Oxford Night Club
Re: Target Market and Club Positioning.
Oxford has about 4000 business people who actually provide an estimated 120,000 jobs. The
city has a large population that is employed at the Oxford University. Most of the people working
in Oxford are not actually residents of the city instead they communicate daily from neighboring
cities. Its one of the most visited city in the UK that attracts about 9.5 million visitors per year
and generates close to 770 million pounds every year.
When planning to establish a night club it’s obvious that the largest target will be visitors who
normally visit together with the regular ones who commute everyday to Oxford. The residents of
Oxford will form the small but constant number of regular customers who due their close
proximity will be its regular patrons. To encourage them, they should be considered and even
given special considerations in terms of rates and other services.
The target market mostly will be tourists from other countries and also the local residents. The
club should position itself in a way to attract these visitors. In its establishment it should not
leave any doubt that it’s centered to attract visitors from other international countries. It should
be almost to the standards of other night clubs generally found in Oxford for instance Raoul’s
Bar that’s found on Walton Street, Jericho or the Bridge. Its standards should be first class and
environmentally friendly. The staff should also go through a stringent selection process and
selected according to merit. (Armstrong,1985).
The following marketing strategies cab be applied to market the new Night Club.
Promotional strategy is a function that involves informing, persuading or influencing the
decisions of the customer. Its major objective is to develop and promote a products primary
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demand. Different companies have varied promotional strategies. Some use these strategies to
expand in their different markets while others use them to reach selected and particular
Customers. This process, known as market segmentation divides the market into groups
markets. Most promotional strategies goals are to provide the basic necessary information
about the product and to differentiate in order to increase its sales, its value and to stabilize its
overall market. (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman, & Hansen, 2012)
To provide the basic information of the existence the Oxford Nightclub, the company
must come up with a marketing communication strategy that will involve making key decisions
about who the customer is, how they will be contacted and what kind of message should be
conveyed. ( McKeon , 2012), For instance, oxford bar will target different distinct groups
depending on the message and taste of the potential which are very distinct from each other
(Smith & Taylor, 2004) In one of the messages, Oxford Night Club would target the working
class with such messages referring to good life, endless entertainment, security and secure
parking and good music. While in other messages it would target parties or other ceremonies
involving the general public. For the international visitors or the tourists the message should be
very clear and should mostly border on comfort and the availability of efficient transport services
to major cities and airports.
The importance of market segmentation is that it increases the efficiency in marketing
operations by narrowing the market specifically toward a designated and defined segment in a
way that is consistent with the characteristics of the segment. Market segmentation leads to
product differentiation from each segment while tangibly or intangibly differentiating it from the
rival products from the competitors.(Holloway & Christopher, 2004).
Positioning involves the development of brands as the images of the company’s products or
services. The combination of all the required elements of marketing mix is needed to achieve
the required strategy. Positioning explains the uniqueness of the services in the market place
and also its advantages against the other Night Clubs in Oxford and a relaxed atmosphere.
(Lusch, and Lusch,1987).
The development of product advertising message takes place after the product has being
successfully position and the potential customers and their needs have been identified i.e. the
requirements of the target group. A distinctive, creative and well branded advertising generates
impressive results that ensure successfully marketing and promotional strategy. To make the
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product more appealing to the customers or the target group then the adverts designers should
be constantly referring to the customers according to their needs and tastes. (Wood, 2003)
Sales promotion involves other forms of increasing sales other than advertising, personal
selling or public relations through one time or occasional selling. Initially sales promotion was a
supplement to a company’s sales efforts or advertising process, but it has become part of the
promotional mix for most firms. (Blythe, 2008)
The choice of a promotional mix is directly related to the selection of the promotional strategy
the company will adopt to promote its products or service. There are two strategies available to
the marketer. i.e. pushing strategy or the pulling strategy. The pushing strategy is an approach
that’s sales oriented. The product or service is marketed wholesalers and the retailers in the
marketing process or channels. These particular products like the carbonated drinks are often
marketed by the sales personnel who carry them during their promotional activities and their
benefits explained to the targeted audience. They offer special discounts and promotional
materials like T-shirts, hand bags, caps and other attractive gifts to increase their sales.
Examples are the branded Pepsi T-shirts and their caps which are usually trendy and well
designed to attract potential consumers. www.pepsistuff.com Airline flights will promote certain
and particular destination at discounted rates to attract more customers and promote free tickets
for regular travelers once in awhile. Oxford Night Club can adopt some of these strategies as it’s
a new business that is entering a market that has stiff competition; it has to be very aggressive
in its marketing strategy. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010)
A pulling strategy generates the consumer demand for its product or service mainly through
advertising and sales promotion and marketing appeals. The ultimate aim of the advertisement
is to create a demand for the service among the potential clients who will eventually be attracted
by the product or service. The marketer believes that the strong demand created will pull item,
product or service by compelling the marketing intermediaries to accommodate it through the
marketing channels. For instance, Oxford Night Club can announce free entry to an organized
event or to a particular entertainment spot by bringing tokens or certain identifiers that can
promote particular cocktails by offering free drinks to certain clients at the Night club. (Wright,
Peter, Kroll, Mark, Kedia, Ben, and Pringle, Charles. 1990)
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In most cases both strategies are used depending on the products or service being promoted.
Pulling strategy is mostly used for consumer products while other industrial products use the
pushing strategy.
References
Blythe, J. (2008) Essentials of Marketing. 4th edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Holloway, J. Christopher. (2004). Marketing for Tourism. 4th edition. Essex: Pearson Education
Limited.
Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2010) Principles of Marketing. 13th edition. London: Pearson
Education Ltd.
Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. & Brady, M. & Goodman, M. & Hansen, T. (2012) Marketing
Management. 2nd edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Smith, P.R. & Taylor, J. (2004) Marketing communications. An integrated approach. 4th edition.
London: Kogan Page Limited.
Wood, M. (2003) The Marketing Plan: A Handbook. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Armstrong.(1985). “Evidence on the Value of Strategic Planning in Marketing: How Much
Planning Should a Marketing Planner Plan?” . Strategic Marketing and Management: 73–87.
McKeon , M. (2012), the Strategy Book, FT Prentice Hall.
Wright, Peter, Kroll, Mark, Kedia, Ben, and Pringle, Charles. (1990) Strategic Profiles, Market
Share
Lusch, R. and Lusch, V. (1987). Principles of Marketing. Kent Publishing,
