5. Pricing
Prices depend on the seasons, which are the early, main, high and winter season.
There is a list of prices below:
There are also tickets for groups, families and also annual passes. These tickets are different prices depending on the season obviously how many people there are and what age group they fall in.
6. Marketing/Promotion
WSP is only advertised and promoted within a 1½ hours driving time away as it is not a national attraction. They market the park through Press Releases, which they send to different companies for newspapers or TV news’. WSP promotes to schools, coach companies, senior citizens, pensioners, brownie groups, and the disabled to visit their park. They also have many sponsors, which raises people’s awareness of the safari park.
7. Current Market
The current market is families with children aged 10-. These families should be living 1½ hours driving time away. WSP provides safe play areas, contact with animals and allow a drive around the reserve for this target market. They also like to attract people who like animals.
8. Competition
Woburn Safari Park has many competitors, those of which offer much more to visitors and aim themselves at all age groups. These competitors include Windsor Castle, Legoland, Chessington, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and many others. These parks may be further away but they have a lot more to offer, and different adventures for visitors. When WSP was first set up in 1970 after which the Longleat Park was set up, it was thought that they would be competitors. But as they were both on either side of the country, they weren’t. However, Longleat does offer more than animals to visitors. At Longleat, you can find Mazes, Murals, Stimulator Rides, Safari Boats, and Adventure Castles. The Longleat House is a well-known Elizabethan architecture in Britain and is one of the most beautiful stately homes open to the public.
Windsor Castle plays an important part of British history as it has existed for 900 years. At Windsor castle, visitors can see the magnificent State Apartments, which have portraits and works of art from the royal collection. From September – March, visitors can see George IV’s private apartment, and through out the year, St George’s Chapel is one of the best examples of gothic buildings in England. Also at Windsor castle, you can see the drawings gallery and Queen Alexandra and her art of photography.
At Legoland, visitors can view a world made out of Lego brick models. This Park is very colourful, lively and fun. There are roller coasters, children can building robots and test them, kid power towers, driving school where you can drive a monorail car, Playtown for toddlers, and Miniland to attract the whole family. As well as all of these there are the main facilities.
The company, Tussauds’s, which makes a variety of adventures and different themed parks for all the family, makes Chessington, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. Tussauds offers more to visitors than Woburn Safari Park as it gives enjoyment to all the family, adventure, and thrill with lots of exciting rides in different theme parks. Chessington is mainly aimed at families with young children, and so doesn’t attract many of the older generations. The park has 10 areas, each full of its own adventures and rides for young children and parents alike. The park offers animals, Beanoland where youngsters can spend time with Dennis the Menace and Gnasher, Tomb Blaster, and much, much more. At Alton Towers there are 3 sections, Thrillseekers, Family Fun, and Young Children. Alton Towers has some of the best rides for all the family. It is the home of the worlds first vertical drop roller coaster, Oblivion. Other amazing rides include Black Hole Submission, Enterprise, Air, Nemesis, Ripsaw and Blade. There are also many other fun rides for every member of the family. Thorpe Park offers something to the whole family, with breathe-taking rides to Kids fun. It is well known for its extreme roller coasters such as Nemesis Inferno and Colossus. As well as the roller coasters, there are also the water rides like Tidal Wave, Loggers Leap, Ribena Rumba Rapids and others.
9. Market Research Methods Used
There are many market research method used to improve the marketing of WSP. These are listed below:
- Surveys
- Focus groups (discuss the park and facilities, etc),
- Mystery shoppers (employed by Woburn to go into park, looking around and writing about the park and expectations afterwards),
- Bench marking,
- Exit surveys (including suggestions of customers),
- Customer service standards,
- Reply from visitors of thanks, complaint or suggestions.
10. Ways to Change Marketing Mix to Attract 50+ Age Group
- Research
WSP should use surveys to see if any people over 50 would actually like to visit the Park. They should ask why they would or wouldn’t visit the park, what they really like about the park, and if any new things should be introduced to attract people like themselves. This would give an insight to some people that the park does want them to visit and enjoy the parks environment and what it has to offer. WSP should also use mystery shoppers who are over 50, and see what they think of the park, and what new things they would want if the park expected them to visit.
- Pricing
WSP may cost the 2nd least amount after its competitors listed above, but it is still expensive for the majority of over 50s. Most people who are 50+ don’t have the best paid jobs, and most don’t have a job and might decide to retire early. However there are some people who are willing to pay that amount if they are grandparents, or if they have nephews, nieces or even if they have young children of their own at that age. Compared to other Parks, WSW doesn’t cost that much but that’s because it doesn’t have as much too offer. Then again, the other parks might not be to the taste of over 50s, where as Woburn can be a nice relaxing place with animals and safaris perfectly suitable to that age group.
- Product (facilities)
There are many facilities for the over 50s group, from dietary needs to leisure activities. There are facilities which can be used by all age groups like the toilets, parking and wheelchairs; however, the leisure areas are mainly aimed at young children. If a person over 50 has come to the park with a child, then they can joyfully enjoy this leisure area as well as visiting the animals. But if they haven’t, then there isn’t really much space to sit and relax, but they can visit animals as well if their interested in them, and get to know more about them.
- Promotion Methods
WSP does promote to senior citizens and pensioners, so they obviously aim parts of their visit to the elderly. However, they should market a bit more so these groups do get to know more about the Park and what happens there, as well as it just being known as a safari park.
11. Conclusions/Recommendation
I think many over 50s would actually like to come to Woburn Safari Park and see what it has to offer to them and many others. But, the park really should advertise itself more, and make surveys to see what the 50+ age group actually want in a visit to WSP. The Park should advertise in a bigger area so more people get to know about it, including the 50+age group. Woburn Safari Park has a lot to offer, but it has many competitors to get through to attract the groups they really want. The Park itself has many good qualities about it in the way that it has a good entry price for most visitors, it has many facilities for all ages and descriptions, and it aims itself at young children or even grown-ups who have an interest in animals. However, I think only grandparents over 50 would actually go with their grandchildren and not just individuals over 50. I would recommend that the Park takes out very serious questionnaires and surveys in its area aimed at people 50+, and asks them if they have ever visited the Park? If they ever would? If no, why not? If they are actually interested in what the Park has to offer? And if they would be interested if something news was introduced?
