BA (Hons) in Tourism and Hospitality Management

The document discusses the impact of digitalization on the marketing industry and how it has transformed into Digital Marketing. The paper focuses on two small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hotel and tourist industries, Hays Travel and Husk Restaurant, and develops a strategy by analyzing their digital marketing policies and practices. The paper highlights the importance of understanding the digital marketing landscape of tourism and hospitality for SMEs, as it can improve their performance by providing equal opportunities to promote products, develop marketing advantages, increase sales, and enhance product reputation. The paper provides an overview of Husk Restaurant, founded by Sean Brock, which explores the reality of Southern cuisine, and Hays Travel, an independent travel agency chain founded by John Hays. The document includes sections on academic research, marketing functions, 4p analysis, digital marketing methods, efficiency of digital marketing tactics, recommendations for developing a successful digital marketing strategy, and a conclusion.

ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Tourism and Hospitality Management
BA (Hons) in Tourism and Hospitality Management
Topic: Devising a Digital Marketing Strategy
Submitted by:
Student Name: Tudor Elvira
ID No:
Session:

Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................2
Academic research that relates digital marketing to the travel and hospitality sectors. 3
Marketing functions of the Husk Restaurants and Hays Travel.....................................4
4p analysis of the Husk restaurant and Hays Travel......................................................6
The Husk restaurant's and Hay Travels' digital marketing methods..............................7
The Husk Restaurant's use of digital marketing.............................................................7
Digital marketing techniques used by Hays Travel........................................................8
The efficiency of digital marketing tactics and techniques used by the Husk
Restaurant and Hays Travel...........................................................................................9
Recommendations to develop a successful digital marketing strategy for Husk
Restaurant and Hays travel..........................................................................................10
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................11
Reference list...................................................................................................................12
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Introduction
Our daily lives are largely reliant on globalisation and digitalization in the information
technology-driven society of today. Due to the digitalization of our present environment,
every part of our lives—from waking up in the morning to going to bed late at night—has
undergone a transformation. The effect of digital technology has also affected the
marketing industry in other aspects. Currently, it has transformed the industry into
Digital Marketing, which is now an essential component of every small and medium-
sized business. Digital marketing is a method of employing text messages and other
forms of multi-media messaging as marketing channels of digital communication in
addition to email, social media, and web-based advertising to engage with prospective
consumers and sell goods and services online. And by doing this, it makes sure that
clients are engaged throughout the whole purchasing process. Here, we focus on the
two most important small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hotel and tourist
industries. Hays Travel is a well-known independent travel agency network
headquartered in Sunderland, England (Hays Travel, 2022). On the other hand, Husk
Restaurant and Hospitality is located in the southern part of the United States. This
paper develops a strategy by analysing the digital marketing policies and practises of
the Husk restaurant and Hays Travel. Tourism and hospitality digital marketing employs
a variety of platforms, initiatives, and strategies. Understanding the digital marketing
landscapes of tourism and hospitality is crucial, especially for certain small and medium-
sized due to the complexity and constant evolution of technology. The performance of
SMEs is improved by the use of digital marketing because it gives everyone equal
chances to promote goods, develop marketing advantages, boost sales, and raise
product reputation (Salford, 2020). Husk Restaurant and Hospitality is a SME that is
located in the southern part of the USA. Husk Restaurant was founded by Sean Brock,
who had a significant role in modernising American Southern cuisine. The resulting food
investigates the reality of Southern cuisine rather than rediscovering Southern cooking.
(Husk Nashvillee, 2021). In 2010, Husk Restaurants established its first location in
Charleston. And within a decade, it had already expanded to a new area with numerous
sites throughout the United States, some of which were in the cities of Charleston,
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South Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, and Savannah, Georgia (Husk Nashville, 2021).
