Section 1: Introduction - Tourism Queensland

INTRODUCTION | Writing your marketing plan
Why have a marketing plan?
At this point you might be tempted to
think you don’t need a marketing plan
because you haven’t had one before
and you’re doing OK. Or you don’t have
the time to sit down and navel gaze –
you have a business to run and you
have a life.
Well, let’s take a look at that. You make
plans in order to get what you want.
Planning is simply desiring something
and putting into place the things that
will help make it happen.
It stands to reason if you plan to stay
in business, you need to plan for
business growth.
And marketing is the primary
method used to achieve that growth.
Essentially, it directs the flow of
goods and services from you to
your consumers.
You may have heard of the marketing
term the ‘Four Ps’. It describes the
marketing mix - a common set of
business areas where marketing has
a direct influence. For the purposes of
this guide, we’re going to add a fifth P
to cover Packaging.
The five Ps are:
• Product
• Packaging
• Price
• Place
• Promotion
As we delve further into the planning
process, you’ll see the Ps pick up on
every aspect of the business and for
this reason, the activities linked to
Five P planning are both broad and
interdependent.
Along with sales, advertising and
promotions, marketing plans also cover
consumer/market research, product
development, distribution, placement
and positioning, customer service,
public relations and corporate policies,
systems and communication.
As the business owner, you can also
use the planning process to flip your
view on the business and objectively
assess your product, services and
service delivery by looking at them
from a consumer perspective.
Thinking of marketing in these terms,
it’s easy to see how critical it is to the
everyday decision making you do for
your business. In fact, the value and
impact of marketing your product well
cannot be underestimated.
A marketing plan can help you:
• identify your target markets
• understand how to reach those
target markets
• present product to consistently
meet consumer expectations
• extend and /or develop
new product
• create and realise new
opportunities
• attract new and repeat
customers
• increase sales and
• maximise the returns on
your investment.
The big picture
Another important facet to
your planning is having a good
understanding of the external
environment and how the tourism
industry works. Not just understanding
it, but becoming actively involved.
As a tourism operator, you are an
integral part of a tiered tourism
industry system, which exists to
develop tourism at national, state and
local levels.
Each level has its specific roles
and responsibilities. However,
collectively, they are a powerful
force in driving consumer demand
for our tourism product.
Knowing how the system operates
and tapping in to the various agencies
and industry bodies as needs or
opportunities arise can substantially
enhance the effectiveness of your
business marketing.
The knowledge, networks and
relationships gained through these
and other professional affiliations can
also lead to exciting and unexpected
benefits as well as lifelong friendships.
THE BIG MARKETING GUIDE
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