Unit 22 Planning PR & Promotion Campaign for Tourism Assignment

Introduction

In last several decades, travel and tour sector has practiced sustained expansion as well as branching out, thereby contributing as the major contributor of the developing global economic sectors. Several new destinations in past decades have developed, competing with the old ones at UK, Europe as well as USA. In this Unit 22 Planning PR & Promotion Campaign for Tourism Assignment there will be a detailed discussion on the scope and importance of public relations in travel and tourism industry. Despite seasonal peaks, foreign tourist visits have practically continual development – ranging between 277 and 983 million over last two decades. Owing to the characteristic global nature of flight, the requirement of assistance concerning States in every civil aviation aspect that is related to the to and fro movement of every passenger. In the present day, the tourism policy makers globally discuss very nearly persistently, bilaterally as well as through multilateral groups, in search of agreement on a number of aviation rights, airline proprietorship, landing stage, market rivalry, tax, ecological safeguard, safety as well as security, etc which is very critical for every tourist destination. In this report, the  tourist destination  in UK and the organization discussed in detail is Thomas cook (Yang, et.al. 2008).

Task 1

A) Public relations and its role and scope as a promotional tool in tourism

Public relations has seen a trend of change in the type of marketing tools used largely advertising that is used for the communication of marketing messages for the reason that the PR team that has the best ability to of successful brand launch is offered a superior credibility. Furthermore, PR is reasonably economical in comparison to other marketing tool like advertising. Usage of PR has now experienced and increased importance in the field of marketing and has emerged as an effective tool in tourism that refers to the promotion of an enhanced know-how between tour operators as well as its public. Augmented competition in world tourismsectorempowers the tour operators for creatingfurther consciousness of the launch of a product or service for its target audience. The brand as well as product or service images isdeveloped by public relations team through the usage of as number of media like print media, WOM, as well as shaping the approach of the targeted group. In case the PR team is successful in understanding the target audience then it would effectively communicate to the potential visitors and would convey all the benefits, learn as well asdevelop from accessing a particular website or attending an event (Kim, et.al. 2006). As Kim and co-writers highlighted that tourism sector is significantly regarded as autonomy of selection by the tourist relative to the tourism destination selection, mode of transportation used and so on as well as driven by resilient competition between a numbers of segment of the tourism sector along with the destination of choice offering appropriate market supply(Spenceley, 2010).

Organization even till date continue to use a wide varieties of marketing tools like advertise mentor print media like brochures for creating and sustaining the brand image. Routinely, through various display media like television, tour operator windows or websites, potential visitors are open to the pictures of interesting tour destinations with intense scenic beauty (Gonzalez-Herero & Pratt, 1998:83-97). Nevertheless, in the present day, the mediahas initiated several contributions and more seriousness for tourism. This changed approach is brought about by the effective tourism communicators who have thrived to persuade journalists about the importance of tourism and its potentinfluence on local as well as national GDP and economy (Robinson, 1999).

For instance, Travel sector Association in North America, issued in its tourism website that this sector contributes majorly and is third highest in contribution to its economy besides the ranking and contribution of retail and other sectors (TIA, 2007). This is also seen and evident in UK and its tourism. Globally, the United Kingdomis in the top 10, in worldwide tourism incomesgroupin spite of the drop in visitors of about ten per centpostthe event of terrorist attacks. In UKthe tourism industry contributes about seven per cent of the overall employment. Furthermore, tourism sector contributes 8% towards London’s economy that is ranked as 2^nd largest (Hearts, 2003).The groups of PRcentresconsideration on reinforcementof the public relations events by increasing a public and tourism rapport through media, besides receiving their modifiedcare in broadcasting the trade. Public relations therefore significantly assists in the projection of a positive appearance of the tourism organizations like Thomas Cook for the reason that the potential visitorsbelieve on the business news broadcasted by the television or other social media. The publicity platform comprises consistent publicity storytelling along withthe visualsin print media, magazines, social media, newspaper etc. While advertising as a tool is, only is a contribution to publicity.

B) Analysis of the various publics or target audiences, of existing as well as potential stakeholders

Process carried out to institute all stakeholders’ feedback to ensure parity, even-handedness during any business process that helps in the prominence and notification of any internal or external stakeholders concerns to develop the periodical plan of training and development of staff performance and  organisational behaviour. These amendments necessarily should hold on to both local and global norms of society and government legal aspects of gender quotient, fundamental educational or professional qualification, contractual obligation as well as clear tasks etc.(Letting, 2008). It is essential to put forward with respect to Quality assurance that necessitates the undertaking of underlining efficient interactions amongst stakeholders within the organization relative to Tourism information, assessment, regular monitoring activities and duties that the staff encounters every day. In the sector of Tour and Travel, all groups ought to maintain all guidelines for handling the customer, destination and operator data that used and is accessible by staff in language well understood. Care should be taken for avoiding the risk of any crucial information or document leakage concerning tourist while documentation handling.

