Practical Application of Marketing Communications

LUXURY VIBES

Luxury Vibes: Questions 1-3

1. What is your team’s product/service? Provide a brief description.

Company name: Luxury Vibes

My team’s service happens to be a bed and breakfast Inn. This particular business is located in downtown San Diego, California. It is important to note that the Luxury Vibes idea came into existence following the identification of opportunities for a luxurious bed and breakfast that offers services synonymous with those of large luxurious hotels, but still maintaining a closely-knot ‘family setup. Although there is no shortage of bed and breakfast inns in the town, Luxury Vibes seeks to be unique by ensuring that its clientele has access to an experience that could be described as incredible, i.e. by ensuring that their stay feels like a family setting stay. It is for this reason that at this moment, the enterprise has a total of only ten rooms. Guests also have access to a wide range of other services to further their luxurious experience. These are inclusive of Jeep Wranglers (for rent to guests), paddle boats, as well as jet skis.

2. Who is your primary target market? Provide a brief description.

From a general perspective, the company seeks to cater for the needs of a carefully selected clientele that happens to be largely inclusive of local people, business owners, and tourists (local and international). However, to a large extent, the primary market for this particular enterprise is tourists. This is more so the case given that San Diego happens to be a prime tourist destination. In essence, tourists staying in San Diego have access to a wide range of tourist sites. For this reason, the need for a hotel that caters to the unique needs of tourists visiting the city, while giving them an experience that could be deemed memorable, has been established.

3. Talk about your “integrated marketing communications” plan for your primary target market for your specific product by responding to the following:

o What are three main objectives for your IMC?

Our IMC has a number of objectives. The three main objectives have been identified below;

a) To ensure that our target audience (i.e. the target market) is aware of our service.

Without a robust IMC in place, there will be no way for the target audience to be aware of our existence. This is more so the case given that San Diego has a wide range of other B & B establishments.

b) To ensure that our target audience is familiar with the various services and amenities we have to offer

Notifying our target market of our existence is not enough. We have to demonstrate that we are different from our competitors. Our IMC will be crucial in this regard, i.e. in terms of showcasing our specialties and unique aspects.

c) To ensure that our engagements with the target audience are strategic, well-directed, and measurable

This is more of an inward-focused objective. An IMC will ensure that all the relevant departments and stakeholders are involved or engaged in efforts to meaningfully engage the target customer or audience.

o What is the main message you need to convey?

The main message that we need to convey in the particular case is that thanks to Luxury vibes, customers have access to a wide range of unique and memorable experiences. More specifically, we intend to demonstrate that we are different from other players in the market – specifically in San Diego. On this front we intent to highlight our closely-knit operational aspect format that is intended to ensure that customer stay at Luxury Vibes feels like a family setting stay. Thus, our central message will be that we have more to offer than just the traditional bed and breakfast experience.

o Describe the modes (at least two) of communications you will use to reach your objectives and convey your message accurately (advertisement, sales promo, PR, direct mail and/or one-on-one sales) to introduce your product to the marketplace. And, talk to why you have chosen these modes of communications.

There are various modes of communications that could be deployed on this front. Some of the main modes of communication routinely deployed in business settings, according to Kotler and Keller (2012), are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; personal selling, direct marketing, digital marketing, and advertising. In the present context, two modes will be deployed; i.e. advertisement and sales promotions. To begin with, in as far as advertising is concerned, both traditional approaches and contemporary approaches to advertising will be deployed. When it comes to traditional approaches, magazines (print) will come in handy – i.e. with regard to travel and holiday magazines. Digital advertising formats will also be embraced. In this case, the relevant content will be availed via the various online digital platforms like mobile apps. In essence, advertising, as Stone (2007) indicates, “has always held the promise of reaching these mass audiences” (163). On the other hand, when it comes to sales promotions, this will involve engaging in direct interactions with clientele and offering them discounts, gift vouchers, etc. One key upside of this particular mode happens to be the establishment of brand royalty.

o What media (at least two) will you use for your communications pieces (TV, radio, print, social, other)? Why do you think these media are optimal for your message?

For our communication pieces, we shall make use of social media and print media. Social media has been selected as a result of the promise it holds as far as reach is concerned. Unlike print media, for instance, social media has the capability of reaching to more people over a short periods of time (Blythe and Martin, 2019). Further, social media is not often limited by geographical boundaries. The need has also been established to reach out to a younger clientele. This follows the realization that this is a rather promising segment in as far as interest in vacationing is concerned. Print media has been selected owing to the fact that it still remains relevant in the tour and travel realm. For instance travel brochures still litter most travel agent and airport lounges today.