Sounds of Silence
Tangible vs. Intangible Assets
Every business has got assets that are not physical in their nature but still provide value to the business (Garger 2010). Among the intangible assets of a business are contracts, goodwill and patents that is, assets that involve use of money to acquire but lack a ready market through which they can be bought and sold (Garger 2010). On the other hand, tangible assets possess a physical existence and somewhat give the holders particular financial rights. Such assets refer to land, machinery, bank deposits and investments (Money Terms 2010).
It is believed that Sound of Silence has enjoyed a tremendous growth in revenue covers and average spend. In addition, its sales go as a set four-hour package at 95 for every client, which extends to cocktails, canaps, and buffet dinner, just to mention a few. This serves as an income avenue for the business as well as its investments. The site location contributes to its asset value as it is used by the guests for more explorations and enjoyments. For instance, the guests on board leave the resort and journey into the desert an indication that the firm have ownership to some parts of their environs. This can be looked at as an asset of land. The guests cannot be comfortable with the services offered to them if there are no relevant equipment or machinery, for instance, transportation facilities, and house facilities just to mention a few. In addition, its intellectual property rights serve as its intangible assets. For instance, the Resorts specialty which consists of macadamia nut bread and butter pudding can be patented it will not only serve as a real product, but the invention behind it translates to an intangible asset. In addition, the Resort enjoys copyrights to the poem which is recited to a background of wind gently rustling through the desert oaks. In general, the richness of the unique products developed by the chefs and the food and beverage attendants entail involves a lot of innovation which should be contained in their patent contents. All these serve as intangible assets.
Success of New Product
Product development is very fundamental in the satisfaction of tourists needs as well as their changing demands and expectations. In Tourism Marketing, research on product development is dominated by research on destination development which in most cases represents planning approach (Gunn 1998). The key foundation of any tourism product is the physical plant, which encompasses the settings and conditions of the physical environment, for instance, weather, water, and infrastructure and so on and so forth (Smith 1994). In addition, the physical plant demands the services input in order to provide ample satisfaction to tourists. These services relate to those specific tasks needed to meet the needs of tourists, for instance, front office operations, food and beverage provisions just to mention a few. (Smith 1994). Again, the aspect of hospitality in tourists products is very important if their expectations are to be addressed accordingly.
Freedom of choice comes in order to provide various acceptable range of option so that the experience can be more satisfactory. In the long run, there should be a customer involvement strategy which not only focuses on physical participation but also creating a sense of engagement (Komppula 2001).
It is important to scrutinize the different experiences and activities that visiting tourists would expect while at the Resort and ensure that they fulfill their needs. The research should examine the customer utility and the benefits that tourists can acquire from the new product. Furthermore, suggestion provisions, customer involvement programs and comparison strategies from existing tourism business can provide more insight in this process.
Product Mix
Product mix is a diversity of an association of products which yield larger sales revenue when marketed as a whole than when marketed in isolation (Business Dictionary 2010). Sound of Silence in its entirety is just as much of a product as the individual packages of offerings it makes. In addition, in the process of developing the new product, it should take into account the reputation of the business in the eyes of the travelers. According to Seaton (1996) corporate image is composed of the perceptions made up by the external audiences of every bit of activity a business undertakes. Inasmuch as Sounds of Silence seeks to come up with good branding at the level of the new product, so will it need to do in its corporate identity at the level of the firm. When their clients turn to the activity operator, they will expect to be provided with experiences, which have been created by the company and them as clients. It is the initiative of the management to provide the best possible prerequisites for the said experience, appealing ideas and description of the products, effective service process as well as functioning service system.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce (WIPO n.d.). Patents, trademarks, designs, and geographic indications of source as well as copyright in the case of artistic works, like novels, poems, plays, films, musical works, drawings, paintings, sculptures and architectural designs fall under intellectual property of a firm (WIPO n.d.). It is always a business rule to file first then launch second. In the development of a new product it is important to note that potential patent rights may be lost if one rushes a new product concept to the market without sufficient patent protection. Considering the fact that Sounds of Silence is not immune to competition, there would be a possibility for other tourist companies hijacking their new developed product, especially if it is noble, useful and on demand in the market. In order to prevent any risk, the firm can consider filing a patent application as provided in the law before launching the idea fully.