Diversity of Audiences

Target audience may have diversity of cultures, trends, gender, age, income groups etc. Diversity of audience is beneficial as it increases the scope and market value. It is also necessary for a PR company to manage the relations and terms with these diverse kinds of people in an appropriate manner to attain success. A company needs to be active communicator and efficient in marketing to reach the diverse audience. It is also crucial to understand the needs of all type of audience and work accordingly.

Task 2

Undertake an audit of the internal and external environments within the context of setting relevant goals and objectives for the campaign using a range of PR and promotion skills

It is evident that Thomas Cook at present is keen in creating a brand image. This is a marketing strategy, to start using Windows as well as other media likedirect mail besidesseeing the service quality. Managing director of a major competitor of Thomas Cookexcerpts that anythingoccurringduring the latest perioddriveechoesthat Thomas Cook is communicating price focused message. Therefore, it states that this approach is major trend setter in the travel and tourism for public relations. (Morrison, 1996). The external factor analysis of Politics, economy, social, environmental, legal as well technological are elements that effecttourism businesses, referred as PESTEL analysis owing to the presence of the six factors that are studied. PESTEL analysis of Thomas Cook would assist to understand the external environment that significantly contribute to its decision making pertaining to the understanding the factors critical to the tourism business and the objective of Thomas Cook of price focused marketing. These factors analysed also assist in the internal SWOT analysis of the organization contributing to the potential and underlying threat as well as opportunity. The internal analysis offers and insight through thorough evaluation of the internal factors concerning the positive and negative aspects and resource utilization affecting marketing decisions(Hearts, 2008: 406-408).

• Political aspects are associated to the policies of the UK government along with Thomas Cook practice that influence other activities; these aspects should consider and significantly contribute to the organizational changes. These policy makings, ay possibly include service legislations that organizations necessarily has to oblige to(Morrison, 1996).
• Economic aspect analysis takes into consideration the analysis of the resources and its impact through an individual on its day-to-day life besides its effective service delivery. The Economic aspects comprise of economic development, rate of interest fluctuation, rate of exchange changes as well as the domestic and global inflation rate. These factors cumulatively have an amplified impact on in what way a business function as well as its process of decision making. Internationally, the United Kingdom is a major contributor in worldwide tourism incomes group in spite of fall in the visitors count after recent post the event of terrorist attacks. For example it is apparent that tourism industry contributes about seven per cent of the overall employment. Furthermore, tourism sector contributes 8% towards UK economy that is ranked as 3rd (Huertas, 2003).
• Social factor on the contrary refers to an individual behaviour, standard of living as well as attitudes that take into consideration the culture, health awareness, rate of population growth, other demographics like age and gender proportions, career outlook as well as importance on Tourist safety. Trend in social factor is greatly influenced by the social media. This analysis considers on strengthening of the public relations events by mounting a the public and tourism rapport through media, besides receiving their modified care in broadcasting the trade (Letting, Falkheimer& Lugo, 2007:68-76)
• Technological aspects are control that has increased effect on the way Thomas Cook function, which is correlated to its resources and external environment. These factors are necessarily being pondered by the Thomas Cook that undertakes rigorous activities on research and development, data automation and warehousing and other technological invention and innovation. These significantly impact the new entrant threat along with the investment decisions on integrations and outsourcing decision making as well as technological change adaptation and investment, and service quality.
• Legal aspects takes in to consideration the guidelines laid down by UNTO for managing tourism in UK. These may comprise of policies concerning customs, visas etc.
• Environmental Aspect is strictly limited to the physical, socio- cultural, and study of demography, economy, politic s, as well as the legal aspects that impacts the continued existence, business and expansion of Thomas Cook. All these factors under study and its effective analysis contributes immensely to the process of decisions making concerning optimal resource allocation on marketing and advertisements that would force a company to zero down to decisions pirating to launch of new products, existing service changes, changes in the communication message, designing new advertisements for effective PR communications(Letting&Pieczka, 2006).

Internal and External Environmental Auditing: Internal and external environmental auditing is performed in a business organization to check whether the environmental management system of the organization is working according to the predetermined standards. In internal environmental auditing managers of the organization checks the environment management of the organization to find out scope of improvement or any other new arising environmental risk factors. Many organizations select an external environmental auditing system which also provides certification to the company which certifies that company is following the rules and regulations of environmental safety and environmental management system of organization is working efficiently. 

