Service Marketing

PART A

1. Define service.

        A service is an intangible benefit, activity or item offered to the customer. Services are non-physical and are provided by service providers such as hotels and banks.

  • Intangibility – Services are perceived as intangible due to their non-physical nature.
  • Inseparability – Inseparability means that services are simultaneously produced and consumed.
  • Heterogeneity – Heterogeneity means that the quality of services varies from one provider and location to another.

2. What is tactics?

        Tactics are the specific actions that marketers take to achieve their goals, such as acquiring and retaining customers. Tactics are smaller-scale actions that support a larger marketing strategy.Marketing tactics are interdependent with marketing strategy and should complement each other to achieve successful marketing. A marketing strategy is like a map, and tactics are the tools used to reach the destination.

3. What is a marketing plan?

        A marketing plan is a strategic guide that helps a business attract customers and achieve its goals through targeted marketing. It outlines how to promote and advertise a product or service, and includes the budget and resources needed to achieve the plan’s objectives.

4. What is marketing mix?

        A marketing mix is a strategic framework that a business uses to create a successful marketing campaign. It’s made up of a combination of elements, often referred to as the 4 Ps:

  • Product : The product being offered
  • Price : The amount a customer pays for the product
  • Place : Where the product is available
  • Promotion : How the product is promoted.

5. Define tourism.

        Tourism is the act of traveling to a new place for a short or temporary period of time. It is the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation, and pleasure while making use of the commercial provision of services. It is a product of modern social arrangements and personal or professional reasons.

6. List two don’ts of media handling.

        Two “don’ts” of media handling are: don’t ignore comments or interactions from your audience and don’t use overly promotional language in your communication; meaning you should always respond to comments and avoid constantly pushing your product without providing valuable content.

7. What is Persuasion?

        It is the ability to influence other people’s thoughts and opinions using convincing arguments and facts. Persuasion skills are necessary to help individuals consider alternative points of view in professional situations. The ability to persuade may prove beneficial in many job roles and business environments.

8. What is PR Planning?

        PR Planning refers to the process of strategically developing a plan to manage an organization’s public image by identifying target audiences, setting clear objectives, crafting key messages, and choosing appropriate communication tactics to achieve desired outcomes, essentially creating a roadmap for effectively communicating with the public about a company or brand.

9. What is Market segmentation?

        Market segmentation is the practice of dividing a larger market into smaller groups of consumers with similar characteristics, needs, or behaviors, allowing businesses to tailor their products, services, and marketing efforts to better meet the specific preferences of each target audience segment.

10. What are the causes of the crisis?

        Crises can be caused by several reasons like External Economic Attack. External Information Attack. Breakdowns, Psychopathology.

PART B

11(a) Write briefly about service quality.

Service quality is a measure of a business offering services and meeting various customer requirements and expectations. If the level of an organization’s service quality is high, it means that customers often find satisfaction in its services, which allows the business to possess a competitive advantage over its competitors. Learning about service quality can help you understand why it has an important role in service management and how it leads to customers.

Some factors of service quality:

  • Process quality : Also referred to as operational quality, this factor determines the quality of procedures involved in production processes.
  • Output quality : Also referred to as technical quality, this factor comes after production and determines what customers receive from service providers.
  • Physical quality : This focuses on the quality of the product that a customer receives or the quality of support for the products. Interaction quality: This factor involves relationships between customers and service providers where interactions happen via different communication channels.
  • Organization quality : The perception or the reputation of an organisation is organization quality where customers having faith in a brand is important. loyalty.

DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY

  • Reliability : This dimension of an organization’s service quality expands when its services remain reliable and consistent. With this, the organization offers great customer satisfaction. Reliability focuses on customer interaction, along with the delivery or execution of the goods or services. In terms of reliability, the organization also features quick and efficient problem resolution at a competitive price. A customer has certain expectations of reliable service when buying a product. When companies offer this service reliability, they help ensure that the service meets customer expectations, which may subsequently lead to business growth.
  • Tangibility : Tangibility is a company’s ability to portray its service quality attractively to its customers. It is a company’s functional quality that focuses on creating a good impression on customers. A company’s high tangible quality may result from the appearance of its different components, like headquarters or showrooms, outfits of its employees, the marketing materials or the customer service department. For instance, customers may perceive a company’s service quality as highly tangible if it has a modern design for its building, which is in a reputable and popular area.
  • Empathy : This dimension is an organization’s ability to offer its services in a manner that makes the company appear empathetic to its customers and their requirements. When a customer believes that a company truly values them, they are more likely to remain loyal to that company. A company may ensure empathy by offering individual attention to its customers. It also conveys to all its employees that they are necessary for the organization to understand the specific requirements of the customers and offer the best services accordingly.
  • Responsiveness : A company that offers services promptly to its customers can often ensure customer loyalty and improved business growth. This dimension of service quality focuses on acknowledging, analysing and quickly replying to customer requests, feedback, queries and issues. Responsiveness conveys to customers that the company acknowledges their feedback.
  • Assurance : Assurance is when customers have confidence in the services of an organisation. It has an important role in the services in which customers may not always have sufficient expertise. This means that there is an element of trust that customers possess in the servicing organisation’s ability to deliver. Organisations with a growth mindset tell their employees to make efforts that help them gain the trust of their customers, allowing them to achieve a higher level of customer retention.

11(b) Explain steps in product differentiation?

  1. Research your intended market

Conduct thorough research to determine what extra and unique you can offer in the same industry your competitors are offering. You can do this through customer surveys and interviews, and conducting competitive analysis. Once you are aware of the market that your product caters to, you can satisfy all your customers with offerings that your competitors are not able to.

  1. Develop your differentiators

What is your business’s mission statement? Make sure this statement is an integral part of developing your differentiators. Align your products with the needs of your target audience and understand what makes your brand appealing so that you can communicate the message to your audience while building the differentiators.

