Analysis of Feasibility Study of Busselton Jetty’s

Executive Summary

Busselton Jetty Incorporated is one of Western Australia’s most well-known landmarks, with its iconic Jetty. It is a major tourist attraction in the country and worldwide, attracting visitors from all over the world (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). The icon is managed by a non-profit organization tasked with the responsibility of making sure that it remains sustainable and performs effectively. The strength and clarity of the organization’s vision and its vision statement are critical to its success. For instance, the association’s vision is to provide its clients with the most memorable marine experience possible. Along with a strategic mission and vision, the association has effective market segmentation and promotional strategies to reach its goals. The company is looking for people who believe in the company’s goal of preserving the Jetty for the benefit of future generations.

Introduction

Busselton Jetty Incorporated has one of the most recognized icons in Western Australia. The Jetty was established in 1865, and it is about 1.8 km long and is a major tourist attraction site in the country and across the globe (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). The icon is managed by a not-for-profit association charged with overseeing its operations. The organization’s success is linked to its strong and clear vision and mission statement. For example, the association’s vision is to offer its clients the most memorable marine experience (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Apart from having a strategic mission and vision, the association has effective market segmentation and promotional strategies. Furthermore, the company targets people who subscribe to its intention of protecting the Jetty for future posterity. Therefore, Busselton Jetty Incorporated is an association to safeguard the Jetty.

Corporate Vision, Mission, and Goals

Vision Statement

A vision statement describes what Busselton Jetty desires to attain in the long run and how it will impact the customers, community, industry, or the world. The company’s statement is “to provide its customers the most memorable coastal experience in Australia” (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a, p.1). This statement indicates what the organization intends to achieve through its services. The company exist to make sure that the visitors are satisfied. For example, the intention is to offer customers an experience of marine life. In addition, the people who come to visit the area are assured of quality services. Therefore, the vision statement shows that the company is to make its services memorable to customers.

Mission Statement

The mission statement gives a general idea of Busselton Jetty’s intention of protecting the environment. The company’s statement is “saving the Jetty for the future generation” (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a, p.1). In this statement, the organization is keen on safeguarding the marine habitat for posterity. For example, they intend to ensure that the community understands the ecosystem’s value and the need to protect the environment. With this statement, the employees and stakeholders know the organization’s direction. In addition, the statement’s main purpose highlights the idea through which the company plans to influence the community. As a result, the organization’s mission offers strategic directions and intends to protect marine life for the future generation.

Busselton Jetty’s Strategic Plan
Figure 1: Busselton Jetty’s Strategic Plan

Corporate Goals

Table 1: Goals

Corporate Goals Description
To be environmentally sustainable. Environmental sustainability is a crucial objective of the company. It intends to create awareness to protect marine life. For example, the organization has launched campaigns such as “save the whale.” In addition, the company promotes the use of electric cars to reduce environmental pollution (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a).
To be socially sustainable. Social sustainability is a proactive way of supporting the current and future generations to establish healthy and livable communities. The organization intends to protect marine life for future posterity. In addition, the company ensures that its employees are satisfied by meeting their needs (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a).
To raise funds and resources to protect the Jetty. One of the company’s primary goals is to mobilize adequate funds and resources to safeguard the Jetty. In addition, it has the mission of building a new Australian Underwater Discovery Center, a marine research center, and a new village. As a result, the financial resources are supposed to support the development of the Jetty (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a).
To deliver quality services to customers and ensure that they enjoy every stay at the Jetty. For the Jetty to perform effectively, it must be able to attract many visitors from within and outside Australia. The company intends to deliver quality services to visitors and ensure a memorable experience during their visits. Therefore, the organization’s success depends on the number of visitors.

Marketing Segments

Demographic Segmentation

Demographic segmentation involves dividing audiences based on observable and people-focused differences. Firstly, Busselton Jetty targets everyone, meaning both children and adults are its clients. This indicates that the organization does not restrict visitors based on their ages (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Secondly, the company have a package for families based on their size and a different package for individual visitors. In addition, the organization has a special package for people who come as a family. For example, the charges for families are cheaper compared to individual charges. Thirdly, the organization targets everyone, either male, female or transgender. Fourthly, the company majors on people in paid employment around the globe. Therefore, demographic segmentation reveals that the organization targets a variety of people.

