services. So that the company has to producing and selling goods and services according to
demand and supply in the market.
Marketing Concept: In this concept including production, products and selling concepts.
It is to defining the identification of products, determination of prices and selection of place and
implementation of promotion strategies (Bhasin H., 2017).
1.2 Impact of Marketing Environment
In the marketing environment includes two factors one of micro component and second
of macro component.
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MICRO FACTORS EXPLANATION
Customers In the micro factors, includes customers’ needs
and wants which are impacting on the marketing.
The company is to providing services according
to customers’ needs and wants.
Competitors This factor is also impact on the marketing. The
level of competition is to impact on selling and
buying of goods and services in the market.
Employees In the company, employees are helping in the
production and selling of goods and services to
the customers. Thomas Cook is the company who
has to providing better services and their
employees are helping of them. So that it is
positive impact on the marketing of travels and
tourism business (Dixit, 2016).
MACRO FACTORS EXPLAINANTION
Political Elements In this elements which are including government
policies, rules and regulations related to the
marketing, it is impact on the marketing
environment.
Economic Elements In this elements which are including consumers
buying behaviour, power, economic resources and
level of income, it is impact on the marketing of
goods and services providing by Thomas Cook.
Social Elements It means social trends, customer’s needs, wants,
desires, taste and lifestyles are impact of
providing goods and services (auhari, and
Bharwani, 2017).
Technological Elements Recent technology adopted by the company, so
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that it is impact on marketing.
1.3 Relevance of Consumer Markets
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The importance of consumer market is based on the consumers buying behavior and
power, needs and wants. In the markets, goods and services are introducing according to
customers demand, taste, preferences and their behavior, so that it is helping for the company is
to more earning profits. Thomas Cook is the travels company who has to providing travels and
tourism services for fulfillment of customers’ needs and wants during the travel and tour.
Consumer's buying decision is to disadvantages of the company. In the market, new products are
entering, so that it is changing the customer's decision (Kandampully, Zhang, and Bilgihan,
2015.).
3
Relevance of Consumers
Market
The consumers is the important in the
hospitality business.
The consumers are buying of goods or
products fulfillment of their needs and
Wants. Advantages of Consumers
Markets
It is to helping by purchasing
of goods and services for earning
Profits.
The consumers are going directly in the
Market.
Buyer's
Black Box
Limitations of Consumer
Market
The consumer's different
behavior, Taste, attitude, needs
and Wants, it is disadvantage
of market.

1.4 Developing different Market Segments
Market segments focus on target customers by providing goods and services. In the
market, there are many customers and they are having different behaviour, attitude, needs and
wants, so that, it is too difficult for making decision of company. There are different segment in
the market.
Demographics: It includes genders, age, income, lifestyles and occupations. So that the
company is to selling the products and services according these segment. Thomas Cook is to
offering services according to age, gender and incomes.
Geographic: Company is to providing services on different locations. Peoples are
belonging on different locations so that it is important segment of marketers for completing
different requirement of peoples (Minazzi,2015).
Behavioural: This segment includes usage, preferences, desire and choice. It is also
includes knowledge of products and services of the customers. So that the company is to offering
services according to customers choices and desires.
Psychographic: This segment divided on the basis of personality, lifestyles and attitude.
Personality means habits, characteristics and attitudes. Therefore company has to decided that
how selling of goods and services according to customers lifestyles. Thomas Cook is the travel
company who has to provide travel and tour services according to the customers lifestyles.
TASK 2
2.1 Importance of the components of Marketing Mix
Products Price Place Promotion
 They are
providing
various
products such
as holiday
packages,
beaches,
hotels and
other
 They are
providing
services on
the reasonable
price for
generating
revenues
(Rogers and
Davidson,
 Thomas Cook
is to providing
tour and travel
services in
different
destinations.
 Thomas Cook
has to divided
division for
 They are
promoting
their product
and services
on social
media.
 They are
promoting on
awards and
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products.
 Thomas Cook
is also
providing
insurance,
flights and
students
travels.
2015).
 Thomas Cook
is to adopting
premium
pricing policy
in pricing
strategy.
 They are
offering
services at
affordable
prices.
 They are
offering the
discount on
travel and tour
booking.
operation in
different
distinct.
events related
to sports.
 They are also
promoting
their products
on newspaper
and
magazines.
 They are
planning an
innovative
campaign
with the help
of print media
and electronic
media (Rogers
and Davidson,
2015).
2.2 Pricing strategies and policies
Thomas Cook is to providing services on the reasonable and affordable prices. They are
providing premium policy on their products and services.
