Digital Marketing in Hospitality Industry

This report discusses the opportunities, challenges, and new trends in digital marketing in the hospitality industry, with a focus on Marriott Group. It explores the use of digital tools and platforms for effective marketing strategies and highlights the importance of personalization, sustainability, smart hotels, artificial intelligence, and robots. The report also analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by the hospitality sector and provides a critical analysis of digital marketing tools.

Hospitality
Digital
Marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
P1: Digital Marketing Landscape..............................................................................................................3
P2: New trends in hospitality industry.....................................................................................................4
M1: Opportunities and challenges in the hospitality sector....................................................................5
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................................6
P3: Digital tools........................................................................................................................................6
P4: E-commerce and digital marketing platforms....................................................................................7
M2: Critical analysis of digital tools.........................................................................................................7
D1: Demonstration of critical analysis of digital marketing.....................................................................8
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................................8
P5: Digital marketing plan........................................................................................................................8
P6: Omni-channel marketing.................................................................................................................10
M3: Application of tools and techniques...............................................................................................10
TASK 4........................................................................................................................................................11
P7: Performance metrics.......................................................................................................................11
P8: Actions for improvement.................................................................................................................12
M4: Critical evaluation of digital measurement techniques and performance metrics.........................13
D2: Development of plan to achieve objectives....................................................................................13
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality means being friendly and welcoming the different types of guests and visitors
which have to be attended (Alavi, 2016). It is a broad sector which has various types of
businesses in it such as hotels, resorts, recreation centers etc. Digital marketing is a type of
marketing which uses internet and other digital technologies for the purpose of promotion of
products and services of the organization. This report is based on Marriott Group which has
properties spread all over the world. It is a big group of hotels which has been shook by the
impact of coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown which followed. The group
wishes to get its business back on track by the use of right techniques of digital marketing. In this
project, specific analysis will be made on the opportunities and challenges of digital marketing,
its tools, platforms and channels which are used by different hospitality organizations and
determination of organizing of activities for building multi-channel capabilities. Additionally,
different types of methods for measuring its performance will be discussed as a part of this
assignment.
TASK 1
P1: Digital Marketing Landscape
It refers to the use of specific techniques which can help a lot for the organizations in
taking the right strategic actions for acquiring of competitive advantage over other firms (Buhalis
and Sinarta, 2019). Marriott Group needs to focus on its usage so that it can earn profits after it
has incurred heavy losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. After the lockdown, the group can
adopt specific strategies using the varied techniques of digital marketing to promote its brand
name within the market. Thus there is a requirement for its managers to understand the
importance of digital marketing. Therefore by adopting the right digital marketing strategies the
company can make sure to earn higher-level of profits in the future time period without any
problems and issues.
Online and Offline marketing can be distinguished easily. Their difference has been
described as follows-
Difference between online and offline marketing
Basis Online marketing Offline marketing
Exposure It offers more exposure than
the offline marketing . It is so
because it has a very wide
reach.
Offline marketing has a
significantly lesser exposure
than online marketing due to
the fact of its reach being very
less than the online marketing
(Dadwal and Hassan, 2016).

Convenience Online marketing gives a
unique convenience to the
companies as they can use it
24 * 7 and for 365 days in a
year (De Pelsmacker, Van
Tilburg and Holthof, 2017).
Offline marketing does not
provide convenience to the
companies as it can be used
for a specific time period
(Floričić, 2016).
Personalization High level of personalization
is possible in the online
marketing. The choices of
management regarding various
aspects and designs can be
implemented easily here
because it makes all the
options available for the
businesses (Garant, 2017).
Very low level of
personalization can be done in
the offline marketing. There
are very less choices which
the management has here and
can use because a very limited
flexibility is offered in offline
marketing.
Social media influence High level of influence can be
generated on the social media
through the use of online
marketing ). This is so because
Facebook, Twitter etc. can be
used for this purpose.
Very low level of influence
can be generated on the social
media through the use of
offline marketing. This is so
because limited flexibility is
offered in the offline
marketing tools and
techniques used by the
businesses.
Cost In the terms of costs online
marketing is quite affordable
for the businesses (Gupta,
2019).
In the terms of costs offline
marketing is not so affordable
and can be quite costly as well
as expensive for most of
organizations which use it.
P2: New trends in hospitality industry
In hospitality industry, several new trends have shaped up. These new trends are as
follows-
 Personalization- It is a trend which has been witnessed recently in the hospitality
industry . This trend has picked up the pace because nowadays guests and clients aim to
have their room as personalized as they can choose it to be. Marriott Group’s managers
need to be aware about this new trend and they should be able to personalize the rooms
and suites as per the requirements of the various types of clients.
 Sustainability- Sustainability is a new trend being witnessed in the hospitality industry
nowadays . The hotels and various other businesses in the hospitality lien are now aiming
to follow such practices which are very much sustainable for the cause of environment.
Eco-friendly practices adopted by the hotels also attract a lot of clients and therefore lead