On the other side, Hays Travel is a well-known independent travel agency chain with its
headquarters in Sunderland, England (Hays Travel, 2022). John Hays started it in
Seaham, Durham, in 1980. The first Hays Travel contact centre opened in 1990, and
the Hays Travel Independence Group, a group of independent travel agencies that
benefited from Hays Travel's buying power, technology, and back-office services, was
established in 1995 (Hays Travel Business, 2022). In 2013, Hays purchased Bath
Travel, the largest network of independent travel agencies in the South. When Thomas
Cook failed, Hays Travel acquired the shop complex, providing the fired employees with
a second opportunity at employment. Hays Travel now has sizable buying power and
invests a lot in cutting-edge technology (Hays Travel Business, 2022). A higher level of
consumer preference will undoubtedly be attained by Hays Travel as a result of its
specialisation in offering affordable, high-quality vacations coupled with top-notch
customer care (Hays Travel, 2022).
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Academic research that relates digital marketing to the travel and
hospitality sectors
On account of the digital revolution in 2020, the average user spent six hours and forty-
three minutes online every day, or approximately forty percent of their waking hours
(Maurer, 2021). And because of this, the tourism and hospitality industries greatly
benefit from using digital marketing. Additionally, businesses may use digital marketing
to build enduring relationships with their clients as well as to advertise and sell their
products.
Easy market identification- Target market identification is made simple by digital
technology, which also allows the hospitality and tourism industries to provide specialist
services in response to the needs of individual customers (Kumar, 2021). Additionally, it
ensures strong profit margins while allowing businesses to quickly identify target
markets and customers. The tourism and hospitality industries may utilise specialist
algorithms and artificial intelligence to study client behaviour as well as their needs,
wants, and interests. Additionally, it may utilise such details to produce ads that are
specifically targeted for certain customers (Kumar, 2021). As an example, the Boxing
Day marketing by Hays Travel targeted a certain audience.
Rising demand from customers- The tourism and hospitality sectors benefit from digital
marketing as they work to provide customers with personalised experiences and
services. It will boost the market's demand while also improving their income stream
(KHAİRANİ, 2021). As an example, Husk Restaurants offered a range of southern
cuisines based on customer tastes. This restaurant will thus be a top option for those
who wish to appreciate excellence while also experiencing flexibility.
Cutting down on market middlemen- Through the use of a B2C model, digital marketing
enables the travel and hospitality sectors to specifically target their customers. It would
undoubtedly cut down on various marketing intermediaries while also lowering operating
expenses. For instance, Hays Travel creates a website that allows prospective visitors
to book quickly and conveniently while having the option to customise the whole
experience.
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Effective use of time and resources- Customers, as well as the hotel and tourist
industries, value time highly. Utilising digital marketing tactics, the travel and tourism
sector may provide a low-cost, internet-based management solution that will make it
simple and quick for customers to communicate with them.
Marketing functions of the Husk Restaurants and Hays Travel
An organisation's use of digital marketing methods enables it to obtain a competitive
edge. Every corporation in a cutthroat industry employs a variety of marketing
techniques to promote the services it produces. Some of these techniques are used by
all commercial organisations, while others are exclusive to each one. Both Hays Travel,
the largest independent travel operator in the UK, and the well-known Husk Restaurants
have marketing departments and plans in place to promote their goods and services.
Functions Hays Travel Husk Restaurant
Means and
objectives
Since it has been in business for
more than 40 years and has more
than 450 locations, Hays Travel is
the biggest independent SME
travel agency in the UK. They
provide a broad variety of
services, such as the ability to
plan vacations, including quick UK
getaways, sunny package
vacations, all-inclusive getaways,
and more (Hays Travel, 2018).
With locations in Nashville,
Charleston, and Savannah, Husk
Restaurant (SME) is a brand of
eateries that alters the traditional
flavours of Southern cuisine while
celebrating its local ingredients
(Husk Restaurant, 2020a). Their
guests are given a unique
experience by their cuisine, which
concentrates on the southern
cooking tradition.
