Sun, sea and a warm climate, that spells v a c a t i on! A whole week on a Greek island in a quaint hotel on the edge of the beach. And every night a nice dinner in the harbour of Karpathos.
Is it Gyros, Kalamari or Souvlaki? And will we chose a restaurant with the Sirtaki on ‘repeat’? And in the evening, will it be the bar with the big screen (Olympics) or the bar with the even bigger screen? How lovely it was, after about four days you’ve seen and heard it all. And then you try to find the ‘exception’ at least that is what I do!
Well, it was not easy! But if you look carefully, you may discover a place that really tries to make a difference! For instance, the one with the Dutch speaking waiter, or the other with an extraordinary clean toilet. And that is something you really appreciate in any Mediterranean country! Anyway, these restaurants did not vary very much. But why? Why not specialize in child friendly accessories? The Greeks take their children anywhere, all night! Why not entertain the little one, instead of leaving him/her numb with an iPad game?
But is it any better in Holland? What will you find on the boulevard in Scheveningen? Or in Giethoorn or Volendam? A few weeks ago I was in Scheveningen in a bar called STEAM. They used steam as a theme (it rhymes J). You know, Jules Vernes, copper pipes, attendants in ‘old-fashioned’ clothes, the works. This bar made a choice and looks for a particular public. So, differentiating is possible! But it takes balls to make such a choice! A choice for a particular segment means that you may exclude other segments. (Read my blog ‘Persona values French style’ about the clash of segments). However, a clear choice for a segment increases your chance of success manifold. So, who dares? (Not the Greeks).
Don’t keep on struggling. Call us. We can help you change. With market research or a feasibility study we can find your niche!
Jan Mulder, Market Researcher and founder at Market Vision
Jan Mulder leads research activities at Market Vision. Jan founded Market Vision in 1996 after obtaining marketing experience at one of the first Personal Computer companies (Kaypro) and getting legal experience at Fokker Aerospace and Fokker Space. His current experience is based on a more than 15 years of research in the hotel industry with hotel chains like Radisson and Novotel. Jan also taught research at Windesheim Flevoland for five years. Jan lives and works in Amstelveen, near Amsterdam, Netherlands. Jan holds a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound and a M.Sc. from the University of Oregon.
