WILD DHARMA

Eco Resort, Nature Sanctuary and Centre for Yoga & Meditation

 

 

Business Plan

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MARKETING STRATEGY

     
 

MARKETING SEGMENTATION

 

Our target market is divided into several types of people as what we are offering has a wide appeal.

 

     The booming yoga community in Asia. This market is huge and covers Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan and Australia.

Yoga is a 6 billion dollar industry in Asia and rapidly expanding. 

The Asian yoga market is 75% women between the age of 20 - 45 years. This group seeks out further training and retreat experiences and our purpose built retreat village and quality yoga training will meet their needs. We will also target the growing domestic yoga communities in the Philippines.

 

     Yoga retreat leaders around the world. Initially we will draw from Paul's extensive network in Australia. But this market is global. We intend to target yoga groups in Europe, USA as well as the Asian market.

This market already runs retreats with their students and are always seeking new and exciting places for their retreats. Yoga teacher trainings are our desired group as they hire the venue for one month at a time and are repeat customers.

     While they will be the focus of our marketing, we will not limit our retreat village hire to yoga and meditation groups only. We welcome other groups and organisations seeking a exclusive venue for their team activities. 

 

     The growing numbers of tourists in the Philippines and Palawan. This segment of both foriegn and domestic travellers is young and adventurous and have a strong interest in grass roots, eco and nature experiences.

 

     Eco and nature tourists. People seeking cultural and environmentally sensitive experience and deeper immersions in nature is a growing market segment. Our venue is a perfect natural paradise for this group.

 

     Executives and professionals seeking a health retreat. This market is those needing a nourishing break from busy lives from the ever expanding middle class and professionals in Asia. For this segment we are offering world class health spa retreat packages in a private and secluded paradise. Also company team building groups could utilise our facilities.

 

 

 

COMPETITION

 

    Though there is nothing in the region being offered that resembles the integrated nature of what we are offering, although there are other resorts and guest houses.

    Port Barton has many simple guest houses that people use. Port Barton will be the main jump off point for visitors to our resort, although we also plan to draw people directly from the Puerto Princesa Underground River area in Sabang which is only a 2 hour boat ride away. Most of our clientelle will be targeted from where they come from and coming to the region specifically for us.

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     There are two main competitors in the immediate area, Secret Paradise Resort & Turtle Sanctuary and

Coconut Garden Island Resort. These are two very different places, one a more high end the other a simpler place. They are similar to Wild Dharma in that they are both also on their own private beach away from crowds. 

Their beaches are smaller and in fact they have had serious water shortage issues during this long summer, a problem our beach does not have.

     Both Secret Paradise (8 cottages) and Coconut Gardens (18 rooms) are busy throughout the year. Our research reveals this is precisely because they are away from crowds and on private beaches.

Our research indicates there is plenty of room in the market for us also, the demand for places like this is expected to expand dramatically once San Vicentes airport is complete late 2016.

 

 

 

COMPETITIVE EDGE

 

     While there are basic similarities with our competition, the integrated nature of our vision sets us apart. We are not just a beautiful beach destination but a unique and integrated life enriching experience in an eco resort with spa and health complex, a world class yoga and meditation centre, 40 hectare nature sanctuary with coral nursery and socio-cultural programs. 

    We will not be relying on the passing tourists to book our resort as our competition does. We will be directly marketing to groups with our retreat hire and yoga retreats as well as our health retreat packages. 

There are yoga retreat centres in Bali and Thailand but there are no purpose built yoga and meditation retreat facilities anywhere in the Philippines.

     We are positioning ourselves at the forefront of this market as the Philippines becomes the must visit destination in the region. This is further enhanced by Paul's 30 years experience in the industry which will provide guest with the highest quality training and experience.

     The uniqueness and quality of our facilities far exceed the facilities offered by our competitors. This offers our guest far more for their money.

 

 

 

MARKETING STRATEGY

 

     The Wild Dharma team will use various marketing strategies to reach and attract our different markets. as well as attain significant exposure.  

    Social media will initially be our main marketing strategy.   Social media has changed the face of advertising bringing a more direct and intimate exchange between us and our customers. It also expediates word of mouth recommendations a thousandfold and provides a way for us to stay in direct contact with our customers. This is especially true in yoga retreat circles.

     We want people to always feel welcome and at home at Wild Dharma and we will be encouraging guests to get involved in our centre. We want them to feel that they are a part of the vision, whether it is helping in the coral nursery, or in the health clinic or the organic garden, or maybe sharing their gifts with the healing staff. Of course, this is optional.

     We believe people will spread the word far and wide if they themselves feel like they belong to the vision in some way.  Social media now creates a forum for guests themselves to do some of our marketing as they share their unique experiences with their friends online.     

     

     

     Direct Mail Campaign. We will be targeting the yoga communities directly in Asia and beyond with special invitations to use our retreat facilities.  We will reach out and directly market to our own network of yoga leaders as well as yoga schools throughout Asia initially, then expand our campaign into Europe and the US. 

     Promotional Pricing.  Initially, we will offer our accommodations and services at reduced prices while we create awareness about Wild Dharma Eco Resort  establish our position in the market.

     Travel Agency, Hotel Tie-up and Package Pricing.  Various fliers and booking will be made available in travel agencies.  We also aim to get reciprocal referrals from friends and other hotels in Palawan and the Philippines.  

 

 

 

TARGET MARKET SEGMENT STRATEGY

 

     We already have strong connections to a large network of yoga groups seeking new and exciting venues for yoga retreats. In fact we already have groups waiting for us to open. We will initially extend personal invitations to these groups.

     Korea is the main tourist groups already visiting the Philippines and also has a huge yoga market.

Korea will be the first group we will target as we already have connection to a large section of this market. We intend to raise the profile of Wild Dharma at the many regular yoga conferences and festivals throughout Asia.

Social media is the central form of communication for yoga groups these days and this will be much of our initial marketing strategy.

     There are many online forums for travellers, eco tourists and yoga practitioners, we intend to access many of these forums to raise awareness and interest in Wild Dharma Eco Resort. We will use already existing internet sales platforms like Agoda and Bookings.com.

     We intend to target he executives and professional market for our health retreats in domestically initially before expanding our efforts to the growing middle class and professional's throughout Asia.

 

 

 

SALES STRATEGY

 

     We aim to promote the brand Wild Dharma worldwide. We aim to have our name be synonymous with quality with an above-and-beyond service team who are knowledgeable and friendly.  We hope to be known as a company 

     Wild Dharma will have, of course, its own website with a booking facility and customer support.  We will be using forums like Agoda, Bookings.com and Airbnb to promote our resort.  These forums have a vast reach and are affordable way to integrate advertising and booking. 

     

     We will be targeting the eco tourist both domestically and internationally highlighting the natural and cultural experience our venue offers.  The Wild Dharma sales strategy is based not only on making a sale but creating an experience that will make repeat customers and build longterm relationships.  

 

 

 

SALES FORECAST

 

     The following charts and tables show the projected sales  for each month of the first year, and the

sales for the first 5 years by area of operation: accommodation, restaurant food sales, yoga and meditation

classes and professional fees, massage and spa treatment sales, and island and eco tour sales. 

    Our sales forecast is deliberately modest starting at 10% occupancy in the first year of operations.

We expect numbers to grow significantly in the second year once we have established our position in the market. In addition, when the San Vicente international airport opens, somewhere in late 2016, we will be perfectly poised to take advantage of the expected further dramatic growth of the general numbers of tourists in the area.