De La Salle University

Ramon V. del Rosario

College of Business

Bulacan Province: A Gate Way to the North

Case Analysis

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Course Requirements for

Marketing Fundamentals
2nd Term, AY 2022-2023

Submitted by:
Catindig, Irah Klariz D.
Cheng, Sean Rae Vincent
Fajardo, Russell Christopher U.
Gao, Katrina L.
Gonzales, Micaella Ashley Kate T.
Mallari, Markus Lance B.
Sy, Kailey Dyanne T.
Tamsac, Jhermae Lou A.
Valler, Hernan Jansel B.

Submitted to:
Paz, John Joshua M.

Submitted on:
February 10, 2023
 I. VIEWPOINT

One of the best ecotourism destinations, as well as artistic and cultural endeavors, are

located in Bulacan. However, not many people include this place in their list of travel

destinations. Hence, Bryan, the newly promoted Marketing Officer of Tourism was tasked in

developing a marketing strategy that will entice young people to visit the places of attractions

Bulacan can offer.

II. TIME CONTEXT

Bryan conducted research to better understand Bulacan’s tourist demand. Through the

study he conducted, he found out that due to having little to no information about the place and

unfamiliar tourist spots, travelers mostly don’t want to visit, revisit, or stay there for long term.

Because of this, Bryan must think of ways on how to address these issues.

III. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The goal of this study is to determine how Bryan, the newly promoted tourism marketing

officer, can raise awareness and advertise Bulacan as a must-see tourist destination among the

younger generation.

IV. OBJECTIVES

● To establish promotions that will increase tourist demand in Bulacan by 20% in one year.

● To increase the recognition of travelers in Bulacan with regards to their historical

background and unique delicacies within the next 8 months by 10-15%.

 ● To develop a strategy which would help stimulate GDP growth and increase international

trade and investments by 10% in one year.

V. ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN / AREAS OF CONSIDERATION

Strengths

● Many tourist attractions with each having their own unique qualities.

● Existing consistent number of visitors based on statistics.

Weaknesses

● Lack of awareness as a tourist destination.

● Lack of promotion and information for the tourist attractions in comparison to other

provinces (e.g Laguna).

● Insufficient infrastructure as well as availability to tourist attractions.

Opportunities

● Recorded high social media use in the country according to statistical data.

● Growing need of people to travel away from urbanization; increased chance of having

new visitors.

Threats

● Other provinces have better popularity and reputation for attractions that Bulacan already

has.

● COVID-19 Pandemic may limit the number of tourists.

S/O Based Strategies (Strengths and Opportunities)

● Target of the younger generation in the population of the market in the Philippines. Done

through social media advertising and use of sceneries for purposes such as backdrops for

display pictures, as incentive to be showcased on social media.

● Cater to the growing need of the modern lifestyle of traveling away from urbanization

through value proposition in advertising.

W/O Based Strategies (Weaknesses and Opportunities)

● Use of market segmentation and positioning as the marketing officer with peers to create

a strategy that efficiently spreads awareness leading to better promotion (e.g effective use

of social media, billboards, televised ads, etc.)

● Cooperation with the local government for promotion with marketing plans .

S/T Based Strategies (Strengths and Threats)

● Solid brand positioning of Bulacan with its specialties that make it distinct from other

known provinces while keeping up with the modern era to better attract the younger

audience.

● Cater to the already consistent visitors to help seed the increase of province popularity

through word of mouth with marketed enticing qualities of said province.

W/T Based Strategies (Weaknesses and Threats)

● Utilization of aforementioned strategies in the last strategy categories to reduce the

weaknesses of low awareness and lack of promotion and information, in order to avoid

threats as well.

VI. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION

1. Social Media Advertising

We live in an era driven by social media, and the tourism industry is no way in exception.

The way people research a trip before taking it is one of many ways to show that social media

has a big impact on tourism. And since the tourism industry is significantly connected with

visual experience, offering visual materials is the most effective way to catch the attention of

potential travelers. Bryan can maximize the use of social media to aid in increasing Bulacan's

tourist destination awareness by creating websites, blogs, vlogs, contents, campaigns, offering

travel packages, collaborating with influencers, posting in Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Social media offers endless opportunities and when done right, it can be a game changer in any

industry. This will prompt Bulacan to gain a boost in popularity among its competitors.

