Acknowledgements We Wish to Extend Our Sincere Thanks....... To Mr. Prasanna Perera for inspiring us to carry out this assignment and for the guidance he gave throughout the assignment.
To the officials at the National Transport Commission for sharing current and past information about public transport in Sri Lanka.
To the Passengers at the Central Bus Stand who shared their opinions to the surveys.
To all Our Friends and Families who helped us making the assignment a success.
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Table of Content Chapter 01- Introduction .......................................................................................... 10 1.1
Objectives of the Assignment ........................................................................ 10
1.2
The Company ................................................................................................ 11
1.3
Statistics of Bus Transport of Sri Lanka ........................................................ 13
1.4
Situational Analysis ....................................................................................... 14
Chapter 02 - Brand Audit ......................................................................................... 20 2.1
Customer Perceptions About The Brand ....................................................... 20
2.2
Competitor Positioning .................................................................................. 21
2.3
Brand Loyalty ................................................................................................ 22
Chapter 03 - Future Strategies ................................................................................. 23 3.1
Brand Renaming ............................................................................................ 23
3.2
Vision/Mission/Values .................................................................................. 24
3.3
Objectives of Travel Lanka PLC ................................................................... 25
3.4
Marketing Mix ............................................................................................... 26
Chapter 04 - Market Segmentation .......................................................................... 27 4.1
Competitive Stance of the SLTB ................................................................... 29
4.2
Brand Repositioning ...................................................................................... 30
Chapter 05 - Brand Management ............................................................................. 32 5.1
Brand Personality .......................................................................................... 32
5.2
Brand Value ................................................................................................... 33
5.3
Brand Image .................................................................................................. 33
5.4
Brand Culture ................................................................................................ 33
5.5
Communication Strategy ............................................................................... 34
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Chapter 06 - Implementation .................................................................................... 38 6.1
Advertising Plan ............................................................................................ 38
6.2
Change Management Plan ............................................................................. 40
6.3
Corporate Social Responsibility Plan ............................................................ 45
6.4
Segment Implementation Plan ....................................................................... 46
6.5
Monitoring and Controlling Plan ................................................................... 53
6.6
Brand Management Plan ............................................................................... 55
References ................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix A - Existing Customer Survey .................................................................... 57 Appendix B - Prospective Customer Survey ............................................................... 58 Appendix C - Existing Customer Survey (Sinhala Translation) .................................. 59 Appendix D - Prospective Customer Survey (Sinhala Translation) ............................ 60
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Table of Figures Figure 1: Logo of the SLTB......................................................................................... 11 Figure 2: Situational Overview .................................................................................... 13 Figure 3: SWOT Model ............................................................................................... 14 Figure 4: PEST Model ................................................................................................. 18 Figure 5: Logo of Travel Lanka PLC .......................................................................... 23 Figure 6: Porterâ€&#x;s Generic Model ................................................................................ 29 Figure 7: Brand Repositioning ..................................................................................... 30 Figure 8: Advertising Plan for Three Years ................................................................. 38 Figure 9: The Culture Web Model ............................................................................... 41 Figure 10: Proposed 'City Mate' Buses ........................................................................ 47 Figure 11: Proposed 'Intercity Mate' Buses ................................................................. 48 Figure 12: Proposed 'Travel Mate' Buses .................................................................... 49 Figure 13: Buses as Mobile Billboards ........................................................................ 51 Figure 14: Brand Essence Wheel ................................................................................. 55
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Table of Abbreviations
PPMK100
ATL
Above The Line
CTB
Ceylon Transport Board
ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning
PEST
Political, Economic, Social, Technological
PLC
Public Limited Company
SLTB
Sri Lanka Transport Board
SWOT
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
TV
Television
UNP
United National Party
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Chapter 01
Introduction “A brand that captures your mind gains behaviour. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment” - Scott Talgo, Brand Strategist
"A brand is a living entity - and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures" -Michael Eisner, Chief Executive Officer Disney
A Company‟s brand is the entire experience its prospects and customers have of the company. It‟s what the company stands for, a promise that‟s made, and the personality the company conveys. A brand lives in daily interactions a company has with its market. Branding is crucial for products and services sold in huge consumer markets because it helps a company to stand out from the competition. It brings the competitive position and value proposition to life; it positions a product or a service as a certain “something” in the mind of the prospects and customers. A brand consistently and repeatedly tells the prospects and customers why they should buy from that company.
1.1
Objectives of the Assignment
The objective of this report is to develop a brand strategy for Travel Lanka, the relaunched Sri Lanka transport board (STLB). It presents a detailed Brand Plan along with the relevant Situational analysis, Brand Audit, Brand Objectives and Marketing Strategies. Also it gives implementation and control aspects of the Brand Strategy.
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The brand plan has been put together keeping the following 02 key factors in mind. Where is the brand today: Brand Audit that consists of a comprehensive and systematic examination of all collateral, (both tangible and intangible) which relates to SLTB brand. Where do we want the new brand “Travel Lanka” to be in 03 years: Brand Strategy & Tactics highlights the plan of execution conducted for the brand in order to increase the brand‟s market share and optimize its brand functioning.
1.2
The Company
We have learned from our in depth research that the change in political forces in Sri Lanka has heavily influenced the rise and fall of the enterprise from its history up to the current day operation. Below is a summary as to how SLTB has become what it is today.
Figure 1: Logo of the SLTB
1.2.1 History and Background The Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) was the nationalized enterprise, which handled all public bus transport in Sri Lank between 1958 and 1978. At its peak, it was the largest omnibus company in the world - with about 7,000 buses and over 50,000 employees. First broken up into several regional boards, then into several companies, it was finally reconstituted as the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) in 2005.
Golden Age of CTB In 1970s the new management had a new vision for the company where, they planned a multi-facetted approach to the management of the institution. As a consequence of all these, the reliability of operations increased and the commuters could rely on the following basic features. PPMK100
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Time tables The first and last trips on the routes schedules Courtesy and promptness of service Cleanliness of buses and premises Courtesy and disciplined conduct of the staff Safe and accident-free operation.
