DEVELOPING MARKETING RESOURCES

Once you have established your perfect tourism business, the challenge to sell your product to attract visitors begins.

Advertising, printed material, the internet, public relations and media exposure are the communication resources you could use to showcase your product to potential customers. International visitors and trade are exposed to a wealth of information, and you want your business to stand out from the crowd.

Where to begin

Your marketing and communications need to emphasise your point of difference. What are the benefits that customers will experience with your product that they wouldn’t in any other? What is your point of difference?

Your collateral should focus on your unique selling points and highlight any advantages you have over your competitors. The quality of your material should also be of a high standard to attract the international visitor. Remember to include any industry accreditations such as Qualmark©.

Remember that first impressions always count.

Brand

Establishing your brand is one of the most important aspects of promoting your product. It will help consumers identify with your product.

Your brand must reflect what it is you do. Your brand will usually consist of your product name and your logo; sometimes it might also include a tagline (slogan). Your brand should be consistent across all the marketing material associated with your product.

Intellectual Property

When you are setting up a business, it is very important to think about the intellectual property of your business. This is about more than just the company name. It is about the goodwill of your company and the reputation that you have or intend to build up.

If you do not protect your brand, you open yourself up for others to start companies which then benefit from your hard work.

Check the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand website www.iponz.govt.nz. This has a searchable trademarks and patents area so you can see if anyone else has already tried to trademark your brand. You may also like to check www.freeparking.co.nz that the domain name you would like for your website for your company is not already in use.

What is the best way to promote your product?

There is a range of marketing tools you can use to promote your product - and a mix of a few will probably be the best fit for your business.

Most visitors will use a number of different sources to plan their travels, so diversifying your marketing spend is important. It’s also important to look for the communication tools that your target market is most likely to use.

Do your visitors plan ahead and do research before they arrive? If so, it could be that getting your website up and running and linking with the right regional and international sites is your top marketing priority.

On the other hand, if your target market is likely to make spontaneous decisions, getting your brochures into your closest i-SITE Visitor Centre, and local retailers and accommodation providers could be the best way to encourage business.

Tourism New Zealand’s target market tends to use websites, guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Frommers and travel agents prior to arriving in New Zealand to help them plan their trip.

Once in New Zealand Interactive Traveller© are also high users of the i-SITE Visitor Centres. For location details of i-SITE centres visit www.i-SITE.org

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool.

It’s an old saying - but it’s definitely true for tourism. Creating good word of mouth for your business is the cheapest, and often the most effective, way of getting your message out there.

The only way to create this positive impression is to deliver consistently high-quality experiences, so your customers go home raving about their time with you.

Getting this step right at the start will pay dividends as your business develops.

Looking for independent analysis of your business, and suggestions on how it could improve? A Qualmark© assessment will give you not only a marketing advantage, but also independent business development advice. Visit www.qualmark.co.nz for more information.

Printed Material

Brochures

Brochures are a good first marketing step. While you don’t need to spend a lot on them, it’s important they are consistent with your brand, include high-quality images and are professionally produced.

Your brochure needs to carry enough information to motivate customers to choose your business, and give them the details they need to book it.

Try and make the traveller’s purchasing decision as easy as possible. Keep your information relevant, clear and concise, and don’t forget to list all contact details including opening hours and clear details
of where you are located.

If you haven’t worked with a printer before, shop around and get some quotes. Some printers will also handle the design of your brochure.

You’ll need to brief them on your target market, specify where the brochure is to be distributed, and provide them with your wording and images ready for print. Be careful not to oversell your product with your words.

When choosing how your brochure will look, do some research at your local i-SITE Visitor Centre, and talk to staff about which brochures work best. You’ll want to choose a size that is easy to display (usually DLE), and ensure your name is prominent, along with accreditations.

Make sure your Qualmark© accreditation is displayed clearly on the front cover as this identifies you as a quality product and demonstrates that you have been independently assessed as a quality tourism business.

Getting the simple things right

• If you plan to distribute your brochure through visitor centres or brochure racks, make sure your name isn’t covered by the stand/rack. This means the top quarter of the brochure cover becomes very important.

