Digital Marketing in Lockdown: Strategies for Marriott Hotel

This document discusses the importance of digital marketing in both online and offline concepts, analyzes key digital tools used by Marriott Hotel, examines the development of ecommerce and digital marketing platforms, and provides strategies to build multi-channel capabilities for Marriott Hotel. It also explores the effectiveness of Omni-Channel marketing and suggests actions to improve the overall performance of digital marketing for Marriott Hotel.

DIGITAL MARKETING IN
LOCKDOWN
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TABLE OF CONTENT
TABLE OF CONTENT...................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Present an overview of the digital marketing landscape and compare online and offline
marketing concepts......................................................................................................................3
Analyse the key hospitality consumer trends and insights that are fuelling the growth of digital
marketing.....................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
Assess the key digital tools used by various hospitality organisations.......................................5
Examine the development of ecommerce and digital marketing platforms and channels in
comparison to physical channels.................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
Develop a digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities for Marriott
Hotel............................................................................................................................................6
Describe that how Omni-Channel marketing is used to meet business objectives for Marriott
Hotel............................................................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
Determine and evaluating the measurement or technique and performance metrics for digital
marketing plan or strategy...........................................................................................................8
Product a set of action to improve the overall performance in digital marketing for Marriott
hotel.............................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERNECES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing is based on the different form of marketing product as well as service that
involves electronic devices. This is the reason when it around for decades and anything to do
with proper content marketing. This documentation will discuss about the importance of digital
marketing which is mainly used in both offline, online concepts. It will describe about the
different kinds of digital tool used by Marriott hotel. It will explain the development of e-
commerce and digital marketing platform or channels. This report will describe that create a
dynamic digital plan to improve the multi-channel capabilities for hospitality industry,
identifying the effectiveness of Omni-channel to meet the enterprise goal or objective. This
report will explain the different kinds of measurement or technique to identify the performance
of digital marketing plan. However, It will evaluate the different set of actions to improve
performance within digital marketing.
TASK 1
Present an overview of the digital marketing landscape and compare online and offline
marketing concepts
Due to advancement in technology digital marketing landscape is changing continuously.
This digital marketing landscape help organization in identifying their competitors in this
competitive market. Today digital marketing is done though mobile applications, pay per click,
email marketing, search engine optimization and many more (Phung, 2019). Digital landscape
helps companies in identifying different kinds of digital tools, platform and technologies that can
be used by organizations for digital marketing. It further helps a company in understanding
products in which they want to bring improvement in as per competitors products and services.
There are two main types of marketing concepts: online and offline marketing concepts.
Online marketing is a kind of marketing which is done through email marketing, social media
marketing. Whereas, offline marketing is a kind of concept which is done through radio,
television, newspapers and many more. There is no effective and efficient way to measure
success of offline marketing, Whereas, there are many ways to measure success of online
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marketing. One of them in though Google Analytics. Online marketing is a long- term process in
order to gain great exposure, whereas, offline marketing is a short- term process. Online
marketing can help an organization to reach large number of customers in short time period,
whereas offline marketing can only help an organization to reach short number of customers that
too in undefined time period. Online marketing is one of the most cost- effective way of doing
marketing whereas, offline marketing is a bit costly.
Analyse the key hospitality consumer trends and insights that are fuelling the growth of digital
marketing.
Consumer insight is important for organizations to interpret and analyses customers
behaviour and attitude towards organization’s products and services. Organizations uses this
insight to bring improvement within products and services provided by them in order to increase
their sales and profitability in an appropriate manner. Today due to current situation of Covid-19
and lockdown insight of consumers is changing towards hospitality industry. Due to current
situation most of the customers are paying more attention to high quality of products and
services provided by organizations rather than pricing (De Pelsmacker, Van Tilburg and Holthof,
2018). Marriot need to focus upon bringing changes within their products and services and
enhance overall quality of their products and services like accommodations though sanitization
etc.
Due to lockdown today usage of social networking sites has increased. Consumer trend in
digital marketing is changing due to increasing use of social networking sites and as a result a
greater number of organizations in hospitality industry like Marriott are focusing upon increasing
social media marketing. Today a greater number of customers are focusing upon interacting with
organizations through online services for booking or gathering information due to lockdown. So
hotel like Marriott have launched chatbot services on their application and website that can be
used by customers to assist them or provide information related products and services provided
by Marriot and resolve customers problems.
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TASK 2
Assess the key digital tools used by various hospitality organisations.
There are various kinds of digital tools that can be used by hospitality industry
organizations like Marriott. Some of the most common type of digital tools are: Search engine
optimization is one of the best types of digital tool which is used by hospitality industry
organizations (Ristova and Dimitrov, 2019). It helps companies like Marriott to enhance
visibility of their website. Search engine optimization is a part of Google analytics that help
hotels to target their main market segment. Point of sales software is another kind of digital tool
whose usability is increasing in hospitality industry. It provides touch screen high visual
management of hotel which helps them in establishing their working methods in an appropriate
manner. Social media websites are another digital tool which is used by hospitality industry
organization in order to reach their targeted customer base. It is one of the most effective tools
which is used by hospitality industry organizations as today more than 80 percent people use
social networking sites due to which it becomes much easier for organizations to reach to their
targeted customer base. Email is another kind of digital tool which is used by organizations like
Marriott in order to reach their premium customers or customers who have remained loyal to the
organization for much longer time period.