Money
Managemen
t
To continue dominating the
tourism industry, Hays Travel puts
finances first. They provide
commission-free money together
with a PrePay Technologies
Limited prepaid currency card that
is authorised by Mastercard
For the purpose of sustaining
consistent sales, Husk
Restaurant, a chain of
restaurants, takes extra care in its
financial operations. It is
necessary for it to develop a
proper budget, efficiently manage
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International (Hays Travel Holiday
Money, 2020). It aids Hays Travel
in funding travel arrangements,
handling foreign currencies, and
estimating budgets.
cash, and report the accounting
and financial circumstances.
Circulation Due to its scale, Hays Travel
mostly uses an online platform. It
continues to advertise its trip
packages via a number of
distribution channels. As an
example, the agency promotes
and sells its services to customers
using both its own website and
social media platforms.
Husk Restaurant offers on-site
dining services since it is a chain
restaurant. Nevertheless,
continuing a worldwide trend, it
began to provide home delivery
services and cater to other
occasions (Husk Restaurant,
2020a).
Customer
Base
Travellers from Europe make up
the majority of Hays Travel's
customers. It offers a wide range
of services to draw in a diverse
range of travellers as clients.
Additionally, it promotes booking
travel via the agency for leisure,
business, political, luxury,
adventure, and other types of
travel.
The major customers of Husk
Restaurant, a Southern cuisine-
based establishment, are mostly
locals. In addition, it sometimes
introduces new special events to
expand its cuisine and draw in
new customers, as well as various
organisations, political events,
and wedding ceremonies
(Newberry, 2023).
Marketing
Information
The Husk restaurant franchise
primarily utilises social media
channels to advertise its varied
Southern food to locals.
In order to advertise its travel
packages to potential customers,
Hays Travel employs social media
and internet advertising
campaigns.
Sells
Managemen
To compete in the very
competitive tourist sector, Hays
Since it affects Husk Restaurant’s
profit margin, sales management
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t Travel places a strong emphasis
on sales management. Since
Hays Travel is the biggest
independent travel agency in the
UK, it uses algorithms and
historical sales data to predict
feature sales. Additionally, it
enables them to guarantee top-
notch services and the best
possible vacation packages.
is crucial. After COVID-19,
citizens experienced global
inflation, which had an impact on
the hospitality sector as well. By
ensuring efficient sales
management, Husk Restaurant is
able to estimate sales, confirm
additional sales, manage
inventory, identify the best pricing
for food packages, and more.
4p analysis of the Husk restaurant and Hays Travel
4p refers to the marketing tools used for value- driven marketing strategies. It
comprises of Product, Price, Place and Promotion.4p analysis is very important
because it serves companies to understand their product, Promotion and distribution
strategies as well as helps to gain competitive advantages and develop more effective
marketing strategies (Patel, 2020). Husk restaurant & Hays travel also need to analyses
their 4p’s so that they can market their product effectively and efficiently. Locally
produced ingredients are used to create delectable dishes and beverages such as
Pimento Cheese, Benne Crackers, and Ramp Buffer at the restaurant Husk (Husk
Restaurant, 2020). On the other hand, Hays Travel offer a variety of products, such as
brief UK breaks, package holidays to sunny destinations, and all-inclusive getaways1
(Hays Travel, 2022). Pricing is extremely important for both SMBs. The Husk
Restaurant constructs a menu and differentiates its products. It determines prices based
on the menu and writes them beneath the menu. In contrast, Hays Travel determines
the prices of each program individually. Tour arrangements vary from destination to
destination based on distance, facilities, and other variables. Location is more important
to Husk Restaurant than it is to Hays Travel. Visitors are searching for a stunning
location where they may stay and host a range of events (Patel, 2020). A location with
both beautiful scenery and delectable regional cuisine would be excellent for the eatery.
However, marketing initiatives are as important to small and medium-sized firms. The
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husk restaurant advertises its business, menu, and beverages using print and digital
media, promotions, and text message marketing. Hays Travel predominantly uses TV
ads and mass marketing through collaborating with local influencers for all of their travel
packages (Hays Travel, 2022). Both industries use digital marketing tools, features and
strategies to promote themselves and their products and services for satisfy the need of
their targeted customers and existing customers.
