Hospitality Digital Marketing

This report explores digital marketing strategies in the hospitality industry with a case study of Marriott Hotel. It covers environment analysis, critical assessment of digital presence, and a digital marketing plan.

HOSPITALITY DIGITAL
MARKETING

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
Environment analysis...................................................................................................................3
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
Critical assessment of digital presence........................................................................................6
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................8
Digital Marketing Plan of Marriott Hotel....................................................................................8
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................11
Methods of Monitoring, Measuring and Evaluating..................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing is all about channelizing digital mediums to promote company’s
products and services. This report is based on the case study of Marriott is the founder of the
hotel. Headquarter of the Marriott Hotels and Resorts is located in Maryland, United States. This
report will assess the marketing campaign of the company. Henceforth, report will emphasis on
environment analysis in respect to company’s digital presence. Report will also analyse about the
different digital tools and techniques companies are utilising to promote its products and services
over internet. Furthermore, report will also emphasis over digital marketing plan. The plan will
covers different digital marketing activities for the company. In order to monitor and control the
different activities associated with digital marketing plan various methods and tools will also
assess that can control the company’s plan.
LO 1
Environment analysis
Environment analysis can be summarises as company’s involvement in digital marketing.
Digitalisation can be seen as the transformation in the entire corporate sector. Company also give
huge emphasis over improving its digital presence. David Beebe the Vice President of global
creative and content for Marriott International Hotels has recently revealed that the company is
emphasis on “3 Cs” strategy for its digital marketing presence. These strategic tools will
emphasis on content, community and commerce to entertain success in the market. With the
support of this strategy company could effectively deliver an engaging marketing content that
can attract all young travellers as the company give huge emphasis to interact with young
travellers as the priority customer base (Aakash and Gupta Aggarwal, 2020). All young tourists
are very active over different social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and
other social media tools. This strategy aims to attract such young travelling enthusiasts by
delivering attractive contents about the hotel, community tool to engage with youngsters and
commerce that can improve the business outcomes of hotel worldwide. Characteristics associated
with the digital marketing campaigns can be summarises in the following manner based on the
environment analysis in respect to the Marriott Hotel.
Technological Factor: Company channelizes technologies to conduct its digital marketing
presence. Technological advancement played an important role for companies as it provided

scope to channelize attractive marketing campaigns (Lamest and Brady, 2019). Marriott Hotel
marketing team create attractive and engaging content to improve its digital branding with the
use of all modern technological tools such as high definition camera, sound quality, voice control
tool and other features supported technological advancement. Due to technological tool company
could make engaging videos that can attract all young travellers.
Content analysis: Marriott Hotel marketing team give huge priority to create effective
marketing content to project all different products and services of hotel. As the company’s
potential customer base is young travellers which are very much aware due to digital technology
and different search engines. Hospitality sector is one of the high demand sectors that have
further created a market competition at different level (Kamenkova and Senkova, 2020).
Effective content in respect to products and services of hotel play an important role for the young
tourist to book the spot in hotel. Authenticity in the content of Mariott Hotel plays a key role in
attracting such travellers. It can be stated that the marketing campaigns of company do not
project that its best it just focuses more on company’s priorities and its positive aspects that can
serve the best hospitality experiences to its customers.
Diversification: Marriott Hotels marketing campaign can be stated as the diversified in nature.
Company focuses on effective and engaging content, community and commerce which will
allow company to interact with all travellers and travel enthusiast in all its digital marketing
campaigns. Company project the essential information about the hotel comprises its luxury and
facilities that can add on values to the customer travelling experience (Park and Allen, 2018).
Company is making all its marketing campaigns on the basis of young travellers which are
considering as the target customers of the company. The content is preparing by company to
promote its products can also be stated as the commercially successful as it is projecting all the
essentials that is needed to attract customers. Company is also promoting its campaigns at
different digital networks with the support of you tubers and differently content creators. Also
the aspects of company’s marketing can be stated as it can deliver customer attractiveness for the
company.
Opportunities from the marketing campaigns
Marriott Company is channelizing strategies which allow company to involve you tubers
and other social media influencers to promote its products and brand. As such content creators
comprises views in millions in numbers which allows company to attract such, millions

