Thomas Cook Group: Marketing Mix and Plan for Travel and Tourism

This report delves into the essential aspects of marketing within the travel and tourism industry, focusing on practical applications and strategic planning. It begins with an introduction to marketing principles and their significance in expanding business and increasing profits. The report then analyzes the marketing mix, comparing the strategies of the Thomas Cook Group with those of Cox & Kings, highlighting elements such as product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, process, and people. Furthermore, the report outlines a basic marketing plan for a travel and tourism company, specifically the Thomas Cook Group, for the purpose of meeting marketing goals. This includes an executive summary, overview, vision, mission statements, objectives, and a detailed examination of the marketing mix for a new service, 'Travel Bots.' The plan incorporates STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) approaches and a SWOT analysis, along with a market budget and evaluation. The report provides a comprehensive understanding of marketing strategies and their implementation in the travel and tourism sector, offering valuable insights for students seeking to understand the industry.

Marketing essential
for travel and tourism

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................1
(Covered in PPT) ........................................................................................................................1
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................1
P3 Compare of different ways in which organization apply marketing mix to marketing
planning.......................................................................................................................................1
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................3
P4 Basic marketing plan for travel and tourism company for the purpose of meet with
marketing goals...........................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Marketing means to expand business in different market for the purpose of increasing
profits. All companies adopt different types of methods in marketing that influence customers
and increase sale of products and services. Thomas cook group has been selected for better
understanding about marketing in travel and tourism industry. Company provides travelling
services within organization. This report will cover marketing mix of selected company and
other organization in order to compare and marketing plan that helps to meet with organizational
objectives.
Task 1
(Covered in PPT)
Task 2
P3 Compare of different ways in which organization apply marketing mix to marketing planning
Marketing mix: It is consider as comprehensive procedure in which manager verify the
product as end to end process. Marking mix is collection of action that is used by business entity
in order to maximize sale with the help of promotion. This is a strategy which is used by
manager of company for the purpose of increasing profits. It consider different elements such as
product, place, price, physical evidence, people and promotion (Solarin, 2018). The comparison
of different organization are defined as:
Element Thomas cook group Cox & Kings
Product: This means organization analysis
market and manufacture product and
services is consider as product.
Thomas cook is a longest travel
company that provides different types
of services such as travel insurance,
airport parking, airport lounges, travel
vouchers which attracts customers.
The marketing manager of such
company make planning for
Cox & Kings is a travel and
tourism industry that focuses on
new trend which customer wants
and provides various services to its
customers. It involves following
services such as Bharat deko,
inbound tour and outbound tour in
which it consider rail holidays,
beach retreats, budget holiday,
honeymoon packages, educational
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introducing more services which helps
to achieve organizational objectives
(Rossi, Allenby and McCulloch,
2012).
tour and religious tour.
Price: This means to pay amount for
purchasing product and services.
Thomas cook group uses penetration
strategy that helps to attract more
customer and to make the customer
switch the services. It keep low prices
as compare to competitor that helps to
achieve goals and then increased prices
after capturing market.
Cox & Kings is using competitive
pricing strategy in which it can
gain more advantages by
maximizing revenues. It offers
various services to its customers
which influences customers, as
result it can meets with
organization objectives.
Place: In Thomas cook group marketing
manager operates their business in 16
countries and offers innovative
services in order to influence
customers.
This is a well known organization
and travel group that operates its
business in 22 countries. It expand
its business in different areas that
helps to make more profits.
Promotion: This is biggest company all over world
that uses promotional strategy such as
websites, radio, word of mouth, you
tube and social media that create
interest of people and make effective
planning to achieve goals and
objectives of business enterprises
(Baack, Harris and Baack, 2013).
Cox and King uses different types
of promotional strategy in which it
consider magazine, social media,
T.V., radio and other direct selling
strategy which influences
customers. It also give some offer
according to customer in off season
for the purpose of reach at target.
Therefore, company is achieving
goals and objectives of business
organization.
