This topic was brought up recently on watchdog; but while doing some research into travel websites today I felt it best to flag up again.
Travelsupermarket.com was advertising a trip to Egypt all inclusive for £287 for 7 nights.
Sounds great, not bad value at all to travel thousands of miles for sun, sand and sea.
However on going a bit deeper into the site, the cost is not actually £287 (which is only really there to entice you in); but jumps up to around £700! Which is quite a bit more
This is then factoring in, airport transfers, insurance and luggage costs. These come to around £50 as an extra, however the site does not explain how the price jumped up from £287 up to £700?
Travel and holidays is something that many people now see as the norm; something that we all do and you just have to hunt around for the best deal. However on the above example, the way that the marketing of such holidays is carried out seems confusing and frustrating.
You look in the shop window of a travel agent, and generally the price you see advertised is the price that you pay.
However with price comparison sites, this does not appear to be the case. the price you first see (as the above example from today shows) will change in just one click of a button.
Advice - keep hunting!
Monday 27 June 2011
Monday 20 June 2011
Retail Marketing - Sales Down
The UK economy is still in a slump as retail sales are down; so what is the answer?
The government believe that by changing Vat prices (again) this will kick start the economy.
However the problem goes much deeper than just the retail sector and high street shops; looking at the wider market sectors are facing very real problems.
As manufacturing has gone offshore, construction has slowed and car sales have gone down many sectors are wondering how to tackle a future that looks uncertain.
If any town is like Basingstoke; they will see that many high street shops are closing (due to high rent prices) and many are offering reduced prices on goods. Fathers day sales, summer sales, anything just to shift stock and get people spending.
The problem then comes around again, people spending money that they do not have raises the average families debt and the ones that actually benefit from the cycle are the credit card companies (or banks).
Shops are aggressive in their marketing, competing with each other to stand out with bold signs, loud music, comfy chairs and attractive sales staff (in some cases) to try and get custom. However will this solve the problem?
The chances of there being yet another Vat change is highly likely, but the chances that we will see retail sales increase and restored to their former glory is unlikely.
Future posts on retail sales will tell the story - wait and see.
The government believe that by changing Vat prices (again) this will kick start the economy.
However the problem goes much deeper than just the retail sector and high street shops; looking at the wider market sectors are facing very real problems.
As manufacturing has gone offshore, construction has slowed and car sales have gone down many sectors are wondering how to tackle a future that looks uncertain.
If any town is like Basingstoke; they will see that many high street shops are closing (due to high rent prices) and many are offering reduced prices on goods. Fathers day sales, summer sales, anything just to shift stock and get people spending.
The problem then comes around again, people spending money that they do not have raises the average families debt and the ones that actually benefit from the cycle are the credit card companies (or banks).
Shops are aggressive in their marketing, competing with each other to stand out with bold signs, loud music, comfy chairs and attractive sales staff (in some cases) to try and get custom. However will this solve the problem?
The chances of there being yet another Vat change is highly likely, but the chances that we will see retail sales increase and restored to their former glory is unlikely.
Future posts on retail sales will tell the story - wait and see.
Nike - Sports Marketing
I bought a paid of Nike sports shorts at the weekend and noticed that they were made in Bangladesh; and wondered about the brand. I have always thought that Nike were a US company and just assumed that everything about them was American. They they are based in the US (although they have offices around the world), they manufacture in the US, they bank in the US and were US.
This could be a conception due to the way the marketing is done and how they position themselves globally.
Here are a few facts about Nike:
The way the marketing has been positioned, is that Nike is a US company (with their head offices in the US) that serves all ages from children and collages to middle aged people and the old aged. Nike is truly a brand that caters for all ages and serves all demographics.
This could be a conception due to the way the marketing is done and how they position themselves globally.
Here are a few facts about Nike:
- Nike were started in 1964 and are based in Washington County, Oregon, United States. They have 46 offices dotted around the world and employ over 34,000 staff.
- Their manufacture in Indonesia, China, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Madagascar.
- Nike use offshore banking to reduce their tax bill as opposed to banking within the US.
The way the marketing has been positioned, is that Nike is a US company (with their head offices in the US) that serves all ages from children and collages to middle aged people and the old aged. Nike is truly a brand that caters for all ages and serves all demographics.
Thursday 16 June 2011
7 Tips On Choosing A Website Designer
There are thousands of website designers in the UK; how do you choose the right one?
Before you start thinking about this particular hurdle, you need to think about a few other things first.
1/ What Do You Need?