Behavioral Segmentation

Behavioral segmentation involves dividing the market based on consumers’ behaviors, especially towards the product. Firstly, Busselton Jetty targets people who like marine adventure and tours (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). This category is most likely to visit the Jetty to experience what it offers as far as amusement is concerned. Secondly, the organization targets individuals with online shopping habits and those who can visit its website and book online. In addition, the company has a website where it markets its products to attract more customers. Thirdly, Busselton Jetty majors on people interested in supporting the Jetty and ensuring that it meets its objectives. As a result, the Jetty targets individuals who like marine tours, those who love online shopping, and the ones who would want to support the organization in realizing its mission.

Geographic Segmentation

Geographic segmentation is when an organization splits its customers based on their origins. Busselton Jetty targets visitors who come within Australia and from other countries across the globe (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). The company majors on people who can physically visit the Jetty or virtually for an international audience. They target people from overseas who live in Perth and may not have visited the site. The organization also majors in international students who are still living in Perth. Busselton Jetty targets people living south of the River for local audiences. Therefore, the company focuses on customers from Australia and regions across the globe.

Psychographic Segmentation

Psychographic segmentation groups audiences on internal attributes, which are more challenging to determine. Some of the characteristics are lifestyle, values, and social class. For example, Busselton Jetty targets people who like adventure and spend their holidays (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). In most cases, people’s social status determines the products they use and their preferences. Every social class has its own set of choices and areas of entertainment. For example, the rich usually visit places where they can get quality service during their leisure time, irrespective of the charges. The organization may encounter people looking for a new adventure as well as those looking to get away for some much-needed relaxation. Thus, psychological segmentation assists the organization in creating marketing strategies that attract people within the segment.

Marketing Strategies

Marketing strategy is the company’s approach and game plan for reaching out to potential customers and converting them into actual customers for the products being sold. It typically includes customer demographic data, a brand message, the company’s core values, and other important elements (Tien et al., 2019). As an organization, Busselton intends to attract more visitors to the Jetty. Some of the strategies used by Busselton Jetty are product, distribution, pricing, and promotion strategies. These strategies allow the organization to attain a competitive advantage, offer relevant products, and manage customer relationships. Therefore, the company’s success depends on the number of customers.

Product Strategies

Busselton Jetty has unique features that can garner the most attention from customers across the globe. The company is always providing innovative products to ensure that customers are satisfied. One of the unique products offered by Busselton Jetty is the underground observatory (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). This enables the visitors to view the colorful corals and exotic marine life on a guarded tour. Customers are guided on to journey under the Jetty to spot the corals. However, there is a virtual tour for those who cannot physically go to an underground observatory. People can see the fish, other sea animals, and activities carried out under the Jetty. As a result, the underground observatory tour is among the products designed to attract and amuse visitors.

The second product offered by Busselton Jetty to attract visitors are sea canoe tours. These tours are memorable because they give a unique perspective to things. During the tours, the visitors get to understand the area’s geology, flora and fauna and view the various aspects of the surrounding in Southwest Australia (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Some of the stories that visitors are told include the history of the Wadandi people and the early European settlers. After the sea canoe tours, guests are honored with a seafood spread on the Busselton. foreshore. There are really cannot ask for a better view of Geography Bay, which is enhanced by a feast prepared by Western Growers Fresh and served under a marquee for the occasion.

The third product provided by the organization is the Jetty train. The train driver takes visitors on a 1.7-kilometre journey across the bay’s calm and clear waters. The iconic red solar-powered Jetty Train, with 90 seats available and trips departing on the hour throughout the day, is the ideal way to experience the Busselton Jetty (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). In addition to carriages with six seats, passengers can enjoy accessible carriages for people who need help getting around, a warm ride with see-through blinds in a sheltered area and narration by our train drivers. In addition, a trip on the Jetty Train will give visitors a chance to see dolphins playing and local fishermen catching their fish of the day, among other things.