Examine the development of ecommerce and digital marketing platforms and channels in
comparison to physical channels
In order to understand development of digital marketing and ecommerce platform and channels it
is important to understand customer life cycle in terms of digital adoption, growth of online
transactions and e-commerce, and other support activities.
Customer life cycle
Awareness: digital marketing helps in increasing awareness about the brand as a greater number
of people are present on digital platform (Martínez-López and D'Alessandro, 2020).
Engagement: After generating customer awareness brands focus upon enhancing engagement of
customers with brand though digital platform, social networking sites.
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Evaluation: Before taking any decision related to brands, its products and services most of the
customers uses digital Platforms for doing research and evaluation in order to understand
organization a better manner.
Purchasing: After doing evaluation customers engage with organization purchase their products
and services.
Experience and loyalty: Experience of customers with brand helps in deciding their loyalty
towards organization.
Growth of online transactions and e-commerce
Due to excessive usage of digital technology, a greater number of organizations are focusing
upon increasing their presence online due to which a greater number of organizations are
focusing upon entering e-commerce industry in order to reach a greater number of customers and
enhance overall sales (Paradiso, 2017). E-commerce has helped in increasing engagement of a
greater number of customers with others. This has further helped in increasing different modes of
online tractions as well.
Due to this increasing usage of digital platform and e-commerce sites, online tractions are
also increasing as a result usage of physical channels has also increased.
TASK 3
Develop a digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities for Marriott
Hotel.
Digital marketing is based on procedure that mainly representing the documentation which
can perform different kinds of marketing activities. An effective plan which include all
situational analysis, marketing strategy, segmentation and other tactics.
Digital marketing plan for Marriott Hotel
Company- Marriott hotels & resorts are considered the international brand of full services
resorts, hotels. There are approximately 500+ hotels with 2, 50,000 rooms’ facilities under
specific brands. Additionally, it include 160 different hotels with 40,000 rooms in the pipelines
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(Hamilton, 2020 Bhandari, 2020 ). This hotel was founded in 1957 by Willard Marriott and it’s
headquarter in Bethesda Maryland.
Mission- To enhance the business within international market with the help of digital marketing,
offering various best possible experience of their potential consumers.
Vision- To achieve the desirable goal by digital technology and meet expectation level of client.
Primary objectives-
 To increase the production and sales of hotel by 10% end of 2020
 To achieve the expectation level of potential consumer with rate by 5% end of years 2020
 To improve the overall business performance while implementing digital marketing to
target potential consumers in marketplace.
Situational Analysis-
SWOT Analysis
Strength
 Marriott hotel will provide the best quality of online shopping service of their potential
consumers
 Huge amount of working force towards client
Weakness
 Lack of market share
 War between different pricing strategies
Threat
 it is high competition level in marketplace
 Change the policy of government which may directly affecting on the Marriott hotels and
its operations.
Opportunities
 Adopting the digital technologies to increase awareness among people.
 Gaining more advantage, benefits for business in the global marketplace
Marketing strategies
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Marriott hotel is mainly focused on the different kinds of digital strategies so as they can
consider marketing approach such as social media, Email marketing, search engine marketing
and other type of traditional advertisement marketing.
Segmentation, targeting and Positioning (STP)
 Segmentation: Marriott hotel can be segmented into different customer basis such as
online as well as offline buyers
 Targeting: Marriott hotel is targeting the traveller whose aged below 50 and having to
spend time with families, friends.
 Positioning: afterwards, Marriott hotel is mainly focused on the establishing a strong
brand position in global marketplace.
Describe that how Omni-Channel marketing is used to meet business objectives for Marriott
Hotel.
In Marriott hotel, Omni-channel marketing is basically used to provide the information about the
different product as well as service in global marketplace. This hotel will help to Omni-channel
and reach to their potential client, identifying their digital technology experience during hotel
industry.
Basically, Marriott hotel can use Omni channel to establish coordination or interaction with
potential consumers. in order to give option where they can register or booking a service by
online platform (Behera and et.al., 2020). in this way, Marriott hotel can identify the buying
behaviour of client in term of different measurement. Sometimes, hotel can do everything with
automation and implement AI (Artificial Intelligence) which provide the more benefits,
advantage. In order to improve the entire performance of hotel and enhance their market share.
TASK 4
Determine and evaluating the measurement or technique and performance metrics for digital
marketing plan or strategy.
In Marriott hotel, It is mainly focused on the different measurement of technique to determine
the overall performance metrics of digital marketing plan. Basically, hotel can use their own
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official website to gather or collect more information regarding the consumer demand,
preferences. Website is one of the most commonly used tool which help for measure or track the
performance of hotel through marketing campaign. There are different platform or tool used by
Marriott hotel.
