Identifying Customer Journey Opportunities in 5A Model in Tourism Industry

Growing development of technologies helped stronger customers with better relationship with companies. Consequently, marketers should pursue new ways of attracting customers and pathway. Modern customer buying path in the age of communication has been redesigned as 5A model (Aware, Appeal, Ask, Act, Advocate). The purpose is to identify customer opportunities of 5A model in tourism industry.

The method is applied exploratory research. Population includes online tickets buyers of tours in Tehran province between February 2016 to August 2017. Sample consist of 12 targeted individuals selected to achieve theoretical saturation. Research data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using contextual analysis.

Interview analysis identified, 35 indicators and 17 concepts in the form of 5 main categories: 1) Awareness, includes the concepts of word of mouth - recommendations, advertising - social media, environmental, mass media and SEO improvement; 2) Attraction includes the concepts of planned and expected positioning, the use of logical attractions, and marketing communications - persuasive advertising; 3) Question, includes the concepts of strengthening the customer relationship center, social group marketing, content marketing and social media marketing. Action categories, concepts of facilitating the purchase of brands through mobile applications (applications), ease of electronic payment through the payment gateway, offering different options from other brands and the integration of offline and online channels through Includes smartphone. The category of support includes the concepts of customer care programs, loyalty programs, including the provision of rewards and privileges, and the management of social customer relations (creating and stimulating dialogue between customers to solve their problems).

Opportunities in each of the stages of the 5A model in the tourism industry were identified. It is safe to say that companies using these opportunities could generate solutions where customers become aware of brands, be attracted to them, their questions are answered, buy brands' and services, and finally support brands and become their advertisers.  Foremost opportunities of 5A model offers include: Friends suggestions, attractive site design, inclusive company website, e- payment portal, a message system.