The fourth product offered by the Jetty is the underground dining package for visitors. This is one of the trendiest packages in the tourism industry. It is a unique dining experience where visitors can view the sea creatures while taking their meals (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Underground dining is among the products that enable the Jetty to provide a memorable experience. Additionally, the visitors can descend eight meters beneath the ocean’s surface to see about 300 individual marine species in their natural habitat through viewing windows at various levels and having their meals (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). This provides people with a new experience away from the ordinary. Therefore, underground dining is a special product that makes the Jetty one of the best tourist attraction sites across the globe.

Pricing Strategies

The first pricing strategy used by Busselton Jetty is buddle pricing. This is a technique where an organization packages different products and provides them at a single and reduced price. The Jetty offers separate prices for families and individuals for its services, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. For example, for a Jetty Train, a family consisting of two adults and two children is charged $40 and $6 for an extra child (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022b). However, the charge for a single adult who is 18 years and above is $15, while a single child from 3 to 17 years is $8.5 (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022b). This indicates that paying as a family of two children enables them to save about $7 per trip on the Jetty Train. Therefore, the pricing strategy enables visitors from across the globe to come as a family.

Charges for Jetty Train
Figure 2: Charges for Jetty Train
 Charges for The Underwater Observatory
Figure 3: Charges for The Underwater Observatory

The second pricing strategy used by Busselton Jetty is value-based. This is a pricing approach based on how much the customer believes the product is worth (Reisman, 2019). In this arrangement, the prices of products are normally higher than those offered by competitors because it is based on the uniqueness of what is provided. For example, Busselton Jetty targets people who believe in their mission of protecting the Jetty for future posterity. Therefore, the pricing is often determined by the value instead of the market. For example, as shown in figure 3, for an Underwater Observatory, a single adult is charged $35 at the Jetty, while a single adult at the Underwater Observatory Marine Park in Eilat is required to pay about $29.6 (Tourist Israel, 2020). Therefore, value pricing is an important approach used by Busselton to attract visitors.

The third pricing approach used by Busselton Jetty is annual passes or a one-off payment technique. This is a method where a visitor can pay once for the services. The most common duration for this payment is annual. Apart from other charges, annual passes are also available, $50 for a single adult and $25 for a pensioner (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022b). Additionally, resident annual passes are available for those who reside in the City of Busselton. For example, a resident is required to buy a financial year pass for $4 in person at the Interpretive Centre. The main purpose of this pricing strategy is to develop loyal clients and frequent visitors. As a result, the organization intends to have clients throughout the season with the annual payment of services at the Jetty.

Promotional Strategies

Busselton Jetty uses website marketing as one of its promotional strategies. It is a strategy used to promote a product through the website to attract more visitors. In addition, the website provides important insight into the organization. For example, Busselton Jetty’s website indicates that it is about 1.8 km long, and funds obtained from the ticket sales contribute to Jetty’s maintenance and conservation (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022b). The visitors can also view the services offered, communicate with customer care, and book. In addition, online users can see upcoming events and crucial information about Busselton Jetty, such as history. The organization can show customers activities such as Underwater Observatory through the website, as shown in figure 4 below (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022b). Thus, website marketing is integral in promoting the products.

Tours and Activities at the Jetty
Figure 4: Tours and Activities at the Jetty

The other promotional strategy used by Busselton Jetty is social media marketing. The organization has a strong presence on social media with an active following. Busselton Jetty uses Facebook and Instagram to market its products to its customers across the globe. In 2021, Instagram followers were about 12,000, which is a 22% increase from 2020 (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). The organization is also active on Facebook because it provides the most appropriate platform where they can effectively interact with people. For example, they can post events and observe the comments and trends on marine tourism. This allows marketers to learn more about their target audience’s likes, dislikes, and interests, developing a better marketing strategy to attract such customers.

Social Media Marketing
Figure 5: Social Media Marketing

When it comes to marketing and customer service, social media has made it easier for people worldwide to do both. A lot of people think that people who come up with the best ideas and techniques for getting clients will be more successful than people who spend a lot of money on ads. However, it all depends on who Busselton Jetty is trying to reach and their demographics (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Social media platforms are the tools that can help bridge the gap between the product and the customer. However, customers are kings, and they have the power to switch to a new company or an already good one. Therefore, marketers need to develop a unique and authentic idea that will help customers solve their problems quickly and effectively.

