Marketing Essentials Report: Cox & Kings Travel Marketing Strategies

This report provides a detailed analysis of marketing essentials, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions within the context of Cox & Kings Travel, a UK-based tour and travel company. The report evaluates the interconnectedness of the marketing function with various organizational departments, including production, human resources, finance, sales, accounts, and research & development. Furthermore, it identifies and examines the application of the marketing mix elements (product, price, place, and promotion) within the company. The report concludes with a thorough evaluation of a marketing plan, considering various factors impacting the firm's operations, both directly and indirectly. The analysis covers critical aspects such as market research, product development, communication strategies, distribution channels, and promotional activities, offering insights into how Cox & Kings Travel can optimize its marketing efforts to enhance sales and profitability.

Marketing essentials

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Detailed evaluation and analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the functions of
marketing.....................................................................................................................................1
P2. Examination of the inter-relatedness of the marketing function with wider organisational
context..........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3. Identification of the aspect of marketing mix and its application within the company that is
mentioned above..........................................................................................................................5
P4. Detailed evaluation of a marketing plan................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is one of the most important as well as effective tool in the operation of business
activities in the current scenario as it helps in increasing the volume and level of sales and that
too within a limited time period (Deb, 2020). Cox & Kings Travel is a firm which is
geographically located in the UK and has it’s headquarter in London and is operating on a wide
scale in the sector of tours and travel and is working since a pretty long time and thus has
captured a considerable amount of share in the industry. In this report there is a detailed
discussion of the roles and responsibilities of the functions of marketing and its relation with
other operations at the same time. Apart from that in this report there is analysis and evaluation
of marketing mix and its application with reference to the company that is mentioned above.
Further this report covers a marketing plan that has been made after doing detailed examination
of all the factors that impacts the working of the firm both directly as well as indirectly.
TASK 1
P1. Detailed evaluation and analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the functions of
marketing
There are a number of different roles and responsibilities that marketing function performs
and for a firm like Cox & Kings Travel it becomes much more important as well as crucial since
it is operating on a large scale and thus all of them are explained in a detailed manner below with
reference to the above mentioned organisation-
Reaching the customers- The foremost function of marketing is to attract large number of
people so that it can help in increasing the sales and substantially profitability of the company in
the long run. Also the function of marketing makes it very sure that the end products are reaching
the prospective buyers without any delay and miscommunication. Cox & Kings Travel’s
marketing departments consists of experts that are trained to attract as many people as they can
within a limited time period so that the product can reach maximum number of people making it
profitable for the firm in the long term scenario (Kruger, Saayman and Hull, 2019).
Market research- The department of marketing does a detailed examination of all the
aspects that are currently in trend in the industry in which the firm is operating so that necessary
adjustments can be made in order to make the firm profitable. Cox & Kings Travel’s marketing

department personnel’s carry out a research in detailed in order to evaluate the trend so as to
direct the activities of the business in that direction only which can help the organisation to reach
maximum number of individuals that are able and willing to use the product and services of the
company.
Product development- The department of marketing make sure that the product that the
company is rendering is according to the needs, requirements, and demands of the customers so
that it can carter the needs of the society making the firm profitable at the end. Thus necessary
changes are made in the product on time to time basis so that it can fulfil the demand and stand
up to the expectation of the buyers. Cox & Kings Travel continuously changes the product that it
renders in the market so as to make things work for the company and can stand well ahead of all
its competitors that are prevailing in the current scenario (Yan and Halpenny, 2019).
Communication- It is very important to communicate in an appropriate manner with the
customer of the company so that the feedback that is received by them can prove useful from the
company’s point of view. The marketing department of Cox & Kings Travel establishes an intact
relationship between the firm and the customers so that in case the product which the
organisation renders to the society is not meeting the expectations of the customers it can be
known from the buyers only and then necessary adjustments can be made in the product well
within time so that it can help the company to grow in the industry in which it is operational.
Distribution- Distribution of the finished products is very crucial and has to be
distributed within a short time period that can help in reducing any wastage and thus increasing
the profits of the company in the long run. Cox & Kings Travel maintain an intact supply chain
so that the product can reach to the prospective person within a limited time frame reducing any
chances of errors in between.
Planning- Functions of marketing helps a company in planning so that all the activities
are directed towards a similar goal that is to increase the sales and then profitability. Cox &
Kings Travel makes different plans according to the situation and then evaluates all of them and
then chose the best suitable plan from the number of alternatives and thus improving the overall
performance of the company (Lalicic and Weber-Sabil, 2019).
Promotion- It is very important to promote the product that a company renders by using
appropriate and effective tools that are available in the market like advertisement on various
platforms. Thus marketing function helps in promoting the product which helps in increasing the