  1. Tell a compelling story

Tell a story that evokes your audience’s emotions and intent. This way, you can attract more customers to your business than your competitors. You might be wondering how to tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience. It’s simple.

Start mining your business’s journey that can help you uncover interesting nuggets that engage with your audience. If you have answers to certain questions, such as what your background is, what made you launch this business, or what makes you stay motivated to go to work every day, you can set yourself apart from competitors.

  1. Create brand messaging

Build a uniform brand identity and image across all platforms that reflects your differentiators. If you can do so, you can easily increase your product enquiries, and your prospects will become repeat customers.

  1. Collaborate with your team

By collaborating with your team and staying competitive in a dynamic landscape, you can reduce costs and accelerate the product’s time to market.

Exploring Product Differentiation in Business

An effective product differentiation strategy is developed after identifying and communicating the uniqueness of the product or the whole business. This strategy must also highlight all the features of competing choices, but with additional exclusive benefits no one offers.

Implement differentiation strategies while highlighting the distinction between your product and your competitors’ similar products. This will enable you to offer your product’s unique value proposition and showcase why it is a better fit

12(a) What is hospitality? what is its scope?

Hospitality is the act of being welcoming and accommodating, especially to strangers. It’s a key part of many businesses and social interactions and is often associated with the tourism and hospitality industry

Scope of Hospitality Management

The scope of hospitality management in Canada is wide. Following are a few examples of hospitality management job opportunities:

  • Event Planning : Organizing and planning various events such as concerts, weddings, birthdays, and conferences including their decor, etc.
  • Food and Beverage/ Catering Management : Managing cafes, restaurants and other dining locations’ menus, dishes, kitchen operations, etc.
  • Customer Service : Managing customer complaints, queries, etc. physically and/or online.
  • Accommodation Management : Managing efficient service for guests at hotels, lodging facilities, etc.
  • Sales and Marketing : Planning and creating ideas to attract customers and generate sales
  • Tourism : Providing necessary information and guidance to tourists, making plans, setting budgets, etc.

12(b) What are the characteristics of low-cost carriers?

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) have several characteristics, including:

  • Lower fares : LCCs offer lower fares than full-service airlines by cutting costs on traditional services.
  • Fewer comforts : LCCs offer fewer comforts than full-service airlines, such as reclining seats, spacious legroom, and jet ways.
  • Limited services : LCCs offer limited passenger services, and some services may incur additional charges. For example, LCCs may not provide baggage or offer food and drinks.
  • Promotional offers : LCCs often offer promotional fares and discounts.
  • Online sales : LCCs focus more on online sales.
  • Secondary airports : LCCs may use secondary airports.
  • Regional flights : LCCs may mainly offer regional flights.
  • Single-class service : LCCs typically offer single-class service.
  • Limited connecting flights : LCCs may offer no or rare connecting flights.
  • Limited loyalty programs : LCCs may have no or limited customer loyalty programs.

13(a) What are the do’s and don’ts of media handling?

  1. Choose the Platform That Suits You

Yes, the idea of being everywhere may sound logical if you are planning to be really well-known, but consider that if, for example, you are looking for new employees or partners, LinkedIn may be a better idea in this field than Twitter. At the same time, Instagram may be what you were looking for for making a bright appearance or generating advertisements. Know your strengths and compare them with what social media has to offer.

  1. Regularity Is Secret to Stable Audience Growth

Regular posting is one of the hot topics of social media do’s and don’ts. The thing here is not to over-post, as too much content can be irritating for the public. On the other hand, something like a timetable can be beneficial. It will assist you in keeping track of the quantity and being consistent in your social media actions.

During a recent Q&A session, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, shared insights on the optimal frequency for posting to foster growth on the platform. Specifically for Instagram Stories, he suggested that brands should aim to share a couple of stories daily.

  1. Produce Appealing Content

Make sure that the content you are generating meets the needs of your audience. To understand whether it resonates in people’s minds or not, you just have to read the comments below your posts. Don’t forget that unique content is what will attract clients to your page at all times. Also, the videos and photos published should be of high quality. And remember that taking somebody else’s data is never a good idea.

  1. Discover Your Unique Way to Communicate

The way you interact with people is fundamental in real life, and it doesn’t change in social media. Your tone of voice is also a part of your brand-building. Yes, probably, for some institutions, it is necessary to stay serious, but as a rule, customers like little jokes and some fun content. Anyway, everybody admires entertainment, so it definitely will be among social media do’s for business.

  1. Talk Less, Listen More

Guiding this principle is another aspect of social media advertising do’s and don’ts. Here you should be careful and deliberately choose the conversation that you want to join. Keep in mind that the reputation of companies and influencers with whom you are having a discussion will directly affect your positions, too. But generally, participating in social media talks is one of the best promotional ways. It is an opportunity to show your competence, knowledge and get noticed as a leader.

  1. React to Negative Opinions

Often the beginners think that answering negative comments isn’t necessary. Actually, it is ultimately the opposite, and that is why this advice sometimes appears among the do’s and don’ts of social media. In reality, reacting to negative opinions, you indicate to the customers that you can solve the problems and prevent yourself from spreading negative buzzes.

  1. Set Realistic Goals

This advice isn’t directly practical, like previous ones, but not less constructive. Understanding where you are moving and how fast is not a question of social media do’s and don’ts because it’s always done. If you plan to get ten hundred followers by the end of the month, it’s totally unrealistic. Fixing some more minor but real expectations will help you clearly see your progress and not be disappointed in the final.

  1. Monetize Your Account

Despite some negative thoughts about it, adding some promotions to your account will have only a positive effect. Organic advertising can be very profitable for both sides, clients and you. The same thing works for giveaways. Your followers receive recommendations and prizes from giveaways, and you get customer growth and, of course, money.