• Make sure you have a map clearly showing which region your business is in.

• Remember not everyone will be familiar with your area (or even New Zealand) so step-by-step details of how to find your business could be useful. Test your location map with a non-local before including it in your brochure.

• Don’t get thousands printed as details are likely to change.

• Include the area code, and +64 for New Zealand on your phone and fax details in the international format if you plan to distribute your brochure offshore, ie. (+64 3) 123 4567.

• Give customers an idea of how far in advance they will need to book.

• Don’t forget to include your Unique Selling Points.

• Remember that "a good picture tells a thousand words".

• Ensure your photographs are compelling and relevant. For example, show people enjoying your experience.

• Use short sentences, and remember some of your clients might have English as a second language.

Make sure that the information in your brochure is consistent with your website.

Before you go to your printer also work out the:

• size of your brochure

• number of colours (full colour is usually more expensive, but also more effective)

• quantity to print

• deadline.

Also make sure you arrange to sign off each step of the process, and even consider an independent proof-reader, so you don’t run the risk of any embarrassing typos.

If this is your first brochure, or your business has just started, it might be wise to do only a small quantity in your first print, particularly if you are including prices for your product.

Your prices need to be valid for the circulation life of your brochure. You have responsibilities under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 to provide accurate product information to potential customers, so don’t make claims you can’t live up to.

Visit www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz for information on your legal responsibilities to customers.

Distributing your brochures

Funds should be included in your marketing budget for distribution, and give some thought to this aspect, as there is nothing worse than having boxes of your fantastic new brochure sitting around, with no distribution in place.

You should distribute your brochure at places your target market is likely to visit.

Your local i-SITE Visitor Centre is a must and you might also like to consider neighbouring i-SITEs, particularly if you have an idea of the travel patterns of your target market.

Most i-SITEs charge to stock and display your brochure.

65% of i-SITE users intend to make a booking based on the brochures and information obtained from an i-SITE Visitor Centre.

Source: VIN Inc Consumer Research 2005

You’ll also want to distribute your brochure through like-minded businesses. For example, if you are an activity provider target the accommodation in your region where your visitors are likely to stay, and vice versa.

Images

For all of your marketing, you’ll need excellent, high-quality images, and it is recommended that you use a professional photographer.

Generally your images should be presented on a branded CD Rom, and also be available to be sent by email.

The standards for print quality images are:

• Jpeg format

• 300 dpi (high resolution).

Your images should capture your Unique Selling Points, what makes your experience different from other tourism activities. It’s also a good idea to show people enjoying the activity or place that features in your product.

Engaging with your i-SITE

i-SITE Visitor Centres are an effective distribution channel that can help to increase your profile and turnover. If you are starting out in the tourism business,
your i-SITE is a great first step to display your brochures and keep up to date with your competitors’ products.

• It is recommended that you familiarise centre staff with your product or service; they’ll be better able to sell it if they have first-hand knowledge.

• Start building a relationship with your local i-SITE.

• Arrange a meeting with each centre manager in your region - find out more about what they do and let them know what you do.

• Deliver information in person so you can update staff on new developments and meet new staff.

• Provide feedback to i-SITEs on the type of person that most enjoys your product or service.

• If you are an accommodation provider keep in contact with your local i-SITE about the availability of beds, especially over busy months, and with events in the region.

• Keep your local i-SITE informed about your operating hours, if you are going away on holiday and any price changes. Make sure they know you.

• Display your brochures in the information racks.

• Most of all have fun and enjoy meeting people!

i-SITE's Tips

i-SITEs are frontline information providers. For i-SITE Visitor Centre contact details around New Zealand visit www.i-SITE.org . The following tips from i-SITE staff will help you engage with more effectively with the centres.

• Install an answerphone or obtain a cellphone. If people can’t get hold of you except for at night, you won’t get bookings. If you are reliable, easy to contact and willing to take customers at short notice, you are more likely to get bookings.

• Work out your charges. You should be able to quote prices for all your services. Consider all your costs, your profit margin and GST. Remember to allow for commission for booking from the i-SITE Visitor Centre.