customers. It can be projected that most of the audience has engaged over Snap chat and
YouTube are considered to be young age people that is also a target customer base of the
company. These alliances between company and content creator and influencer over social
media networks play an effective role in improving the growth potential of company. It creates
opportunity for the company to attract new customer base also (Jorge and et.al., 2018). All these
strategies of company will allow the organisation to attract young travellers which is a target
customer base of company along with it will attract other potential customers of company
engaged on YouTube and other social media applications such as Instagram, Snap chat and other
application. Company carry the opportunity to expand its brand value from the digital marketing
campaigns. The campaign also provides opportunities to expand its business in other part of the
world where company is not operating its hotels in present time. Company also carry the
opportunity to assess the requirements of the young travellers which can improve the customer
satisfaction in hotels.
Challenges from marketing campaigns
The marketing campaigns also caters challenges for the company apart from the
opportunities. YouTube’s and other social media influencers are also engaged with many
controversies that can also heat negatively the brand value of company in target market.
Competitors can also create controversies on the basis of any unethical ground that can spoil the
brand value of the Marriott Hotel also all across the globe. This is the huge challenge part of
social media marketing campaign. Challenges like hacking will also become part of the
company. This is among the key challenges associated with the digital platforms (Hanlon, 2019).
Another challenge associated with the campaign which is diversification in marketing
campaigns. As the social media promotions is not remain any odd tool for the companies to
promote its brand and products. Almost all competitors of the Marriott Hotel are channelizing
the strategy to promote its products. Over social media marketing involve challenges like
authenticity. To create diversity in marketing campaign serves its own challenge to channelize
social media marketing promotion. Diversification plays an important role for the companies in
getting competitive advantages in the market.

LO 2
Critical assessment of digital presence
Digital marketing is a mode of promotion allows company to use different digital
channels for promotion. Different channels, tools and platforms to promote company’s products
digitally can be summarises in the following points.
YouTube promotion: YouTube has become one of the leading source or medium to promote
company’s products and services. It is registered that almost majority of the internet users
consumers YouTube as the source of entertainment. YouTube promotion allows company to
reach global level consumer base associated with hospitality sector. Marriott Hotel also promotes
its brand and products over YouTube channels. Company has also frame strategic alliance with a
YouTube channels to promote its products and brand. The channel name calls JacksGap a
YouTube Channel created by Jackson Harris (Kanten and Darma, 2017). This is a key marketing
and promotional strategy that is channelizes by many other hotels also. Hotel like Taj Hotel
London and other hotels also utilise the strategies to promote its products over YouTube with the
support of emerging you tubers. As the company claims young travellers as its potential
customers this strategy play an important role to attract such customers. As the young people all
across the globe are very much active over YouTube and even some of them are even making
vloggs over YouTube to project the different sides of the globe while travelling. Marketing
promotion at YouTube will provide opportunity to company to engage with all travellers and
young customers across the globe as they are very much active over the network.
Social media advertisement: Social media is among the most used social media application
among the young people enthusiast for travelling. Due to emergence of internet all across the
globe social media networks has also emerged rapidly. Almost all internet users are also active
over social media applications that have also provided scope to brand promotions over social
media. Different applications like Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat and other applications are in
fashion right now. Social media also engaged in selling products. On the basis of the statistics the
social media contribution in internet sale is around 25 % which projects the influence social
media create over e-commerce sales (Águeda, 2019). Marriott Hotel also engaged in promoting
its brand over social media applications. Company has recently involved in deal with social
media influencer “ Snapisodes” to promote its products. The influencer engaged in projecting
travel documentaries to all its viewers. This is an effective technique to promote the hotel all