Breakdown The change of government in 1977 saw a break down in the efficient state enterprise and there was a re-introduction of the system that had prevailed in the pre-bus company days, of unregulated private buses. By the 2000s, the “Peoplised Transport Service” accounted for less than a quarter of the daily load of bus passengers. Scarcely a day passed without a letter in the press complaining about overloading, excessive speeds, dangerous driving, rudeness and overcharging on the private buses.
Resurrection After governments changed again in 2001, CTB was set up once again. Finally, in early 2005, the institution was resurrected as the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).
Current status In 2008 steps were taken to increase the SLTB‟s bus fleet from 4,200 to 5,000 and at that time, the private bus fleet of Sri Lanka was 19,000 strong. Sri Lanka has four million kilo meters of road ways, most of which are poorly maintained. The ministry of transport is now taking steps to improve the quality of transport services in a bid to cut down costs and pollution, and is also looking at using gas instead of petrol and diesel in public transport. Currently the private bus operators dominate the sector with nearly 48% of market share being held by private operators. The state bus service amounts to 20% and Rail and other means of travel make up for the balance 32% of the share.
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1.3
Statistics of Bus Transport of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Bus Transport: The Demand from the Public
Population 19 million
Distribution - 70% in rural areas
Metro Areas: Colombo - 3 million
Town Centers -50,000 to 300,000
Impact of Bus Transport on Sri Lankan Society & Economy
50 billion passenger kilo meters per year
65% of all travel
30 billion Rupees in economic value
03% of Gross Domestic Production
10 million trips per day
02 trips per household per day
80 % households use the bus at least 1 time per week
84,000 persons directly employed
Situational Overview of SLTB Total Fleet
Running Buses
1400 No of Buses
1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0
Figure 2: Situational Overview
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1.4
Situational Analysis
Situational analysis is carried out through SWOT analysis and the PEST analysis in order to ascertain the impact of the macro and micro environmental forces.
1.4.1 SWOT Analysis for SLTB We have undertaken to carry out a SWOT analysis as below for SLTB, as it is imperative to do one before developing any strategy. This will give an understanding of SLTBâ€&#x;s current position in the industry. The outcome of this analysis can be used to develop its internal strengths further and to use them to gain from any external opportunities. At the same time it can be used to identify and overcome any internal weaknesses and can plan out on tackling and overcoming its external threats.
POSITIVE/ HELPFUL
NEGATIVE/ HARMFUL
To achieving the goal
To achieving the goal
STRENGTHS
INTERNAL Origin facts/ factors of the organization
Things that are good now, maintain them, build on them and use as leverage
WEAKNESSES Things that are bad now, remedy, change or stop them.
OPPORTUNITIES EXTERNAL Origin facts/ factors of the environment in which the organization operates
Things that are good for the future, prioritize them, capture them, build on them and optimize
THREATS Things that are bad for the future, put in plans to manage them or counter them
Figure 3: SWOT Model [Source: (Kotler & Keller, 2009)]
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Strengths
SLTB is backed by the strength and resources of the Government. This is the biggest strength as SLTB has access to higher levels of financial and nonfinancial resources for the tangible and intangible development of its operations.
Strong national policy on transportation: This includes high mobility road networks, overall regulation of transport services, the decentralization of control of all transport services to the provincial councils etc.
Strong technical backing: This includes the technical support from institutes such as the German Tec, which has a division that exclusively caters to training and supporting SLTB technicians.
Access to well spread road network. The high road density in Sri Lanka means that 98% of the population has some access to the road network, broadening the scope of growth for SLTB operations.
Experienced staff with high expertise: Sri Lanka's transportation system evolved from post-colonial times giving the island more than half a century of experience and expertise on which to develop its transport network. The skill and knowledge of most of the senior employees at SLTB is immense due to this and this can be used to aid in improvements of its operations.
Historical identity. Since SLTB was in existence (formally as CTB) from postcolonial times (soon after independence), there is a certain level of acceptance and trust of its brand by the general public, which was built over the generations.
Affordability: Also SLTB is the cheapest form of public or private transport available currently and has a cost leadership in the industry.
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Weaknesses
Employees and Management of SLTB are trying to maximize their own benefits and not interested in the enterprise‟s profits and progress or quality of service offered to the public.
Low safety standards for vehicles used and no supervision or regularization of services. SLTB need to look at the development of proper standards, proper supervision etc. Maintenance of safety standard is not consistent, as these change as the government changes.
Badly maintained buses which are hazardous to customers due to pollution caused by non-maintenance and lack of up gradation of buses.
Fuel costs are very high due to low maintenance of buses and poor road conditions. This is cited as one of the biggest reasons that SLTB is not making profits and the lack of savings for future investments.
Inconsistency, inefficiency and low quality in services
Minimum comfort and convenience standards for the general public.
Lack of enforcement of existing regulations and national transportation policies.
Abandonment of professional practices by the staff and management of SLTB
Non - availability of buses offering luxury services to commuters.
Opportunities
Government‟s new initiative to use cheaper fuel sources, such as gas instead of petrol and diesel in bus transport. This is an opportunity for SLTB, as this will save money for the company and these savings can be invested in new strategies.
Untapped market segments: Currently SLTB is only focused on the low income earners. But it has the opportunity of diversifying its services to various middle and high income segments and offer more customized advanced services.
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The recent opening up of the North and East areas of Sri Lanka for business after the end of the civil war, gives more opportunities for SLTB to expand its operations in these areas, where there is a large untapped market.
Threats
High competitiveness of the industry. The private buses have high availability, comparing to SLTB. Also the public has turned towards transport such as three-wheelers and private hire of vehicles as substitutes for travelling by bus, as these are more convenient, reliable and comfortable.
The more affluent customer segment demands a higher quality of service, which SLTB cannot currently offer due to its weak value proposition.
Non maintenance of SLTB funds: Though SLTB is backed by the government, due to various political influences the funds are mismanaged and this has a direct adverse effect on the development of its operations.
Not investing in timely and up to date technology in the transport industry.