to a boost in the overall business. Marriott Group needs to aim to be sustainable for the
cause of environment by adopting practices which are eco-friendly.
 Smart Hotels- Smart hotels are a latest trend witnessed in the hospitality industry . The
hotels nowadays have to be smart enough for meeting the expectations of the new
customers and guests. Smart facilities are therefore required to be offered by such types
of hotels. Marriott Group has to focus on these types of facilities and therefore must be
able to meet the requirements of its various guests and customers easily.
 Artificial intelligence- In Hospitality Industry, AI is used for serving many purposes . AI
techniques are being used in various hotels, resorts and other hospitality businesses. They
help in attracting of customers towards the business and also make the work very easier.
Thus, focus of Marriott Group should be on it so that it can boost up its business after the
impact which has been created by the coronavirus pandemic.
 Robots- Robots have made conducting of different types of tasks easier in the hospitality
industry businesses. They have made it easier to conduct business without facing any
problems and issues. Marriott Group can focus on using robots for its various tasks which
will be not only affordable in the terms of costs but will also be beneficial in the terms of
different advantages it offers to the businesses.
M1: Opportunities and challenges in the hospitality sector
The digital marketing landscape is likely to see a tremendous growth in the future time
period. This is one of the opportunities for the businesses in the hospitality sector. Also, another
opportunity is available in the form of use of new innovative techniques so as to attract the
customers and clients. However there are certain challenges also. These are in the terms of
profitability which is likely to be impacted for a certain time. Another challenge is in the terms of
bringing back normalcy in the business after the impact of the pandemic. This will take a certain
period of time before it can be regained. This is because the market has been adversely affected
due to the coronavirus pandemic. The recovery for Marriott Group will take certain time due to
the losses suffered by the entire industry in the lockdown.
TASK 2
P3: Digital tools
Hospitality organizations use various digital tools. These are as follows-
 Online management system- Online management system helps the companies a lot in
proper management and tracking of guests entering and leaving the premises (Herrero,
San Martín and Collado, 2017). This creates efficient managing style in the company.
Marriott Group can make use of this technique which will allow it to manage it systems
properly to derive more efficiency and effectiveness and facilitate the maximization of

the level of profits. Online management system makes sure that the problems and issues
in the functioning of the hotel are quickly identified so that the right action can be taken
which will allow the organization to achieve sustainable success in the future time period.
 Smart rooms- The rooms in the hotels nowadays have to be smart and along with several
features so that the hotels can serve the guests with relative ease without creating any
issues and problems. In the Marriott Group, a lot of rooms have been made smart and the
focus has been made extensively on providing the required satisfaction to the guests and
clients.
 Self-service kiosks- The self-service kiosks have made the work of the guests as well as
the hotel management a lot easier. These kiosks ease the check-in as well as check-out
process. In the Marriott Group, these kiosks are of great use for the purpose of availing of
different types of services. These kiosks will help in making processes digital and thus
the group will be able to benefit a lot from it.
 Online distribution technology- Online distribution technology has made the tasks of
the hotel quite easier as it focuses a lot on the maintenance of the network of distribution
(Ivanov, 2019). Thus for the Marriott Group, it makes conducting of tasks a lot easier
than before.
 Revenue management technology- In the hospitality organization, revenue management
technology is being used extensively nowadays to facilitate the proper management of
revenues in the organization . Organizations like Marriott Group are making use of this
technology extensively so as to facilitate keeping a proper record of the revenues which
are accrued during a particular period of time.
 Customer relationship management technology- CRM technology is of great use
nowadays because the use of such a technology helps a lot in maintaining of relationships
with the customers and clients (Jorge and et.al., 2018). This technology can be used
effectively by the Marriott Group so that it is able to relations with customers and guests
after the impact of the pandemic. After the lockdown, the group can make sure that it can
use it effectively so that it is able to use the right strategies and get the work done. This
will ensure that the clients are satisfied.
P4: E-commerce and digital marketing platforms
These platforms can be used extensively by the companies for various purposes. Their
growth has been faster as compared to the traditional platforms due to the following reasons-
 Wide opportunities- Wide opportunities are offered to the businesses by these platforms
which make the right use of them . These can be in the form of use of the right tactics for
attracting the customers to the new markets which can be targeted with their usage. Thus
Marriott Group has wide opportunities if it makes use of both these platforms which will