Key performance Indicator- it is one of the most important tool or platform used by Marriott
hotel in order to determine the overall performance of enterprise. it also helping to measure or
track the performance, implementing a suitable action to achieve desirable goal and objective.
Conversion rate- it is important for hotel to identify all essential resources in the enterprise
accurately. This type of method can help to allocate suitable amount of resources so that it can
easily perform hotel operational activities. Afterwards, it will be earning more income while
increasing popularity in global world.
Cost per lead- it is another kind of technique that can use by Marriott hotel to utilise all kinds of
measurement, increasing the high level of business. this can possible where Marriott hotel
implement innovative idea in the business activities, identifying the current performance (Yoga,
Korry and Yulianti, 2019). It will help for enterprise to determine the better return on the
investment with marketing campaign.
Analytics platform- Marriott hotel is mainly focused on the analytical tool or platform that
always support for measuring such kind of efforts through marketing. That’s why, hotel will be
used HubSpot marketing platform to measure the all efforts of enterprise and also increasing the
conversion rate, traffic. This will help for hotel to create a unique content for purpose of
attracting potential consumers towards enterprise.
Product a set of action to improve the overall performance in digital marketing for Marriott hotel.
In Marriott hotel, there are different kinds of action implemented that help to improve
overall performance by using digital marketing.
 Measure or track the content- it is one of most important action implemented within
organization for purpose of analysing the different marketing activities. it became easier
for hotel to measure or track both internal as well as external content. Sometimes, it has
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been represented as content details such as subject, topic and messaging which is always
attracting more and more consumers (Alghizzawi, 2019). At certain level, it will be
conducting the research or development that help to update or publish effective
information within official website of Marriott hotel. Because many client want to check
the information before taking any kind of services. it will be checking all type of
accommodation service, quality of items to attract potential client.
 Monitor the social channels- it is also important step that evaluate different strategies,
approach in the digital marketing. Marriott hotel can use social media channel to track all
kind of information or data (Alghizzawi, 2019). Sometimes, people use website to
interact with customer service providers, clearly inquiries regarding queries. In this way,
it plays important role in the Marriott hotel to use Google analytical tool to measure
actual performance of enterprise in proper manner.
 Optimization of SEO- Search engine optimization is based on the technique or method
that help for increasing the visibility of website. Sometimes, it help for managing high
traffic level that’s why, Marriott hotel can use SEO in the business to increase their
visibility and measure actual performance. Therefore, there are different procedure to
improve the performance of enterprise.
 Assessing the Modern digital technology- This type of action will support for Marriott
hotel to determine suitable need or requirement of business. the most important thing is to
calculate the overall budget of technology (Lies, 2019). Afterwards, it will be
implementing a new technology in business and investing a lot of money. At certain
point, it should be allocated the enough budget to maintain or control entire flow of
money. Sometimes, it also save time. Marriott hotel is basically used the different type of
platform that help to improve the concept of digital marketing. in involves marketing
automation such as hubSpot, pardot, CRM (customer relationship management system),
social media platform for purpose of tracking, monitoring, engaging and planning.
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CONCLUSION
From above discussion, it has concluded that digital marketing plays important role in the
different Marriott hotel, supporting to inspire or motivate the potential consumers towards
product as well as service. It has summarised about the overview of digital marketing while
comparing between offline as well as online marketing concepts. Assessing the key digital
platform or tool that can utilise by Marriott hotel. Furthermore, it has been explaining the
development e-commerce business with the help of digital marketing platform or tool. In this
report, it can be used Omni-channel marketing concept that help to increase overall business
capabilities of Marriott hotel. It has been developed dynamic digital marketing plan to set up all
kinds of action and improve performance of enterprise.
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REFERNECES
Book and Journals
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Behera, R.K. and et.al., 2020. Personalized digital marketing recommender engine. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services. 53. p.101799.
Bhandari, D., E-Marketing: Challenges and Opportunities in Business Environmentafter
Lockdown.
De Pelsmacker, P., Van Tilburg, S. and Holthof, C., 2018. Digital marketing strategies, online
reviews and hotel performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 72.
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Hamilton, N., 2020. Evolving and enhanced dimensions of digital marketing strategies during
contemporary scenario of Covid-19. Editorial Board. 9(5). p.56.
Lies, J., 2019. Marketing Intelligence and Big Data: Digital Marketing Techniques on their Way
to Becoming Social Engineering Techniques in Marketing. International Journal of
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Martínez-López, F.J. and D'Alessandro, S., 2020. Advances in Digital Marketing and
eCommerce. Springer.
Paradiso, M., 2017. E-commerce and digital marketing in China Pirelli case study (Bachelor's
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Phung, H., 2019. The digital marketing landscape in the Vietnamese market.
Ristova, C. and Dimitrov, N., 2019. The value of social media as digital tool in
hospitality. International Journal of Information, Business and Management. 11(3).
pp.155-162.
Yoga, I.M.S., Korry, N.P.D.P. and Yulianti, N.M.D.R., 2019. Information technology adoption
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humanities. 3(2). pp.95-104.
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