High political interference in the management of the operations hampers in SLTB‟s progress as it cannot maintain consistency in its policies, etc. For Ex: in late 1970s (during United Front government), work was started on a new central bus stand in Fort. This was to be a modern transport complex, complete with shops, a low-budget hotel for long-distance travellers and a cinema. This was abandoned after the change in governments. Another example in 1980s is a series of inadequately thought-out plans, notably the 'Green Circle Line' (during UNP government), and was scrapped within five years.
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1.4.2 PEST Analysis for SLTB
Figure 4: PEST Model [Source: (Kotler & Keller, 2009)]
In analysing the macro-environment of SLTB, it is important to identify the factors that might in turn affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence SLTB‟s supply and demand levels and its costs (Kotter & Schlesinger, 1991).The results from the PEST (Johnson & Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy – Text and Cases, Hemel Hempstead, 1993)analysis for SLTB can then be used to identify and take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats when preparing SLTB‟s business and strategic plans (Byars, 1991).
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Political Factors
Since SLTB is a government institute its operations are very sensitive to any changes in the governments or it‟s legislature on public transport.
The Sri Lankan Government is implementing „Mahinda Chintanaya‟ and it has strict plans for the improvement of public bus transport of the country.
Because SLTB is a state owned operation, they are relieved of tax and levees.
Economic Factors
Sri Lanka's slow economic growth: Country‟s economic growth reduced to 06% in 2008 from 6.8% a year ago. Impact of global turmoil coming from the external trade sector was the key reason for the slowdown.
Due to the bus transport sector expansion slowed to 8.1% from 10.5% in 2008. Buses in use daily had decreased by 2.7% and passenger kilometres by 1.7%.
Socio / Cultural Factors
SLTB‟s main customer group is in the low income segment. The income level of this segment is not expected to increase in the near future due to the lack of economic growth.
The life styles of many young professionals are changing and they have fast paced working lives and they wish to keep to time. Due to this social development people may not want to use SLTB‟s services anymore as it is not reliable and convenient.
Technological Factors
SLTB is not techno savvy and is not keeping up with the latest developments of information technology.
Machinery, equipment and even the buses used are out dated and mostly not in serviceable condition.
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Chapter 02
Brand Audit 2.1
Customer Perceptions About The Brand
Public transport in Sri Lanka consists of SLTB buses, Private buses and the trains. Out of a survey carried out using 40 respondents (Appendix B) who use their own vehicles for daily travel to office, it was revealed that following are the major perceived weaknesses of public transport services.
Poor treatment to passengers.
Less availability during rush hours and late night which result in excessive loading.
Not punctual. (Ex: Not sticking to time tables)
Appalling standard of the transport vehicles.
Breaking road rules and risking the lives of the commuters.
However 60% of the respondents said they would be willing to give up travelling by their own vehicles and switch to SLTB if the travel by SLTB is as convenient as travelling by their own vehicles. SLTB‟s current customers fall in to the low income bracket of the society, who are looking for cheap mode of public transport. They are cost conscious and not quality or service conscious. The demographics are school children, young adults, adults and elderly. Males and females use SLTB services equally. The life styles of most of the customers are basic and low end. Also geographically SLTB service is the only transport mode in certain rural areas.
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2.2
Competitor Positioning
2.2.1 SLTB against Private Buses Out of another survey carried out using 40 respondents (Appendix A) who regularly use public transport to office, school and long distance commuters, 60% said that they travel by private buses more often than SLTB. The main reason for this was the higher number of private buses plying in their bus routes compared to the SLTB buses. Survey showed that 65% of respondents considered SLTB treat passengers well as against only 15% who said private buses treat passengers well. The main reason is that SLTB is more focused in providing a service as against the private buses which are focusing on the monetary profits at any cost. 75% of respondents consider SLTB‟s safety of passengers is high as against 25% who considered private buses passenger safety is high. 70% of the sample considered SLTB is punctual while only 40% considered private buses are punctual.
However, passengers were highly unsatisfied about the comfort ability of both services. Out of the sample 65% of respondents considered private buses are moderate to low in comfort ability and 80% considered SLTB buses too are moderate to low in comfort ability. SLTB is positioned as the cheapest mode of public transport. It is also recognized as the only mode of transport, especially in rural areas where there is no other transport available for the general public. For Ex: SLTB operates the first and the last bus service in some areas, and is the only dependable mode for people in these areas. Also SLTB is more consistent as there are less strikes etc. form employees comparing to private bus service.
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2.2.2 SLTB Against the Trains In the regular office/school category, buses do not compete with the trains. Trains mainly cater to a different customer segment who travel long distances to Colombo from outstations on a daily basis. These passengers only travel by train and sometimes use buses to travel shorter distances such as from home to station and from office/school to the station. However in the long distance non regular category, trains do compete with the buses. Ex. Outstation people who work in cities or vice versa may use either a bus or a train for their travel home and back during weekends and/or other holidays. The mode of transportation is mainly dependant on the convenience (in terms of waiting time and comfort) and the ability to reach the destination in the shortest time.
2.3
Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is the loyalty that its customers show towards a particular brand. Loyalty is dependent on the brand experience. Brand experience could either make or break the loyalty of the customers toward the brand.
Due to its long term existence over five decades, SLTB possesses a major share in the public transportation market and continues to retain customer loyalty. However considering the homogeneous nature of the service, the intensity of loyalty is low. Passengers are soft core loyal and may switch to competitors such as private buses and trains if they perceive better value for money.
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Chapter 03
Future Strategies SLTB is to be converted to Travel Lanka PLC with the intervention of foreign investment in local transportation industry. The management of the new entity will be carried out by the investing partner/s. Government will be carrying out the role of the facilitator and regulator holding a substantial ownership of the company. Following is the brand renaming process suggested.
3.1
Brand Renaming
Aspect
Current
Future
Name
„S.L.T.B‟
„Travel Lanka‟
Red
Green and Blue
Logo
Colour
Table 1: Brand Renaming Table [Source: Research Data]
Figure 5: Logo of Travel Lanka PLC
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3.2
Vision/Mission/Values
Vision Desired future state or the aspiration of the organization. Travel Lanka PLC‟s vision is to be the best transportation services provider in Sri Lanka.
Mission The purpose of the organization‟s existence, in line with the values and expectations of stakeholders. Travel Lanka PLC‟s mission is to be the most respected mode of transport in Sri Lanka.