allow it to grow substantially in the future time period and acquire strategic advantage
over its various competitors present in the market.
 More customers- Both of these platforms offer a reach for attracting more customers
towards the businesses (Kotler and et.al., 2017). With the right use of these platforms the
businesses can make sure that they are able to do their work effectively by choosing the
right customers to target for making of more profits in the future time period. Thus
Marriott Group can use both of these platforms to make sure that it targets more
customers and makes profits through them to achieve its varied goals and objectives
which can be short-term as well as long-term in nature.
 Innovation- They offer businesses with an opportunity to use innovation . In a dynamic
business environment, this is a perfect opportunity for the organizations to show that they
can use the right techniques which can hold the customers in the long-run . For Marriott
Group, this is an opportunity which can be used by bringing the required innovation in
the context of the organization.
 Creativity- These platforms can be used quite extensively so as to ensure that the right
creative approach is used in order to get more customers (Lu, Chen and Law, 2018). With
the use of creative techniques, it is possible to increase the overall turnover of the
business and along with it the level of profits in the future time period . Thus, for the
Marriott Group a perfect opportunity exists for the use of the platforms in the right
manner so that creativity can be used appropriately so as to restructure the business and
maximize the overall level of profits without any issues and problems.
M2: Critical analysis of digital tools
These tools can be used extensively in the right manner so as to facilitate meeting of the
different types of goals and objectives which are set not just for the short-term but also for the
long-term duration of time. Marriott Group is a big group which can use these tools extensively
to meet its goals and requirements and to make sure that it is able to increase its profits
substantially so that a strategic edge can be obtained over its competitors in the future time
period.
D1: Demonstration of critical analysis of digital marketing
Digital marketing is a new form of marketing approach which has been attracting
attention of the businesses because of the varied benefits which it can offer to them. The
businesses are offered a chance of using it in the right manner so as to facilitate the adoption of
right techniques in order to meet the required goals and objectives in the future. For Marriott
Group, which has been impacted a lot by the effect of the pandemic this offers a great chance of
restructuring the business as per the needs and requirements to maximize the level of profits. If
the group makes use of the right strategies and tactics of digital marketing then it can make sure
that it can earn higher level of profits after the lockdown and can ensure sustainable level of

success by getting a strategic edge over its various competitors in the market in the future time
period.
TASK 3
P5: Digital marketing plan
It is a document which is used extensively for the purpose of planning for implementation
of digital marketing tools, techniques and strategies by the businesses (Morozov and Morozova,
2020). Marriott Group can frame it in order to achieve its specific marketing objectives in the
future. The plan in the context of Marriott Group is as follows-
Digital marketing plan
Basis Details
Objectives  To get the business on track after the
business was hit by the COVID-19
pandemic.
 To increase the level of profitability
gradually so that the required aims can
be met.
Strategies  Social media- Marriott Hotel plans to
use social media for the digital marketing
purposes by making use of Facebook,
Twitter etc. to attract different types of
customers as well as clients.
 Influencers- Social media influencers
can increase the turnover of the business
by a huge margin as they can influence a
large number of people. Marriott Group
plans to use Snapchat influencers so that
the new generation of customers can be
targeted easily without any problems.
Budget Particulars Amount
General Exp. 10000
Admin Exp. 30000
Marketing Exp. 50000
Other Exp. 20000
Total 110000
Target market The target market of the group immediately after
the pandemic will be the millennial generation.
This is so because this generation likes
everything in the fast pace and makes travel
bookings at the last minute online (Punchihewa,
Gunawardena and Silva, 2017). Thus the digital

