Hospitality Digital Marketing

This document provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of digital media platforms on the hospitality industry, with a focus on the digital presence of Hilton Hotel. It covers topics such as environmental analysis, critical assessment of Hilton's digital presence, planning digital marketing activities, and evaluating effectiveness. The document also discusses various digital tools and trends in the hospitality industry.

Hospitality digital
marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
Environmental analysis for digital presence of the company with focus towards opportunities,
challenges addition to likely impacts the digital environment of sector......................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
Critical assessment of Hilton Hotel on business by making a comparison & contrast of its
Digital presence...........................................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
Plan for organisation of digital marketing activities for supporting Hilton's initiatives and
multi channel capabilities............................................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
Key Methods for evaluating, monitoring and measuring of effectiveness of digital marketing
effectiveness for recommenced activities..................................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERNCE...................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Digital media platforms are playing a very major part in ensuring every day
communication with the target customers for all organisations (Ahmed, 2017.). With the advent
of technology social media growth has taken place as number of users are increasing on a daily
basis of such platforms. This reports is based on developing a understanding of various
challenges and impact of social media platforms on hospitality industry. Various key digital
platforms, channels and its effect on organisations which are part of hospitality industry. There is
a critical assessment of Hilton hotel and a comparison is made of its digital presence. There is
development of a plan for supporting digital marketing initiatives and capabilities in luxury
business division. Further there are key methods which are used for evaluating effectiveness of
various digital marketing activities of a organisation.
TASK 1
Environmental analysis for digital presence of the company with focus towards opportunities,
challenges addition to likely impacts the digital environment of sector.
The internet development has lead to creation of a opportunity for social media in which
there is participation of social media forums, increased communication channels and sharing of
information together with large number of people (Ali, Murphy and Nadkarni, 2014). This has
lead to creation of a opportunity in which there is sharing of information with large groups and
large number of people instantly. Hilton is a popular brand that works in hospitality sector and
provides its services worldwide. In recent times, administrators of the entity have hired digital
marketing head who have responsibility to analyse environment situations and accordingly
develop a report about digital marketing at the organisation. For this, the digital marketing head
has conducted environmental analysis so to emphasis on opportunities, challenges as well as
impacts that digital environment posses within hospitality industry.
Drivers of digital marketing opportunities
Digital marketing opportunities are said as the opportunities that a company can grab to
promote the business digitally. Moreover, there are various drivers which provides vast digital
marketing opportunities to a business. The one of key driver that provides digital marketing
opportunities is technology. In present era, technology is advancing rapidly and continually
(Hua, 2016). Innovation level addition to technological awareness are technological dimensions

which digital marketing officer of Hilton has analysed for getting knowledge about latest
techniques and emerging trends so to adopt them and perform successful marketing practices.
When members of companies working in hospitality sector have proper knowledge about
market and various technologies then they reduces making payments on implementing irrelevant
or obsolete technologies that further impacts positively within digital situations of hospitality
industry. By using effective technological means, managers of Hilton analyses digital marketing
environment on various platforms and accordingly grabs opportunities to promote the business.
The business entity such as Hilton has competent information technology department which have
personnel with huge knowledge related to widely used digital techniques with adoption to which
they grabs opportunities for reaching wide located customer and serve them with their offerings.
For example, using digital technological tools, Hilton managers can present its offers in
attractive and innovate manner through which they can grab opportunities to attract diverse
number of customers and satisfying their needs for hospitality products or service contexts.
However, There are situations when technology becomes obsolete in minimum duration or new
technologies are launched that build a scenario of challenging situation for Hilton as it causes
burden on the company for spending huge in advancing technologies for remaining in sector.
The next driver of digital marketing opportunities is understanding consumer insights.
In present duration, digital technology has gained various improvements and also provides huge
aspects in which Hilton approaches to customers and satisfies their needs. By properly
understanding customers insights, various opportunities are grabbed for marketing the
organisational products online and influencing customers to make purchase. Moreover, using
online surveys and reviewing statistics data digitally helps selected firm to gain insights about
customers viewpoints and preferences that they wants. With this, opportunity to increase the
customer base and satisfaction of them can be enhanced that will lead in gaining sustaining
position in competing market. When all workforce of the institution that works within hospitality
industry understands consumer insights then they can offer suitable products to potential clients
that will impact positively on various digital circumstances of the respective sector. At same
time, various challenges including tough competition are faced by companies in such industry as
all the business that performs activities compete with others so that they maximum opportunities
are grabbed by them and they can lead sustaining and dominating positions that creates