  1. Give More

In addition to the previous point, still, there is a rule utilizing which you will have a stable interest in your page. Of course, you aim to sell, but if you have more advertising content on your page than valuable information, that will only irritate users. Ensure that you are following the 80/20 – content/advertisements correlation, which is among the do’s and don’ts of social media for business.

  1. Business Is Business

When you are at the beginning of your social media journey, it seems a bit normal to post data about your brand on your personal page. But after a while, you start mixing your private information and work. And this is completely inappropriate. Entering a company account, clients expect to find what they are searching for, and they aren’t really interested in what you had for breakfast today.

DON’TS

  1. Don’t Show Yourself Needy

This one you have to remember once and for all because it’s the worst you can do in the do’s and don’ts of social media marketing. Never ask users to “follow us back, please”, or “retweet our post”. It’s not a strategy. It only indicates your incompetence and inability to attract people naturally.

  1. Don’t Spam

Keeping your hand on the pulse, and reacting on time to the latest news, is a great strategy, but pay attention to balance. Oversharing the content or posting ten posts a day can be really annoying. Also, mass following of the random users, and self-promotion on every corner, isn’t a panacea. As they say, the measure is a treasure.

  1. Don’t Hashtag Too Much

The next point in our do’s and don’ts of social media list are hashtags. They can be instrumental, as they assist in being highlighted in topics that are relevant for you and organizing posts on your page. Don’t make hashtags from every word, and don’t add useless hashtags unrelated to your business.

  1. Don’t Post the Same Content Everywhere

We know that creating absorbing content is complicated. But the problem of many companies is that they think that attaching the same posts across all the networks is a “that’s ok” thing. If you don’t have a resource to create completely opposed content, use these social media do’s and don’ts for business and try to “remake” it in a different style.

  1. Don’t Do Spelling Inaccuracies

There is no need to remind that orthography and grammar are the number one do’s and don’ts of social media posting. Writing with spelling mistakes not only repels customers but also makes them wonder if you can’t make a text without errors then it is a question of whether you can be competent in other areas. First of all, it’s your reputation, and don’t let such a trifle ruin it.

  1. Don’t Automate It All

Automation has penetrated all spheres of our life, and social media are an integral part of it. That is why, as an already technological product, social media needs this piece of humanity. Putting a robot on answering people’s comments and direct messages will likely make you less work, but nothing can replace real intercourse with an individual. It is one of the most controversial do’s and don’ts of social media.

  1. Don’t Share Without Fact-Checking

If you want to be an expert in the eyes of customers and followers, you have to become a useful source of information. Fact-checking is something that you should always do. This applies to any data from everyday posts to photos and videos shared by other users. Spreading the wrong information can turn off the buyers and display roughly on your brand image.

  1. Don’t Be Homespun

In the pursuit of sales and to gain as many followers as possible, fresh marketers often begin to forget about the quality of the content they produce. Be prepared that social media do’s and don’ts are the long run, and the trust and love of customers are the real value, which can save you in hard times.

  1. Don’t Promote Your Personal Feelings

This rule applies to everything, and to a greater extent to politics. It is excellent to have political preferences, but this can weed out many potential audiences, who might not share your views. Moreover, politics is always a controversial topic for discussion, so if you don’t want to have unsolicited comments under each post, it is better not to touch this subject.

  1. Don’t Compare Yourself with Others

Let’s make it clear: a healthy dose of comparison for an objective assessment and understanding at what level you are now is necessary and can be very practical. But what we are talking about, in do’s and don’ts social media, is your unique style and your own goals and expectations. Stop looking up to competitors all the time and go on your particular path.

13(b) What is the importance of electronic media?

Media that is broadcast by electronic devices, such as social media platforms, the internet, radio, and television, is referred to as electronic media. These media types enable the electronic delivery of information and entertainment to a sizable audience. Electronic media can be interactive, like the internet and social media, or broadcast, television, and radio.

They are crucial to contemporary communication and are now an integral part of many people’s daily lives worldwide. As more and more people now consume media on electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers, electronic media has grown in importance today. It provides an easy and simple approach to accessing a wide range of information and entertainment.

Importance of Electronic Media

The ability to deliver information and entertainment quickly and effectively to a large audience makes electronic media, including television, radio, the internet, and social media platforms, significant.

The capacity of electronic media to reach a vast audience quickly and effectively is one of its key advantages. As a result, it works well for exchanging ideas and information and for fostering relationships between people all over the world.

Traditional media, including print and broadcast, cannot provide the same level of interaction and two-way communication as electronic media. This interactivity enables individuals to communicate their ideas, viewpoints, and experiences with others while also encouraging increased audience involvement and participation.

Electronic media has also made it simpler for people and organisations to exchange information and resources, which has boosted access to opportunities, education, and information. Electronic media is essential to contemporary communication and has greatly influenced our culture and interactions.

Types of Electronic Media

There are several types of electronic media, including

  • Web-based media : This includes websites, blogs, social media platforms, and other online content.
  • Television : This includes traditional television programs, news, and commercials that are transmitted through airwaves or via cable or satellite.
  • Radio : This includes traditional radio programs, news, and commercials that are transmitted through the airwaves.
  • Podcasts : These audio programs are usually available for download or streaming online.
  • Music and video streaming services : These include platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix that allow users to stream music and video content online.
  • E-books and digital magazines : These are electronic versions of traditional books and magazines that can be accessed on electronic devices like tablets and e-readers.
  • Online news articles : These are news articles that are published online by news organizations and other media outlets.
  • Digital advertisements : These are advertisements that are displayed online or on electronic devices like smartphones and tablets.

Why Do People Use Electronic Media?

