Business and the London Eye

Lesson Plan Overview

Subject: GCSE Business
Year Group: Year 10 (Ages 14-15)
Duration: 60 minutes
Curriculum Link: AQA GCSE Business Studies – Theme: Business and Marketing (Unit 2: Influences on Business, including Tourism, Customer Needs, and Marketing Strategies)

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of tourism as a business sector and how attractions like the London Eye contribute to the economy.
2. Analyse marketing strategies used by tourist attractions to boost visitor numbers.
3. Explore customer segmentation and pricing strategies relevant to a tourist attraction.
4. Apply business knowledge to develop a mini marketing proposal for the London Eye.

Assessment Criteria:

• Active participation in classroom discussions.
• Contributions to group work and problem-solving activities.
• Quality of written work in the marketing proposal task.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 mins) – Hook & Discussion

Resource: Opening PowerPoint slide (Image of the London Eye)

• Think-Pair-Share: Display an image of the London Eye and ask students:
  • "What do you think makes it a successful tourist attraction?"
  • "Who might be the target customers for the London Eye?"
• Brief class discussion on how attractions like this generate revenue and why tourism is important for business.

📌 Teacher Insight: Challenge students to think commercially about tourism rather than just as a visitor – introduce terms like profitability, marketing, pricing strategies, and customer demand.

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Main Activity 1 (15 mins) – Market Segmentation Analysis

Resource: Printed customer segmentation worksheet

💡 Task: In small groups, students will categorise different market segments visiting the London Eye—families, tourists, schools, business customers, etc.

• Discuss what each group wants from their visit (e.g., an educational experience, a fun family day out, VIP luxury experience).
• Extension question: "How could the London Eye tailor its marketing for each segment?"

📌 Teacher Insight: Encourage students to use real-world examples (e.g., discounts for students, corporate packages for businesses).

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Main Activity 2 (20 mins) – Marketing Strategy Task

Resource: Business Strategy Planning Worksheet

🔎 Scenario: "You are a marketing executive for the London Eye. Your task is to create a short marketing strategy to increase visitor numbers."

• Step 1: Choose a target customer group (e.g., international tourists, UK students, corporate clients).
• Step 2: Decide on a promotional mix (e.g., online marketing, social media campaigns, partnerships).
• Step 3: Consider pricing strategies – would discounts, bundles, or premium experiences appeal more to customers?

💡 Group Output: Each group presents a 1-minute pitch to summarise their ideas.

📌 Teacher Insight: Encourage ideas based on actual business strategies (seasonal promotions, influencer marketing, dynamic pricing).

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Plenary (10 mins) – Business Application & Reflection

• Class Discussion:
  • "What do you think is the biggest business challenge for attractions like the London Eye?"
  • "How do attractions balance profitability with customer expectations?"
• Exit Ticket Task:
  • Each student writes down one key takeaway from the lesson on a sticky note and places it on the whiteboard.

📌 Teacher Insight: Ensure students reflect on the commercial aspects beyond just the customer experience.

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Resources Needed

✅ PowerPoint slides (including images & key discussion points)
✅ Customer Segmentation Worksheet
✅ Business Strategy Planning Worksheet
✅ Printed copies of marketing scenarios for the London Eye
✅ Sticky notes for the plenary exit task

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Assessment & Follow-Up

• Monitor participation during discussions and the marketing pitch task.
• Collect and review worksheets to assess understanding of market segmentation and strategy concepts.
• The next lesson can expand on finance and revenue models for tourist attractions.

📌 Teacher Reflection:

• Did students grasp the idea of segmentation and marketing strategies?
• Were they able to apply business concepts to a real-world scenario?
• Adjust future lessons based on observed comprehension levels.

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Final Notes

This lesson plan provides an engaging and interactive approach to business and marketing by integrating real-world applications through the London Eye as a case study. By incorporating group discussions, problem-solving activities, and mini marketing pitches, students develop both analytical and presentation skills—key elements of the GCSE Business syllabus.