Physical evidence: This element is related with material Cox & Kings is famous travel
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part of services that should be
intangible. Its aim is to provide
maximum satisfaction to its customers
by delivery of products. Thomas cook
group hoarding strategy in order to
introduce from services that gives
physical cues of service and also
provide online and offline booking
facility in order to achieve decided
goals.
agency that provides both online
and offline services which save
cost and time of people. Moreover,
it provides more information
through online in order to aware
customers and achieve objectives
within industry.
Process: This element is related with production
process in order to achieve decided
goals. The manager of Thomas cook
group adopts online as well as offline
marketing process in order to avail
services.
Cox & Kings is using manual and
online system for the purpose of
providing services. By using this
process customer can book tickets
online after analysing the websites
that helps to increase sales.
People: This means people who contributes in
company for achieving goals. In
Thomas cook has skilled and
experienced people who understand
customer demands and launch new
services for attracting customers and
sale their services.
Cox & Kings has technical person
and experienced people who listen
customer query and revert
according in order to know new
services and tour packages (de
Freitas Coelho and et.al.,2018).
Task 3
P4 Basic marketing plan for travel and tourism company for the purpose of meet with marketing
goals
Marketing plan is a strategy which is generated by business concern for the purpose of
meeting with goals and objectives. Every organization prepare different types of marketing
strategy in which it involves what product should be market and how it can help to meet with
objectives. It is important for company to make marketing plan so that organization can
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introduce from new product and make more sales. Such as the marketing manager of Thomas
cook group make strategic business plan for the purpose of launching new services in travel and
tourism industry and increase sale of business organization. The Thomas cook group is launching
new service in their travel agency that is travel bots services that will help customers in order to
increase productivity (Blythe, 2012). The marketing plan of Thomas cook group has been
discussed as:
Executive summary – Thomas cook group provides various services to its customers
also provide stay and better quality of foods in order to attract customers. It operates its business
in 16 countries by involving attractive services. This company is planning to introduce new
service that is travel boat which will help to know customer query and reply instantly in order to
attract customers. For this it make business strategy that are given as:
Overview – Thomas cook group is biggest and oldest travel organization that provides
travelling services to its customers. Its main aim is to expand business in different market and
make profits by launching new services within business organization. It wanted to become
world's largest company by providing better quality of services (Besana, Bagnasco, Esposito and
Calzolari, 2018).
Vision and mission statement – The mission and vision statement of Thomas cook says
that it will increase its sale by 40% up to 2020 year. The mission is to use new technology in
market and introduce new service in tourism sector which is not come in market.
Objectives – The objective of Thomas cook is to maximize its business function by
launching attractive services. The manager of Thomas cook has analysed that customer faces
problems to get information about new packages and other information about seasonal tour and
they switch their availing services. For this the marketing manager of selected company make
plans to introduce new service that is travel bots that will help to provide information and
seasonal packages in order to attract customers (Campbell, Martin and Fabos, 2018). The
objectives of such company are described as:
 Increase market sale of Thomas cook by 25% till 2020.
 To capture more market share by the year 2020.
 To increase productivity of such company by creating interest of customers.
 To update new technology within industry and make profitable decision with the help of
employees.
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 To provide more satisfaction to its customers by providing better quality of services.
Marketing mix of new service that is Travel bots
 Product: The services which is going to offer by Thomas cook that is Travel bots
(Hair Jr and et.al., 2015).
 Price: It will use market penetration strategy for providing such service due to
availing service.
 Place: It will launch its new service at international level where clients are
interested to get more information about new packages.
 Promotion: The marketing manager of Thomas will use website, social media
and you tube to make aware from this service.
 Physical evidence: This organization will use online strategy as physical
evidence in which customer get solution of their questions.
 Process: It will be use online system to provide such services within business
firm (Finch, Nadeau and O’Reilly, 2013).
 people: Thomas have talented and skilled people that can adopt such technical
services and achieve goals of business organization.