Utilizing electronic media serves as a mode of communication and information sharing through digital devices like computers, cell phones, and other gadgets. There are a variety of uses for electronic media, including:

  • Communication : Email, messaging apps, social media, and other platforms are common kinds of electronic media that people use to interact and communicate with one another.
  • Dissemination of information : Reaching a broad audience as quickly and effectively as possible with electronic media. This covers news, learning resources, and other content types.
  • Promotion : Businesses may reach and interact with potential consumers through electronic media. Social media marketing, email marketing, and internet advertising are all included in this.
  • Amusement : Electronic media, such as movies, music, and video games, is a well-liked source of entertainment.
  • Education : Electronic media may be a useful educational resource, giving users access to many data and tools for online learning.
  • E-commerce : The use of electronic media has made it simpler for both consumers and companies to conduct online sales of goods and services.

Communication and cooperation between individuals and teams can be facilitated by electronic media, enabling distant work and virtual meetings.

14(a) Explain SWOT Analysis.

SWOT analysis is a framework for identifying and analyzing an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These words make up the SWOT acronym.

The primary goal of SWOT analysis is to increase awareness of the factors that go into making a business decision or establishing a business strategy. To do this, SWOT analyzes the internal and external environment and the factors that can impact the viability of a decision.

Businesses commonly use SWOT analysis, but it is also used by nonprofit organizations and, to a lesser degree, individuals for personal assessment. SWOT is also used to assess initiatives, products or projects. As an example, CIOs could use SWOT to help create a strategic business planning template or perform a competitive analysis

Elements of a SWOT analysis

As its name states, a SWOT analysis examines four elements:

  1. Internal attributes and resources that support a successful outcome, such as a diverse product line, loyal customers or strong customer service.
  2. Internal factors and resources that make success more difficult to attain, such as a weak brand, excessive debt or inadequate staffing or training.
  3. External factors that the organization can capitalize on or take advantage of, such as favorable export tariffs, tax incentives or new enabling technologies.
  4. External factors that could jeopardize the entity’s success, such as increasing competition, weakening demand or an uncertain supply chain.

A SWOT matrix is often used to organize the items identified under each of these four elements. The matrix is usually a square divided into four quadrants, with each quadrant representing one of the specific elements. Decision-makers identify and list specific strengths in the first quadrant, weaknesses in the next, then opportunities, and, lastly, threats.Example of a SWOT analysis

The result of a SWOT analysis should be a chart or list of a subject’s characteristics.

The following is an example of a SWOT analysis of an imaginary retail employee:

  • Strengths: good communication skills, on time for shifts, handles customers well, gets along well with all departments, physical strength, good availability.
  • Weaknesses: takes long smoke breaks, has low technical skill, very prone to spending time chatting.
  • Opportunities: storefront worker, greeting customers and assisting them to find products, helping keep customers satisfied, assisting customers post-purchase and ensuring buying confidence, stocking shelves.
  • Threats: occasionally missing time during peak business due to breaks, sometimes too much time spent per customer post-sale, too much time in interdepartmental chat.

14(b) Explain aircraft accidents and their impacts.

Aviation accidents are not nearly as common as vehicle accidents, but they do occur. The general public typically does not hear about aviation accidents unless they involve major airlines or famous individuals on board. However, general aviation accidents, those involving what most people think of as “little planes,” occur in various ways. Here, we want to discuss the most common causes of general aviation accidents.

Pilot Error

Pilots are involved in every stage of flight for an aircraft, so it makes sense that pilot errors are a leading cause of accidents that do occur. Mind you, general aviation accidents are incredibly rare. However, a pilot error can occur at any point during the process.

A pilot error refers to an action or decision (or a failure to act or a failure to make a decision) on the part of the pilot that leads to a crash. There are various ways pilot errors can occur. This can include poor training, a lack of experience, pilot fatigue, and intoxication of alcohol or drugs.

Mechanical Error

Equipment failures account for approximately 20% of all aviation crashes. However, “mechanical failure” can occur in a wide variety of ways. This can include anything from total engine failure to poor repairs. For example, it is not uncommon for investigation results to come back after a plane crash saying that the incident occurred due to improper repairs that led to mechanical failure in the air.

Mechanical failure does not always lead to accidents in the air. Landing gear failure can lead to crashes on the ground. Improvements in manufacturing and design processes have made airplanes more reliable, but mechanical failure can still occur.

Weather Issues

Flying is immensely more dangerous in inclement weather. A study by the National Transportation Safety Board shows that more than two-thirds of all weather-related airplane crashes have been fatal. There are various types of weather that make flying more difficult, including snow, heavy rain, fog, and other natural elements. This is a major reason why flights get delayed so often. Airlines and pilots know that inclement weather increases safety risks.

Other Human Error

Pilots are not the only individuals responsible for the safe departure and arrival of airplanes. Other individuals play a significant role in air traffic safety. This includes maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, flight dispatchers, and more. Flight, whether we are talking about commercial aviation or general aviation, is an intricate “dance,” so to speak. All the individuals involved in this process must work together smoothly in order for a flight to be safe from beginning to end.

15(a) What are the components of communication?

Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.

The main components of the communication process are as follows:

  • Context – Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological, or cultural. Every communication proceeds with context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
  • Sender/Encoder – The Sender/Encoder is the person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance – a training manager conducts training for the new batch of employees. The sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and nonverbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining the interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender.
  • Message – A message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of the recipient. The communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
  • Medium – Medium is a means used to exchange/transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication.
  • For instance – Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
  • Recipient/Decoder – Recipient/Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended/aimed/targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
  • Feedback – Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender confirm the correct interpretation of the message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in the form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in the form of memos, reports, etc.

15(b) What are the alternatives to the PR process?

  1. Social Media Engagement: Utilizing social media platforms to engage with the audience, respond to their queries, and share valuable content.
  2. Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers who can help promote the brand to their followers.
  3. Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable content that resonates with the audience and positions the brand as a thought leader.
  4. Community Involvement: Participating in community events or initiatives to show the brand’s commitment to social responsibility.
  5. Crisis Management: Having a plan in place to handle any potential PR crises that could negatively impact the brand’s image.