• Find out from your local i-SITE what advertising opportunities you can get involved in. Your local i-SITE may have a website you can list on free of charge.

• It is important that any new operator makes an appointment with the i-SITE Manager before they start business, to discuss booking procedures, commissions, brochure display, advertising opportunities, etc in their local area. Building a good working relationship from the beginning with the local i-SITE staff is very important.

Advertising

Another outlet for your marketing messages is advertising opportunities.

These include:

• newspapers

• magazines

• visitor guides and directories

• radio

• television

• cinema.

Print advertising is generally the cheapest form, and a good first step. One major drawback of advertising is that it can be less personal than other forms, but if you choose your advertising outlet carefully, it can be a very effective way of reaching a large number of consumers.

Operators who are new to the game should be vigilant when approached by people asking for them to advertise on their website or in their guide. The best thing to do in this situation is approach your local Regional Tourism Organisation and ask for their advice. They will know which ones are reputable and which ones are not.

The main types of tourism advertising you could consider are:

Visitor guides - which will reach the customer in New Zealand and your region.

Travel trade publications - which will reach channels of distribution such as inbound tour operators and wholesalers.

Consumer publications - which will reach the customer, ie. ‘Tourist Times’.

Assess all offers and approaches for advertising you receive. You must be confident that the advertising opportunity will effectively reach your target market.

The following checklist can provide a guide on whether the advertising is going to work for you:

• Who does the advertising medium target?

• What is the reach of the advertising (circulation/readership)?

• Is the medium well supported by other products from your region?

• What editorial contact about your region, city or town is included?

• Is the quality of the publication or medium appropriate for your product?

Your advertisement should be eye catching and well produced and contain relevant information. You should include your ‘Unique Selling Points’, a fantastic picture and a description of what your product offers.

For example, an activity operator would include trip details, duration of trip, hours of operation and booking details. You should always include all contact details, an 0800 number if you have it, and your website address.

Online Marketing

International travellers, travel professionals and travel trade are increasingly using the web to do their travel research, demanding current information that is innovative and motivational. The internet is a global platform for communication which allows cheap, fast and cost-effective marketing worldwide. Having a presence on the internet is not only beneficial, it is essential.

To assist in your online marketing efforts, Tourism New Zealand has invaluable online resources which are easily accessible and free. These online resources act independently of one another, but all combine as an effective marketing tool, suitable for anyone involved in the New Zealand tourism industry.

Tourism New Zealand’s consumer website

Tourism New Zealand’s consumer website www.newzealand.com receives more than 300,000 user sessions per year. By registering for free on the site you will be connecting with thousands of potential visitors.

Through www.newzealand.com we aim to:

• influence where visitors choose to take holidays

• aid holiday planning

• assist decision making.

We do this by connecting consumers directly with tourism businesses through the operator listings. These roles have been enhanced by the new travel planner tool.

Travel planner

The travel planner increases the profile of individual operator listings even further by allowing www.newzealand.com users (consumers) to collect each individual operator listing they wish to experience.

The travel planner allows users to collect activities, transport, accommodation and event listings from across the website, displaying a calendar and map. It also gives them the ability to share their collection with friends and family.

Listing your business or event

By listing a business or event on www.newzealand.com you have the opportunity to become part of Tourism New Zealand’s global marketing campaign, providing potential visitors with your business details and linking them to your website.

Visit www.register.nztb.co.nz and complete the online registration form today. Listings take about ten days to be approved, and there is no cost involved.

Listed operators are required to log in and check their details once every 12 months. Creating a listing is free, but an email and contact phone number which are answered regularly are essential.

If you don’t have a website you can still list on www.newzealand.com with details such as: description of service, contact details, a map, photo, Qualmark© rating and Tourism Award (if applicable).

Tourism New Zealand’s travel trade website

The trade-specific database is the ultimate resource for all travel professionals based overseas and involved with promoting, planning or booking travel to New Zealand.

