Digital Marketing in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study of Marriott Hotel

This document explores the concept of digital marketing in the hospitality industry through a case study of Marriott Hotel. It analyzes the existing market, identifies critical factors affecting digital marketing, and critically assesses digital tools and strategies. The document also presents a digital marketing plan for Marriott Hotel and discusses the opportunities and challenges of digital marketing campaigns. Subject: Digital Marketing, Course Code: N/A, Course Name: N/A, College/University: N/A, Document Type: Case Study, Assignment Type: N/A

DIGITALMARKETING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Environmental analysis................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
Critical assessment of digital tools..............................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
Digital Marketing Plan................................................................................................................7
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
Methods and ways of Monitoring, Evaluating Measuring........................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing in the hospitality industry is a very diverse and yet effective concept
where the different digital tools and platforms are used to market the products and services of the
hospitality organisation (MENESES, 2020). Marriott Hotel is an extremely popular brand name
that has its hotels operating throughout the world. The current report will analyse the existing
market to identify the critical facets’ that affect the digital marketing and the different digital
tools will also be critically analysed. Further the report will present a digital marketing plan
developed for Marriott hotel and lastly the proper monitoring and evaluation techniques that can
be used by the hotel to monitor the applicability of the plan that has been developed will also be
presented comprehensively.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
Environmental analysis
The Marriott hotel has been categorized as major contributor in the list of the most luxurious
hotels in the world. The hotel as slowly ventured into the digital marketing platforms as well.
The term digital marketing can be defined as the use of different digital and technological
platforms that are used for the purpose of marketing unlike the traditional methods that were
used for marketing (Baumgart, 2020). The president of the global and creative content in
Marriott hotel i.e. David Beebe had presented the changed emphasis on the 3 C’s i.e. Content,
Community and Commerce that the company would be focusing upon in order to draw relevant
strategies that can enhance the presence on the digital marketing platforms. The digital
landscape that the company can use for their marketing strategies and activities mainly involve
the use of social media platforms, online presence, engaging in differ tools and techniques such
as live sessions etc. and these tools collectively help in targeting the customers today where the
millennials are the mainly targeted audience of Marriott hotel as well. In order to analyse the
different factors that can affect the marketing campaign of the Marriott hotel as well, following
are the key factors or characteristics that can be analysed accordingly:
 Content analysis and marketing: The digital marketing team at the Marriott hotel can
prioritise the selection of effective content for its marketing strategies where the use of
content is the key behind the attraction of the majority of customers today (Narciso,
2019). Since the young travellers is the mainly targeted population of the Marriott hotel,
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using creative content that is based on customer insights is the current strategy that can
affect the business positively. Increasing the awareness by their marketing campaigns
regarding the surrounding nature, the engagement of the customers by using different
quizzes games etc. and the authenticity in the advertisements are the major digital
marketing strategies that are being used on the social media and digital media platforms
immensely.
 Technological Factor: The term digital marketing is itself the technology that is required
to be used in order to develop digital marketing campaigns (Aswani and Gugloth, 2017).
The integration of technological assistance in creating advanced marketing campaigns
such as 3D videos, live canvassing etc. are the major developments that can be used.
Additionally, the technological advancement also assists the regular monitoring and
maintenance of the different techniques that are being applied in the market. The use of
software they are developed for monitoring the figures related to sales and customer
engagements, use of technological devices etc. all assist in the better achievement of the
technological goals that have been set up and the results that will be drawn.
 Diversification: Diversification is another key strategy that is used by the organisations
today in order to increase the diversified campaigns and the manner in which they target
the different categories of the potential customers segment. There are various offline i.e.
traditional marketing campaign mediums as well as the online marketing campaign
mediums (Gursoy, Del Chiappa and Zhang, 2017). The organisation that is able to
effectively integrate the marketing activities on both the platforms is able to successfully
tap the potential of the customers and target maximum of them. The Marriott hotel can
use the diversification strategy where the different online as well offline marketing
mechanisms can be used to ensure that the publicity and marketing is wide and the
attracted customers are also operating at a wider range.