unfavourable environment for Hilton and impacts negatively on its digital marketing
opportunities.
Differences among online and offline marketing
Managers of Hilton are using online along with offline marketing concepts so that they
can communicate with wide located population and motivate them to purchase offered products
or services. In context to online marketing, it refers to practice to leverage all the web based
channels in order to spread message related to business's products, services, facilities and brand
to potential clients. Few of the methods or techniques that are used for online marketing by
chosen company includes social media, Google AdWords, E- mails and display advertising. In
contrary, offline marketing is said to practice to promote the brand through using sources outside
the internet. It reaches together with grabs attention of population that are at present within
vicinity. The offline marketing tools used by representatives of respective company are
magazines, flyers, newspapers, television and brochure. Following are some of additional
differences among the offline and online marketing:
Basis of differentiation Online marketing Offline marketing
Exposure Online marketing generally
supports Hilton Company to
enhance its customer traffic
which is approx 2 billion
customers on its official website
which exposes the entity and its
workings to mass population and
supports to increase profits of
entity.
Offline marketing only exposes
the practices and workings of
company to limited population
only. In context to Hilton, its sales
is not as higher because of some
limited exposure of the stocks and
irregularity of customer exposures
due to various barriers in
approaching to end clients.
Cost The cost involved in online
marketing is generally affordable
because main expenditures needs
to be payed in initiation durations
that are starting optimised
website along with posting
In offline marketing, involvement
of costs are generally high as it
various activities are performed
time to time that includes giving
salaries to marketers, updating
advertisements, maintaining stock

advertisements on social media
platforms only.
and making bill payments for
reaching to people.
Convenience Online marketing generally
reduces barriers in terms of time
and place through offering
options to customers to purchase
anything anytime. This is an
convenient marketing concept as
it benefits organisations such as
Hilton to increase the customer
and market base in limited
duration.
Offline marketing is less
convenient for companies as it do
not provide any option to
purchase organisational products
at any time. In other words, it
only offers purchasing while
stores or workplaces of company
are open and customers makes
purchase accordingly.
Brand awareness, Customer engagement and customer insights
Brand Awareness: It is defined as the extent at which consumers are aware or have
consciousness for the business and its offerings. In addition, it measures abilities of potential
clients to not only acknowledge image of brand but also associate it with products and services
of other institutions. In case with Hilton, its marketing team uses branded packaging, performs
SEO research, takes advantages of various Adsense auto ads of Google and many more that
increases awareness among prospects of company and turn them into potential users.
Customer engagement: It is described as emotional connection that brand makes with
its customers. When customers are highly engaged with the company offerings then they makes
more purchases and demonstrates huge loyalty. At same time, company such as Hilton provides
high quality of experiences to customers that assist them to prepare effective customer
engagement strategy. The marketers of same enterprise create useful digital marketing content,
effectively listen viewpoints of customers, humanize the brand and gets updated on social media
that helps them to engage as many customers as possible with the brand.
Customer insights: It refers to understanding customers on the basis of their buying
behaviours, beliefs and needs as well as experiences with company. It is a field that majorly
focuses towards analysing market research along with acts as mediator among departments of
marketing and research within enterprise. In present era, marketing team of Hilton applies

various digital marketing strategies to gain customer insights and avails opportunities to meet
them successfully.
TASK 2
Critical assessment of Hilton Hotel on business by making a comparison & contrast of its Digital
presence
Hilton is one of the leading brands in hospitality industry if measured by number of
followers. Instagram handle of Hilton is getting maximum engagement as compared with other
social media brands. Major reason behind is that this brand not only is creating good content but
also is involved in generation of efforts by leveraging of connect which is exclusively user
generated (Kim and Law, 2015). There has been lot of advancements & changes which are
taking place in case of marketing communication ecosystem for various brand which are part of
hospitality industry. Hilton is one such brand which has existed and there are some key
indicators which have affected environment of marketing communication and this includes
technology and internet which are further drivers of such change. Various platforms and
channels in which Hilton is having its digital presence is discussed below:
Instagram: The Instagram page of Hilton is a property account which represents
properties of this Hotel across globe. On their website there is usage of marketing tools by
providing information with regards to milestone celebration of company and other other
properties. Instagram can be used by Hilton as they can create a business account and further use
it for adding pictures of special decoration and events that are taking place regularly in their
hotel. All this will help in making their followers getting are of what are special facilities provide
by this hotel.
Twitter: There is some overlapping with respect to Instagram accounts of many
hospitality organisations (Kotler and Et. Al., 2017). But in case of Hilton, this brand shares
various posts which provides interesting information to modern travellers. Twitter can be used by
Hilton, by making of twitter cards, increasing followers on twitter, using twitter list for
management of contacts of permanent customers.
Facebook: There are approximately 120,000 likes on Hilton's Facebook page which is
providing a great detail of topics. This is mainly because of sharing of information with help of
videos which are having something unique properties. There are bets social media strategy