PART – C

16(a) Define market segmentation. Why it is required in business?

Market segmentation is a marketing strategy that divides a broad target market into subsets of consumers with common needs, preferences, or characteristics. This approach allows businesses to tailor their marketing efforts and products to meet the specific needs of different groups. Segmentation can be based on various factors, such as:

  • Demographics (age, gender, income)
  • Firm graphic (for organizations & employees)
  • Geography (location, climate)
  • Psychographics (lifestyle, values)
  • Behavior (purchasing habits, product usage

Companies can more effectively address each group’s unique desires by focusing on distinct segments. This leads to more personalized marketing, improved customer satisfaction, and potentially increased sales and brand loyalty. Market segmentation is the practice of dividing a broader market into smaller, more focused groups of consumers based on shared characteristics like demographics, needs, behaviors, or geographic location, allowing businesses to tailor their marketing strategies and product offerings to better meet the specific needs of each segment, ultimately leading to more effective targeting and increased sales potential.

Why it’s required in business:

  • Better targeting: By understanding distinct customer segments, businesses can develop targeted marketing campaigns that resonate better with each group, maximizing the impact of their marketing efforts.
  • Optimized product development: Market segmentation insights can inform product development decisions, enabling companies to create products that cater to the specific needs and preferences of different customer segments.
  • Increased sales and revenue: By focusing on the most relevant customer segments, businesses can allocate resources more efficiently and generate higher sales from targeted marketing initiatives.
  • Improved customer satisfaction: Tailoring products and marketing messages to specific customer segments demonstrates a deeper understanding of their needs, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
  • Identify niche markets: Segmentation can reveal smaller, untapped market segments with unique needs that a business can cater to with specialized products or services.The importance of this strategy goes far beyond placing your target market into cohesive segments.

Customer retention

For starters, those cohesive customer segments will lead to great customer retention. Capturing customers at the beginning of a perfectly tailored customer journey will provide an excellent brand experience and increase the likelihood that they will stay loyal to your brand.

Market segmentation safeguards your brand. By slicing your target market into smaller and more manageable groups, you’re not just optimizing your efforts but also building a stronghold against negative experiences. It helps you outpace negative experiences with positive interactions and prevent potential brand defection before it even begins.

Grow your business

Market segmentation can help you discover new ways to reach your current customers but also help you find new markets of potential customers you haven’t previously reached. Analyzing your customers in-depth will help you uncover unknown needs or problems that they face that your brand can solve.

This discovery can lead to new product lines, rebrands, or new brands, all to catapult the growth of your business by appealing to your current customers better, as well as new consumers that were previously uninterested.

Lower spend rate

If you know how to speak to your customers correctly, you’re more efficient with your efforts, which means you spend less money. It’s as simple as that.

16(b) What is a marketing plan? What is its role, scope, and features?

A marketing plan is an operational document that outlines an advertising strategy that an organization will implement to generate leads and reach its target market. It details the outreach and PR campaigns to be undertaken and for how long, as well as how the company will measure the effect of these initiatives. It reflects a company’s overall marketing strategy.

The components of a marketing plan include:

  • Market research – This provides information to support pricing decisions and new market entries.
  • Tailored messaging – This involves targeting certain demographics and geographic areas and can include the use of affiliate marketing with third-party publishers who bring customers to the table.
  • Platform selection – This looks at the best vehicles for disseminating product information for each advertising campaign: traditional venues such as radio, TV, newspapers, and commercial and trade magazines; digital methods such as websites, online ads, search engine results, informational videos, social media groups (Facebook, YouTube, etc.), email, and text messages; or any mix of these platforms.
  • Performance metrics – Metrics accurately assess the results of marketing efforts and their reporting timelines and are crucial to the success of the plan.

Types of Marketing Plans :

There are a variety of marketing plans that suit different businesses and their needs. These include

  • Product Launch – A product-launch marketing plan outlines how a new product will enter the market, the audience it will target, and the advertising methods used.
  • Social Media – A social media marketing plan focuses on the advertising strategies on different social media platforms and how to engage with their users.
  • Time-Based – Time-based marketing plans, such as those that are executed quarterly or annually, focus on the time of the year, the current condition of the business, and the best strategies in that period.
  • Content-Based – A content-based marketing plan looks in detail at what kinds of content (blogs, videos, graphics, etc.) will reach the target audience.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – An SEO marketing plan is all about getting the most hits online. It involves keyword research, content optimization, link building, and more, all to draw customers to your website. The scope of a marketing plan is the range of activities that marketing covers. It outlines how a business will support its goals through marketing, and includes a timeline for completing those activities.

Here are some things that a marketing plan might include:

  • Marketing environment analysis: This includes market research, competitor analysis, and studying new business trends.
  • Customer needs assessment: This involves understanding the needs of your target audience.
  • Positioning and messaging: This includes developing the strategy for how you’ll communicate with your audience.
  • Goals: This includes setting company and marketing goals.
  • Budget: This includes determining how much you’ll spend on marketing.
  • Marketing campaigns: This includes developing the campaigns that will help you achieve your goals.

Marketing plans also help integrate business functions, such as sales, production, finance, human resources, and marketing. A marketing plan should include the following features:

  • Marketing strategy : The approach you’ll take to reach customers and get them to buy your products or services.
  • Target market : A detailed analysis of your target customers, including their demographics and interests.
  • Market research : Data about the market you’re in, including market dynamics, patterns, customers, and sales volume.
  • Marketing goals : Realistic and measurable goals that are aligned with your business plan. Common goals include increasing sales and growing your customer base.
  • Product : A deep understanding of your product or service, including its features, benefits, and unique selling proposition (USP).
  • Target audience : A clear understanding of who your target customers are and what language to use to speak to them.
  • Positioning : A unique and effective market position to help you stand out from competitors and build customer loyalty.
  • Competition analysis : Information about your competitors, including their price points and target market segments.
  • Budget allocation : A budget for various marketing activities.
  • Timelines and milestones : A timeline for implementing your marketing strategies, along with milestones to track progress.

