1. Julien Lavy
Wenesday, 03 February 2010
To the attention of:
Mr Matt Collingwood
President & C.E.O.
Ms Tamsin Plaxton
Managing Director
Tamwood Language School - Whistler
I have completed this analysis exclusively for Whistler however I believe both Canadian
schools are complementary, which enables greater efficiency and better cost control with
common communication, in order to increase global brand awareness and optimize marketing
efforts.
I also believe that as targets and positioning are not the same, sales must be differentiated
regarding segmentation for better visibility and simplicity. Light tools in each language and
for each program seem necessary.
Market:
Following the worldwide crisis, an expansion of other languages (such as Asian languages)
and an increasing indirect competitive environment, the market of language school seems to
register in the global recession.
But the growth rate of high school students' worldwide, the development of international
careers and the necessity of English in business as well as in everyday life, sustain a high
potential for this market. The continuous increase in demand from young people for Working
Holiday Visas in Canada seems to confirm this hypothesis.
As an international market, emergence of new countries and targeting of new areas provide
the biggest opportunities for market expansion, although the traditional market must not be
ignored.
With the actual exchange rate from dollar to euro there is a better opportunity to develop the
European market and take advantage of the currency.
Sales obstacles:
- price
- administrative and organizational difficulties
- complete immersion fear
- idea of school
- socialisation with foreigners
- travel
Competitors:
I think the market initially needs to be considered globally. There are many ways to learn
English for young workers and students. Print methods, multimedia methods, private schools
and lessons in each country are the main competition. As an English learner and from my
experience with foreigners the main criteria are:

2. - Teaching efficiency regarding time dedicated for learning
- Compatibility with learning objectives
- Accessibility in terms of organisation, price and time
Whistler Language School is competing directly against all total dumping English programs.
In Europe the main competitor must be the ERASMUS program but there are a lot of other
organisations helping young people to travel.
A new school in Whistler is a direct competitor, but Vancouver is also facing hard
competition.
Young people often choose a location where they can meet other young people and this
competition must be sane for Whistler if it becomes the perfect destination to learn and have
fun.
This increasing competitive environment means more visibility and transparency needed and
requires an expansive market strategy.
Objectives
Improve sales and frequentation in all programs for Whistler.
Increase direct booking.
Focus on period with law frequentation such as summer.
Develop brand awareness.
Positioning
Premium Language School located in British Colombia, offering complete flexibility to mix
English lessons with others activities. Adaptive and personalised courses allowing a
combination: school, sport, sport certification, work, providing all facilities concerning
students' needs in the main Canadian mountain resort: Whistler!
Segmentation
recreational professional
English + english English + work
English + sports instruction English + exam/school preparation
English + sport/activities English + sport certification
English + free-time
Target:
All people over 17 wishing to improve their English language on international travel
- Students before high school
- Students in high school looking for practice
- People in transition between school and work
- People on sabbatical leave
- People in retraining
- People looking for a job
- Immigrants
- Workers

3. Core target:
24 - 27
Young worker or student
Outdoor and/or mountain attracted
Wishing to travel and discover
SWOT analysis
S
Location and activities
Flexibility and large range of offers
Team and organisation
Strong position in Japan and Switzerland
Offer work, practice and certificate
W
Dependence to travel agents
Lack of foreign language tools
Limited budget
Visibility
O
Development of Whistler as a language
school destination
Currency of Canadian dollar
Development of young travellers
Olympic games visibility and worldwide
awareness of Whistler
European market underexploited
New markets to open (Russia!)
Canadian immigration policy
Partnership between UBC and foreign
Universities
Formation budget in firm often for languages
Need for practices
T
Direct competitor in Whistler
Indirect competition growth for English
lessons
Economical instability
Dependence to season
Administrative formalities
Equivalence of diploma
Mix Marketing
I don't have the pretension to change all of your Marketing Policies, however would like to
briefly exemplify the main ideas that seem important to me in order to improve sales:
Product
Sell more of a life experience and not "English lessons"
Sell a fast and efficient way to learn English
Capitalize on Whistler and the BC environment
Clarify and make simple offers regarding target expectations
Develop professional segment with ski, snowboard and bike certification
Develop recreational segment with good partnerships and firms
Price
Better price transparency (in several devices), "à la carte" price policy
Special offer for groups and partnerships
B to B policy
Price fluctuation in time depending on filling rate

4. Promotion
Orient sales arguments around tourism and sport attractiveness
First contact with tools in foreign language
Advertising exclusively on extremely qualified supports, principally on web
Build partnerships and networks (means commercial efforts)
Make students our best ambassadors and advertisers (sponsor)
Develop strong show tools
Follow Canadian government and other organisations actions (especially for fairs)
Placement
Diversify ways of selling and intensify direct booking via affiliations and ambassadors
Simplify web booking and translate it
Multiplication of direct contact and countries physical presence
Adapt offers regarding audience
Valuable and qualified targets only
Focusing and diversify on alpine rich countries and high population density area
Concentrate temporally efforts on area with best potential
Sale orientation Key focusing targets Direct Sales Advertising/Partnership
Workers recreational Ski and outdoor
industry (hard and soft
goods)
Young pro-riders, ski
instructors and athletes
Dedicated fair
(ex: ISPO)
Work councils
Syndicates
Sport associations
Brands
Incentive seminar
People
about to
travel
professional Working-Holliday
travellers
Immigrants
Dedicated fair Dedicated web site (ex:
PVTistes.net)
young travel
organisation (ex: Teli
Club)
Travel web sites
City desk information
Administrations
Students recreational and
professional
High-schools
Sport-study schools
Mountain schools
Schools opening
days
Students
orientations fair
Student bureau
Flyers and displays
Relational Marketing
Ad in students
magazines
Key factors of success
- Market expansion ability
- Improve direct contact with more valuable and segmented target
- Focus on geographical area with mountain and outdoor culture and with strong
concentration of young people (Monaco, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, Germany,
Austria and Slovenia: see map on last page) and high life level
- Develop partnership and network for sustainable contacts
- Find new ways of selling
- Web advertising on dedicated web site