Integrated Marketing's Essential Ingredient

by Madigan Pratt

In the previous issue of Travel Marketing Decisions, I detailed how new technology is making objective differentiation among competitors increasingly difficult. Consequently, today's marketing professionals have come to realize that subjective ownership of the hearts and minds of consumers has become critical to future success.

The same technology which is driving objective product parity is allowing marketers to develop sophisticated Integrated Marketing (IM) programs. This in turn can lead to perceived product differentiation and competitive advantage.

Sometimes it seems as though everything is driven by new technology. And while technology along with its ability to pinpoint likely buyers is a key ingredient in today's IMC efforts, it is not the most essential ingredient.

For me the most essential ingredient is far more basic - so fundamental in fact that it's often not taken as seriously as it should be. The most essential ingredient in any IMC program is a solid brand positioning.

The word "positioning" has become so overused (and abused) that for many in the travel industry today it has lost its true meaning and application. And that's indeed unfortunate… since having a clear and effective positioning is critical for long term IM success.

Positioning encompasses much more than simply your target audience. It is also much more than a description of your property, cruise line or travel service and it's certainly more than a clever advertising tagline.

Positioning is the most basic of all strategic statements and provides the blueprint for the marketing and development of your product or service. Simply put, positioning is the way in which you want current and potential customers and the travel trade to think about what you're selling.

Now that sounds simple enough, but there are several components that must be considered and balanced before you have an effective positioning. These include an understanding of the competition, your point of difference, your target market and rationale.

Understanding the Competition

Who is your competition? Be careful now! It's not who you think it is. In fact, it's who your customers think it is. And that includes all the choices a vacationer has available to satisfy the need for a specific vacation experience.

Every product has competition or substitutes. One way to help identify your competition is to ask the question, "Where would my customers go if they didn't come here?" Keep an open mind when defining your competition because consumers certainly do . It could include alternatives you see as directly competitive and others you do not.

For example, as a manager for a Caribbean hotel, you might see other hotels on the Island, hotels similar to yours throughout the Caribbean or even the coastal United States as your competition. But remember, your competition "includes all the choices," the consumer has. So, if the consumer sees a cruise as an acceptable substitute for the experience you are offering, then you will have to expand your view of the competition.

Your Point of Difference

Arriving at a meaningful point of difference is difficult for many travel marketers. As proof, just look at all the advertising and brochures chock full of every service, sports facility, attraction, feature, attribute and amenity conceivable. And all receive equal emphasis in an attempt to appeal to everyone and not miss a sales opportunity!

The point of difference should be the benefit you want a vacationer to associate with your particular product or service. The benefit can be rational, emotional or a combination of both. Rarely should it be a feature or attribute and definitely not a list of attributes.

The purpose of being focused in your point of difference is simple. Research has shown that people compartmentalize information in their mind for easy storage and retrieval. They store limited information about a limited number of products. A focused message has a significantly better chance of breaking through the clutter and therefore being remembered.

A vacationer seeking a hotel with great cuisine, for example, will consider those that have positioned themselves in that way. Travel agents will react similarly. The fact that other hotel brochures have mentioned good cuisine among their many attributes will most likely go unnoticed.

Target Market

When developing a positioning you need to select the most persuasive, meaningful and unique point of difference that will allow you to compete for the largest number of potential customers.

The broader your target the more difficult it is to deliver a meaningful and unique benefit and vice versa. This is especially true within the travel industry and in part explains the success companies and destinations have experienced through niche marketing. They are appealing to a select group of travelers and are emphasizing motivating benefits these individuals are seeking and want to buy.

Rationale

Once you have a clear definition of your competition, point of difference and target market you can begin to develop your rationale. This can include features and attributes that lend support to your positioning and, in this instance, more is better.

A rationale is important because it provides prospects and travel agents with permission to believe the benefit you are offering is real.

The Positioning Statement

So now you know your competition, the benefit you offer and your target market. The first thing you need to do is make sure that everyone involved in marketing understands the positioning and uses it to sell and advertise your product.
To make it clear and easy to comprehend you need to put it all together in a positioning statement - a simple sentence everyone can understand and use. The basic construct of a positioning statement looks like this:

To (target audience), Product X is the (competitive set) that (delivers this benefit).

At first glance this may sound a little awkward, but, if you have done a good job of defining each of the elements of positioning you can construct a very powerful positioning statement. Here's an example of one we helped the Cayman Islands establish.

To affluent and sophisticated travelers, the Cayman Islands is the warm weather vacation experience that provides the ultimate in relaxation.

Once this positioning was approved all sales and marketing activities began concentrating on delivering the message that the Cayman Islands provide the most relaxing vacation available. When people thought about going away on vacation and one of their primary reasons was relaxation, the Cayman Islands wanted to be on the top of their consideration list.

Summary

It is not always easy to develop an effective and properly balanced positioning but it is most certainly worth the effort. Effective positioning works hard for you in the marketplace and draws vacationers. A weak one can actually work against you and be a significant drain on valuable and limited resources.

You can have the most technologically advanced message delivery system, but if the message being delivered is unfocused or unimportant - from the customer's perspective - chances of financial success are minimal. That's why proper positioning is the essential ingredient for effective IMC.

Once developed a good positioning will help focus the efforts of all of those involved with the marketing and development of your product. Activities that support your positioning receive priority manpower and funding. Those that don't should be disregarded with savings either going to the bottom-line or to priority projects.

Are You Positioned Properly?

There's a fairly simple test that can provide a quick read on how effectively positioned your product or service is. It's self administered so it can be conducted inexpensively and confidentially.

If you would like a copy, I'd be happy to send you one. Simply send an e-mail message providing your name, title, company address and a little information on your current communications situation.

Madigan Pratt is Managing Director of Madigan Pratt & Associates, an Integrated 1-to-1 Marketing Consulting firm specializing in travel and tourism. A frequent writer and speaker on 1-to-1 and database marketing, he can be reached at 203-656-4560(USA).