market value of the enterprise in the industry in which it is working. Cox & Kings Travel recruits
a team of experts to make plans for promoting the product of the product and thus functions of
marketing helps to do that in an effective and efficient way.
Selling- It is a necessary activity for every business since the product or service that is
made has to be sold in the market that can fetch good return for the firm inspiring it to make
more such products. Every company aims to earn considerable amount of profit and that can only
be done by selling the goods that is produced in the company and Cox & Kings Travel does the
same thing and also keeps a profit margin in between that is one of the main reason for its huge
success in the competitive market (Zarezadeh and Gretzel, 2020).
P2. Examination of the inter-relatedness of the marketing function with wider organisational
context
The functions of marketing are inter-related with other organisational departments too and
since Cox & Kings Travel is a firm which is operating on a vast scale it becomes very crucial for
it to analyse and evaluate all the aspects in detail so that it can add value to the firm in long term.
The different roles and responsibilities of marketing and its relation with wider organisational
context is described below in an elaborated and systematic manner-
Relationship of marketing department with other departments-
Production- The department of production possess a lot of importance in the market as
the department helps in striking a balance between the finished goods and the raw material that
has to be ordered so that wastage of resources can be minimised that can result in improved
value of the company in the industry (LI, 2017). Cox & Kings Travel’s marketing and
production department coordinates with each other so that the desired goal can be achieved and
accomplished well within a limited time frame making the company more valuable in the market
in which it is operational.
Human Resource- The department of HR mainly recruits talented individuals in the
company so that they can contribute towards the goals and objectives of the company that has
been set up at the starting. The two departments that are human resource and marketing are inter-
related with each other since HR recruits intellectual persons and marketing departments helps
them to coordinate within the team and also improves their existing skill set so that they can give
their valuable contribution to the enterprise. Cox & Kings Travel’s HR and marketing

department coordinate among each other and thus improving the positioning of the firm in the
market in which it is working.
Finance- It is the most critical department as it is related with the most important aspect
that is the financial part of the company and evaluates the true financial position of the
organisation. Marketing and finance department of Cox & Kings Travel are inter-related with
each other since the former helps in proper allocation of the available funds and the latter keeps a
tab on the allocation process so that wastage of resources can be minimised that can
subsequently increase the value of the business in the market.
Sales- It is a department without which a business firm cannot survive in the industry as
every company which is established in the market aims to earn profit and that too with a good
rate and thus it is important for the firm to sell their product and services in order to earn profit.
In Cox & Kings Travel both the departments that are sales and marketing are inter-connected
with each other since the former department keeps an eye on the sales that the company is doing
in its day to day transactions while the latter determines the short term and long term nature of
that sales so that profitability can be measured accordingly (Zhang, 2018).
Accounts department- It is a department that keeps a record of all the activities that are
performed in the organisation and in the last adds up all the revenues and expenditure incurred
by the firm in order to get the amount of profit or loss so that appropriate changes can be made if
the company is not performing as per expectations. In Cox & Kings Travel both the above
mentioned departments coordinate with each other as the accounts one keeps record of all the
transactions that are done and the other one checks the authenticity of that transaction so that
errors can be minimised which can help in optimum utilisation of the available resources
(Nhamo, 2020).
Research & Development department- It is a department that is responsible for making
changes in the existing product if there is any defect or it is below the expectations of the
customers. In Cox & Kings Travel company both the departments are inter-related since
marketing points out the defects and the other department does a detailed research, analysis, and
evaluation of the change that has to be implemented in the product so that it can add value to the
enterprise in the long run.