Premium Price Policy: Thomas Cook is to adopting the premium policy of their
products. It means the company is setting the costs greater than their competitors. This strategy is
to most effective of products life cycle. The company has to created a values percept with the
high quality products of ensuring for marketing efforts, it is combine to support premium price.
Price Skimming : It means the company has to increased the sales by the new products
and services. In the products life cycle, during introduction phase, setting high rates. It is helping
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to maximization of profits. It is to creates an appearance of quality when products introduces on
first in the market (Tresidder, 2015).
Penetration Strategies: In this strategy, the company has to attracting the customers by
offering lower prices of products and services. It is to reflecting the state of their position within
the market when companies are wind up raising pricing.
Economy Pricing : It includes foods suppliers and discount retailers. This strategy aims
to attracting the customers who has the price intended (Tresidder, 2015).
TASK 3
3.1 Role of the Promotional Mix
Promotion is the function of marketing which is used to promote the products and
services in the market. The role of promotion mix is to identifying the products and services to
the customers. The function of promotion is to public relation, personal selling, sales promotion,
advertising, sponsorship and direct marketing.
Public Relation : The company is to promoting in general public. Public relation
includes publicity. Public comprises customers, suppliers, distribution, shareholders, government
and society.
Sales Promotion: It includes discount, coupons, pay back offers on the festivals and off
season by the hospitality business. So that Thomas Cook is to adopting sales promotion for
selling the products and services.
Advertising: Thomas Cook is the travel company who has to provide the travels and tour
services. The traveller are taking the services from different locations, cities and countries. For
the increasing the sales, they are adopting advertising in the form of print media as well as
electronic media for customers attraction (Welsh and et.al., 2014).
Sponsorship: The company is sponsoring various events, awards, games and sports. By
sponsorship, company is to promoting their products and services. Thomas Cook is to providing
services to customer, it is largest group of travel and tour in UK, so that they are adopting this
promotion strategies for increasing sales and customers attraction.
3.3 Role of Sales promotion and public relation
(A) Sales promotion: It is the part of promotion mix which includes coupons, gifting, refunds,
pay back and discount.
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Discount: Thomas Cook is the company who is to providing travels services on discount
in the festivals and off seasons. The company is to decided a particular rate of discount for the
festivals and events. There are two types of discount that is consumers discount and trade
discount.
Gifting : The company is to providing services and also giving the gifts for the customers
. It is the most popular ways to selling of goods and services. It is to helping the increasing sales
of the products. In the festivals, they are promoting their products and services.
Coupons: In the travel and tourism sectors, they are offering the services with the free
coupons for the children. But some times, they are giving the free coupons of young peoples or
travellers in the festivals. Through this, consumers are attracting for buying their products and
services (Leung, Xue and Bai, 2015).
Pay Back: By online booking of travels and tour services, company has to decided the
particular amount, which is paying back to the customers.
Online: It is the main components in all the destination of travels and tourism. Thomas
Cook is to promoting their products and services online for increasing sales and customer
attractions.
(B) Public Relation :
It is the tool of promotion which is using by the hospitality industry. Public relation
means that publicity of products and services. Public relation is the necessary for travels and
tourism sectors. Through communicating with peoples, company are developing the public
relation. There are different types using by company for public relation.
Social Media: It is the most popular way to build up the public relation with the
company. Because today's world, social media is spreading, every one using the social media for
travels and tourism booking. So that Thomas Cook is main focusing on the social media for
public relation.
Sponsorship: Thomas Cook is to build up their relation with public, so that they are
sponsoring many events like awards, games and sports. Through this, they are increasing their
sales and generating revenues (auhari, and Bharwani, 2017).
Advertising: It includes print media and electronic media for advertising. It is the
important for public relation and increasing sales of products and services by using the
hospitality companies.
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Press Conferences: The tour and travels companies are using for public relation of press
conferences. It is the special announcement of the new products in the company. It is the benefits
for the company to build up the relation with public and increasing the sales.
Product launch: This is the best way to developing the public relation. In this, celebrities
, partners and investors and other peoples.
4.1 Relevance of Market Research
Marketing research is the systematic way of analysing, identifying the information related
to industry. It is the process to generating, evaluating and defining of marketing information is
the beneficial for the industry. Thomas Cook is the company who has to provide the travels and
tourism services to the customers, so that they are adopting marketing research of identifying the
competitors and targeting customers. It is required on the continuous basis (Rogers and
Davidson, 2015).
Identification of problems : Marketing research is the to helping of identify the
problems and opportunities for new and existing products. It includes level of customers
satisfaction, sales performance and information of market share.