Values Travel Lanka PLC is based upon five core values.
Understanding: Understands the varied customer requirements in travelling.
Focused: All the activities are focused towards fulfilling customer requirements and satisfying them.
Cost Conscience: Provide best value for money.
Supportive: Friendly and caring customer service.
Trustworthy: Safety and reliability at its best.
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3.3
Objectives of Travel Lanka PLC
At SLTB, the main objective was to provide the general public with a transportation facility at a very much subsidized rate. It was merely to be a facilitator in passenger transportation. This has been changed with the new investment coming in to Travel Lanka PLC to be the transport facilitator with the highest market share in order to maximize profits. Objectives of the three year plan are as follows.
First Year
Travel Lanka targets 30% overall market share within the first year in the short distance passenger transportation, an increase of 10% from the current market share of 20%.
Travel Lanka is planning to transform the revenue generation ability in order to minimize the losses. Specific target is to reach the breakeven level during this period.
Second Year
Travel Lanka targets 45% overall market share within the following two years with introduction of
long distance passenger transportation, an overall
increase of 25% from the current market share of 20%.
Targets the operation to be a profit making venture within this period.
Third Year
Travel Lanka targets 60% overall market share within the third year with introduction of business sector passenger transportation segment, an overall increase of 40% from the current market share of 20%.
Ability to make profits will consolidate the market share and positioning of Travel Lanka in passenger transportation in Sri Lanka.
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3.4
Marketing Mix Product: Reliable, fast, safe, comfortable transport service. Customer value is the most important to the organization.
Price: Affordable to general public. Value for money for everybody.
Place: Conveniently available to the masses irrespective of the time and the day.
Promotion: The promotional mix will mainly consist of advertising. Word of mouth will play a major role based on personal experiences.
People: Friendly and dedicated workforce. Personalized attention for special needs of customers.
Process: Most efficient and dependable business models based on latest technologies.
Physical Evidence: Personal experience of existing customers. Infrastructure to be developed based on the findings of customer research. (Kotler & Keller, 2009)
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Chapter 04
Market Segmentation Market segmentation is a process of defining and sub-dividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. Its objective is to design a marketing mix that precisely matches the expectations of customers in the targeted segment.
Therefore, marketing segmentation will help to target specific customer needs whilst building better relationships and loyalty, which in turn will gain more volume, market shares, and higher profitability.
SLTB is currently associated with the low and medium income customer segments in all the rural and urban areas in Sri Lanka. It could be concluded that the SLTB is not associated with the business class and high income segment in the country due to its low quality service.
The Table 3 exhibits the proposed future segmentation .It has mainly four segments which are identified according to the demographic factors, psychological factors and behavioural factors such as benefits sought and readiness stage.
Economic Class Index Class A
Upper - Upper Class
Class B
Upper – Middle Class
Class C
Middle Class
Class D
Lower Middle Class
Class E
Lower – Lower Class Table 2: Economic Class Index
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Segment Description
Segment Name
Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3
Short Distance
Long Distance
Business Class
Travelers
Travelers
Travelers
“City Mate”
“Intercity Mate”
“Travel Mate”
Availability, Benefit Sought
Affordability.
Comfort, Affordability, Peace of mind, Availability Television / Films
High frequency of availability, Product Offering
Few seating facilities for special requirements,
Video Games, Newspapers, Magazines, Reclinable Seats, Foods / Beverages, Rest Room, Mini Super Market at Main Hubs
Additional Services
Flexibility, Comfort, Productivity Internet Facility, T.V, Films and video games, Newspapers Magazines, Reclinable Seats, Foods / Beverages, Rest Room, Mini Super Market at Main Hubs
Separate buses for female and children
Group Travelling
during rush hours
Gender
Both
Both
Both
Income
Rs: 15,000+
Rs: 15,000+
Rs: 50,000+
Life Style
A, B,C, D and E
A, B,C, D and E
A,B and C
Positioning
Your Travel partner round the clock
Your Travel Partner to any city
Your Comfort is Our Concern
Theme
Table 3: Future Market Segmenting Profile of SLTB [Source: Research Data]
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All four segments are focused in fulfilling hygiene factors such as safety, reliability, punctuality, cleanliness which will be supported by following product features.
Driver Controlled Automatic Door Opening and Locking System.
Automatic Ticketing Mechanism.
Air Conditioned Environment.
Comfortable and Safe Seating.
4.1
Competitive Stance of the SLTB
Competitive stance gives information about the current market situation in relation to the new brand. The company has to decide how to place itself and the product and the service against the competitors, in order to maximize the market share (or another predefined goal of the company, for example, maximize market share in a specific customer group). The competitive stance forms finally a competitive advantage.
Cost
Differentiation
Broad Segment
Cost Leadership
Broad Differentiation
Narrow Segment
Cost Focus
Differentiation Focus
Figure 6: Bases of Competitive Advantage - Porter’s Generic Model [Source: (Michael, 1985)]
In the case of Travel Lanka, the targeted competitive advantage can be explained using both Cost leadership and Broad differentiation because it focuses on the mass market coverage. Travel Lanka can charge a premium from the „Business‟ segment by providing diversified and enhanced facilities and service while the „Long distance‟ and „Short distance‟ segments focus on offering a service at competitive price for all PPMK100
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the regular customers. Therefore, the future focus of Travel Lanka depends on both Cost and differentiation in the mass market.
4.2
Brand Repositioning
Brand positioning is a critical aspect of the brand management which refers to the perception in the mind of a target consumer. The perception reflects the essence of the brand, in terms of its functional and nonfunctional benefits, in judgment of that consumer. SLTB is currently perceived by the customers as an unpredictable, unsafe, unpunctual and a less comfortable transport system. Therefore to dissolve the current image, SLTB should require positioning a new image through Brand repositioning and branding renaming. Travel Lank focuses on following aspect to establish the new brand image.