Opportunities of employing digital marketing campaigns:
There are several benefits of using the digital marketing schemes in the present era where
the digital marketing helps in integrating the efforts that are undertaken in order to promote the
products and services that are being given by the organisations. In the hospitality industry
baisca.lly, the major emphasis lies on the content quality and the degree to which the different
campaigns appeal to the mindset and taste of the audience that has been targeted. For Marriott
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hotel, the use of digital mediums such as Snap chat, YouTube, Facebook etc. can help in
increasing the awareness related to its products and also influence the decision making of the
customers making it more favourable for their perspective (Roque and Ramos, 2019). The
Marriott Hotel can even enter into alliances with the content creators over such social media
tools where they will display the best features of the products and services on their channels or
platforms which are viewed by a millions of their subscribers and viewers. This is the cheapest
mode of marketing and the degree of influence is the highest through the digital marketing
platforms only. This is because of the accessibility it givens and the fact that almost every youth
today is connected to the social media platforms in one way or another.
Challenges of digital marketing campaigns:
Despite the several opportunities that are presented by the digital marketing platforms and
tools, there are certain challenges as well that arises with it. The major negative aspects that can
arise is that it is very easy to destroy the reputation and brand goodwill that has been built over
the years with so much efforts. On the digital platforms, a single negative review or mistake or
even a loophole can lead to a disaster for the entire situation and hence the time and funds
invested can spiral downwards every easily. The negative publicity hence stands to be the
biggest challenge in the digital media. Additionally, another major challenge is the competition
on the digital marketing platforms (Lei, Pratt and Wang, 2017). The degree of competition is
extremely high as the social media platforms are equally accessible to all the companies that are
operating within the industry and therefore, the strategies that are adopted by the company can be
easily copied or implemented with little modifications by another competing organisation as
well. For Marriott hotel, the competitors of this hotel are huge in the hospitality industry and they
always have an eye on the strategies that are being adopted by the company. Therefore, these are
the major challenges that can affect the ultimate marketing activities that are carried out on
digital platforms.
TASK 2
Critical assessment of digital tools
There are a variety of digital tools that can be used by the companies that are aiming for
better integration and development of the digital marketing channels (Pažėraitė and Repovienė,
2018). Some of the major tools can be critically analysed in following manner:
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YouTube Promotional activities: YouTube can be categorised as one of the most popular digital
platforms amongst the youth and millennials today where the promotional activities carried out
by different countries are extensive and wide. The global reach and presence of this platform
makes it easier to appeal to a wider customer range that is spread throughout the world. Marriott
Hotel can use YouTube as a platform for their digital marketing activities by developing
alliances with a number of channels who are specifically portrayed by people who love
travelling. They can illustrate details related to their hotels and the overall experience by using
the excellent viewership and skills that these channel owners already have. For instance, Marriott
Hotel has already collaborated with Jackson Harris who is the owner of YouTube channel
JacksGap and they very intricately details the offers, services and the ambience that will be given
by the hotel to its visitors (Fine, Gironda and Petrescu, 2017). However it must also be kept in
mind that there should be an element of surprise that should increase the curiosity of the viewers
rather than putting everything up. This ensures that the competitors are also not able to seize the
unique selling point of the hotel and the excitement level is also maintained. This is therefore a
feasible tool that Marriott hotel has already begun using and can be explored and utilised much
further.