There is a difference between what you want and what you need. You may see a website that you like the look of (amazon for example) and think 'I want one' - however without spending hundreds of thousands of pounds, you need to be realistic.
Decide on the kind of 'features' that you want (the basic pages, some graphics, a web tutorial etc.)
If you have limited funds, then consider the basics - you can always build on them.
2/ Consider Your Budget
Websites can range in cost from a couple of hundred pounds up to millions; so you need to have a good idea of what kind of site you are looking for. Considering that a designer may charge £40 per hour to work, if you have a budget of £1000 this is about a week for the designer to plan, prototype and get your site set up.
There are cheap websites and websites that can be designed for free - deciding what you want is important before talking to a designer.
3/ What Do You Want
There are lots of different sorts of styles of websites, so do a little research. See what you like the look of and make a note of them. This will help the website designer to put together a site that is going to be in line with your expectations.
4/ Know Your Competition
If you know who your competitors are, you can see what sort of websites they have, what works and what does not. Again, this will help the designer in putting together a website for you that looks right, but also stands out in the crowd.
5/ Know Your Audience
If you are targeting young people, having an interactive slant is good, as is the modern fee. If you are targeting older people, making the site clean and no frills is a good move (maybe with a feature to change the text size). Know your audience - and plan the website for the kind of visitors you are targeting.
6/ What About SEO
SEO means search engine optimisation; what this means is how visible your website is on the internet. Once a website is designed and live, it can get lost in the millions of other sites. SEO brings it up in searches. So if you are a legal company in Bradford, then you would target legal phrases based around the place name of Bradford. This is done by an SEO expert as opposed to a designer.
7/ Compare Prices
Website designers all charge differently; there is no standard when it comes to website design. By comparing website design prices you can get a feel for different designers ideas and angles, and choose the best one (based on the design ideas, prices etc.).
Before you start thinking about this particular hurdle, you need to think about a few other things first.
1/ What Do You Need?
There is a difference between what you want and what you need. You may see a website that you like the look of (amazon for example) and think 'I want one' - however without spending hundreds of thousands of pounds, you need to be realistic.
Decide on the kind of 'features' that you want (the basic pages, some graphics, a web tutorial etc.)
If you have limited funds, then consider the basics - you can always build on them.
2/ Consider Your Budget
Websites can range in cost from a couple of hundred pounds up to millions; so you need to have a good idea of what kind of site you are looking for. Considering that a designer may charge £40 per hour to work, if you have a budget of £1000 this is about a week for the designer to plan, prototype and get your site set up.
There are cheap websites and websites that can be designed for free - deciding what you want is important before talking to a designer.
3/ What Do You Want
There are lots of different sorts of styles of websites, so do a little research. See what you like the look of and make a note of them. This will help the website designer to put together a site that is going to be in line with your expectations.
4/ Know Your Competition
If you know who your competitors are, you can see what sort of websites they have, what works and what does not. Again, this will help the designer in putting together a website for you that looks right, but also stands out in the crowd.
5/ Know Your Audience
If you are targeting young people, having an interactive slant is good, as is the modern fee. If you are targeting older people, making the site clean and no frills is a good move (maybe with a feature to change the text size). Know your audience - and plan the website for the kind of visitors you are targeting.
6/ What About SEO
SEO means search engine optimisation; what this means is how visible your website is on the internet. Once a website is designed and live, it can get lost in the millions of other sites. SEO brings it up in searches. So if you are a legal company in Bradford, then you would target legal phrases based around the place name of Bradford. This is done by an SEO expert as opposed to a designer.
7/ Compare Prices
Website designers all charge differently; there is no standard when it comes to website design. By comparing website design prices you can get a feel for different designers ideas and angles, and choose the best one (based on the design ideas, prices etc.).
Monday 9 May 2011
Getting Marketing Right
When marketing goes wrong, it does not just go a little bit wrong, but a lot wrong - certainly if you are a large business or global leader.
Small companies, if they do not communicate their marketing message properly, only really loose out a little. Maybe they will experience a dip in sales equating to a few hundred or few thousand pounds - nothing life threatening but just irritating.
However if you are a large business, and your marketing/PR is angled wrong, then there are very serious problems. Customer confidence can go, you may loose your market share footing - or the brand could be shot down.
A recent article on the BBC website looks at some of the leading brands in the washing powder industry and how their marketing/PR is positioned.
Finding the right marketing agency is important really for any business of any size - however the higher you are up the ladder (in business terms) the further there is for you to fall should things go wrong.