Formulating Marketing Strategies: Though marketing research, the company has to
decided and formulated their strategies related to market and implementing the strategies.
Determining customers needs and wants: It is helping for determining the customers
needs and wants. It is to helping to collecting the information of the customers buying behaviour.
TASK 4
Covered in Poster
4.2 Undertake the market research
 Primary Research: It is the methods of marketing research. It includes interviews,
surveys, focus group and observation. It is to helping the customer needs and wants. It is
giving the specific results. In this methods, we are researching of 10 peoples.
 Secondary Research: It is the another methods of the marketing research. It includes
books, journals, articles and internet. It is also helping in getting and collecting
information from the business (Tresidder, 2015).
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QUESTIONNAIRE
1. What is age group ?
 >19
 20-25
 <25
2. What is the Gender ?
 Male
 Female
3. How much you satisfied with the plan services of the company ?
 Satisfied
 Dissatisfied
 Neutral
4. Does company provide services far better than its competitors ?
 Yes
 No
5.Recommend the strategies and ways to enhance customer satisfaction ?
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4.3 Different Media for Marketing
There are two types of media one of print media and another is social media. Thomas
Cook is to adopting of social media for marketing of their products and services.
Social Media: Because every one using social media either shopping or travels. So that
the company is efforts on the social media website. It includes Facebook, twitter, Instagram and
their own website for attracting the customers and fulfilment of their needs and wants. Even
senior citizen are also using the social media. By this media, it is easy to booking for travels and
tour in just one click.
Print Media: Thomas Cook is to adopting the print media as well like newspaper,
magazines etc. It is also helping for customers satisfaction (Rogers and Davidson, 2015).
4.4 Implementation of Marketing Plan
Thomas Cook will be ensuring that their marketing plans are implementing and
developing for customers attraction and fulfilment of their needs and wants. So that they are
focusing on the social media.
CONCLUSIONS
From the basis of above discussion it can be concluded that, marketing in hospitality
industry is the fast forward industry as compare to other industry. They provide various prime
and luxurious services to their customers. It has been given various new marketing approaches
and strategies to make their customers happy and satisfied. Present report based on marketing in
hospitality in the context of Thomas Cook. Study has been discussed about the different concepts
of marketing such as production, selling and societal. Besides, they also give small gist of micro
and macro factors and their driver factors that impact on the organization activities. All over,
study also explained about the different market segments that helps company to give more focus.
Besides, company explained the important aspects of the business activities to enhance the
customer satisfaction approach.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Baloglu, S., 2016. Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism, Global Edition. Pearson Education
Limited.
Bowie, D. and et.al., 2016. Hospitality marketing. Routledge.
Dixit, S. K., 2016. eWOM marketing in hospitality industry. In Managing Public Relations and
Brand Image through Social Media (pp. 266-280). IGI Global.
Jauhari, V. and Bharwani, S., 2017. An exploratory study of competencies required to cocreate
memorable customer experiences in the hospitality industry. In Hospitality Marketing
and Consumer Behavior (pp. 159-185). Apple Academic Press.
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. and Bilgihan, A., 2015. Customer loyalty: a review and future
directions with a special focus on the hospitality industry. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management. 27(3),. pp.379-414.
Leung, X.Y., Xue, L. and Bai, B., 2015. Internet marketing research in hospitality and tourism: a
review and journal preferences. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management. 27(7). pp.1556-1572.
Minazzi, R., 2015. Social media marketing in tourism and hospitality (p. 87). New York:
Springer.
Rogers, T. and Davidson, R., 2015. Marketing destinations and venues for conferences,
conventions and business events. Routledge.
Soelberg, F., Lindberg, F. and Jensen, Ø., 2018. Entrepreneurial marketing in tourism and
hospitality: How marketing practices do not follow linear or cyclic processes. In The
Routledge Handbook of Destination Marketing (pp. 60-70). Routledge.
Tresidder, R., 2015. Experiences marketing: A cultural philosophy for contemporary hospitality
marketing studies. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. 24(7). pp.708-
726.
Welsh, D. H., and et.al., 2014. Japanese women entrepreneurs: implications for family
firms. Journal of Small Business Management. 52(2). pp.286-305.
Zaltman, G., Olson, J. and Forr, J., 2015. Toward a new marketing science for hospitality
managers. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. 56(4). pp.337-344.
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Online
Bhasin H., 2017. Concept of Marketing.[Online]. Available through. :
.<https://www.marketing91.com/selling-concept/>
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