Application of various skills of PR in tourism

Ethical considerations:

• To ensure equal treatment of all visitors along with safeguarding their respect and integrity
• To inspire visitors through entrusting job security is very critical
• Implementation of the legislation for visitors safety both physiological and psychological
• Implementation and monitoring of affirmation action, visitors health and safety act etc
• To ensure equal treatment of all job candidates, appropriate background verification, and accurate resume screening and job description without any bias
• Public relations therefore significantly assists in the projection of a positive appearance of the tourism organizations like Thomas Cook for the reason that the potential visitors believe on the business news broadcasted by the television or other social media.
• The publicity platform comprises consistent publicity storytelling along with the visuals in print media, magazines, social media, newspaper etc. While advertising as a tool is, only is a contribution to publicity(L'Etang&Pieczka, 2006).

Legal consideration:

• To follow Human rights code, there should be unbiased decision making on visitors recruitment and selection irrespective of the candidate’s age, gender, race, marital status, religion, native place, or physically challenged aspect
• To safeguard the interest of the visitor by avoiding any questions related to any prohibited grounds that qualifies in the discrimination of employment provision during the process of recruitment both deliberately or not deliberately
• Effective recruitment and selection of the tour manager based on appropriate ethical and legal run through would foster good market reputation and convenient service provision process.

This highlight of the PR skills requirement form would comprise of three sections that would detail about the individual know how, skills and learning, and psychological analysis through hypothetical questions respectively in three sections(Dredge & Jenkins, 003:415-443).

Customer know how

• Briefly describe Customer.
• What is your long and short term goal
• Other personal objectives
• What do you do in your personal time
• Location preference
• Are you flexible to relocate
• Any interest in further studies

Skills and learning of PR Manager selected

• Highlight your Achievements and recognitions so far
• Reason of your existing career choice
• Justify your qualification to the career choice/job
• Justify your hire
• Reason to select this company
• Elaborate Driving factor at workplace
• Flexibility to accept feedback and confrontation
• Stance an example of your ability to quick  decision making

Hypothetical Situation

• Describe an ideal job
• You’re learning from past mistakes
• Interest in other extracurricular activities
• Other’s opinion about you
• Brief about team work

Task 3

Develop a public relation plan with appropriate promotional objectives from task 2 and develop and review relevant strategies to achieve the PR objectives

A) Identification and analysis of various media appropriate for PR campaign for your chosen firm and assess the relationship between public relations in the travel and tourism sector and the media

The media analysis and effectiveness in public relations can be done regularly based on steps that are detailed below

• Any Program set off to recover the business process must always consecutively ensure an objectives attainment of overall as well as unit level
• Boosting process and product continuous improvisation
• Standardization of all audit as well as precautionary measures is necessary
• Prioritization of inspiring staff
• concerning the comprehensive understanding of potential applicable methodology as well as the degree of customer satisfaction index that comply to the legal norms thereby reducing any potential health and safety hazards
• Augmented competition in world tourism sector empowers the tour operators for creating further consciousness of the launch of a product or service for its target audience. The brand as well as product or service images is developed by public relations team through the usage of as number of media like print media, WOM, as well as shaping the approach of the targeted group
• Isolation of any concerns and appropriate risk assessment of PR  practises and its classification based on criticality, as well as designing suitable risk overcoming actions may possibly curtail any potential errors besides increasing the quality throughout with increased awareness(Tilson& Stacks, 1997)
• Diverse set of tourism members and practitioners offering poles apart set of area of expertise besides offering their knowledge for managing assorted component of every long-suffering as an individual. As a replacement for of a universal purpose, each entity within the team would ensure that the achievement of its undertaking in that order. The appraisal of all the  members in such cases in preferred to be carried out disjointedly besides ensuring dis-connectivity of any potential communication
• of all potent health as well as safety concerns along with monitoring the possible occurrence of preventive and precautionary measures while entrusting occurrence identification and documentation that help out in perfect statement documentation (Jha, Perlin, Kizer& Dudley, 2003).

Moreover, the use of media in PR can be explained by the evaluation of objectives of PR, which are:

• To be the 'considered choice' for potential customers through regular communications
• To be top-of-mind with media regionally and internationally
• To continue to be regarded as an opinion leader and credible industry voice
• To enhance ties with global media channel to build a strong image in terms of travel and tour industry (Cushman et al., 1985).

PR and advertising often go hand in hand but they are two completely different things with a completely different goal and overall effect. While advertising is exclusively focused on promotion of products or services with an aim to encourage target audience to buy, PR is specialised in communication with the public and media. The relationship between public relationship and media is described below: The PR in the travel and tourism industry requires the following tools and techniques:

The first requirement of public relation is to improve attendance of the people at public events which can be executed with the help of media. Secondly, press release of the industry helps in getting the required attention of the targeted audience in PR. Sending various promotional activities directly to the customers such as fliers, brochures and newsletter helps in influencing consumers too. Blogs over microblogging  website design, digital forms of press release and newsletters helps in communicating with the required customer base. Social media is the primary tool of digital marketing; it is utilized in various marketing campaigns throughout the travel and tourism industry (Website, 2012).