In addition, they can go further and file their new invention with the patent attorney where they can be updating the patent portfolio to reflect product changes in the future furthermore, this will ensure that their patent portfolio supports their new product at a given product line. They should not forget to do an intensive research so that they can establish if the new invention exists elsewhere. These will eliminate chances of confusion if there are similar products in the tourism industry. This can be achieved through a trademark search which will not only establish the existence of a similar product but also establishes the non-existence of such a product (Mark P Weber B 2010). In this regard, they will have protection from others utilizing their identity in specific geographical areas.
Market Testing, Network and Activities
Test marketing is a stage in product development where the product and its marketing plan are exposed to a carefully selected sample of the population in order to decide if to adopt the new product or reject it (Business Dictionary 2010). The management of Sounds of Silence could let a sample of travelers enjoy free services under the new product as they give their feedback for evaluation. They however, should not let the travelers think that they are undergoing an evaluation exercise. It is however important to note that test marketing is not market testing, since the former is just among the many forms of market testing. There are certain benefits obtained from market testing namely estimation of sales and product adaptability as well as diagnostic information which makes it possible to revise and refine any aspect of the launch.
It is evident that several test runs were carried out prior to the opening of Sounds of Silence. The project was made available to the general public for their scrutiny and feedback. It is also noted that a series of test runs and trials were undertaken which included Resort staff, community residents, tourism industry personnel and tour operators. In so doing, their views, opinions and sentiments about the product were incorporated into the development of the final product. The figure below illustrates a general view of when a business can consider running a market test for its new product.
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Sounds of Silence can consider reaching out to other similar restaurants or tourist business and propose to them their new product. In this process, they can recommend the product to other firms and evaluate if they would recommend the product to their clients. On the other hand, they can create a false buying situation and observe the behavior of the clients. They can consider coming up with follow-up procedures in a bid to assess likely repeat sales. Furthermore, they can consider using media advertisement through brochures, screen advertising, post-exposure questionnaires or self-administered questionnaires, phone follow-ups and offer to buy more strategies, just to mention a few.
Market testing cannot achieve its goal if it ignores the opinion of others particularly the experts in the tested product. The establishment of this project would not be successful at all if the stakeholders failed to consider specialist assistance in the development phase of the operation. Firstly, they needed to be advised if at all the product would be viable in the said location otherwise it would be like building a house in the sand. They could consider the following a land surveyor who would guide them on the potential geographical adversities of the site selected. This would guide them in putting in place remedies to such potential environmental risks. This will help the management consider having artificial paths in case vehicles cannot drive during rainy seasons. It is impressive to note that during the extensive period of market research and concept development, the management did carry out consultations with Parks Australia North (PAN) in a bid to identify a suitable location.
Another important factor is the cultural factor. They cannot overlook the cultural tenets of the host community and the environment in which they are operating. By so doing, they will be sure that their product is not in conflict with the people living around. In the long run, this will boost the Resorts confidence in doing business among those communities.
As mentioned earlier, the Resort is not only a domestic enterprise but also an international one. That means there will be multi-cultural and inter-cultural state of affairs. This can lead to either cultural cohesiveness or cultural conflicts. Whichever the case, the Resort must endeavor to find out what this would mean to the local residents. Again, it is upon them to ensure that the internationality of the services offered at the Resort do not conflict with the culture of the guests and of the communities around. They can consider having concerts and cultural parties where the local communities come and present their cultural values and practices this can be an entertainment mechanism to the visiting guests as well.