Advantages Disadvantages

● The engaging photos and videos ● Advertising on social media is a

posted in different social media
platforms would attract visitors to
check out the tourist spots in
Bulacan.
● Promotional means such as creating
websites, blogs, vlogs, content,
time-consuming practice and requires
lots of effort and money.
● The posts advertising Bulacan may
not be as well-received and may also
receive negative feedback.
 campaigns can help increase
Bulacan’s tourist destination
awareness.
● This enables a wider audience to be
reached.
● People may create posts related to
Bulacan filled with misinformation
which can be easily spread on Social
Media.

2. Promote the Local Food Industry

One of the reasons tourists travel to places is because of unique delicacies that can only

be found in a certain place. The local food industry enables tourists to enjoy and admire

delicacies and/or beverages in a manner that recognizes the city's history, tradition, and

surroundings. There's also the concept that experiencing an excellent local cuisine experience

leaves everyone with memories that last a lifetime. Attracting possible tourists through the local

Bulacan delicacies like Ensaymada Malolos, Lechon Bocaue and many more would surely

attract many young tourists that are looking for a whole new food experience.

Advantages Disadvantages

● Attracts tourists through the enticing ● Local delicacies can easily be

list of local delicacies served in the recreated in other nearby cities.
region.
● Many of the dishes and delicacies are
● Boosts the local food market, while already being served in nearby city
also promoting the tourist spots of restaurants and markets.
the province.
● Not everyone is open to trying
● Increases the appreciation in the unfamiliar dishes
local food industry.

● Enhances social and cultural

awareness, linking tourists with the
region across many sectors of the
community.
 ● Recognize the connection between
the local cuisines and the local
cultures.

3. Plan out a Place Branding

Place branding entails a lot more than just a logo. It is about bringing to light what’s

deep within the destination and its people that creates a strong connection with the travelers. A

brand is a promise. It is an unwritten emotional and psychological deal you make with your

target market. And a strong branding entails strong emotions and responses that would aid in the

progress of such a destination. Therefore, developing the brand footprint of Bulacan's tourist

destination is a crucial step in cultivating measurable economic and social growth.

Advantages Disadvantages

● The memorable experiences ● Choosing the wrong branding can

embedded in the mind and heart of ruin the whole reputation.
the tourists would increase loyalty.
● Creating a brand image isn’t easy. It
● Differentiating the place in such a may take a lot of time and use a
competitive market would give it an significant amount of resources.
edge in attracting visitors.
● The whole tourism industry aims to
● When people visit your location and dominate consumers' perceptions of
had a wonderful experience, they will their place. While becoming the
spread the word about it through norm is the objective of branding, it
word-of-mouth. Hence, free can be too generic that people would
marketing. not want to go there anymore.

● A strong place branding helps a place

to stay competitive in the global
marketplace.
 4. Providing Tourism Services to both New and Returning Tourists

Tourism is defined as a way of spending time away from home for relaxation, pleasure

and recreation, while also consuming commercial services. Traveling is a great way to unwind,

but organizing and scheduling a trip is not always simple because you always need to do your

research and read reviews of the hotels or places you want to visit. This will be helpful in

catering the different needs of the tourists. This can encourage clients to utilize the services of

the Bulacan tourism office directly rather than going through an agency which will generate

customer loyalty.

Advantages Disadvantages

● Attracts tourists to discover, engage, ● The marketing area is relatively

and participate in different packages
offered, as this will be convenient
when planning their trip. This will
pique the interest of travelers that
desire to discover new places.
limited, as is manpower. There is also
a need for a high number of resources
(e.g. connections with hotels, guides,
transportation and organizer of
activities).

● Gains trust of the tourists as they will ● Inability to accommodate a large

be directly transacting with the number of tourists.
tourism office.
● Disrupting local people' work and rest,
● Fuller experience with the guide of a and the quality of individual tourists
local. Information is directly given to needs to be enhanced, and disputes
tourists. between tourists and local inhabitants
are common.
● Providing a service that meets the
needs and preferences of the ● It may take some time for people to
customers.When in direct touch with know that Bulacan does offer tourism
the tourism office, tourism officers or services.
guides can directly accommodate
tourists with specific queries and
preferences as they have all the
resources. Thus, this will save
transaction time of the tourist with
different commercial establishments.
VII. DECISION MATRIX

To help us determine which course of action to take, the group created a weighted

decision matrix. Ease of implementation, profitability, increase of demand, increase of

awareness, and increase of travelers were given as the criteria, which were arranged according to

importance. After the scores were given, it was multiplied to the weight assigned to each criteria.

