Entrepreneurial Blog

The four “P” of marketing include product, price, place, and promotion.  Choosing the right product for the customer is the most difficult task in marketing.  Marketing focuses on the customer.  When pricing a product many factors need to be considered.  Ideally the product should be priced to make a profit for the business.  Factors include cost of making the product, overhead costs, advertising costs, and more.  The price set must also be considered of value for the consumer and is the valve exchanged for the product.  Place is the distribution of the product.  Distribution is the where and when the product is available to the consumer.  Every business that sells a product must keep in mind the needs of the customer.  When the business markets their product they need to be aware that promotion does not create a need but capitalize on basic needs.  Even without promotion basic needs will still need to be met.  With the right promotion people will buy their product to satisfy their needs.

In my business of Nantahala Cabins, I will we reassessing the four “P”’s of marketing.  My product is clean cabins for quests looking for lodging in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  Most of my guest come to this area to enjoy the outdoor activities of white water rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, train excursions, boating, hiking, and more.  We have themed our cabins and the names of our roads to appeal to these guests.  The different motifs include; fishing, paddling, hiking, biking, and mountain animals.  We have also named our roads mountain biking terms; Hardtail Lane, Bunny Hop Trail, Downhill Lane, and Switchback Lane.  Pricing has been our most difficult marketing mix.  This year we are trying a variable pricing strategy.  During the high season we charge a higher rate and a lower rate in the off season.  We have begun a new online marketing strategy of real time online bookings and offer a 10% off coupon if the reservation is booked online.  Over the last few years guests have not been making their reservation until almost last minute as opposed to about five years ago making reservations several months in advance.  I will reevaluate the pricing in late May or early June.  If we are not getting the bookings then I will reduce the pricing.  For place; our cabins are open year round so they are available when and where guest may want them.  As for promotion we are using several avenues to communicate with audiences to build and maintain relationships.

The cabins use different advertising methods.  Nantahala Cabins has a sand blasted outdoor sign at our road leading up to the cabins.  This sign is at the beginning of our road called Nantahala Cabins Lane.  Then 22 miles east of our location we have an outdoor billboard.  Both signages include our name Nantahala Cabins with the same yellow font, our phone number and our website.  I feel that it is very important that in every advertising venue that the name, phone number, and website are displayed with the same font and colors.  Consistency will bring brand awareness.  Nantahala Cabins also has brochures we use for direct mailings and as rack cards that we distribute.  Our business cards also have a similar feel as the brochure.  We also advertise in several magazines each year; including “Our State”, “Bryson City Guide”, and “Great Smoky Mountain Guide”.  I will be learning more about Internet advertising in the coming months.  We do have a website and good placement and are signed up with a Global Distribution Positioning which have us included in many travel sites like Travelocity, Kayak, etc.

I am going to describe how well we at Nantahala Cabins utilize electronic marketing strategies.  We own Nantahala Cabins in Western North Carolina in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Our website is www.nantahalacabins.com .  In 1998 we bought property in Bryson City in the Nantahala Gorge.  We began to build cabins.  We now have a total of eight rental cabins.  We have 4 studio cabins, a one bedroom cabin, a three bedroom cabin, two 2 bedroom 2 bath luxury log cabins.  We are located 2 miles from the take out of the Nantahala River.  Our property has frontage on the main highway thru the area; Hwy 19/74.  This is a two lane highway running thru the Nantahala Gorge from Bryson City to Murphy, NC.  I set up our website in 2000 and it has evolved over the years.

I have used addressability by naming the website after the business name; Nantahala Cabins has the URL of www.nantahalacabins.com.  I have used digitalization by incorporating on the website interior and exterior pictures of all of the cabins, pictures of the area, and digitalization of our logo/sign.  This website accessibility includes information about many of the area attractions and activities.  My target market is people wishing to vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains and enjoy the outdoor amenities.  Most of my guests come to this area to whitewater raft, horseback ride, mountain bike, hike, fish, and for the train excursions.

My website is linked on the local chamber of commerce website as well as other local attractions websites.  I have also used interactivity within my website; I have just set of online reservations.  Now guests can completed book their reservation online thru a secured site and they can even selection attractions; whitewater rafting, horseback riding, train excursions, chocolate or flowers in the room, etc.   If guest prefer they can fill out a form and I will contact they about making a reservation.   I am now connected to several travel sites like Travelocity through a GDS system.  I think that advantage of interactivity is that people can book a cabin 24 hours a day; they do not have to speak with a reservationist.  I have even offered a discount if they book online.

The guests at my website also have the ability to control the information they receive.  They can click on specific cabins, on specific attractions, on maps, and on the rates.  They can control the sort of information that is provided to them.

I do not do mass e-mailings.  I do not feel that sending out mass emails of spam is the reputation that I want Nantahala Cabins to have.    I think by not spamming, I have an advantage.  If someone was spammed by Nantahala Cabins then I believe that they would be more likely to stay somewhere else instead of at Nantahala Cabins.  Spamming and mass e-mailing give companies bad reputations.

Additional e-marketing efforts are Google ad words.  When someone searches for my area or for cabins in my areas then Nantahala Cabins would be shown as a sponsored website.  We began using Google ad words two years ago and will increase this advertising this season.