Chapter Two: Strategic Planning: Developing and Implementing a Marketing Plan
Vignette: Chapter Two introduces you to an online website for West Jet Airlines.
Featured URL: http://www.westjet.com/home.html
Marketing Plans "take Flight"
West Jet is marketing flights within Canada. In this web exercise, you will be taking a look at related sites by other Canadian airline companies that are marketing to the same target market. Comparing a relatively small company like West Jet with the giant Air Canada may seem like David versus Goliath yet it should give you insight into the relationship of marketing plans with what is actually found on a commercial website.
In this web exercise, you will be working with a learning partner to look at the elements of the sites to see what relates to elements found in typical marketing plans. The advantage of working with another student is the sharing of ideas and resources to achieve your objectives. You will assist each other to acquire the knowledge and to help with technical requirements (reviewing the web sites and creating the chart) and with managing the information required for the assignment.
As you have read in Chapter Two, there are a number of essential ingredients in developing an effective marketing plan. To review have another look the illustrations in your textbook. Marketing plans may include the following items:
1. Business Mission Statement
2. Objectives
3. Situation or SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
threats)
4. Target Market Strategy taking into consideration the Marketing Mix
or 4 P's:
(Product, Place, Promotion and Price)
5. Implementation and Evaluation Control
Activity
1. With a learning partner, look at the four airline sites for Canadian based air carriers given in the Resource section.
2. Read the article, "De-Mystifying Marketing Plans" and view the two marketing plan outlines given in the Resource section.
3. Create a chart. On the chart, put the elements of a marketing plan. For each element, show what each airline has put on their site that could relate to those elements in the plan. For example, benefits and features of the products and/or services being offered is one element of a marketing plan. What evidence do you find on each of the four airline sites that speaks to benefits and features of that company's product and/or services?
Although you may create your chart any way you like - one suggestion is to list the elements down the left side of the page and the airlines along the top. One of the elements is target market strategy. You will find that Air Canada has targeted corporate customers for their business class sections. Canada 3000 promotes vacations and touristic activities. You would note this on your chart. It is further suggested that you take the time to create a draft chart where you can change things then create a polished final chart to hand in to your instructor.
Resources
"De-mystifying Marketing Plans" - http://gmarketing.com/tactics/weekly_111.html - author Debra Kahn Schofield writes: "...a strong marketing plan helps you create, guide and coordinate your marketing efforts. Preparing the plan encourages you to examine and appraise the current state of your industry." Read the short article for a succinct reminder of the importance of elements of the marketing plan.
Creating a Marketing Plan: Two Examples
http://www.sba.gov/gopher/Business-Development/Business-Initiatives-Education-Training/Marketing-Plan/
Small Business Plan - contains all the necessary information for writing
a marketing plan.
http://www.window.state.tx.us/tba/mktplan.html - Texas Business Advisor's outline for developing a marketing plan.
Canadian Web Sites for airlines
West Jet
Air Canada
Air Transat
Canada 3000
Instructors: Optional Activities
As with all of the Web exercises, the exercise for Chapter Two can be used as suggested or certain parts can be adapted to better suit your student population. You will want to estimate how much time is required to complete any part or all of the parts. It will be helpful to give students a suggested time frame for completing their assignments. It will also help to determine how much credit might be given for the assignment.
1. Mission Statements
Have students develop a mission statement that reflects the marketing strategy for each of the airline web sites in the resource section. The paper could include an introduction and a summary statement in which students discuss the similarities and differences in the four statements.
2. SWOT Analysis
Have small groups work together to develop a detailed SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) for one or more of the airlines.
3. Mini-Marketing Plan
Write a Draft Mini-Marketing Plan A two or three page marketing plan helps introduce the company to prospective investors, lenders or employees.
4. Reality check
After completing the draft marketing plan, students will give their drafts to a learning partner for a "markup" of the plan with specific recommended changes. Drafts may be submitted along with partner mark-ups as well as a final plan revised with the mark-up considered.