STP approach – It is most valuable approach which is used by companies in marketing
in order to formulate business strategy and get benefits from such strategy. Thomas cook group
uses this approach that defines segmentation positioning and targeting such as:
 Segmentation: Thomas cook group focuses on demographic and geographic
segmentation in which it mainly focus 20 to 50 years old people who are interested to go
for visit and wants to enjoy their holidays. In geographic segment it consider city, region
and international cities which influences customers to enjoy their vacations.
 Positioning: This process helps to define market position and also helps to maintain good
position of market by setting people minds.
 Targeting: Thomas is a travel agency that targets all ages of people because now days
people are more aware and curious to know about other cities and interested to visit.
SWOT of Thomas
Strength Weakness
 Strong brand image and large market
share.
 High competition in travel and tourism
sector.
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 Focuses on customer needs or
demands.
 Uses new technology and increase
customer's interest.
 To provide better quality of service and
create value of customers.
 Changes in government policy.
 Fluctuation in tax rate and new
technology.
Opportunity Threat
 To provide variety of service which
influences customers.
 To use travel bots and solve customer
query that increases sales.
 To provide travelling services at
reasonable price.
 To offer seasonal packages that achieve
goals.
 Changes in currency that may be a
threat for Thomas.
 Changes in customer taste due to which
they can switch their services.
 Low prices of competitor that can
reduce its sales.
Market Budget – The manager of Thomas cook build a budget for introducing such
services in order to increase sale of organization. The Budget of Thomas is given as below:
Expenses required Amount(£)
Promotional activities 5500
Technical activities 18000
Online marketing 2000
Total 25500
Market evaluation – This is a technique which is utilize by firm to know the feedback of
customer after making plans. The marketing manager of Thomas cook make plans and examine
market that this service whether will get success or not (Garcia Henche, 2018).
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Monitoring and controlling - In Thomas cook group the marketing manager will
monitor the activities of organization and will control performance in case of not going well.
This process helps to achieve goals and objectives of business organization.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it can be concluded that marketing play a lead role within
business industry. It helps to achieve business goals by increasing sales of product and services.
All business organisation should have skilled marketing manager who can helps to make
business strategy and maintain productivity or profitability. In all company marketing manager
make business plans that helps to introduce new service and make correct business decision.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Solarin, S. A., 2018. Does tourism-led growth hypothesis exist in Mauritius? Evidence from
disaggregated tourism markets. Current Issues in Tourism. 21(9). pp.964-969.
Rossi, P. E., Allenby, G. M. and McCulloch, R., 2012. Bayesian statistics and marketing. John
Wiley & Sons.
Baack, D. W., Harris, E. G. and Baack, D., 2013. International marketing (Vol. 3). Sage.
Pike, S., 2015. Destination marketing: essentials. Routledge.
de Freitas Coelho, and et.al., 2018. Tourism experiences: Core processes of memorable trips.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 37. pp.11-22.
Blythe, J., 2012. CIM Coursebook Marketing Essentials. Routledge.
Malhotra, N. K., 2015. Essentials of marketing research: A hands-on orientation. Essex:
Pearson.
Besana, A., Bagnasco, A. M., Esposito, A. and Calzolari, A., 2018. It's a Matter of Attention:
The Marketing of Theatres in the Age of Social Media. International Journal of Arts
Management. 20(3). pp.20-37.
Campbell, R., Martin, C. and Fabos, B., 2018. Media essentials: A brief introduction.
Bedford/St. Martin's.
Hair Jr, J. F.,and et.al ., 2015. Essentials of business research methods. Routledge.
Clow, K. E. and James, K. E., 2013. Essentials of marketing research: Putting research into
practice. Sage.
Finch, D., Nadeau, J. and O’Reilly, N., 2013. The future of marketing education: A practitioner’s
perspective. Journal of Marketing Education. 35(1). pp.54-67.
Garcia Henche, B., 2018. Urban experiential tourism marketing: Use of social media as
communication tools by the food markets of Madrid. Journal of Tourism Analysis:
Revista de Análisis Turístico. 25(1). pp.2-22.
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