Marketing

Introduction:

Organizations need to embrace marketing processes, concepts and activities to ensure their survival. The following marketing plan overview demonstrates these concepts and how they apply to my current employment at the Brush farm Corrective Services Academy (BFCSA).

Marketing Concepts:

"Marketing is the delivery of customer value and satisfaction at a profit"

As defined by the (AMA) Kotler P, et al (2006, p4). The definition should guide organizations how they are perceived and motivate all its personnel ensuring customers are satisfied with the goods and or services provided ensuring a long term relationship that profits both the organization and the customer.

If an organization embraces marketing and its concepts they can attain a competitive advantage through identifying their customer needs and wants by providing quality products or services. This is evident in the vocational education sector with numerous government and non government providers competing in a market that need vocational educational courses that meet the required standards of employers in various industries and occupations that must comply with current legislative requirements and organizational objectives.

Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy: (BFCSA)

The BFCSA is the training arm of the New South Wales Department of Corrective services (NSWDCS). It has been in service since 1989 and is currently registered as a Registered Training Organization. It provides training for the organization and external customers including interagency and international in 17 vocational qualification courses ranging from Certificate II in Justice to the Advanced Diploma in Correctional Administration.

The facilities at the BFCSA are of a high standard having accredited 3 star, accommodation, conference facilities, bistro, library, computer labs and 11 classrooms all having audio visual equipment to aid the facilitation of training. It is located at Eastwood and is accessible to public transport and all major services.

Target Marketing:

BFCSA provides training to its internal and external customers. These customers have specific needs which are heterogeneous demands. Having reached these customers with not so dissimilar characteristics refers to market segmentation, Simpson P (2000, p212). If, BFCSA can concentrate on a select group of customer and tailor a marketing plan that allows it to supply training services then this would result in benefits to both the organization and the customer.

Segmenting the market allows BFCSA to identify with its current and future customers. By analyzing the market it allows BFCSA to configure its marketing mix to meet the market's specific needs. An example of this is the marketing of a Centre for Professional Development and Excellence in Corrections. Knowing and understanding the market, BFCSA operates within enables it to respond to customer needs and react to its competitors. These competitors include government and non government RTO's that have the same training packages on their scope that are the same or similar to BFSCA's. Targeting the specific customers can improve profits through concentrating where the segment market is and so increasing sales and reducing costs.

BFCSA defining its market will allow it to position its products based on the needs of its customers. Opportunities can also be identified in segmenting the market, an example is the training of overseas corrections staff.

The Marketing of Services:

The BFCSA provides training services related to the corrections industry which is its core business this is in congruence with its vision which is,

"To lead and inspire learning and development in the corrections environment".

McColl -Kennedy & Kiel G (1999, p276) defines a service as,

"Largely intangible tasks that satisfy buyer or user needs".

Services are deeds, processes or performances and the way in which they are marketed as opposed to products needs to be modified to fit what is required in marketing the service. BFCSA needs to modify and expand its marketing plan to fully capitalize on the growing corrections industry training market. This is important as selling of the product comes before the production and consumption of any training that is delivered to customers.

An example is the selling of training programs to overseas customers prior to the production of learning materials to be consumed by the customer. This can affect output and quality unless the appropriate standards are observed to ensure that the quality of the service exists. In the case of BFCSA services cannot have inventory and therefore forecasting market demand needs to be accurate to ensure that the service is provided to the customer's satisfaction.

Relationships:

Many organizations believe that they produce goods for consumers to purchase. Theodore Levitt seen in Nickels W & Wood M (1997, p35) describes this as marketing myopia and organizations should produce and create goods or services to satisfy customers. BFCSA by understanding what the market wants can build relationships with existing customers and attract new customers. Building these relationships requires the use of an integrated marketing approach or strategy which crosses internal and external organizational boundaries. This will guide employees of the organization to ensure that services can be provided to the customer without having difficulties with suppliers, finances and provide feedback that the organization can use to improve its performance in the market.

BFCSA need to look beyond single transactions and maximize the relationship with existing customers and create in effect a lifetime relationship that benefits both the customer and the organization. By retaining existing customers costs are reduced and this generates a greater profit margin. Another consideration