17(a) What are the 7 C’s of travel service marketing?

  1. Customer Focus: Placing the customer at the center of all marketing decisions, understanding their needs and desires to tailor travel packages accordingly.
  2. Consistency: Maintaining a consistent brand identity across all marketing materials and customer interactions to build trust and recognition.
  3. Creativity: Developing unique and innovative travel experiences to stand out from competitors and attract customers.
  4. Culture: Respecting and understanding the cultural nuances of destinations to provide authentic and sensitive travel experiences.
  5. Communication: Clearly and effectively communicating information about travel packages, pricing, and policies to customers through various channels.
  6. Convenience: Making booking and travel processes as easy as possible for customers, including online booking options and readily available customer support.
  7. Channel: Selecting the most appropriate marketing channels to reach the target audience, whether it be online platforms, social media, travel agencies, or direct marketing.

17(b) Write a brief about airport operators.

Airport operator

An airport operator is a person or entity that manages or operates an airport. Some airport operators include:

  • Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad: A top airport operator in the world that manages 39 airports in Malaysia, including 5 international airports, and one international airport in Turkey
  • Aena: The world’s top airport operator in terms of passenger traffic
  • International Airports Authority of India (IAAI): Manages India’s international airports
  • National Airports Authority of India (NAAI): Manages India’s domestic airports. In the United States, all but one commercial airport are owned and operated by public entities, such as local, regional, or state authorities.
  • Some airport operations include: Overseeing the day-to-day functionality of the airport, Monitoring airport operations systems, Ensuring safety and security, and Coordinating ground traffic on active runways.

To become an airport operator, you can:

  • Earn a bachelor’s degree in aviation management or a related field
  • Seek internships or entry-level positions at airports or aviation companies
  • Obtain certifications such as Airport Operations or Airfield Safety

AIR OPERATORS

Air operators are categorized under four groups; namely airline, air taxi, general aviation, and balloon operators. The operators, which satisfy the requirements prescribed by the regulations, carry out and perform transportation activities under the air operator’s certificate granted by our Directorate General.

18(a) What is public relations? What are the challenges of public relations professionals?

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing how information about a person or company is shared with the public and media. PR professionals use strategies and techniques to Share important company news and events, maintain a positive brand image, and Minimize the impact of negative events.

What are the different public relations challenges the world is facing?

  1. Proving that it is valuable

One of the biggest public relation issues businesses face is in terms of proving the value and demonstrating the ROI. In a 2020 JOTW Communications Survey, it was found that it becomes difficult for PR reps to to measure the impact the PR activity has created. What this problem arises out of is the lack of knowledge in terms of what has to be tracked in the first place.

The solution to this public relation issues is to create a system that takes in effort, engagement, and the outcome – something that you can do simply with the help of a project management tool or even excel and a UTM link.

  1. Maintaining face-to-face relationships

COVID has limited people to their homes behind a screen, the in-office meetings have been replaced by Zoom calls with multiple distractive events happening in the background. This drastic reduction in meeting face to face has led to PR companies losing out on their ongoing clients, while making it difficult to make new ones.

The solution to this can purely be to up your networking game. Get on a call with the existing clients to touch base with what has been going on in their life, how they are planning to move infront business-wise and give them impromptu solutions and ideas to flourish in the post-pandemic world.

  1. Explaining the importance of communication to the executives

People who make it to the executive team come from a range of different backgrounds and skill sets, with marketing and communication not being a must-have skill. For businesses whose executives are not well-versed in communications, it becomes different for the PR team to educate them of what’s what and why it’s important.

The solution to this one of the most pestering public relations problems is only one – be simple when it comes to explaining a concept to the executives who come from a non-marketing background and be ready to be repetitive. The more you help them understand communications, the more you will earn their respect.

  1. The facelessness nature of social media

One of the biggest PR challenges that I see in the current time and world is the mob-like nature of faceless social media. People are too quick to create an image and react to things in an almost mob-like behaviour, giving businesses little to no time to do crisis management. It is one of those challenges of public relations in which businesses are holding themselves back from employing a PR team in-house in the first place.

The solution to this most universal challenges of PR is to be as politically correct as possible. And in the instances where you slip through, choose an approach between not ignoring the backlash entirely and not indulging with every comment.

  1. Extended roles

There was once a time when PR teams had to only connect with media houses and pitch the story. But now, the job description of a PR person revolves around end to end work – finding the best media houses, writing content, creating creatives and collaterals, and maintaining relations with the media agencies and influencers.

This extended role is posing as one of key problems of public relations for the people employed in the role. The public relation solution to this particular issue is prioritizing what is important and what can be kept in the long-term bucket. The key here, however, would be to take the call on the basis of the activity that will give the most returns.

  1. Having a lot of unorganized data

Today, the data that the public relations effort is made up of is spread across a range of different platforms. Businesses have data coming in from social media, websites, emails, comments on forums and what not.

The solution to this public relation issue is simply to get the right set of tools and people to organize the data in a way that it is not just understandable but also easy to track and analyze.

Other five public relations challenges:

Hiring the best people for the next generation of PR professional

Throughout my 25 years career in public relations, I have been witness the evolution of public relations development in Indonesia. When I was starting out in the early 1990s, a the head of public relations unit at the Trisakti University, the role of public relations was merely technical function as such promotion and publicity, press releases, documentation and organizing ceremonies.