The Husk restaurant's and Hay Travels' digital marketing methods
Many restaurants, like Husk Restaurant, sell their wares and services using digital
media marketing. This is becoming more common. A number of marketing strategies
have been used by the Husk restaurant, such as social media marketing, pay-per-click
marketing, and influencer marketing. The Husk Restaurant makes use of online social
media influencers and food vloggers for the purpose of promoting their food quality and
all other aspects of their business.
The usage of search engine optimisation, content promotion, and other methods were
used by Husk Restaurant (Husk Restaurant, 2020). These digital marketing platforms,
as well as Blog Post, Google and Bing Ads, and a host of others, are used by Hay
Travels. The Husk Restaurant places a significant emphasis on these various marketing
methods. These strategies are also used by Hays Travel, but in addition, they
incorporate other components such as submitting positive customer reviews to the
internet, regional cinematography healthy tourism campaigns conducted via Facebook
or Instagram, and online travel blogging (Hays Travel 2020): "These strategies are
important for Hays Travel in order to reach their potential customers and satisfy the
needs of their customers." In general, these techniques are used by both of these
companies for a variety of goals, including to reach a bigger audience, save money,
develop brand recognition, enhance customer interaction, monitor performance, and
gain a competitive edge.
The Husk Restaurant's use of digital marketing
Social Media Marketing: The Husk Restaurant uses social media marketing to
encompasses it range of customer and connectivity through social media platform like
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Facebook, Instagram and twitter. The company also uses social media influencers
marketing purposes (Freight,2022).
Search engine optimization (SEO) The restaurant uses search engine optimization
(SEO) to improve the rank of its websites and content in order to reach more potential
consumers. It helps the establishment become more noticeable.
Pay-per-click (PPC)- Pay per click is a great way to traffic websites and increase sales
Husk restaurant gives consumers the option to pay per click in order to grow and
promote the business. It is a successful strategy for increasing awareness for the
business (Bloom Intelligent 2023)
Gathering Feedbacks- Husk restaurant is receiving feedbacks from customers from
Facebook and other social sites, the strategy plays a significant role for Husk
Restaurant. The restaurant welcomes input from patrons about the establishment's
operations and the calibre of the goods and services it offers. By viewing the website on
their mobile phone, sending text messages, or sending emails, visitors may offer
feedback online. The restaurant thinks that good customer feedback would motivate the
staff to work and negative feedback will enable the staff to identify their weaknesses and
fill them.
SMS marketing: The most recent cutting-edge marketing strategy is SMS marketing,
which enables companies to text clients. Moreover, Husk restaurant send text
massages to its loyal customers about latest arrivals and exclusive discounts. The
strategy is also used for greeting the customers on Christmas, Halloween as well as
other religious or national festivals (Bloom Intelligent 2023).
Digital marketing techniques used by Hays Travel
Similar to the Husk Restaurant, Hays Travel uses a variety of digital marketing
techniques to promote itself and accomplish its goals.
Blog Posts: The travel agency often publishes blogs in which it discusses the
advantages, special features, and outstanding travel encounters. When it gets to
multiple places, it writes blog postings. Visitors' information is gathered by the agency,
which also shares their experiences. However, the travel agency also develops a live
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blog so that prospective tourists may both read and see real-time information on the
site. (Hays Travel, 2022)
TV advertisement: Hays Travel often runs TV advertisements. TV advertising refers to
the promotion of brands via TV content. They usually last about one minute. The UK-
based travel business Hays uses TV advertisements to reach a large audience and may
establish trust right away. (Gaille, 2016)
Social Media Marketing: Hays Travel uses a number of social networking sites,
including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Nowadays, social media
marketing is so crucial that a company's marketing plan would be ineffective without it.