B) Apply your PR and promotional skills and evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen media for the use in the chosen travel and tourism organization

The below figure highlights the PR objectives of Thomas cook that is materialized through the PR manager.

              

Business necessarily has as a feature that offers taking up of QA procedures and undertakings to entrust safety and appropriate health environment for the safety. It advocates standard examination as well as equips the safety doctrine for growth and advancement of business processes moreover smoothing the progress of the stakeholder’s interest. It is apparent, as an integral universal tradition for Quality monitoring and assurance, all the supplier auditing is simultaneously required to entrust successful quality. Data collated with the help of a detailed survey lend a hand in the development of business in the course of monitoring and then implement the feedback in PDC Cycle for increasing efficiency. Based on the successful implementation the website promotions and visuals have revealed to be the most effective. This is due to the accessibility to the very globaltarget audience(Tilson& Stacks, 1997).

The Internet has caused a revolution in communication by giving a voice to those that previously could not have been heard. This has opened a whole new world of opportunities for both businesses and individuals that were unimagined in the era of the traditional media. These still play an important role in shaping the public opinion but with the entire globe moving to the online world to search for information and buy products/services, a PR that does not effectively communicate with the online community can no longer effectively shape and maintain the desired public image. The proposed plan for Thomas cook’s PR plan is as followed:

The PR plan of in the travel and tour industry needs to consider the different PR models such as situation analysis, definition objective, defining the target consumers, selecting appropriate media, allowing a definite budget and finally implementation and controlling the plan. The situation analysis consist of communication audit and image analysis like mirror analysis, current analysis, wish analysis, multiple analysis, optimum analysis and corporate analysis. Other methods of situation analysis considered by Thomas cook can be marketing research, desk research, complaints, financial situation, community relations and many more. The objective of the PR plan must be related to the strategic and operation tactics of the company. Thomas cook require a new PR plan which aims on increasing the client base and revenue of the company in next fiscal quarter. The media for the PR plan for Thomas cook broadcast media which involves television and radio advertising. As the broadcast media connects to a large number of audience Thomas cook will be able to reach to its selected target of achieving required financial goals in next financial quarter. The next part is budget; company needs to provide an appropriate budget for the advertising campaign and PR plan execution. The last part of the PR plan involves execution and controlling of plan. The broadcasting media is used for the PR plan of Thomas cook is due to the mass coverage of the said media among the targeted audience or customers of the travel and tour industry (Potter, 2006).

Conclusions

It is conclusive that Thomas Cook needs to appreciate that tour and PR managers are should under high performance pressure from the new top management in spite of the fast changing  business external environment. Therefore, for an effective PR the use of print media would assist Thomas Cook’s effort to going through the transition conveniently through vertical and horizontal integration of its information groups. Their environment friendly initiatives have significantly contributed to its brand imaging.

References

Arunagiri, N. (1999). Public Relations in Tourism. Tourism Promotion and Development: New Advances, 58.
Robson, J., & Robson, I. (1996). From shareholders to stakeholders: critical issues for tourism marketers. Tourism Management, 17(7), 533-540.
L’Etang, J., Falkheimer, J., & Lugo, J. (2007).Public relations and tourism: Critical reflections and a research agenda. Public Relations Review, 33(1), 68-76.
Morrison, A. M. (1996). Hospitality and travel marketing (No.Ed. 2).Delmar Publishers.
Huertas, A. (2008). Public relations and tourism: Fighting for the role of public relations in tourism. Public Relations Review, 34(4), 406-408.
L'Etang, J. (2008). Public relations. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Gonzalez-Herrero, A., & Pratt, C. B. (1998).Marketing crises in tourism: Communication strategies in the United States and Spain. Public Relations Review, 24(1), 83-97.
L'Etang, J., &Pieczka, M. (Eds.). (2006). Public relations: Critical debates and contemporary practice. Psychology Press.
L’Etang, J. (2006). Public relations and sport in promotional culture. Public Relations Review, 32(4), 386-394.
Dredge, D., & Jenkins, J. (2003). Federal–State Relations and Tourism Public Policy, New South Wales, Australia. Current Issues in Tourism, 6(5), 415-443.
Tilson, D. J., & Stacks, D. W. (1997). To know us is to love us: the public relations campaign to sell a ‘business-tourist-friendly’Miami. Public Relations Review, 23(2), 95-115.
Potter, M. (2006) 'Richard Cox' Cox & Kings Travel Compass Magazine
Website.(2012). PR Tools and Techniques. Available: http://www.ipr.org.uk/prtools-and-techniques.html.

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