This tool allows travel professionals to gain a more accurate view of products provided in New Zealand, with detailed information specifying interests, facilities offered, language support, and months of operation, special requirements, latest updates and newest products.

www.newzealand.com/travel/trade

Trade listings

Trade listings provide the advantage of being regularly used and extremely beneficial to international and domestic travel trade, thus giving operator listings further exposure.

Trade listings can be created at the same site as consumer listings, www.register.nztb.co.nz . After creating a consumer listing simply select ‘add new trade focused information’ to create a trade listing.

Tourism New Zealand’s image library

Tourism New Zealand’s image library has professional, motivational images that are freely available to the tourism industry and can be used to market businesses, regions, and New Zealand offshore. There are certain criteria that have to be met which can be viewed before accessing these images at http://images.newzealand.com

Tourism New Zealand has researched what type of images motivate international travellers to visit New Zealand. Activities, accommodation, transport, events, culture, and regions are covered in this invaluable marketing resource which operators can use to contribute to their website.

Developing a website

Developing a website will require some upfront and ongoing costs. These generally fall into the following areas:

• Purchasing your domain name - visit www.yourbusiness.co.nz . As with your email address, it’s a good idea to keep the name as short and simple as possible.

• Site hosting costs. These are generally paid monthly to the company that keeps your website online. They are known as the internet service provider (ISP).

• Web design and development.

• Ongoing maintenance - you can choose to do some of this internally.

• Software to manage your website, ie. financial, sales, customer relations.

Security

If you take bookings through your website it is vital that you have a ‘Secure Server Certificate’. This will protect consumers’ credit card details when they book online through your site. Your web design company will be able to organise this for you.

Content

Your website should be recognisable as coming from the same business as your print marketing material. It should be part of the same brand family in terms of its visual appearance, tone and content.

Try to write in short, simple sentences. In general, people scan information when looking at websites rather than reading in-depth. Keep paragraphs short and highlight key points to make them stand out.

The website should be laid out logically from the point of view of the user. A simple website layout could contain the following web pages:

• Homepage - a high-impact image and brief comment about the business.

• About Us - brief information about you and your business.

• Product details - different products on offer.

• Prices.

• Contact Us - details of how to book and pay for your product and how to get more information if required.

Content needs to be accurate and updated regularly.

Linking to other websites

Getting your website and business details listed on other relevant websites is a good way to gain exposure for your operation and draw people to your website. As well as Tourism New Zealand’s consumer website and travel trade website, other relevant sites you could consider linking your website to are:

• Regional Tourism Operators - most RTOs have their own websites which you can list on. Some will charge for this service

• Qualmark© - if you are a member they will list your details on their website www.qualmark.co.nz

• Tourism Industry Association - if you are a member they will list your details on their website www.tianz.org.nz

• Complementary businesses - ask that they add your website and business details into their related links section; if you have your own website you can reciprocate

• Commercial tourism websites - there is a range of commercial tourism websites which list businesses. Many will charge for this. When choosing which commercial tourism websites you list on use the same criteria you use when making other advertising decisions. You can also assess:

• How many users the site gets each month (go by ‘user sessions’ - the number of times people have visited the site or ‘unique users’, the number of different people who have visited the site, rather than ‘hits’)

• Which markets or regions the site’s visitors come from - does this match your target market?

• Other listings on the site - do these fit with your business and branding?

• How the site is promoted.

Promoting your website

A website is only as good as its promotion. Include your website address on all your other communication tools, ie. business cards, letterhead, print advertisements. Link to other relevant websites, as discussed above, and submit your site to search engines.

Search engines

Search engines are the most common way that people will search for information on the internet.

Some of the top search engines which send traffic to www.newzealand.com are:

www.google.com

www.google.co.nz

search.yahoo.com

www.google.co.uk

www.google.com.au

www.search.msn.com

You can do a lot to improve the chances of your website coming up first in the list when a web user searches for a specific term. This is known as search engine optimisation.

For more information on search engines and search engine optimisation see www.bruceclay.com

e-Marketing

As your business grows you can build a database of your customers. Consider giving your customers a feedback form to fill in as they leave. This will give you valuable feedback and contact details. You could also email your visitors a ‘thank you for visiting’ message. This is a good way of reminding them how fantastic their experience with you was, so they will recommend you to friends and family.