TASK 2
P3. Identification of the aspect of marketing mix and its application within the company that is
mentioned above
Marketing mix is a set of different tools and techniques that are used by various firms in
order to meet the desired objective in an effective and efficient manner. Analysis of marketing
mix with respect to the company that is Cox & Kings Travel is done below in detail-
Product- A product is a item that tends to fulfil the requirements of the prospective buyers
and it can be tangible like goods or it can be intangible like services. Cox & Kings Travel deals
in travel and tourism industry and thus it provides services to its customers and provides quality
services so that the customer can maximise their satisfaction and also renders after sales services
to its clients.
Price- It refers to the particular amount that a customer is able and willing to pay after
using the product or service of a company. Price is one of the most important aspects and thus a
company must strike a balance between the price of the product and the budget of the customers
so that maximum number of people can afford to purchase it within their given level of income.
Cox & Kings Travel organisation uses different tactics like discounts, allowances, etc. so as to
increase its sales and profitability at the same time. It uses competitive pricing strategy so that it
can survive and sustain in the competitive market which is dynamic in nature as well.
Place- It refers to the geographical location at which the product is available to the
customers and thus it is very important to establish the company at a place that is easily
accessible by the buyers. Cox & Kings Travel does a detailed analysis of the place at which it is
planning to open its store and thus after detailed examination of the area it locate its store at a
place that receives maximum footfall of customers and which is easily accessible to other buyers
also.
Promotion- It refers to the marketing communication technique that the firm uses in
order to promote its goods and services in the industry and thus each company promote its
product in such a manner so that it can reach maximum number of people and that too within the
same time period. Cox & Kings Travel enterprise mainly uses advertisement and direct
marketing of its services so that it can reach a considerable amount of people within a short time
period (Tasci, 2020).

People- It includes the individuals that are working for the company and every firm tries
to train and develop their workforce so that the communication between the staff and customers
is smooth enough which can help in increasing the market value of the organisation in the long
run. Cox & Kings Travel recruits persons that are highly qualified and well educated and after
that trains them also on various grounds so that a link between the company and the customers
can be set up which can prove beneficial from the firm’s point of view.
Processes- It refers to the process that is followed by the organisation in order to perform
all the activities of the business firm in a smooth manner. Cox & Kings Travel perform all its
operation with full accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency by firstly creating a blueprint of all the
things that has to be done and then directing all the efforts towards the fulfilment of the desired
objective.
Physical Evidence- It refers to the environment that is seen by the customers while using
the services of the company and it is very important to keep all the things in place since it is an
indirect tool which helps in increasing the sales of the firm and that too within a short time
period. Cox & Kings Travel keeps the ambience of the company very good and also focuses on
improving the facilities for its customers and thus it is one of the biggest reasons for the
impeccable performance of the business firm in the long run.
Therefore it can be said that 7P’s of marketing mix is very important for every firm since it
helps in improving the positioning of the company in the long run and for a firm like Cox &
Kings Travel it becomes much more important because of the size of its operation.
P4. Detailed evaluation of a marketing plan
A marketing plan that can be used by Cox & Kings Travel so as to attain the goals and
objectives that are laid down at the starting is stated below-
Particulars Details
Mission To fulfil the travel and tourisms demands of
the prospective customers.
KPIs Cox & Kings Travel use financial analysis to
evaluate the key performance indicators so that
it can add value to the firm in the long run.
Buyer personas It does a detailed examination of the range of
individuals that are able and willing to use its
services and after that it formulates strategies
so as to target the identified sector.
Content initiatives and strategies Cox & Kings Travel makes attractive content