By Attributes: „Comfort Transport‟, „Favorite Transport‟, „Large Coverage‟
By Price and Quality: „Best Value for the Money‟
By Product User: „Separate bus services for Business People, for Women and Children during rush hours.‟
Unchanged Target Market
Changed target Market
Unchanged Product Attributes
Image Repositioning
Market Repositioning
Changed Product Attributes
Product Repositioning
Total Repositioning
Figure 7: Brand Repositioning [Source: Research Data]
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The brand repositioning of SLTB will fall under Total repositioning because it upgrade and change its entire image, target market and product offerings as explained in the above sections.
Brand Positioning Statement “Travel Lanka” aims to provide all Sri Lankans a truly magnificent, friendly, confident and a professional service
Proposition (Brand Promise) “Providing best value for money”
Tag Line "The Best Way to Get There"
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Chapter 05
Brand Management 5.1
Brand Personality
It refers to the brand as a human being. Every individual has different attitudes like joy, warmth, aggressiveness etc. The brands also have different attitudes. According to Jennifer Aker the Brand personality networks listed four different attitudes of a brand. They are as follow:
Sincerity: The passengers perceived sincerity and reliability towards Travel Lanka and the brand‟s commitment to its customers and employees.
Excitement: This refers to the customers‟ happiness to own the brand or it can be even customers pride to own the brand. What needs to be ascertained is that, are the customers actually feeling the belongingness towards the Travel Lanka brand and are they proud to own it?
Competence: this talk about the level of competency gap between the customer expectation and actual product. These gaps are due to lack of availability, lack of coverage, management issues and political interferences. Though now there is a huge gap, in the future the Travel Lanka brand would be above the customer‟s perceived expectations in terms of availability, coverage, cleanliness etc.
Sophistication: This talk about what class or segment of the society is belonged to this brand. According today‟s scenario only low and middle class people are belong to SLTB. In the future due to the changes in SLTB people from upper class and upper middle class would even like to own the brand.
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5.2
Brand Value
Brand value refers to the unique character or the specialty of brand and also about the producer. The specialty of the new brand is the objective to provide best value for money and to focus on safety and comfort. Other unique characters are island wide coverage, reliability and discipline of the staff. The self-management of workers will be achieved through empowering employeesâ€&#x; councils.
5.3
Brand Image
Brand image means the picture the brand has created eyes and minds of itsâ€&#x; stakeholders. The Travel Lanka brand will create a luxurious, convenient and sophisticated image in the eyes and the minds of its stake holders. E- Commerce and SMS services will be used in booking or reservations. All depots will have a hotel, a mini super market, rest rooms and guaranteed minimum bus services throughout the day. These facilities will create a new picture in the minds of the stake holders.
5.4
Brand Culture
Brand culture means that the particular brand reflects a certain culture. Brand culture is a company culture in which employees "live" to brand values, to solve problems and make decisions internally, and deliver a branded customer experience externally. It is the desired outcome of an internal branding, internal brand alignment or employee engagement effort that elevates beyond communications and training. Accident free operations and promptness of the service, trained and disciplined staff, cleanliness of buses, punctuality and availability are the elements the culture of the new brand.
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5.5
Communication Strategy
Communications are the means that firms link with its stake holders. The stakeholders include parties both internal and external to the organizations. Marketing communication focus to inform, persuade and remind the target audience about the corporate and the product brands. The communication strategy will be broadly depending on how the company plans to address the following key concerns.
What Are The Communication Objectives? This basically involves identifying „What to say‟. The re-launch of SLTB need to be communicated to its stake holders. The objectives of the strategy could be explained by the DRIP factors.
Differentiate the new brand from the competition. Its benefits and needs to be highlighted against the competition.
Remind and re assure customers and potential customers
Inform the customers and the potential customers
Persuade
customers to think about the new brand proposition and use the
brand.
What Is The Communication Budget? Budget is an important aspect in developing the communication strategy. Budget should be sufficient to carry out the desired campaigns in order to achieve the objectives.
Nature of the Target Audience Company should decide who the target audience of the communication is. Strategies should be decided accordingly. The appropriate advertising mixes need to be used in order to achieve this.
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However firm should not only concentrate the external customer segments but also the internal customers who are playing a pivotal role in the re-launch of the brand. Employees need to be informed about the new brand vision, expected behavioural changes etc. Training programs, workshops, familiarization programs and employee hand books could be used. The communication strategy should be integrated to ensure that a one message is sent to the selected target audience at all times through all selected mediums. Following are the levels of integration in order to achieve the above.
Vertical Integration: Linking the organization vision, mission and the objectives with the marketing and the marketing communication objectives.
Horizontal Integration: Linking the business functions. I.e. Marketing, HR, Technical and all departments share the same vision.
Marketing Integration: All elements of the marketing mix (4Ps, 7Ps) communicate the same message to the target audience. Ex: Ticket prices for each service should be the same throughout the country.
Communication Integration: The total promotional mix i.e. Advertising, sales promotion, public relations etc. should be integrated and communicate the same message.
Creative Integration: Unifying creative themes across all communications
Internal – External Integration: To ensure that the employees are aware of the changes that are taking place and what are the service offerings.
Financial Integration: In order to make the maximum usage of the investments in promotional elements.
By using the integrated marketing communication constantly and consistently firm could build its reputation which is crucial for the effective repositioning and relaunching of the brand.
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5.5.1 Advertising Mix “Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor.” (Kotler & Keller, 2009)Advertising attempts to persuade customers and potential customers to purchase or to consume a particular brand of product or service. Every company in order to inform and influence current and the potential customers has to advertise their goods or services.
In Television Travel Lanka can produce advertisements which can show the facilities available to the passengers. They can also use celebrities‟ endorsement to promote the service. In the advertisement they can share the experience of passengers who have travelled with new service. On radio, instead of just going for an advertisement company can sponsor a programme in Radio.
The programme can be a segment of a morning show which would inform the listeners about the traffic situation on different routes and can also give alternative routes. The programme also can give tips to maintain vehicles tips to drivers etc. During the programme the Radio Jockey
can tell about the facilities and services
available in the new service as an endorsement. They can talk about the advantages of using public transport modes.
Another way to advertise their service in media is sponsoring for non-commercial programs featuring the contemporary issues of the society such as alert on outbreak of spreading diseases, climate change issues etc.
