Page 879 - MARSIUM'21 COMP OF PAPER

Malaysians are unable to travel as a result of the movement control order, which has had a significant negative impact
on the country's tourism business. Tiram Travel Sdn Bhd is not exempt from feeling the effects of this phenomenon. They are
also severely impacted by the new social norms of today, as evidenced by the decline in client numbers. For Tiram Travel Sdn.
Bhd. to be able to recoup from losses, the company allocates new services that they may give to their consumers. When flying
internationally, the majority of international flights are based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and all of its
passengers must meet at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before departing for Jeddah or Medina. In particular,
elderly people from southern and eastern Malaysia find it difficult to travel to the airport because they must make a lengthy
journey to get there before they can depart. Tiram Travel has introduced a new route to Jeddah or Medina from Senai
International Airport in Johor, making it more convenient for customers from Johor and Pahang. Tiram Travel is committed
to their customers' welfare and has established this new service to better serve them. They are experiencing some challenges
in positioning their new services in front of their potential clients and the market as a result of the existing circumstances.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study listed three main research questions:
i. Are there any relationships between service innovation, reliability and brand endorsement with positioning of Tiram
Travel Sdn.Bhd.?
ii. What is the most important factors influencing new service positioning of Tiram Travel Sdn. Bhd.?
iii. Are there differences in demographic profile groups (age, monthly income and annual travel capability) towards the new
service positioning of Tiram Travel Sdn. Bhd.?

1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This study listed three main research objectives:
i. To examine the relationships between service innovation, reliability and brand endorsement with positioning of Tiram
Travel Sdn.Bhd..
i. To identify the most important factors influencing new service positioning of Tiram Travel Sdn. Bhd.
ii. To explore whether the differences (if any) in demographic profile grpups ( age, monthly income and annual travel
capability) towards the new service positioning of Tiram Travel Sdn. Bhd.

■ 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 POSITIONING

Setting a company's offering and image apart from the competition in order to achieve a distinct position in the minds
of customers has been characterized as "the act of developing a customer-focused value proposition that would encourage
patronage of the firm's products or services" (Kotler, 2003). Next, positioning may be thought of as a collection of creative
actions that are designed to influence the minds of consumers in favour of a particular brand (Ries and Trout, 1986).
Specifically, they point out that positioning starts with a product and ends with the construction and possession of a space in
the minds of consumers. It is also known as "positioning," which is the act of identifying an empty space in a customer's mind
and occupying it for a period of time that varies depending on the quality and quantity of a brand's marketing efforts (Sengupta,
1997).

According to him, it is an intentional effort to establish a brand perception in the minds of prospects in order for the
company to stand out from competitors and become much more in tune with what customers demand. It is described as the
identification of target categories and distinctive advantages that a company will utilize to compete in the market. The
dimension of positioning strategy relates to the firm's specific advantage that it must exploit in order to succeed in the
marketplace. A typical commercial competition involves one or more factors, such as innovation, consumer segmentation, and
brand recognition, among others. Firms can differentiate themselves and identify the elements that impacted the positioning
of a particular brand or service through the use of positioning. It may assist in increasing the profitability, revenue, and customer
recognition of the company as a whole, among other things. An successful positioning strategy can assist in attracting and
retaining the target consumer's attention, as well as gaining their interest and loyalty.

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