across the globe. It is researched that almost majority of the users over Snap chat application are
belongs to young age that is further comprises with the potential customers fro the Marriott
Company. Other competitors are also engaged in such kind of brand promotion. Hotels like
Hilton are also making strategic alliances with different social media influencers to promote its
brand.
Promotion with vloggs: Vlogging is a new trend to promote brands over internet. In this
strategy company offers different vloggers to shoot a video in the hotel to promote it. This is
more like a customer shooting its experience while staying in a hotel. This is a new tool which
also looks authenticated and non biased to all viewers. Marketing team of Marriott Hotel have
recentkly created strategic alliance with a social media influencer call as “Snapisodes” who
shoots travel videos (Alves, Sousa and Machado, 2020). The influencer will shoot the entire
staying experience in the hotel to project all key features associated with the Marriott Hotel. This
strategy is a modern promotion technique allows company to engage with all potential travellers
all across the globe. Customers also easily rely over such brand promotion as it does not look
like a general brand promotion. Other companies like Haven Hotel London also channelize such
brand promotion tools.
Promotion with magazines: In hospitality sector the key customers of the company are majorly
comprises with young travellers. It is witnessed in case of travellers they like to read different
magazines to explore different aspects. Company make promotional content in magazines to
promote the brand. This is also the key feature involved in order to attract potential customers in
hospitality sector. Marriott Hotel also makes different contents to attract customers enthusiast
towards reading magazines and books.
Brand awareness: With support of different marketing campaigns company raise awareness
about the brand in its entire potential customer base. Brand awareness play huge role in
improving the market presence of the company.
Customer engagement: Management of Marriott Hotel has tried to make the marketing
campaign of company more engaging and attractive. All marketing campaigns try to interact
with potential customers of company about the products and services of hotel. Different tactics
like texts, phone calls and other tactics also apply to improve the customer engagement.

CRM: Marriott Hotel also utilises the CRM Application. This is a useful tool that supports
company in getting engaged with the interested customers all the time. This is a medium to
connect with all potential customers of company.
Content marketing: Marriott Hotel also follows the practice of content marketing. Company
channelizes marketing in different travel magazines and by articles company promote all its
services. This is an effective approach of marketing as almost all majorities of travellers like to
read books and magazines. This approach allows company to attract potential customers.
E mail marketing: Company also follows the practice of email marketing. With the support of
emails attractive offers is given to potential customers. This is an important marketing tactic that
supports growth of company.
The above mentioned points are projected all the key approaches to promote brand and
products in case of hospitality sector. Apart from the above mentioned tools and technique of
brand promotion companies also channelizes other tools like search engine optimisation which is
another key technique to promote hotels. This involves influencing the search engines or inter in
favour of the company. In case of hospitality sector all travellers explore internet to search the
best stay in the locations. Company also influence ratting over internet to attract the potential
customers towards the hotel. In recent times hospitality sector is also engaged with negative
publicities. Company follow the policy of keeping the issues public if it’s possible. This is an
effective strategy that allows company to ensure the customer trust even in case of any
controversy. Management give interviews in public to clarify all wrong miss interpretation in
case of any issue arise.
LO 3
Digital Marketing Plan of Marriott Hotel
Aim
To boost the income and client satisfaction this would help the company by increasing their
knowledge and giving excellent products and performance.
Objectives
 To increase the sales of luxury forces by 20% till the end of year 2022.
 To increase the buyer experience by the upcoming 10 months by 30%.
 To enhance the market share by 25% to increase vacation seeker in Hotel Marriott hotel