The new service could be also promoted by using websites. First they need to create an updated user friendly website. The website should contain the contact details of Travel Lanka, bus routes, facilities available, online booking site, etc. They can even give space for the update news such as delay in service, damage roads, accidents etc. They can even open the company profile in popular social sites such as „Face Book‟, „Orkut‟, „Twitter‟ etc. through which people can visit the company website.
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The company with the help of mobile service providers can send SMS to the subscribers about the delay of services, accidents, damaged roads, special services available, changes in ticket prices etc. This can even send the time table for the day to the subscribers.
The company can also use bill boards and hoardings to advertise themselves. An effective way to use this mode is mention a public awareness statement such as “Don‟t Drink and Drive”, “Save the Planet” and at bottom they can mention about new brand. Through these campaigns the new service can attract the society at whole.
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Chapter 06
Implementation This chapter mainly consists of different implementation plans such as Advertising plan, Change Management Plan, Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, Segment Implementation Plan, Monitor and Control Plan and Brand Management Plan. Each plan presents detailed information regarding the specific implementation elements.
6.1
Advertising Plan
Advertising plan is critical in a re-launching process. The whole purpose of advertising is to change the perception of the society towards the SLTB and make awareness regarding the new services. After considering number of advertising mechanisms, the following media types has been proposed in order to carry out the promotions. All the content of the advertising should be aligned with the timeline of the segment implementation plan.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Type of Media 0-6
6-12
12-18
18-24
24-30
30-36
Television Commercials Radio Advertising “Word of Mouth� Figure 8: Advertising Plan for Three Years
6.1.1 Television Commercials At the initial stage, above-the-line (ATL) activities such as television promotion campaign will be launched in order to create brand awareness in a speedy and effective manner. Television promotions are the best way to rebrand a service
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provided to mass markets. Even though the television advertising is expensive compared to other available promotions types, it has number of highly effective qualities such as Flexible format, audio visual capability, high prestige and Mass coverage. Cost of the television promotion is high mainly because of the production and the scheduling costs of the advertisements. According to the proposed advertising plan television promotions should be carried out during the entire first year of the implementation. The main reason is that the SLTB brand has a very poor image in current context. Therefore, it needs to consistently promote the brand in order to reposition the brand image. However, the television promotion is to kick off the rebranding process. At the latter part of the first year the advertising campaign should be shifted in to more cost effective media; radio adverting. Within the first year TV advertising campaign will create the necessary platform for the SLTB brand transformation. Therefore it is not necessary to carry out the TV promotion thereafter.
6.1.2 Radio Advertising Radio advertising campaign is proposed to kick off at the beginning of the second year and will last till end of the third year. The main purpose of the radio advertising is to keep the momentum going on. The momentum and the brand awareness will be created by the TV commercials. There are number of weaknesses and strengths in radio advertising as well. The main weaknesses are, that it lacks of impact due to audio dimension only, difficult to get audience attention and low prestige. However, these weaknesses will not affect the entire promotion process as a whole, because the radio advertising will be carried out just after a series of TV commercials. In the proposed context, radio advertising will be used as a reminder which may create the link towards the previously telecasted TV commercials in the customers mind.
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The strengths of the radio adverting is the low production cost compared to TV commercials and mass coverage. Majority of the target segments of the Travel Lanka could be reached through radio promotions.
6.1.3 “Word of Mouth” The promotion plan expects to use „Word of Mouth‟ as a promotion mechanism throughout the three years. This process entirely depends on the quality of the service. If the new service can provide superior quality and best perceived value for money the customers will take the message in to the society. The flip side is if the customers perceive that the new service does not deliver its promises in terms of value for money and superior quality in services adverse publicity created by word of mouth may destroy the brand image.
6.2
Change Management Plan
“Managing change means managing the conversation between the people leading the change effort and those who are expected to implement the new strategies, managing the organizational context in which change can occur and managing the emotional connections that are essential for any transformation. Key to the change effort is not attending to each piece in isolation; it’s connecting and balancing all the pieces. In managing change the critical task is understanding how pieces balance off one another, how changing one element affect the rest, how the sequence and the pace affect the whole structure.” (Duck, 1993) Understanding the culture of the organization is critical to identify the problems faced in carrying out strategic change and how to overcome them. The culture of an organization consist of the basic assumptions or the taken-for-granted assumptions and the physical manifestations such as stories, symbols, power structures, organizational structures, control systems and routines and rituals.
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6.2.1 The Cultural Web
Figure 9: The Culture Web Model [Source: (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 2008)]
The physical manifestations are depicted by the cultural web. The period when the SLTB (then called as CTB) was steered by Mr. Anil Munasinghe as a minister and the chairman (1964 -1975) could be considered as its golden era. Following are some of the major achievements of that period.
Setting up the central bus stand in Pettah.
Setting up the central workshop in Werahera which became the largest in South Asia.
Setting up Ceylon German Technical Training Institute to increase the technical know, how and to create highly skilled technicians.
Implementing „Employee Councils‟ consisting of all the employees which were part of the management of the organization thus undermining the necessity of trade unions.
Focusing on training and skills development, introducing scientific methodology and controls and discipline.
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Being a government organization SLTB is highly politicized. Studies on the SLTBâ€&#x;s current level of operation revealed that it only covers 20% of the total public transport in the country. The organization has a fleet of around seven thousand five hundred buses even though the number of road worthy buses was not available. The staff strength is around 35,000 which are highly out of proportion considering the size of the fleet. Successive governments have contributed to excessive staff strength by using the organization to provide employment to their supporters overlooking its strategic direction. The three trade unions in the organization are linked to the three main political parties of the country and are totally driven by political motives. As a result, today the organization is loss maker and is a burden to the government budget.
6.2.2 Cultural Changes Element Stories
Current Context
Expected Change
1. Stories about how good 1. Instill stories about how other the organization used to
countries
be in past.
revamp their public transport
have
successfully
from an appalling service to an 2. Stories about successful trade union action.
international level. (Ex: Malaysia) 2. Stories about benefits of the new service to the employees Ex: Higher salaries based on performance,
enhanced
job
security.