Social media marketing: The tool of social media marketing has emerged as an immensely
beneficial tool that is increasingly being used for extensive marketing at regular intervals and
targeting the masses of users through this technique. The mobile applications such as Snap Chat,
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. all are major platforms of marketing and Marriott hotel has
been using all of them through their multiple numbers of digital marketing campaigns. They
even created snapisodes on the snap chat with a popular snap chat creator where they were able
to given sneak peeks into the different aspects such as nature, luxury, lifestyle, wildlife etc. that
are the major services of Marriott Hotel and were able to influence a significant number of
viewers. The statistics have shows that around 35 % of sales today are influenced by the
campaigns and promotional activities that are carried out on the similar social media platforms
(Marcolin and et.al., 2019). This is a significant aspect but it should be borne in minds by
companies that this is not a 100 % and therefore traditional media is still a significant aspect that
affects the business and influencing power of an organisation and therefore, the company should
encourage the establishment of a proper balance between the two. Therefore the Marriott hotel
should strive towards the establishment of a proper balance where both digital and traditional
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marketing must be adopted and implemented significantly and innovatively because creativity is
the key behind attracting customers.
Live sessions and Vlogs: The technique of holding live sessions on various platforms and
promoting the tourisms as well as services through the vlogging is another medium of digital
marketing that is increasing being used. The influences generally shoot the videos throughout
their entire trip where they capture every moment that they are spending on the trip and then the
highlights of the entire trip are added in the form of Vlogs on their channels that can be on any
online platforms. The entire video that is uploaded in the form of Vlogs are very critical where
they evaluate all the good points and the reason why the visit should be done but they also
highlight the negative aspects which they think were not very perfect and could have been
improved further. This is the best aspect about the Vlogs where the immediate feedback helps the
organisation in improving those areas where they are lacking so that the potential customers do
not face any inconvenience (Kosar and Kordić, 2018). The live sessions are another aspect of the
promotional activities where the visitor or influencer goes on live platforms i.e. they are no edits
or any fake collaborations and whatever the viewers see is original and unedited. This is the best
way of gaining trust of the viewers regarding the authenticity of the place that is being viewed.
Therefore, these are the various mechanisms through which the digital marketing campaigns and
the strategies adopted for them can be enhanced critically and better digital marketing plan can
be developed for the Marriott Hotel as well.
TASK 3
Digital Marketing Plan
The management at Marriott is required to follow this digital-marketing plan for getting
excellent results in the marketing (Niu and Fan, 2018). This digital marketing plan has included
different innovative marketing strategies which can increase in the performance of Marriot hotel.
Digital Marketing Plan
Aim
To achieve large customer base and profit this would support the Marriott through
increasing its experience and providing effective quality of services.
Objectives
 To improve the sales of its premium services by 15% till the 2022’s end of year.
 For improving the consumer services in upcoming 10 months by 25%.
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 To enhance share of market by 12% for enhancing holiday’s seeker in Marriott hotel till
the 2023’s end.
 For enhancing existing ratio of profit by 20% till the 2024’s end.
Marketing Strategies
Marketing mix’s 4Ps strategy has been adopted below to systematically boost the
Marriott hotel’s productivity of within hospitality industry.
Product
Marriott hotel is a leading hotel business within the global industry of hospitality, just
because of its quality services or products (De Lemos, Vieira and Pinho, 2020). The management
at Marriott mostly focuses on offering exclusive or different range services or products. This is
the main reason that most of people give very high priority to stay in Marriott. This Marriott
hotel business has given food & beverage services as well to its various customers. So that, hotel
need to focus on offering the excellent quality food to many customers, because customers never
like such companies which offers poor quality food. Through offering quality services or
products, the Marriott hotel enable to achieve very high success within market place.
Place Strategy
Digital marketing’s high demand within the hospitality market just because it provides
very comfort to many customers, in which this is a very excellent aspect for this Marriott
business when it can be enabled to has an excellent services information & communication for
many customers in the advance. By internet, this Marriott hotel has analysed that, here is going
to be favourable rate researches, and then will enable for attracting large number of customers
within Marriott. It can help the hotel to knows excellent and the survey on many customers or
people regularly, and enhance the quality of various products and services on the basis of
expectations of customers, in which it is a too essential factor (Ma, 2017). There are more and
more customers who has attracted by the hotel which is very essential aspect to it. That’s why
this hotel will enable for having an excellent functioning to itself.