till the end of 2023.
 To increase the income margins by 35% till the end of 2024.
Strategies
Price Strategy
This will help the company to get in more customers in the organization because there will be an
online platform for the customers. There would be a lot of discounts, offers, referral codes, etc.
This is going to help the organization to increase the customer experience which is a great
advantage for the organization (Kannan, 2017). Holiday seekers want low prices and cost saving
methods to travel which is why getting online is going to provide the customers with the best and
low costing.
Product Strategy
Marriott has made a reputation for them in the market and it is very essential for them to
maintain that factor so that they can get competitive advantage. There is a standard which the
company has set which is why getting in technological changes is a very essential factor for the
organization. Digital marketing is also going to help Marriott to understand the strategies and
competition in the market which is going to make the organization plan accordingly. The
struggle in this manufacturing is increasing which is why it is very important for the company to
provide the customers with higher satisfaction and quality in the services.
Place Strategy
The demand for digital marketing in hospitality because this creates a ease for customers which
are a very excellentelement for Marriott when they will be able to have a better communication
and services information to the customers in advance. With the help of internet Marriott as
observed that there is going to be low cost researches and will be able to attract a larger customer
base in the hotel. This is going to help the organization to understand better and survey on the
customers from time to time and improve the services and products quality according to the
expectations of the customers which is a very essential factor. There are more customers whom
are going to get attracted in the company which is a very essential factor for the company and
this way the organization will be able to have a better operation for them.
Promotion Strategy
Digital channels are being used by Marriott to promote themselves in the market which is a great
factor to inform the customers and be a focus for more customers. Higher the revenue generation

in the organization the more the company will be able to invest in the digital platform which the
organization is adopting so that there are more customers which can be influenced in the
organization. There are famous actors who are promoting this hotel industry so that they can
create a standard for themselves (Neirotti, Raguseo and Paolucci, 2016). There are a lot of events
which are held in this hotel chain which is again a great platform for the company to get in the
right customers. There have to be multi channels in the organization so that they can adopt
changes and also engage the customers in the organization by have high quality of services and
products of company.
Tactics
Segmentation
The hotel will have to section the clients on the base of social class, lifestyle, etc. so that they can
provide the best to the customers as a result. The customers who come online are not paying
enough for the services which is why it is very important for the organization to distribute
accordingly. There has to be a use of customer mapping in Marriott so that they can maintain
their reputation and brand image in the market. This is going to help business to understand the
customers and the thinking of them so that the organization can function consequently which is
going to make the brand value of the organization increase.
Targeting
Business is focusing on the status and the fulfilment of the clients for a comfortable stay which is
by targeting the premium customers in the company. There are call, messages, mails, etc which
are sent out to the customers who are loyal to the organization so that there is a better functioning
of the organization (Coelho, 2018. There is a visual and audio influence as well on the customers
which is making hotel be able to target for the right customers in organization which is making
organization have higher profit margins.
Positioning
There has to be a hiring of powerful influencers in the organization who can make the
functioning and operations of the organization effective. This is going to help the organization to
increase the satisfaction level and make the organization have loyal customers in the
organization. The services and products of Marriott have been set for the premium customers in
the organization which is why it is very essential for the organization to have a strong
functioning for them.

Implementation
There have to be proper communication channels in the organization on behalf of digital
marketing by identifying and analysing all the internal and external factors. Omni channel is the
best experience which the organization can use in the company so that there is a better
performance. There are communication methods which the organization will have to get in the
company so that there is a better experience of the customers as well as the employees in the
company. It is very important for the employees to be motivated as well so that the changes in
the company can come in easily (Kayumovich, 2020). This is going to help the company to get a
aggressive advantage and the organization will be able to create a improved place for them in the
market. There is a lot of technology up gradation when there is digitalization in an organization
which means a lot of investment but Marriott is having a lot of free cash flow in the company
which is a great advantage for the company to expand and improve themselves in the market
according to the customers from time to time.
Omni Channel
To improve the experience of the customers it is very important for the organization to
select a strategy for them which is why the company uses omnichannel to improve the
experience and relationships with the customers (Slootweg and Rowson, 2018). It is very
important that the organization is having a strong communication in the market with the
customers so that they know what changes are being got in Marriott which is making the
customers have a better experience. The demands of the customers are increasing which is why it
is very important for the organization to be able to get in the changes effectively so that the
company can get a profit out of them.
LO 4
Methods of Monitoring, Measuring and Evaluating
Top-level management at Marriot hotel has highly required to properly monitor, measure
and evaluate its digital marketing’ campaign. It is very necessary task to upper management of
this company, otherwise this company can’t get appropriate results through this digital campaign
of marketing. Currently there are methods and ways available to upper management Marriot
hotel which can contribute in properly evaluating, monitoring and measuring its marketing