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Element Symbols
Current context
1. Common symbols of inefficient and lethargic
Expected change
1. Reducing the “extra fat” in staff cadre.
service such as spending official time and resources 2. Staffing to be in line with the for personal gain and
strategic changes.
corruption 3. 3.Re-introduction of „Employee councils‟.
Power Structures
1. Chairman and board of
1. A new leader to be appointed to
directors appointed by the
achieve the new vision free of
ruling party.
political motive.
2. Power of trade unions to hamper the routine work
2. Employee councils to be empowered to play a critical role in management undermining the power of trade unions
Organizational Structures
1. Outdated top down
1. Removal of excessive
hierarchical structures
hierarchical structures, De-
which disrupts two way
layering and adapting a leaner
communications and
organizational structure which
hampers the effective
facilitates two way
implementation of
communication and effective
strategies.
implementation of strategies. 2. Each individual depot to function as a profit center.
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Element
Current context
Control
1. Outdated and in effective
Systems
internal audit practices.
Expected change
1. Focuses in identifying the level of customer service. 2. Introduction of ERP systems which integrates the functions of finance, purchasing and operations.
Routines and Rituals
1. No incentives for improving performance.
1. Implementation of the strategic plan in order to roll out the effective brand re-launch which
2. Objectives of the
is free from political motive.
organization changes in line with the changes of the ruling party.
2. Incentives for improved performance.
3. Personal gains at the expense of organization. Paradigm
1. Least concern for
1. Customer service should be the
improving customer
central focus and purpose of
service.
existence of the organization.
2. Survival or career progression based on the political influence
2. Increased importance to improve skills, technical knowhow and discipline. 3. Empowering employees through employee councils and make the organization the “best place to work�.
Table 4: Cultural Changes
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6.3
Corporate Social Responsibility Plan
"Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large" (Holme & Watts, 2000) This plan mainly concentrates on social responsibilities which need to be accomplished as a service oriented organization. The proposed partnership between the government and the private organization should identify their corporate responsibilities in order to improve the brand image among the customers. After extensive analysis, following responsibilities has been identified to improve their service and the goodwill.
6.3.1 Contribution towards School Children The proposed contribution is to provide dedicated buses for school children at subsidised rates during rush hours. Buses could be organized for their school trips and educational purposes travelling. School children in uniform will be only charged half the rate any time they travel. 6.3.2 Environment Protection Policies All the buses needs to be in good condition and should be verified under environment protection policies. The level of fume produced by the buses and the level of the noise produced by the horns need to be checked time to time to maintain the quality of the service as well as protect the environment. 6.3.3 Accommodation for Priests, Pregnant and Disabled Dedicated seats will be allocated for the above categories and buses will be fixed with equipment facilitating access by wheel chairs.
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6.4
Segment Implementation Plan
This plan presents an overall idea about the segment implementation process. During above chapters, it has been proposed number of services to be implemented as the part of the SLTB re-launch. However, it is not practically possible to implement all the proposed services at once. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the re-launch a „staged implementation planâ€&#x; is suggested in adding each segment.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Services
Intra-City Bus Service
Inter-City Bus Service
Business Class Bus Service
Distance
Short Distance Bus Service
Long Distance Bus Service
Long Distance Bus Service
Air Condition
Air Condition
Internet Facility
Television-Films
Facilities
Air Condition
Video Games
Few Seats
News Papers
Television-Films Video Games News Papers
Magazines
Magazines
Reclinable Seats Food and Beverages Additional Services
Female-Children Service
Reclinable Seats Foods and Beverages
Group Travelling
Table 5: Year-by-Year Service Implementation Plan
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6.4.1 First Year Segment Implementation Plan According to the plan, the first step should be implementing the „intra-city bus service „which is also known as „Short Distance Bus Service‟. Specially designed new buses will be imported to launch this service. Initially, the short distance bus service will start their operation around main cities in the country such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna and Trincomalee. However, all the major cities will be covered during the first year. Separate buses for females and children in rush hours will start their operations at the middle stage of the first year.
Figure 10: Proposed 'City Mate' Buses
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6.4.2 Second Year Segment Implementation Plan The proposed „Inter-City Bus Service‟ which is also known as „Long Distance Bus Service‟ will start their operations at the beginning of the second year. At the initial stage, limited number of long distance routes will be selected and rapidly expand the coverage with the help of new buses. The same long distance routes will be used as the bus route structure. „Group Travelling‟ service will be kicked off as an additional service by using the same bus fleet. Light weight promotion campaign will be carried out as explained under advertising plan to carry out in order to keep the momentum.
Figure 11: Proposed 'Intercity Mate' Buses
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6.4.3 Third Year Segment Implementation Plan In the final year, „Business Class Bus Serviceâ€&#x; will to be started. Business class service will be provided only on selected routes and will be expand depending on the demand. Light weight promotion campaign will be carried out as explained under advertising plan to carry out in order to keep the momentum.
Figure 12: Proposed 'Travel Mate' Buses
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6.4.4 General Implementation Environment Above three year segment implementation provides only service specific details. However, there are some common strategies that need to be followed. Those factors are discussed under below topics.
Bus Purchasing, Repair and Maintain All the buses required for the new service should be purchased and maintained by the private partner. The unserviceable buses of the current fleet will be divested. The buses in excellent running condition of the current fleet will be absorbed to the new service and will be transferred to rural areas of the country. All the buses in the will have a consistent look and feel in terms of facilities and services. Facilities mentioned above under each segment will be built-in to the new fleet. The new entity will ensure the maintenance of the buses at the highest degree and will be upgrading the services according to the requirements of the customers based on findings of customer research that will be carried out time to time.
Basic Infrastructure Basic infrastructure such as roads and bridges should be improved up to an acceptable standard parallel to the re-launch of SLTB under the infrastructure development programs of the government. However, Travel Lanka will be responsible for creating and improving the standards of support services such as bus stops, rest rooms, mini super markets and catering services.
Buses as Mobile Billboards Buses are used to be as billboards. The outer painting of the bus bodiesâ€&#x; could be rented out to third party companies to carry out their advertising. The maintenance of the outer paint should be carried out by the respective companies.