An innovative marketing strategy is another promotional approach Busselton uses to attract visitors. It involves a collection of processes and activities used to market and communicate new products and services to a specific group of consumers. In marketing, innovation refers to developing new ideas that have a positive effect on a new product or service (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). Based on this, innovative marketing has enabled the development of new products such as a virtual tour to meet the needs of customers who may not be able to visit the Jetty physically. This involves using virtual reality, augmented reality, touch screens and many more. Therefore, innovation has helped develop products that meet the needs of customers who understand technological trends.

Another promotional strategy is the after-sale customer survey to obtain important feedback. Customer satisfaction surveys can assist the business increase productivity and profitability by assessing customers’ expectations of the services and their level of trust and loyalty to Busselton Jetty (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). The organization have tailored their customer survey to include questions that will reveal areas of concern. For example, “satisfaction surveys are carried out of at least 500 visitors to be provided to the City of Busselton, with customer satisfaction level scoring above 85%” (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a, p.26). The survey is integral because it provides information the organization uses to make informed decisions. In the absence of customer feedback, Busselton Jetty would not know the performance of its services.

Busselton Jetty assesses customer satisfaction and detects areas of concern through various processes, including visitor surveys completed in 2020 and 2021. They collect results from visitors on paper, by scanning QR codes that link to an online survey, or in a Thank You email sent after the tour outcome is reported monthly to the leaders for discussion and action (Busselton Jetty Incorporated, 2022a). In addition, online surveys are used to profile target markets by distributing visitor surveys. Age, location, travelling group, satisfaction, how they heard about us, and how long they stayed in the region are all questions. For example, a total of 2,374 surveys were collected in 2021. As a result, the survey helps to reveal the areas of improvement and strategies they are supposed to adopt to perform effectively in the market.

Distribution Strategies

The distribution strategy used by Busselton Jetty is direct distribution. This is a marketing strategy in which a producer directly delivers services to the consumer (Múgica & Berné, 2019). Because organizations frequently sell their services, this type of distribution rarely involves the use of wholesalers or other distributors. Busselton Jetty has a website where it meets its customers and offers a booking platform. The business must handle customer orders, which entails receiving and responding to requests from various individuals or businesses. On the other hand, direct contact with end consumers enables the business to obtain continuous feedback about their opinions and reactions, thereby increasing its ability to fulfil clients and provide them with added value.

Apart from using the website to offer services to customers, there are physical offices at the Jetty where visitors can be served. The brick-and-mortar offices are integral because they are an alternative to online platforms (Múgica & Berné, 2019). It provides customer services to customers who may not have obtained adequate information through the website. For example, the visitors who did not book online can come to the Jetty and pay through the offices physically. In addition, the physical offices act as places where visitors can make important inquiries about the services they paid for and get directions. Employees in physical stores can converse with customers, enabling customers to explain the services directly. Although young people may appreciate their digital options, they also value unique experiences and human connections.

Conclusion

Busselton is one of the most well-known marine tourist attractions in Western Australia. The icon is run by a not-for-profit group that has the job of making sure it runs smoothly. A strong and clear vision and vision statement are the keys to the success of the company or group. Its goal is for its clients to have the best possible experience with the sea. In addition to having a well-thought-out mission and vision, it has an effective market segmentation and marketing strategy. The company is looking for people who agree with its goal of protecting the Jetty for future generations.

References

Busselton Jetty Incorporated (2022a). Busselton Jetty Incorporated | Annual Report 2020-21. Web.

Busselton Jetty Incorporated. (2022b). Busselton Jetty. Web.

Múgica, J. M., & Berné, C. (2019). Analyzing channel choice: Direct and indirect e-Tourism distribution. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 29(5), 537-548. Web.

Reisman, R. (2019). FairPay Relationship Pricing: An Adaptive, Value-Based Strategy for Consumer Markets. NMIMS Management Review, 37(2), 09-24. Web.

Tien, N. H., Phu, P. P., & Chi, D. T. P. (2019). The role of international marketing in international business strategy. International Journal of Research in Marketing Management and Sales, 1(2), 134-138.

Tourist Israel. (2020). Underwater Observatory Marine Park. Web.

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