Task 1- Company Ethos

It is crucial for a business to understand what the product they are selling is and what the values and goals of ACA Travel Agency are. Knowing the product(s) sold will affect where ACA Travel Agency should be located, what distribution channels it should use, who the customers are and/or could be and its marketing advantages or disadvantages in comparison to its competitors. ACA Travel Agency's values, core beliefs and standards will determine not only the product, but ACA Travel Agency's customer focus and sales techniques employed.

Requirements:

Using the information from the ACA Travel Agency Business Plan (available on e-library) as background, plus using search engine(s) to research online similar industry examples you must submit a written response which outlines the following

Clear and concise description of ACA Travel Agency's core values

Mission Statement

Vision Statement

3 short term goals (1-3 year)

3 long term goals (5-10 year)

Task 2 - Product Description

'You cannot sell what you do not understand. 'Think about going to a restaurant and asking about an item on the menu only to be told by the wait staff that they "they don't know what that items consists of or how it is made or cooked. Would you buy the item? How would the staffs' lack of knowledge make you feel? If you don't know what the product is how do you know who might be a potential customer and who it is not (don't waste your time and /or money selling to those customers) customers.

Requirements:

As part of the induction process at the company, you are required to submit to the owners a report using to describe the product(s) sold based on the background understanding in the ACA Travel Agency Business plan.

The description should take into consideration:

What the actual product is

Varieties of each item sold

The unseen product being provided

Task 3 - Unique Selling Points

What separates one product from it's competition? Is it quality? Colour? Smell? It's packaging? ACA Travel Agency's reputation? Each successful product has something that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Requirements:

you need to include and discuss in the report the unique selling points from your competitors

Task 4 - Location

As an owner or manager of a business you are required to look at the reason people buy your product. This includes considering:

Location of the office

What image of quality, success, reliability, and accessibility does ACA Travel Agency's location instil in the customer's mind?

Is ACA Travel Agency located in a high-priced growth area or a manufacturing low rent area?

If you are relying on direct customer contact is ACA Travel Agency's location easily found and accessible?

Do customers fell safe coming to your location. Is there allowance for walk by trade and signage at the chosen location?

Is infrastructure in place and able to expand as need be with company growth?

Are there other businesses or attractions that will draws customer to your location?

These question should be considered when a company selects it's location. Not looking to the future can be costly if in the future ACA Travel Agency as to relocate because of expansion or location redesign/redevelopment.

Requirements:

Your word report should present an overall picture or mental image of your chosen suburban or regional location and how your business will be seen by the customers. Include a map showing physical location. The report should detail the location's key attributes and features such as:

Competitors in the area

Draw cards

Access

Parking

Signage

Regulations to consider for this location

Part B - Being Competitive

Task 5- Competitors

As the new manager of ACA Travel Agency, you must be familiar with and understand ACA Travel Agency's competition. What are the competing product (direct and indirect)? What are the competition's prices? How do customers perceive your competitors and their products? How do products, brand recognition and reputation compare with that of your competition? How likely is the growth of completion? Is your product type prone to insertion of new competitors? Is it easy or hard for new competition to enter your market? What are the risks in your industry field?

Requirements:

Using the ACA Travel Agency Business Plan,(available on elearning) report outlining the competition for ACA Travel. The report must include:

A listing of Direct competitors

A listing of Indirect competitors

The locations of this competition

An outline of how their products compete with ACA Travels'

Task 6 - Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

Conducting competitive analysis and analytical study of the current and future marketing environment is standard practice for most companies. SWOT analysis can save a company time, money, frustration and at its best all of these. A SWOT looks at both internal S&W factors that ACA Travel Agency can control and the O&T external factors it cannot control.

SWOT analysis is part of a risk management program in that by identifying potential threats it allows for contingency planning which may lessen or avoid detrimental situations. It also helps to identify potential opportunities which can be incorporated/planned into future plans.

Requirements:

You must outline the key issues of a SWOT analysis for ACA Travel's. It must tie in with your previous responses and helps to complete picture of ACA Travel Agency's marketing potential and potential dangers.

The report must contain the following content;

Research and develop an overall SWOT analysis listing at least 6 points for each S,W, O &T of your Product against your Direct Competitors.

Research and develop an overall SWOT analysis listing at least 6 points for each S,W, O &T of your Product against your In-Direct Competitors

The completeness of the content should reflect the relevant topic information and concepts as discussed in class lecture and the supplementary information online in E learning. Examples of satisfactory work are provided on E learning in the section for week 4, marked 'SWOT examples' and "Target Market report examples'.

Task 7 - Identifying Market Placement

Originally the Marketing was based on 4 P's Product, Price, Promotion and Place.

Place was defined in the marketing mix, as the process of moving products from the producer to the intended user is called place. In other words, it is how your product is bought and where it is bought. This movement could be through a combination of intermediaries such as distributors, wholesalers and retailers. In addition, a newer method is the internet which itself is a marketplace now. Through the use of the right place, a company can increase sales and maintain these over a longer period of time.

The term 'Place in the Market' is often used to describe where a product stands in comparison to its rivals. It can refer to comparisons on price - it is the cheapest/most expensive, etc., size- it is the largest/smallest, etc., It is the biggest market player/smallest market player, (referring to market share), or the newest or oldest product in the market place. The most varieties or least varieties of product is yet another means of measuring where a company is 'placed 'in the market.

Requirements

written report of delineating the market placement of ACA Travel in relation to its competitors. Use a description of the 7 p's of marketing. (see elearning for additional information)

The report must also include a description:

Price

Quality

Market share

New/Old

The overall content should reflect the relevant topic information and concepts as discussed in class lecture and the supplementary information available on elearning.

Part C - Target Market Segments

Task 8 - Current Target Market Segments

It is imperative that a company understand who its customers are. A successful company needs to know not only who is buying their product(s) but why they are buying their products, instead of the competitor's. ACA Travel Agency need to understand the buying motivation and buying influences that are applied by the consumers.

Requirements:

The owners have tasked you written report of outlining what target segments are currently purchasing products from ACA Travel Agency, based on the business plan.

The report must include;

A detailed description of who is currently buying your products.

oDemographics and the newer segmentation-reason for buying to fully describe the target segments currently buying from ACA Travel Agency.

A listing of search engine sites used to determine current buying statistics.

A listing of what any cultural influences that may be an issue for your customers.

A listing of all known buying influences for current consumers.

A listing of any know buying patterns for existing customers.

Task 9 - Future Target Market Segment Research

Requirements:

The owners want you to research and analyse the potential future target market segments written report of outlining what target segments ACA Travel Agency could look to expand its sales to.

Who may in the future buy ACA Travel Agency's products into the future.

The report must include;

A detailed description of who is currently buying your products.

oDemographics and the newer segmentation-reason for buying to fully describe the target segments currently buying from ACA Travel Agency.

A listing of search engine sites used to determine current buying statistics.

A listing of what any cultural influences that may be an issue for your customers.

A complete explanation of why you believe the identified target segments may be potential markets for ACA Travel's products.

A listing of what any cultural influences that may be an issue for these customers.

A listing of all known buying influences for new consumers.

A listing of any know buying patterns for both new customers.

An estimate (and listing of what statistics were used to make the estimate) for the size, how many potential customers, for each new market segment identified