Price
Marriott hotel business mainly has used value-based strategy of pricing, so that hotel
charges price through its many customers according to value of services or products. Basically,
hotel provides the premium range of services or products to the customers, so that it charges very
high prices from many customers. Different people and customers also fully aware within market
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place that, this hotel charges very high cost, because hotel’s most services or products come
within category of premium products. So that, the management at Marriott has used competitive
strategy of pricing as well. Generally, competitive strategy of pricing provide chance for setting
self-prices are something cheaper than many competitors. In this situation, this hotel mostly
achieves very higher competitive advantage within the industry of hospitality through employing
this strategy of pricing.
Promotion
Digital channels have adopted by the marketing department at Marriott hotel for
effectively promoting own brand within various segments of market which is an effective aspect
to inform different customers and then attract many of new customers (Romero, 2017). The
Marriott hotel business enable to achieve great revenue through using tools of digital marketing.
So that, marketing department of hotel is required to adopt these tools to properly promote its
various range of products and services within the market place. Marriott hotel need to use
popular actors, athletes, singers, and personalities, etc. who can productively promote Marriott
business. The marketing team of hotel should avoid taking and using those all strategies within
its marketing campaigns which can negatively affect to the business environment of Marriot
hotel.
STP Model
 Segmentation
The Marriot hotel need to segment its various markets and customers according to their social
class, income-status, interest, attitude and lifestyle, in which it can offer excellent services to
many customers or people accordingly. There are top-level management should use customer
mapping in Marriott’s business environment, so it will be able to maintain its great reputation or
image of brand within the industry of hospitality. So that it will support the Marriott business to
know various customers and also their mindset, in which this Marriott will able to operate
accordingly, so that this factor develops the Marriott’s brand value in market place.
 Targeting
The hotel focuses on various customers’ levels of satisfaction to the comfortable living that is
through targeting specially the high-income group customers within the Marriott (Högberg,
2017). There are mails or call and messages, etc. has sent by marketing team of hotel to the
different customers, specially who are loyal with this hotel, in which there is effective operations
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of this Hotel. There is an audio and visual effect as well on many customers which will make the
Marriott enable to target many of right customers within the market, which can increase the ratio
of profit of the Marriott hotel.
 Positioning
There are the marketing department of Marriott business responsible to use few effective
influencers within its workplace, who will function and work of this Marriott effectively. So that
thing is going to help Marriott business for increasing the levels of customer satisfaction, and
then create the hotel have a base of loyal customers within the industry of hospitality. There are
services of this hotel has made for the customers of premium category within the sector. So that,
it is too compulsory for the Marriott hotel business to have effective operations to them.
Implementation
Marketing department within the Marriott hotel business responsible for maintaining excellent
communication chains under the work environment to identify and analyse many external &
internal factors (Kasemsap, 2017). The Omni-channel also an excellent way which this hotel
business can be adopted within its marketing functions, in which there will be very appropriate
operations. On the other side, communication techniques which marketing management
department should have employed within Hotel’s workplace, in which by using different
techniques of communication, this business will be able to provide great experience to different
customers. By adopting different communication techniques, upper management of hotel will be
able to make great employees’ relations as well. Reason is, employees mostly feels valued by
business, when their upper management perfectly communicate with them.
TASK 4
Methods and ways of Monitoring, Evaluating Measuring
Upper management of this Marriot hotel is required to systematically monitor, evaluate
and measure own digital marketing. There are this is very compulsory task to existing
management of the hotel, otherwise this hotel never achieves appropriate outcomes by this
campaign of digital-marketing. Nowadays there are many ways and methods available to
existing management of Marriot business, which will contribute in measuring evaluating and
monitoring own digital marketing practice. By adopting methods, hotel will easily save own lots
of resources and time. That’s why, the management at Marriott hotel need to fully consider these
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ways and methods while implementing its digital marketing practice. Few productive ways and
methods of measuring, evaluating and monitoring has been included and discussed below;
METHODS OF MONITORING
Identify target segment: On the basis of this first measurement method, present marketing
department of hotel need to identify proper segment of whole market to establish its practice of
digital marketing (KENYON, 2020). This is too compulsory for the marketing department of
hotel business. Reason is, without conducting identification process of target segment, there is no
hotel can be properly monitored own digital marketing practice.