The Resort can establish a network strategy in its quest to popularize its product in the wider market. It can liaise with the media to enhance its network boundaries. In this regard, the public can participate in question-answer activities to win tickets to the Resort. Use of media is the best method to capture the wider population especially in the locality. In addition, use of internet media will help capture populations in the Diaspora. The Resort can expand their network boundaries through their existing clients. They can offer attractive discounts to those clients who bring new clients to the resort. In this regard, existing clients will focus on promoting the product to other clients to enjoy the discounts.
Research Methodology Findings
As mentioned earlier, use of questionnaires is among the many ways the Resort could evaluate its new product. The responses provide a concrete base that the management can use to make decisions. It clearly reflects what the population would do if they were presented with a certain product. There was a survey conducted by students from GCIT as part of the Product Development subject. The aim was to determine the level of interest in the population in a Unique Dining Experience near Uluru. The questions used can be considered as an overall guide whenever considering coming up with other set of questionnaires. They are well set and exhaustive. See appendix A for the list of the questionnaires and their response results will be illustrated in Appendix B. The charts in appendix C will capture age, reason, off-site dining and dining options.
The results indicate that most of the interviewees were males scoring 75 and females scoring 25. The age group ranged between 18-35 years. There were no responses fro ages 36-60 years. Most of the respondents (50) preferred to travel to Uluru for family holidays while 30 expressed no reason for it 10 did it for the sake of romantic experience and 10 travelled to Uluru on business mission. It seems that most of the respondents would take a trip to Uluru with their families andor loved ones (couples). Surprisingly, 80 of the respondents expressed desire for an off-site dining experience, accompanied by hot and cold buffet. Some respondents would prefer star talk others live musicband, sand surfing, and cultural face painting just to mention a few. In addition, some would prefer a casual relaxed environment, cocktail, adventure, cultural presentations et cetera. Notably, a greater part of the respondents would not prefer to have a dining experience that exceeded two hours and the preferred time being at 7p.m. In terms of dressing code, they prefer staff in casual dressing. In terms of spending, no respondent would prefer to go past 110. Overall, the majority of the respondents see Uluru as a good place for a family outing vacation.
Itinerary Management
Based on the research findings the Resort needs to develop a full itinerary that would ensure a well coordinated movement of the visitors. It should focus on timely movements to avoid unnecessary inconveniences. The planning should take place between the client and the Resort. The client should propose their time schedule that should guide the Resort in the arrangement of proper departure and arrival of the clients. The itinerary schedule should make it easy for international visitors find their way within and without the Resort. A fully equipped itinerary system should avoid the following arbitrary inconveniences, vehicles in poor conditions, vague communication between the client and the itinerary department. It should include competent and hospitable personnel, consistent communication between the two parties and optional mechanisms in case of possible inconveniences. It can provide geographical maps to guide the travelers to all points of destinations manually and electronically, for instance, launching a website with such details.
Distribution Network
Distribution network entails the chain of distribution right form the supplier to the consumer (Business Dictionary 2010). It involves a well planned criterion for the delivery of goods or services from a particular manufacturer to the targeted delivery locations. In some cases it can use agents or other means necessary for the conveyance of the product or service.
The essence of any distribution network is to ensure effective access to a product from the supplier to the end user. At Sounds of Silence, there should be well managed hospitality procedures. The guests should feel at home from the very moment they arrive at the Resort. The management can consider recruiting few ushers whose work is just to accompany the guests as well as ensuring all their needs are adequately met.
The Resort can consider two potential supplier agreements in order to have a satisfactory distribution network. First of all, it can consider outsourcing itinerary services. This will establish an effective movement of the visitors to and from the resort. This will relieve the Resort from itinerary hustles that might create inconveniences to their clients. Secondly, it can outsource catering and entertainment services both form the local community as well as international community. This will enable the experience of travelers be more vibrant and meaningful. Considering that families prefer to visit the resort, the management can consider outsourcing entertainment services from interested parties. This will relieve the m from hustles associated with entertainment of the guests. In addition, it can incorporate food supply as well as catering services since this will add more creativity and diversity in this function.