marketing strategies will be aimed at this
generation for generating more profits as
compared to the competitors existing in the
market.
Measurement of performance  Balanced scorecard- The Balanced
Scorecard technique can be used
extensively for this purpose. This is a
technique which measures the
performance of employees working in
the different departments of a business to
measure their efficiency, effectiveness as
well as productivity level (Ristova and
Maglovski, 2018).
 Benchmarking- Benchmarking
technique can be used extensively for
setting up of goals as well as objectives
to be achieved for digital marketing.
Thereafter, a review can be done so as to
find out if there are any deviations as
well as variances. If there are not then it
is good and if they are present then the
rectification measures can be taken
immediately so that the deviations and
variances can be removed and goals and
objectives can be achieved by the group
as desired by them for the future time
period.
P6: Omni-channel marketing
It is an approach which provides the customers a different type of experience from the
starting to the last (What is Omnichannel Marketing? (+4 Best Practice for Ecommerce), 2019).
It can help Marriott Group in meeting its business objectives because of the following reasons-
 Customer-centric approach- Omni-channel marketing allows the businesses to adopt a
customer-centric approach. By adopting such an approach, the businesses can move in
the right direction. This is so because the customers are given the ultimate priority in such
an approach. Therefore, for the Marriott Group it is the right approach to follow because
it needs to give priority to its clients after the pandemic to put its business back on track
and make sure that its profit level increases in the future.
 Transformation in marketing- Omni-channel marketing has brought a different kind of
transformation in the marketing approach which is followed by the firms. This kind of
transformation can help the organizations a lot in following a different type of approach
so that they can achieve their goals and the objective in the future. For the Marriott

Group, it offers an extensive opportunity so that it can bring the transformation in its
approach which can be so useful for it to achieve its aims and objectives.
 Integration- Omni-channel marketing has made it possible for achievement of
integration in the right manner (Salazar, 2018). For Marriott Group, this kind of
integration can be quite helpful so as to facilitate more awareness among the customers
about the varied facilities which are offered in its hotels. Therefore, this group can focus
on integration as an opportunity to get more customers.
 Goodwill- Omni-channel marketing helps a lot in creating a brand image and developing
goodwill for the brand in the future. For Marriott Group, this is important because this
offers a chance to enhance its business and maximize its profits gradually after the losses
which it has suffered due to the impact which was created by the pandemic.
Thus, it can be said that Omni-channel marketing is a very useful approach which
can be adopted by different companies across sectors as it can lead towards achievement
of their aims and objectives as well as can also facilitate maximization of profits in the
future. Thus this type of marketing approaches can be extremely important for businesses
in the short-run as well as the long-run. In the hospitality sector this adopt should be
adopted for targeting more customers.
M3: Application of tools and techniques
Different types of tools and techniques can be adopted for Omni-channel marketing by
the companies. These tools and techniques are Live help, CRM, Operations management, Social
media management, Helpdesk support etc. With the use of such tools and techniques the
companies can make sure to take the right decisions which can be quite useful for them in the
long-run period. This can make the Omni-channel marketing strategies of the firms very
successful. Thus, the management needs to make sure that they are adopting them in right
manner.
TASK 4
P7: Performance metrics
Different types of performance metrics can be used by the firms to make sure that their
digital marketing strategies are working in the right manner. These metrics are as follows-
 Website traffic- The website traffic is an important performance metric which is
generally used by the firms to measure the success of their digital marketing tools and
techniques (Vij, 2016). Through it, the organizations can easily identify the number of
visitors they have been getting on their website on a per day basis. Marriott Group can