Computing the final total, ACA 1 or “Social Media Advertising” got the highest score, getting

63. On the other hand, ACA 2 or “ Promote the Local Food Industry” got 53 and ACA 3 or “Plan

out a Place Branding” got 60. Last, ACA 4 or “Providing Tourism Services to both New and

Returning Tourists” got 50, receiving the lowest score on the table.

VIII. RECOMMENDATION

In the age of the internet, tourists use online resources to find recommendations for where

to go, where to stay, and what to do, and since the target market in this study is the younger

generation, it would be best to use (ACA1) Social Media Marketing as a way of promoting

Bulacan’s tourist destination. Taking advantage of social media and the endless opportunities it

offers would be the best move to cope up with this fast changing world. Creation of websites,

blogs, vlogs, contents, campaigns, offering travel packages, collaborating with influencers, and

posting in Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. would significantly increase Bulacan’s awareness

since social media is widely used today, especially by millennials and younger generations. As

shown in the research, most of the people traveling are in ages between 25-34 followed by ages
between 15- 24 which are very much exposed to technology and social media. With just one post

and one click, it could turn the table around for Bulacan. To further target the market, Bryan

could also use psychographic segmentation to promote Bulacan through the possible visitor’s

interests and lifestyle. People who like to travel, visit historical places, and/or experience nature

would be their target. With Bulacan being less costly compared to places in NCR, such as Manila

and Makati, and filled with beautiful sites, it would allow a wider scope of travelers who could

visit the place and enjoy it. Through the increased awareness, a boost in the Philippine’s

economy would flourish.

This alternative would be the best option among the four since promoting the food

industry can be recreated and be done by other cities and does not make a difference and does

not give the assistance needed to achieve the objectives. Also, executing a place branding could

be risky if not done properly. And offering in-house tourism services may not be constantly

chosen since there’s already a lot of existing travel agencies. Therefore, despite some of the

disadvantages of social media marketing, it doesn't outweigh the benefits.

IX. PLAN OF ACTION

Activities Measure Person-in-charge Duration Obstacles

Conduct a The assessment of the Marketing 2-3 Weeks Information

social media most efficient and Department & errors and
analysis engaging platforms Research and omissions, fake
Development profiles, might
Department have inaccurate
informations

Choosing the Determining the choice Marketing 1-2 Weeks Inability to

most suitable of which network to use Department & connect across
social media Research and departments
platform Development and choose the
Department right platform,
understanding
the target
audience

Creating a The company's financial Accounting & 2-3 Weeks Errors in the
social media statements and the Finance Department Financial
marketing funding allocated for Statements,
budget social media marketing lack of
planning with
the budget and
actions

Making a Establishing a posting Marketing 1-2 Weeks Scheduling and

content schedule and a strategy Department choosing the
calendar for for sharing content appropriate
social media number of
marketing posts to publish
each week

Creating Creating interesting Research and 1-2 Creating

engaging content that is in line Development & Months consistent,
content with the company's goals Marketing high-quality
Departments content, not
producing
enough

Execute the Assessing the Marketing 3 Months Unexpected

plan performance and making Operations, and events,
adjustments to make it Research and managing,
better Development maintaining
Departments inspiration, and
engaging with
the tourist
 X. REFERENCES

Connected Place Global. (n.d.). “If you brand it, they will come”. The benefits of Place

Branding. Webs. https://connectedbrandmanagement.webs.com/benefits-of-place-branding

Digital Travel APAC. (2023). The role of social media in Tourism Marketing. WBresearch.

https://digitaltravelapac.wbresearch.com/blog/social-media-in-tourism-marketing

Bao, H. (2018, July 11) .Marketing of Tourism Services/Experiences. Emerald Insight.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-78743-529-220181021/full/html

Walton, J. K. (2023, January 5). Tourism | Definition, History, Types, Importance, & Industry.

Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/tourism