Competition Analysis
Just as how the core service for a hotel is lodging so is outdoor catering for Sounds of Silence. The same case applies to airlines whose core service is transportation. As can be seen, the new product is an improvement of the Resorts prior product hence the reason for being in the market. It does not have any other product apart from outdoor catering. However, the Resort can complement its core service with other services in order to make their customers utilize it. It can consider putting in place effective front office services, check-in services especially for the international customers. The additional services will facilitate the use of the core service otherwise the customers may end up not consuming it.
Normally, the evaluation of the trends in the market determines the kind of sales strategy a business will consider using. This is what translates to the unique Selling Proposition (USP) of a business. In general, Unique Selling Proposition is defined as the factor or consideration a seller goes by in defending why hisher product or service is unique from or better than that of a competitor (Entrepreneur Media 2010). It is argued and justifiably so that one must first sell himself before even considering selling the product. This is useful if the product is similar to others around. If Sounds of Silence are to emerge successful in pinpointing their USP, they must do a thorough soul-searching and creativity.
The USP of Sounds of Silence can be summed up as follows the unique restaurant that offers unique outdoor experience at the dawn of the sunset. Certainly, the potential competitors are those that share in the same product. Other tourism firms may come up with better strategies that would outdo those at Sounds of Silence. The advantage is that the Resort is not only domestic but international. This makes potential competition a bit wider. If it were only a domestic enterprise, the locals would easily duplicate it by coming up with better services that would suit the communities around. The settings of the Resort are very impressive and eye-catching anybody would be quick to share in the experience. This in itself serves as a unique selling touch point due to the purported experience in it. Indeed, it qualifies as a USP for the Resort. As mentioned earlier, the creativity of the staff and the management in the design of the product makes it difficult for competition to duplicate. Remember, this creativity exists as an intangible asset of the Resort hoping that it is legally protected. This in itself prevents competitors from duplicating the product per se. In the event that this suffices, the Resort can take a legal action which will not only ensure that no competitor duplicates the product but also get compensation in cases when a competitor duplicates the product.
The management should constantly aim to improve the product on a remote basis. They should aim at eliminating anything in the product that is not acceptable in the Diaspora. Their hospitality should be without bias to this or that nationality. The product can include both domestic elements and international elements but this should not block the guests in making choices. The two aspects can be treated as symbiotic and as ends in themselves although may inhere in separate product packaging.
Product Differences
The site settings for Sounds of Silence are superb. It captures the spectacular sunsets, brilliant night skies. Notably, conducted research indicated that such a setting would offer an experience that would appeal to the tourism market, both domestic and international. The site is within the boundaries of the Resorts land. The site selected attains its desired value if and only if the physical settings are in its favour. In principle, a good site rests on a good physical setting. It would be impossible for the guest to have a good view of the southern skies through the telescope if the physicality of the site was not well positioned. In other words, to consider the selection of a site is to consider the physical setting of the same site. The physical location can be traced in the Ayers Rock Resort in the Northern territory.
The uniqueness of the Resort is also reflected in the staff. They are trained in first aid practices to add to their skills and be more productive. In outdoor catering, there can be cases of injury which may require maximum supervision. In the pursuit to be more unique the staffs no longer ware uniforms that include Akubra hats and boots, but ware more formal traditional white and black attire. The aspect of service difference and image difference rests on the services accorded by the staff to the visitors. This includes the management. The kind of perception the visitors make about their experience becomes their image about the Resort. This is what will determine if they will come again or not. In the long run, that perception is what translates to the reputation of the company.
Conclusion
The essence of any tourism business is how much it can offer hospitality to its clients. It is very impressive to note that Sounds of Silence takes all this into consideration. There seems to be a constant flow of visitors from one season to the next. The market research indicates that it is a concept appealing to many. The most beautiful thing is to note the zeal people have in taking vacation with their families to such an experience. This adds credibility and moral quality to it. There is still a lot that needs to be done at the Resort so that they can retain a good position in the eyes of its competitors by ensuring a persistent product development.
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