Now, the communication landscape has changed dramatically. Competition, globalization, technology and other advances in the business world, they create these changes. With the ever-expanding role of public relations professional: a counselor, strategist, business expert, marketing guru, media specialist – it brings more significant need to attract the right person to move into a more strategic level where a PR professional should focus on diversity function. For more senior level, a candidate with a degree in communication is no longer suitable to sit at the managerial position, let alone, on the decision making table as the profession demands it. Company should seek people with a variety of talents : in business, in marketing with global mindset, a strategist with research knowledge and skills to be able to analyze the environments that will have an impact toward the organization he or she works with. In short, a PR professional should think, speak and do as a manager, rather than as a communicator alone – and only by understanding the management, thus a PR person can be an effective person that could be expected to contribute significantly to the bottom line of an organization.

Educating the business community about the real value of PR

Most people know that ‘public relations’ term is a means of marketing tools. When I asked some senior executives in company they stated that the most important task for PR people is to avoid negative publicity of the company. Therefore, media relations seems to be the core value of PR. Once you learn public relations beyond marketing concept, you will have a tremendous opportunity to develop this concept whether you are working in government offices, private companies, or NGO. The real values of PR seem to be somewhere hidden in the minds of PR professionals. They forget to educate business community or society at large. Being a management function, public relations can never stand alone. This concept offers wider and more strategic thinking while the application requires management support. Public relations beyond Marketing is fundamentally a strategic communication concept directed to the targeted audience by using multi-communication channels to achieve change in attitude – prior to buy a product or service – tangible or intangible goods such as leadership, influence, trust and reputation. In short, the real value of PR is to create people’s change behavior – not to produce brochures, or events that costs a substantial amount of resources. Once PR can change people’s behavior, that is the success. Public relations is the agent of Change.

EGA briefings is here as Your Partner in Change. We listen, we analyze, we talk to your senior management team, and we recommend you on how to develop PR into a more strategic function.

Developing a culture of success

Culture is difficult to talk about as you can neither touch, nor see it. Culture is what an organization or company believes and how it behaves. It is manifested in many different ways. We in EGA briefings, are committed to put highly on the quality rather than quantity. For the past 10 years, we organize Public Relations Week Indonesia (2005-2014), as we believe that a culture of success must be inspirational for those PR stakeholders : the management, practitioners, academia, media and the students alike. A culture of success inspires people to do the best. To be the best in our profession and to set a certain standard of achievement. Anyone wants to be associated with excellence and we all want the challenges of gaining that exclusive reputation.

In 2012, we initiated the International Public Relations Summit, being the premier of public relations conference in the Asian region. Rather than promoting international conference domestically which requires hundreds of dollars to attend, we bring the best people – the gurus, academic experts and world-class speakers of public relations to Indonesia. A culture of success must be motivational as it sets a high standard of excellence in providing recent trends, latest challenges, conceptual development, updating strategies and skills, encouraging research, measurement and evaluation. So the key factors of success are inspirational, motivational, excellence and measurable.

Socially and personally responsibility

As a public relations professional, we are facing with the simple truth: Integrity.

We have been undergoing business climate change and witnessed so many companies fall into serious lapses of their leaders and their senior executives. Corporate misbehavior, greed, private deals, partnership, global tension that all caused by the absence of integrity. In public relations, once you lose you integrity, you are losing the deal. Does it happen in Indonesia? Is there any link between integrity and behavior or communication and reputation? Too many to mention, people often forget that integrity should start from the top of any organization.

No trust begins from outsiders. Internal public relations will help you creating intensive collaborative effort in practicing more transparency on daily basis, such as top management, senior management, and employees at all levels. As public relations is the agent of change, it can bring the aura of integrity and trust, participation and empowerment, fairness and diversity as well as social responsibility to internal public that can be facilitated by the synergy of human resource and public relations departments.

Communicating in a globalized world

The world is globalized more than we can image. We have very limited capacity to cope with the impact of this globalized world. The supply and demand, the market, the competition no longer happen in several countries, they are in global scope. On the contrary, public relations practitioners must face the fragmentation of media, the re-grouping of stakeholders, the ever increasing public scrutiny on organization and the leader. With the raising of citizen journalism, local news within one second can become a global issue being blown up by social media networks. Should you rely on your communication skills alone – you will be left behind. Am I losing my job in the near future?

  • Communicate your position on issues in national and international perspectives.
  • Demonstrate your track record. Try to find challenges and stay alert.
  • Focus more on business or organization goals and objectives by demonstrating the changes on public perception of your company rather than claiming success of your PR activities.

18(b) What is electronic media? What is its importance and features?

Electronic media is the media that one can share on any electronic device for the audiences viewing, unlike static media (Printing) electronic media is broadcasted to the wider community. Examples of Electronic media are things such as the television the radio, or the wide internet.

Purpose of using Electronic media:

The purpose of using electronic media can be for many reasons, one of the reasons is that you can use it to market yourself and anything else from businesses to products and so on. Electronic media is an efficient way to communicate to one another, either by the use of media devices and networks or social media sources such as Television or the Internet these are a few of the many ways you can use Electronic media to your advantage.

Different types of Electronic media:

There is a wide range of Electronic media that broadcast a variety of different things like advertisements and promotions. Different Electronic media types are below:

  1. Television : Television is one of the most used Electronic media devices because franchises can pay for advertisements to show millions of people, thus bringing in more business for the franchise owner.
  2. Radio : The Radio is similar but does not give the audience visuals, just sound. This method of Electronic media can be effective and much more affordable than Television but does not engage the listeners as much as visual ads.
  3. Internet : The Internet is one of the most profitable Electronic media devices, with a single click of a button ads will fill the webpage and is definite to catch a few glimpses for fellow web surfers. This not only spreads through Electronic media but can profit the creator of the web page throughout time.
  4. Shops : Shops have Electronic media in most places, whether it be on an electric billboard or ATM screen Electronic media is sure to be in almost everywhere you go.