Small companies, if they do not communicate their marketing message properly, only really loose out a little. Maybe they will experience a dip in sales equating to a few hundred or few thousand pounds - nothing life threatening but just irritating.
However if you are a large business, and your marketing/PR is angled wrong, then there are very serious problems. Customer confidence can go, you may loose your market share footing - or the brand could be shot down.
A recent article on the BBC website looks at some of the leading brands in the washing powder industry and how their marketing/PR is positioned.
Finding the right marketing agency is important really for any business of any size - however the higher you are up the ladder (in business terms) the further there is for you to fall should things go wrong.
Friday 29 April 2011
Marketing The Monarchy
Today has been a fantastic day for England and the British people.
Kate looked stunning in her wedding dress and Prince William looked equally handsome in his military uniform.
The world was looking at the couple, at the Queen, at the British people celebrating with their Monarchy and sharing in undoubtedly the most important date for the British 2011 calendar.
Many countries look up to the British nation and today it was clear to see why; anyone who is British will feel the pride and love of the nation, of the Monarch and of the royal family. To see the union jacks flying, the people crowded expressing kindness and happyness and seeing the royal troops dressed so smartly sends a shiver down the spine and makes us all prowd to be part of the British empire.
As the BBC said, the tradition has been replayed for over 350 years and that makes the British stand out as unique.
The way the Monarch has been preserved and presented to the world is such a powerful marketing message to the world. All other nations look up to the British people for what we all shared in today.
Many would say that the times of having Kings and Queens has gone, that the Monarch is a drain on the countries resources and expensive. However considering the business that the Royal Wedding has brought to the nation, the many small companies that have had that much needed boost in business it certainly is welcome.
The best wishes to the happy couple; God save the Queen.
Kate looked stunning in her wedding dress and Prince William looked equally handsome in his military uniform.
The world was looking at the couple, at the Queen, at the British people celebrating with their Monarchy and sharing in undoubtedly the most important date for the British 2011 calendar.
Many countries look up to the British nation and today it was clear to see why; anyone who is British will feel the pride and love of the nation, of the Monarch and of the royal family. To see the union jacks flying, the people crowded expressing kindness and happyness and seeing the royal troops dressed so smartly sends a shiver down the spine and makes us all prowd to be part of the British empire.
As the BBC said, the tradition has been replayed for over 350 years and that makes the British stand out as unique.
The way the Monarch has been preserved and presented to the world is such a powerful marketing message to the world. All other nations look up to the British people for what we all shared in today.
Many would say that the times of having Kings and Queens has gone, that the Monarch is a drain on the countries resources and expensive. However considering the business that the Royal Wedding has brought to the nation, the many small companies that have had that much needed boost in business it certainly is welcome.
The best wishes to the happy couple; God save the Queen.
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Royal Wedding
The royal wedding is getting closer and closer and it certainly going to be the most watched event ever.
The number of companies that are involved with the festivities is countless, from company's in central London right down to hog roast companies in Leeds everyone is jumping on the band wagon.
The UK is definitely split between royalists and parliamentarians. People that support the royal wedding and will watch it, and people that do not care at all and just see the event as an excuse for a holiday. Some people are going on pub crawls; some will be working in the garden and some just going on holiday to get away from the festivities. Even three and half centuries after the English civil war, the UK is still divided in its support of the monarchy.
Ever since the royal engagement was announced (or since William and Kate were dating) companies have been marketing around the couple and using the subject as a way of selling. Today there are thousands of companies selling plates, cups and all forms of memorabilia around the royal event.
Indeed the royal wedding will be immortalised by the media and something that millions around the world will be watching and supporting.
All the best to the happy couple, to the future King and Queen; God bless them both!
The number of companies that are involved with the festivities is countless, from company's in central London right down to hog roast companies in Leeds everyone is jumping on the band wagon.
The UK is definitely split between royalists and parliamentarians. People that support the royal wedding and will watch it, and people that do not care at all and just see the event as an excuse for a holiday. Some people are going on pub crawls; some will be working in the garden and some just going on holiday to get away from the festivities. Even three and half centuries after the English civil war, the UK is still divided in its support of the monarchy.
Ever since the royal engagement was announced (or since William and Kate were dating) companies have been marketing around the couple and using the subject as a way of selling. Today there are thousands of companies selling plates, cups and all forms of memorabilia around the royal event.
Indeed the royal wedding will be immortalised by the media and something that millions around the world will be watching and supporting.
All the best to the happy couple, to the future King and Queen; God bless them both!
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