Once you have a reasonable list, consider doing some proactive email marketing. Since these people have already visited you once, they are a good target for a second visit.

Only email people who have agreed to receive further company information from you as unsolicited email is likely to be viewed as unwanted spam. Include media contacts, Regional Tourism Organisations and local i-SITEs on your mailing list so you can keep them up-to-date with your product.

It’s a good idea to develop a simple template you can use for a newsletter or update. Keep the look and tone consistent with your other marketing material.

Technically, the following are some good guidelines for email marketing:

• Keep email contacts private by entering them in the BCC (blind carbon copy) line.

• Put a pertinent subject in the subject line - don’t leave it blank.

• Always give an option to withdraw from your email list.

• Focus on something new or different or include a special offer only for email recipients.

• Don’t email too frequently.

• Ensure the file size is small and the design isn’t too busy so it will download quickly.

• Keep the content short and punchy and remember to get someone else to proof read it before sending.

Public Relations and Working with the Media

Print media coverage can be a fantastic marketing option for your business. One of the major advantages is that this coverage is seen by readers as being more objective than advertising. It also tends to provide more information and background than other forms of advertising.

The obvious disadvantage is that you have little control over what is written, which makes it even more important to have a well-developed media strategy and know how to deal with media.

As your business develops consider what media angles you might have, for example any quirky stories, new products, or personalities involved in your business, which you think would make a good story.

Also, start compiling a list of media. If you are targeting domestic visitors, find out details of media in your region and other target areas - your RTO may be able to help. You can also find media guides at most public libraries. Most metropolitan daily newspapers have travel pages as do some Sunday papers and lifestyle magazines.

If your focus is international, Tourism New Zealand’s international media programme could be an option. See Working Internationally for more information.

The media release

If you are hoping to get media coverage of your product or service, a fundamental tool is an effective media release - and anyone can write one.

The rule of a media release is to get your most important information in the first few paragraphs - only a few journalists will continue reading to the very end of your piece. This means identifying what your news angle is. Will it be interesting to a wider audience?

Make sure you have an eye-catching headline, the vital information in the first paragraph, and quotes from your organisation in the second or third paragraph.

At the end of the media release ensure you list a range of contact options for your media spokesperson - and make sure all your staff know who the spokesperson is.

In general, your press release should not be more than one A4 page. Use at least 12-point font to make it easy to read when it comes off a fax.

Once you have sent the release (by fax or email usually) you can follow up to check that it has been received, and gauge any interest.

Working with the media

If there is media interested in covering your business, you should make it as easy as possible for them to write the best story.

Basics could include:

• Have a media kit ready - including a sheet of background facts and figures, another copy of your media release, other story angles, your image CD containing high-resolution images, and your business card.

• If you are being interviewed, do some preparation to ensure you know what kind of audience the media goes to. Think about the points you would like to speak about before the interview - some media will even supply you with questions ahead of time so you can prepare.

• Help the media to identify other characters or advocates who could help fill out your story.

While media coverage is free, it will take some time commitment to achieve, and make the most of.

Interview tips

Your first media interview can be a scary proposition.

Preparation is the key. You are the expert on your business, and generally media are not looking to trap you into saying something you don’t want to. Instead, by providing some snappy quotes and giving them good information, you are actually more likely to achieve positive media coverage.

Some hints when talking to media:

• Before you speak to them think about what their story is, so you can prepare relevant information.

• Prepare some key messages, and try to speak to those.

• Keep it simple; don’t talk in jargon.

• Be helpful.

• Try to convey your excitement and enthusiasm about your business.

Face-to-face marketing

You are the best marketing tool for your business, so make the most of any promotional opportunities you get.

Your Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) should be one of your first calls when you have established your new business.

RTOs are local coordinators of tourism marketing. They are responsible for promoting their region domestically, and in most cases internationally. RTOs work closely with Tourism New Zealand and other tourism organisations to market their local industry to consumers, wholesalers, retail travel agents and the media.

Some RTOs are funded by local authorities, while others are membership based.<