make sure that it uses this technique to analyze and interpret the various visitors on its
website.
 Traffic by source- In it, the traffic is segregated in the form of different types of sources.
This is generally used by the organizations in order to identify the various sources
through which its traffic can be diverted towards it (Wiles and Crawford, 2017). In the
context of Marriott Group, this tool can be quite important because it enables them to
segregate their customers on the basis of various groups.
 Sessions- This can be used to identify the sessions which different visitors have on the
website. Marriott Group can make use of this metric to identify and interpret these
sessions effectively and efficiently.
 Average session duration- This can be used by the companies to identify the duration of
the session of each visitor on the website . Interpretation can be done on it easily.
Marriott Group can make sure that it makes out the right interpretations out of it so that
the right conclusions can be made that the digital marketing techniques have been
profitable for the business or not.
 Page views- This can be used by the companies for the purpose of identifying the number
of views they have received on the pages of their websites . Thus the right conclusion can
be made out from it such as the particular category of services which has more views etc.
Therefore, Marriott Group can make sure that it uses this technique appropriately to make
out the right interpretations and take the desired actions on it later on in the future time
period.
Therefore, with the use of right metrics Marriott Group can make sure that it is
able to use the right strategies for digital marketing.
P8: Actions for improvement
Companies can take different actions for improvement in their digital marketing
strategies. These actions are as follows-
 Review and Revamp- This is the most trusted action by the companies for getting the
desired digital marketing results (Okumus, Koseoglu and Ma, 2018). Marriott Hotel can
make use of it so that they can optimize their strategies accordingly to get the desired
results. If the desired results are not achieved the necessary actions can be taken for the
purpose of achieving improvement.
 Forming a team- This is another of the actions which can be used by the organizations
pursuing a digital marketing strategy. In it, a team is formed consisting of several
members and the assessment of the overall performance is done so as to find out any

shortcomings in the performance. Marriott Group can use it for identifying the right
tactics to be adopted for its digital marketing strategy.
 Go Social, Mobile and Local on Your Digital Marketing Strategies- This means that
the firms should make use of social media, mobile phones and local SEOs for creating the
right digital marketing strategies. This can be helpful for the Marriott Group in taking the
right direction for its digital tactics and obtaining a strategic edge over its various types of
competitors present in the market.
 Implementation of multi-channel campaign- A multi-channel campaign can help the
organizations in framing the right strategies which have to be followed . In the context of
Marriott Group, it can help a lot in taking the right course of action for the future time
period.
 Diversification of strategies- Diversification of strategies can help a lot in improvement
of digital tactics which are adopted by the organizations (Key, Czaplewski and Ferguson,
2019). Marriott Group can take the right approach here which can help in dealing with
the problems and issues which can occur while using tactics.
 Development of epic content creation strategy- A right strategy can be adopted in
order to facilitate the development of epic content which can attract the customers and
clients easily without any issues and problems . In the context of Marriott Group, it can
help a lot as by creating the right content various clients can be attracted which can help a
lot in development of right tactics.
M4: Critical evaluation of digital measurement techniques and performance metrics
The digital assessment techniques are very helpful for organizations like Marriott Group
because they evaluate the result achieved with the use of techniques. For such a big group, it can
be quite helpful because with the use of right strategies they can achieve the desired results and
performance. This can help a lot in taking the necessary steps for improvement if required and
thus the company can hope to achieve its desired goals and objectives in the future time period.
D2: Development of plan to achieve objectives
The development of a right plan is necessary for digital marketing. Marriott Group needs
to prepare a comprehensive plan which involves restructuring of business after the impact of
coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown which followed which has resulted in losses
for the company. Therefore, the right strategy and planning is required on the part of Marriott
Group so that achievement of the desired short-term and long-term goals and objectives can be
achieved in the near future. The planning must also involve future vision which may include
maximization of revenues and level of profits.

CONCLUSION
From this report, it can be concluded that digital marketing is the best approach which
firms in hospitality sector can adopt for achieving their desired objectives in the near future. The
impact which was been created by the pandemic all over the world has resulted in heavy losses
not just for Marriott Group but also for many organizations. Thus a comprehensive strategy is
required here so that the targets can be achieved. Also, the right tactical actions can be taken for
this purpose. If the right plan is framed for digital marketing strategies by the company then it
can lead towards the achievement of their aim for maximization of profits. If deficiencies are
found in the plan then the necessary improvements can be also made so that they are removed.
Rectifying actions are required for the same. Digital marketing is the approach which has to be
looked forward in the future for the promotion of products as well as services of the
organizations.

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What is Omnichannel Marketing? (+4 Best Practice for Ecommerce). 2019. [Online]. Available
through: < https://www.omnisend.com/blog/omnichannel-marketing/>