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Figure 13: Buses as Mobile Billboards
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Automated Ticketing System This „Automated Ticketing‟ is a whole new experience in Sri Lankan context. The idea is to run the bus service without a bus conductor. It is bit challenging in Sri Lankan context as people are not used to this facility. All the new buses that will be purchased under the new service should have this facility in built to the bus. At the initial stages, an officer may require to be in the bus to help the customers and monitor the automated ticketing facility. At the same time, television advertising should be used to educate the customers regarding the procedure of using the automated ticketing facility. However, after some time of monitoring and evaluation, the above proposed officer can be removed from the buses and let the customers to operate the ticketing facility by them without any help. A notice which shows the ticketing process should be displayed near the ticketing machine which enables the new customers to use the system without any guidance. Other than that, the new customers will adopt to the system by observing the other customers.
Online Reservation System The passengers of „Inter-City‟ and „Business Class‟ will be able to reserve the seats through internet and SMS‟s. The group travellers also could reserve their buses on line. An interactive web site should be launched to provide necessary information such as available seats, prices, routes, bus numbers, traffic updates, duration of the journey etc.
Time Table System The entire time table for all the buses should be able to view through the official web site. This facility will allow the customers to decide the routes they would travel to their required destination by considering the availability and the duration of the journey.
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6.5
Monitoring and Controlling Plan
Monitoring and controlling are two main processes that goes aligned with implementation. This section presents the proposed monitoring and controlling plan for the proposed re-launch. Following methods are proposed to be followed in order to monitor and control progress. It helps to ensure that the project is implementing correctly and efficiently according to the given plan and the quality standards. The evaluations, reviews and surveys need to be carried out time to time and summarized reports need to be submitted to the management in order to develop the future strategies and make the critical decisions.
6.5.1 Performance Evaluation System A performance evaluation system should be implemented to evaluate the performances of the bus drivers, repair and maintain staff, supervisors and members in the depots and staff of Travel Lanka all over the country.
6.5.2 Customer Satisfaction Surveys Customer satisfaction surveys need to be carried out monthly at the initial stage (First Year) and once in every three month at the latter stages of the implementation (Third Year). The surveys should cover all kinds of service segments and geographical areas. Customer Complaints Reports can also be used as a part of the customer satisfaction survey. The management needs to concentrate on these surveys, as it opens the opportunity to get closer to the customers and their expectations.
6.5.3 Financial Performance Review Financial information should be collected daily and recorded in computerized systems. Daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly reports need to be produced and should compared and contrasted with the objectives on an on-going basis to identify information such as profitability, sustainability etc.
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6.5.4 Time Table Reviews for Efficient Service Time tables of all the depots need to be reviewed to identify the issues such as lack of availability identifying future requirements. Issues in time tables can be identified by the customer satisfaction survey as well. However, the issues related to time tables are very critical. It directly affects to the profitability and the brand image of Travel Lanka.
6.5.5 Performance and Forecasting Review It is important to carry out the review as a whole and forecast the result. This ensures the sustainability of the bus service and the new brand image of the Travel Lanka. Forecasting will help a lot in decision making related to critical aspects such as expansion of availability, coverage and value added services.
6.5.6 Technical Evaluation Reports Technical factors need to be evaluated to ensure the quality standard of the service. Factors can be varying such as engines and mechanical related factors, purity, condition of seats, and the condition of other facilities. The above evaluation can be done through Supervision Reviews and Police Reports. Police reports will provide the information regarding the road accidents. The evaluators could dig in to each incident and find out the technical issues behind those accidents and make decisions based on them to avoid future accidents. Police reports and supervisor reports will also help to conduct the performances evaluation of the drivers and related staff as well.
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6.6
Brand Management Plan
6.6.1 Brand Awareness and Perception Brand awareness and the perception towards Travel Lank brand can be measured through surveys. The main objective of this proposed re-launching is to reposition the Travel Lank brand. Tracking down the customersâ€&#x; brand awareness and perception will allow understanding the progress of the re-branding and repositioning.
6.6.2 Market Share Currently SLTB has only 20% of the market share of daily transportation. The objective of the proposed re-launch is to improve the quality standard of the public bus service as well as the market share. Therefore, market share should be consistently monitored in order to track the progress of the achievement.
6.6.3 Brand Essence Wheel
Figure 14: Brand Essence Wheel [Source: Research Data]
Brand Essence wheel will help to visualize the customersâ€&#x; mind. The entire relaunching strategies need to ensure that costumer perception would change as above. PPMK100
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References Byars, L. (1991). Strategic Management, Formulation and Implementation – Concepts and Cases. New York: Harper Collins.
Duck, J. D. (1993). Managing Change: The Art of Balancing. Harvard Business Review .
Holme, L., & Watts, R. (2000). Corporate Social Responsibility: Making Good Business Sense. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (1993). Exploring Corporate Strategy – Text and Cases, Hemel Hempstead. Prentice-Hall.
Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Pearson Education Ltd, South Asia.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2009). Marketing Management (13th Edition ed.). New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Ltd.
Kotter, J., & Schlesinger, L. (1991). Choosing strategies for change, Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review , 24-29.
Michael, P. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.
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Appendix A Existing Customer Survey
1. Which bus service do you travel most; according to your travelling pattern?
SLTB
Private
2. What do you think about the service provided by the private buses?
Service aspect
Good
Moderate
Bad
Treatment to passengers Reliability Safety Comfort Punctuality
3. What do you think about the service provided by the SLTB buses? Service aspect
Good
Moderate
Bad
Treatment to passengers Reliability Safety Comfort Punctuality
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Appendix B Prospective Customer Survey 1. How do you think about the public transport (SLTB) in terms of the following aspects? (a) Treatment to passengers
(b) Reliability
(c) Safety
(d) Comfort
(e) Punctuality
2. In which order do you rank the public transport methods in terms of the above factors. SLTB
Private Buses
Trains
3. If the travel by SLTB buses is as convenient as travelling by own vehicle would you consider travelling by bus? Yes
No
Why: ………………………………………………………………………………………
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Appendix C Existing Customer Survey (Sinhala Translation)
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Appendix D Prospective Customer Survey (Sinhala Translation)
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