1. GCSE LEISURE AND TOURISM MARKETING COURSEWORK TASK A Give a description of the 4p’s and explain how they work together in order to meet Thorpe Park’s marketing objectives

2. The Marketing Mix The marketing mix is the balance of the 4 p’s used by Thorpe Park. P roduct – what goods and services an organisation offers P rice – how much the goods and service cost P lace – where the goods and services are offered P romotion – how organisations get people to buy their goods and services

3. PRODUCT

4. Product Products can be either goods or services. Thorpe Park have to provide products to satisfy their customers wants and needs. What should I include? 1. Define the term products and services 2. Describe the features of six of the rides at Thorpe Park 3. List all products and services available at Thorpe Park link 4. Describe the brand name of Thorpe Park 5. Describe the after sales service offered by Thorpe Park 6. Describe Thorpe Parks history using the Product Life Cycle

5. Many organisations give their products brand names. It is a unique name that makes a product stand out from that of its competitors. Thorpe Park is owned by Merlin Entertainments Brand names such as Thorpe Park are used for several reasons To help recognition – if customers recognise a brand they may trust and buy it To make the product different – Thorpe Park as a brand looks to attract “thrill seekers” To create brand loyalty – if people go to Thorpe Park once and enjoy their experience they are more likely to return To develop a brand image – people go to Thorpe Park for the thrilling rides, this is the brand they have created. Click here for more information about Thorpe Park Brand Brand Name “Thorpe Park”

6. After Sales Service Thorpe Park provides an After Sales Service, this is very important to some customers providing them with security when buying a product. Ensuring satisfaction – Thorpe Park use exit questionnaires and other research methods to measure customer satisfaction. Services - many guests regrettably lose personal items out of their pockets. Guest services then have the difficult responsibility of matching the reported lost items with the recovered property from in the ride areas. Last season Thorpe Park recovered nearly 2000 items, and returned nearly 25%. Deal with complaints – Thorpe Park respond in writing to any complaints that need following up, or in reply to letters, phone calls or emails within 7 days of receiving the initial complaint. link

7. Product Life Cycle The product life cycle shows stages of popularity of a product over time. It has four stages: Introduction – the business begin to build product awareness and develop a market for the product. Growth stage – the business begin to build brand presence and increase market share. Maturity stage – strong growth slows and competition may appear. Marketing efforts switch to defending market share and maximising profit. Decline stage – the sales of the product decline. Find out about the history of Thorpe Park and plot it on the Product Life Cycle. Download Thorpe Park Student Guide

8. PRICE

11. Actual Selling Price The actual selling price is the amount of money paid customers for goods and services. Price is one of the most flexible parts of the marketing mix as it can easily be changed. Thorpe Park offer a range of seasonal discounts in order to attract new visitors. Thorpe Park often using price discounts when promoting the park. Profitability Price allows Thorpe Park to make a profit. This means that Thorpe Park must charge a price that more than covers the costs of running the Park e.g. staff wages, maintenance etc.

12. PLACE

15. The path taken to get products from organisations to customers is called a distribution channel. Thorpe Park delivers is product via tourist information centres, tour operators, over the internet from the Thorpe Park website and at the Park itself. Distribution Channels Tourist Information Centre Tour Operator Thorpe Park Website Thorpe Park Customer Customer Customer Customer Sold directly over internet

16. PROMOTION