Consequently, Hays Travel also advertises on these popular social media networks. The
travel agency relies on these social media sites to carry out its online travel business
(Newberry, 2023). For instance, Hays Travel boosts sales on Facebook by
disseminating articles, marketing materials, and tempting deals. The Hays Travel
Agency's management is highly worried about activity on social media.
Hays Travel delivers promotional package offerings using mobile marketing to their
target audience. They promote solutions that are easy to use so that users can access
the data on their mobile devices. The target audience is encouraged to utilise the travel
agency via these user-friendly activities to go to different locations. The Hays Travel
business will be able to contact more prospective customers since mobile is a portable
and widely used gadget (Newberry, 2023).
The efficiency of digital marketing tactics and techniques used by the Husk
Restaurant and Hays Travel
The recent COVID-19 outbreak and growing globalisation are two of the many
difficulties the world economy is currently facing. Every industry faces competition as a
result of globalisation and the current financial situation. The global COVID outbreak
has caused a significant downturn in the economy. Every industry must acknowledge
this truth, including the food and tourism industries (world health organization, 2020).
However, they may do even better by applying digital marketing methods. Digital
marketing techniques assist Husk Restaurant and Hays Travel in understanding their
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target market and market segmentation. For instance, the travel firm Hays promotes
corporate travellers who desire luxury travel by giving special packages and discounts
and appreciates who want economic travel also by acknowledging them. Utilising digital
marketing techniques, Husk Restaurant and Hays Restaurant produce more high-
quality content. As an illustration, the Husk Restaurant uses digital marketing
techniques to provide engaging, inspiring, and educational material. For every activity,
consistency is really essential. Digital marketing strategy aids in maintaining uniformity
across sectors. To keep tourists informed, Hays Travel, for instance, refreshes its travel
information daily. Hays Travel has engaged in TV ad production for branding. Using the
digital marketing plan, Husk restaurant and Hay travels may examine client demands,
find new customers, and keep track of them (Rahal, 2021).
Recommendations to develop a successful digital marketing strategy for
Husk Restaurant and Hays travel
The following suggestions are provided to help Husk Restaurant and Hays Travel create
an effective digital marketing plan.
Effective market segmentation: Market segmentation means divide the market into
several parts along with the customers who have distinct needs and wants. The first
stage of an effective marketing it to divide the customers into parts on basis of their
personality and lifestyle. Then Husk restaurant and Hays Travel should move into the
next following recommendation (Bloom Intelligent ,2023).
Market Target- After completing market segmentation Husk restaurant and Hays Travel
must understand their target market. The firms must comprehend the behaviours,
interests, and demographics to determine prospective audiences. Businesses may
provide relevant content to reach the target customers when they successfully identify
their target audiences.
Performing market research is crucial for the hospitality and tourist sectors. Husk
Restaurant and Hays Travel must do market research in order to comprehend the level
of competition in the industry and find possibilities to gain competitive advantages. They
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will be able to set their products apart from those of rivals and tailor them to the
demands of clients after doing market research (Bloom Intelligent 2023).
Ensuring a healthy work environment: Husk Restaurant and Hays Travel both should
maintain a friendly work environment, Customer is very crucial for their respective
business so they must respect all of the social and cultural facets of their various clients.
They must preserve the social features and respect the people' culture. Careful
measurement and analysis of the firms' performance is required. The effectiveness of
digital marketing campaigns is monitored and analysed using a variety of technical and
analytical methods (Bloom Intelligent ,2023).
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Conclusion
To create a successful digital marketing plan, it should go without saying that a strategic
approach, realistic content, and customer-friendly techniques are necessary. The paper
analyses the impact of digital marketing strategies and tactics on Hays Travel and Husk
Restaurant to measure success. Today's customers are seen as co-creators of digital
content across a variety of media, making the tourism sector a field that relies heavily
on information (Kumar, 2021). Additionally, this study highlights Husk Restaurant and
Hays Travel's successful digital marketing initiatives.
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