campaigns. By using methods, company will be enabled to save its lots of fund and resources.
This is the main reason that, existing management of this hotel should completely consider these
all methods while conducting its campaign of digital marketing (Gligorijevic,2016). In this
situation, some productive methods of evaluating, monitoring and measuring has been mentioned
below;
Methods of Monitoring
Set business objectives: According to this first method of measurement, upper management of
hotel should set objectives of business, because an organization, company, business always
works for achieving an objective or aim. After setting an objective of business, this hotel will be
enabled to systematically monitoring its campaign of digital marketing.
Identify target segment: This is the next method of monitoring where existing marketing team of
company has required to identify appropriate market segment to implement its campaign of
digital marketing. It is very necessary to marketing team of this hotel, because without
identifying and analyzing target market segment no company can perfectly monitor its
campaigns of digital marketing.
Implement KPI: This another very appropriate method in the terms of monitoring campaigns of
digital marketing. Basically, KPI is a tool which indicates the performance of a marketing
campaign. Nowadays many of businesses are taking lots of advantages through this method.In
this situation, existing management and upper management of Marriot hotel should adopt this
method.
Methods of Measuring
Traffic by sources:Traffic by sources is one of the best methods in the terms of measuring
campaigns of measurement. In this method upper management and marketing manager of this
hotel enable to analyze traffic on different digital sites, apps, etc. The marketing management of
company should ensure that, how many people are visiting on its official site (Dahiyaand
Gayatri, 2017). It is very necessary to this company, because after conducting these all activities
marketing management of hotel will be able to easily measure its campaigns of marketing.
Total site visits: This is the second key method of measurement, in which marketing manager of
company need to properly identify visitors of its site. Basically, there are thousands of people

visits on Marriot hotel’s official site in a month, in which after analyzing number of visitors,
management can be enable to properly measure its campaigns of digital marketing.
Interactions: Currently this hotel has handles and accounts on many social media sites, in which
marketing team of company have to interact with different people and customers though social
media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. While interaction with people or
customers, this marketing team is required to ask about own services from different people. After
knowing opinion and thinking of customers and people, marketing team will able to perfectly
measure its campaigns of digital marketing.
Online booking sites: Currently there are various online booking sites available in the market,
like; Expedia, Trip Advisor etc. In this situation, company can check its rating on these sites
which has given by different customers. This is another productive method of measurement.
Methods of Evaluating
Identify goals: Identification of goals is very appropriate method for evaluating own campaigns
of marketing. In this situation, marketing team of this hotel has required to properly identify its
various goals of marketing (Schiele and Chen, 2018). Basically, when marketing team has goals
of marketing, then it will be able to take various steps towards achieving these goals. Currently
many of other businesses and companies of market also using this method for perfectly
evaluating their campaigns of digital marketing. So that, marketing team of Marriot hotel also
can use this method for achieving appropriate outcomes.
Identify customer base:This is the next appropriate method of evaluation where marketing team
of hotel has required properly identify own base of customers. Basically, when this hotel has
aware by its base of customers, then it will be able to make appropriate marketing strategies for
positively influencing it’s all customers. Currently the Marriott hotel has very large customer
base within the market, in which hotel need to properly analyze different needs and want of
customers for properly evaluating its campaigns of digital marketing.
Implement strategy:The marketing manager of Marriot hotel has highly required to adopt
different strategies of marketing by SPT and marketing mix in the supervision of upper
management. After adopting these all strategies, marketing manager need to remove those all
elements from its workplace which are not favorable its digital marketing plan. The marketing

management should implement various strategies of marketing to perfectly analyzing its
campaigns of marketing.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that there is a need for the organization to get
in the changes as and when required so that the company can have a higher profit margin for
themselves. There are a lot of strategies and decisions which need to be planned by the
organization so that they can get an upper hand on the competition which is in the market.
Digital changes are very advance strategies which can make the hospitality industry grow
effectively in the market. To get in digital changes in the hotel also needs a lot of planning and
promotions so that the customers are aware about the changes which are coming up in the
market.

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