Types of Electronic Media

There are several types of electronic media, including

  • Web-based media: This includes websites, blogs, social media platforms, and other online content.
  • Television: This includes traditional television programs, news, and commercials that are transmitted through airwaves or via cable or satellite.
  • Radio: This includes traditional radio programs, news, and commercials that are transmitted through the airwaves.
  • Podcasts: These audio programs are usually available for download or streaming online.
  • Music and video streaming services: These include platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix that allow users to stream music and video content online.
  • E-books and digital magazines: These are electronic versions of traditional books and magazines that can be accessed on electronic devices like tablets and e-readers.
  • Online news articles: These are news articles that are published online by news organisations and other media outlets.
  • Digital advertisements: These are advertisements that are displayed online or on electronic devices like smartphones and tablets.

Why Do People Use Electronic Media?

Utilising electronic media serves as a mode of communication and information sharing through digital devices like computers, cell phones, and other gadgets. There are a variety of uses for electronic media, including:

  • Communication: Email, messaging apps, social media, and other platforms are common kinds of electronic media that people use to interact and communicate with one another.
  • Dissemination of information: Reaching a broad audience quickly and effectively as possible with electronic media. This covers news, learning resources, and other content types.
  • Promotion: Businesses may reach and interact with potential consumers through electronic media. Social media marketing, email marketing, and internet advertising are all included in this.
  • Amusement: Electronic media, such as movies, music, and video games, is a well-liked source of entertainment.
  • Education: Electronic media may be a useful educational resource, giving users access to many data and tools for online learning.
  • E-commerce: The use of electronic media has made it simpler for both consumers and companies to conduct online sales of goods and services.

Communication and cooperation between individuals and teams can be facilitated by electronic media, enabling distant work and virtual meetings.

The Popularity of Electronic Media

  • The ability to see, hear, and read electronic material is its most notable characteristic. Because customers may also learn information by viewing videos or listening to audio versions, literacy is not necessary for understanding information through electronic media.
  • Electronic media is available live and on-demand around the clock; you may quickly get news or business updates on your smartphone, television, or news channel. Since electronic media does not use paper, it is environmentally beneficial.
  • Even after they have been published, electronic media can still be edited. For instance, we may still edit a published article, picture, or video. The quick interchange of ideas made possible by electronic media makes them the perfect medium for communication.

Electronic Media in Future

Although it is difficult to foresee exactly how electronic media will change, it will probably greatly impact our lives. Future trends and advancements in electronic media might include the following:

  • Increasing usage of artificial intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) will probably be used more and more in electronic media to improve and customise the user experience. A user’s interests can be used to promote material, improve search results, and help with chores like translation.
  • Virtual and augmented reality will be more fully incorporated into media: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are anticipated to increase and be more fully included in electronic media. The uses of VR and AR for gaming, education, and other purposes may fall under this category.
  • Streaming services: will certainly continue to gain popularity and might eventually displace traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions. Examples of this include Netflix and Hulu.
  • Wider use of 5G technology: In the upcoming years, 5G technology is anticipated to become more generally accessible, enabling quicker and more dependable internet connections and creating new apps and services.
  • Greater emphasis on cybersecurity: To guard against online dangers and data breaches, there will undoubtedly be increasing emphasis on cybersecurity as electronic media becomes more pervasive and interwoven into our daily lives.

Social media platforms will probably keep evolving and might even start integrating more seamlessly with other digital media, such as messaging applications and streaming services.

Advantages of Electronic Media

  • The ability to view, hear, and read electronic material is by far its greatest benefit.
  • To read the content in print media, the reader must be literate. While customers may also learn information through viewing films or listening to audio versions, they do not need to be literate to do so.
  • Electronic media is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, live; you may quickly get news or business updates on your smartphone, television, or news channel.
  • The largest contribution to the world becoming a global village is made by electronic media. This implies that individuals have simple access to knowledge about many global regions.
  • Since electronic media does not use paper, it is environmentally beneficial.
  • Electronic media are affordable. Print media costs more for readers to subscribe to than electronic media. For instance, for the price of one printed book, you may listen to thousands of novels now via audio book sites.
  • Even after they have been published, electronic media can still be edited. For instance, we may still edit a published article, picture, or video.
  • The print media’s audience is constrained. It exclusively addresses the specific nation or area. For instance, whereas electronic media has a global audience, newspapers and periodicals are issued according to a country or a specific region. Once it has been broadcast, anybody may watch, listen to, and read it.
  • Due to visuals, photos, and videos, learning anything through electronic media is simple.
  • The awareness-raising power of electronic media cannot be overstated. Today’s electronic media have surpassed print media’s influence on education. For instance, we can now learn anything through the internet, which was previously impossible.
  • Electronic media advertising is highly affordable and simple; for instance, you can current market your items very cheaply through Facebook, Google, and YouTube. In addition, you may focus on clients based on their gender and age.
  • The quick interchange of ideas made possible by electronic media makes them the perfect medium for communication.
  • Electronic media make it far simpler and less expensive to disseminate information or knowledge than print media.

Disadvantages of Electronic Media

The following are some drawbacks of electronic media:

  • Electronic media is dependent on technology, and when there are technical problems, accessing the media may be challenging or impossible.
  • Compared to in-person communication, electronic media offer less physical interaction, which can result in a lack of nonverbal indicators and a feeling of separation.
  • Electronic media frequently appeals to attention span limitations and promotes surface-level involvement rather than in-depth comprehension.
  • Misinformation may spread readily through electronic media since it is simple to share information without confirming its truth.
  • Privacy invasion, because personal information may be gathered and tracked, electronic media may infringe on a person’s privacy.
  • Harmful effects on mental health: Studies have indicated that excessive use of electronic media can harm mental health, including a rise in the risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties.
  • Electronic media may cause personal relationships to fall apart and prevent face-to-face contact, which is necessary for creating and maintaining social ties.