Set business objectives: This is second monitoring method, in which top-level management of
Marriott hotel need to set some objectives for own business. Reason is, a company and an
organization only work to gain their objectives and missions. After completing objective setting
task, the Marriott hotel can be able for properly monitoring own digital marketing practice.
Employ KPI: This is next very useful method of monitoring plan of digital marketing. Generally,
KPI is very productive tool that shows the marketing plan’s performance. Currently thousands of
ventures are gaining many benefits by this method or way. So that, the management of this
Marriot business need to adopt KPI method.
METHODS OF MEASURING
Total site visits: Total site visits is a major measurement method, so that marketing department
of hotel need to systematically analyse visitors of own official website. Generally, there are
millions of customers visits on official site of the Marriot within a year, so that after completing
analysis process of visitors, the management will be enabled for properly measuring own digital
marketing plan.
Traffic by sources: This is the best method of measuring plan of digital marketing. According to
this method, management or marketing department within this hotel are able to identify traffic on
various digital apps and sites etc. Marketing department of hotel need to ensure ‘how many
customers are coming on own official website of hotel’ (Ranchordás, 2018). It is too compulsory
to the hotel, because after implementing these activities, the marketing department of this hotel
business will be enabled to simply measure own plan of digital marketing.
Interactions: Nowadays hotel has accounts or handles on many of social media channels, in
which Marriott’s department of marketing need to interact many people or customers by
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platforms of social media, like; Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. During interacting with
customers or people, this department of marketing need to ask customers about its levels of
services. After getting thinking and opinion of many customers, this marketing department will
enable to properly measure own digital marketing plan.
Online sites of booking: Nowadays thousands of online booking websites present within market
place. For example; Trip Advisor and Expedia etc. so that, department of marketing can be
checked own hotel’s ratings on existing websites given by many of customers. That’s why this
another useful method.
METHODS OF EVALUATING
Identify customer base: It is first and very excellent evaluation method where marketing
department of Marriott need to properly analyse own customers. When Marriott get properly
informed about own customers base, then hotel can enable for developing appropriate strategies
of marketing to positively affect its different customers. Nowadays Marriott has too large base of
customer in market place, so that hotel is required to systematically analyse various wants and
needs of customers or people for evaluating own digital marketing plan.
Identify aims: Identification of aims is too compulsory method to evaluate own practice of
digital marketing. So that, marketing department of hotel need to clearly identify its many goals
and aims of marketing (Dolan and Goodman, 2017). Generally, when department of marketing
has aims of marketing plan, then department will simply to take many of steps in terms of
achieving decided aims. Nowadays many other ventures and businesses within market also
adopting this way to simply evaluate own digital marketing plan. In this case, department of
marketing at Marriot should also have adopt this method or way to gain excellent outcomes.
Implement strategy: The department of marketing at Marriott highly need to use various tactics
of marketing, for example; marketing mix and SPT under supervision of top-level management.
After using these tactics, department of marketing need for removing such factors from own
work environment which are not much appropriate for plan of digital marketing. Marketing
department should use various tactics of marketing for systematically analysing own digital
marketing plan.
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CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that Marriott hotel’s management need to adopt strategy of digital
marketing to enhance performance within the global sector of hospitality. Here is very high
competition within the sector or industry of hospitality, so marketing team need to use modern
strategies for gaining huge competitive advantages within respective sector. There are marketing
departments of Marriott’s competitors are also taking various innovative steps for adopting
digital marketing tactic in their regular operations, in which the team of marketing in Marriott
has required to properly use this plan of digital marketing to gain productive return than existing
competitors. So that, with the help of plan of digital marketing, Marriott hotel business will
easily be gained own various aims and targets.
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