and also use advertisement strategy so that it
can ramp up the sales and profitability of the
company (Thal and Hudson, 2019).
Marketing Budget
Particulars
Amount( In
Pounds)
Admin Exp.
£
80,000.00
Selling Exp.
£
120,000.00
Promotional Exp.
£
150,000.00
Content Exp.
£
50,000.00
Miscellaneous
Exp.
£
100,000.00
Total
£
500,000.00
Competitor analysis Since Cox & Kings Travel operates in a
business environment which is highly
competitive as well as dynamic in nature and
hence it becomes very important to analyse all
its rivals so that it can lead from them in the
market operations. Examination of different
competitors are done below-
London Travel Agency- It is a travel agency
which is located in London and has captured a
large share in the market and thus Cox &
Kings Travel must improve its service quality
so as to compete with it.
Dream World Travel U.K.- It is a company
that is also located in the UK and is a direct
competitor of Cox & Kings Travel as it gives
higher level of satisfaction to its customer.
Thus Cox & Kings Travel should also make
strategies increase the satisfaction level of its
clients so that it can stand ahead of Dream
World Travel U.K. in the long term scenario
(Wiederkehr, 2016).
Outlining the contributors of plan The management and the team of marketing of

Cox & Kings Travel must ensure that all the
efforts are directed towards the attainment of
the goals of the firm so that it can help the
organisation to sustain and survive in the
industry for a longer time period (Wirtz and
Lovelock, 2016).
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above that marketing is one of the most crucial as well as
critical aspect for each firm and if a company is operating on a large scale like Cox & Kings
Travel then it becomes much more important since it can help the business firm to grow in the
industry in which it is operational. Apart from that it can be concluded that there are different
tools of marketing mix which has to be applied in a sequential manner so that it can contribute in
the growth of the enterprise.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Deb, S. K., 2020. Evaluation of Mobile Applications in eTourism: an Innovative Outlook.
International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering.
Kruger, M., Saayman, M. and Hull, J., 2019. A motivation-based typology for natural event
attendees. Journal of policy research in tourism, leisure and events. 11(1). pp.35-53.
Lalicic, L. and Weber-Sabil, J., 2019. Stakeholder engagement in sustainable tourism planning
through serious gaming. Tourism Geographies. pp.1-21.
LI, H. L., 2017. Multi-dimensional Issue of Tourists’ Motivation and Perceived Value in
Predicting Behavioral Intention: Satisfaction as a Mediator. DEStech Transactions on
Social Science, Education and Human Science, (icssd).
Nhamo, G., 2020. Counting the Cost of COVID-19 on the Global Tourism Industry. Springer
Nature.
Tasci, A. D., 2020. Exploring the analytics for linking consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and
financial-based brand equity (FBBE) of destination or place brands. Place Branding and
Public Diplomacy. 16(1). pp.36-59.
Thal, K. and Hudson, S., 2019. Using self-determination theory to assess the service product at a
wellness facility: a case study. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights.
Wiederkehr, M., 2016. Analysis of the business strategy of First Light Travel in terms of
sustainability (Doctoral dissertation, Haute Ecole de Gestion & Tourisme).
Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2016. Services marketing: People, technology, strategy. World
Scientific Publishing Company.
Yan, N. and Halpenny, E. A., 2019. Tourists’ savoring of positive emotions and place attachment
formation: a conceptual paper. Tourism Geographies. pp.1-21.
Zarezadeh, Z. Z. and Gretzel, U., 2020. Iranian Heritage Sites on Social Media. Tourism
Analysis. 25(2-3). pp.345-357.
Zhang, Z., 2018. Analyzing the behavior of potential Chinese consumers traveling to Finland and
Lake Saimaa.