which is working in best manner. Facebook can be used by creation of a special page that can be
made more attractive by posting about any new addition of services, or addition of new dish to
their menu etc. all these activities will lead to people getting informed about unique services
offered by Hilton.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is also a social media application which is having 900,000 followers
and is used by Hilton for sharing of history, content and news which is related with having a
B2B appeal for their audience and various business travellers.
You tube: Hilton is using YouTube as they have created their own you tube channel
which is helping them in creation of short videos by highlighting the major features of their hotel
which is distinguishing them from their competitors. YouTube can be used as a medium for
uploading videos of events taking place such as birthday parties, anniversary parties, weddings,
conferences all this will help in making people aware of their services.
Key digital tools which can be used as a opportunity by hospitality organisations. There
are many digital tools which have been developed some of those are mentioned below:
 Social Networks: There are some social networking sites which are allowing users to
connect with each other and sharing of information. Various social media sites such as
Facebook, Instagram, liked In, twitter is playing a major part for Hilton in its marketing
activities. This has resulted into many new customers especially youth which is more in
contact with these social media applications (Holmes, Dell Products LP, 2014).
 Content Marketing: There has been a increasing trend for increasing usage of high
quality contact which can help in succeeding of a business which are part of hospitality
industry. Many hospitality organisation are using it to market their content and increase
the usage of images, content, videos for promoting themselves. Content marketing is used
in service industry for designing a content in such a way that it clearly specifies overall
benefits and best features that can be used in various social media sites such as Instagram,
Facebook etc.
 Automation of Marketing: Technology has made it simpler for various hospitality
organisations. Many hotel management software are running hotel business. Hotel
managers are relying on usage of right technology Many application and robots are now
being used as automation tools and providing customer delight. However, care must be

taken that there must be regular evaluation and monitoring of various marketing activities
that are very crucial for attracting of customers.
 Machine learning and Artificial intelligence in Hospitality Industry: Use of artificial
intelligence is most popular digital marketing trend which is part of hospitality industry
(Kriechbaumer and Christodoulidou, 2014). This can be understood from point of human
context major aim is of attracting and retaining of customers. Artificial intelligence is a
technology based on targetting of individuals. With help of AI, all marketing efforts can
be personalised and used in a dynamic manner.
 Usage of Big Data and Internet Things: Big data has become a very crucial part of all
digital media strategy. This is used in hospitality organisations in impacting the target
group of customers by using customer touch points. Marketers are making efforts top
create delight by modifying habits with help of advanced analytics & machine learning
tools.
TASK 3
Plan for organisation of digital marketing activities for supporting Hilton's initiatives and multi
channel capabilities
In dynamic era, all business concerns work for gaining presence as well as popularity
within digital platform for the purpose to maximise volumes of sale and make huge revenues to
achieve determined objectives (Leite and Azevedo, 2017). Digital marketing plan is defined as a
document which shares information in terms of digital marketing campaigns, practices along
with actions. It details out short, medium as well as long term objectives, digital level approaches
together with the channels or platforms to be utilised. Digital marketing manager of Hilton
prepares impressive digital marketing plan for improving brand position, making reach of
services to wide distant audiences and many more purposes.
Multi channel approach is mentioned to the exercise that entities uses for interacting with
targeted population by using multiple channels with the objective to sell maximum goods and
services. Multiple channels comprises of direct and indirect ones through which businesses
increases awareness of customers for the offerings. Being Hilton the biggest hospitality brand, it
is important for it to get involved in digital developments so to sustain leading positions and
retaining loyalty among customer base through delivering high quality services. For this, the

digital marketing team has prepared digital marketing plan for adopting digital transformations at
workplaces. With this plan, company managers will organise digital promotional and marketing
practices along with catering suitable advices to organisation for framing multi channel
capabilities in its active holiday seekers as well as luxury business division. For such purpose,
digital marketing plan is being formulated by the digital marketing officer of Hilton that involves
hug components that are as follows:
Organisational background: Hilton is top brand that is popular among its customers and
have effective team to serve huge kinds of facilities and services. It have wide managers,
employees and representative authority that works in systematic and coordinated ways. It has
high position and stake in international market and it maintains legacy through delivering
valuable services in its two divisions that are active holiday seekers and luxury business (Leung,
Xue and Bai, 2015).
Initiatives: Hilton managers are planning for undergoing with digital transformation in
which business members are initiating efforts for making interactions with audiences for
increasing their awareness for the services and facilities like advance business centre,
audiovisual tools and so on that are offered by entity in hospitality sector. For this, digital
marketing head of chosen business concern have decided to use social media channels including
Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Additionally, they are also performing activities to make the
content and websites more attractive and understandable by putting digital aspects within it. In
present times, visitor count on websites of Hilton are approx 10 billion along with this, the entity
has 5.6 billion cookies. Considering towards using digital marketing strategy, the entity is
targetting population for increasing current sales as well as level of revenues.
Situational analysis:
Strength Weakness
Through adopting digital marketing
strategy, Hilton could improve its existing
technologies for marketing its services and
facilities. Moreover, for majority of
population in hospitality segment, Hilton is
first preference for enjoying facilities
related to hotels and resorts.
Managing department of Hilton has hired new or
fresh blood and to work with digital marketing
strategy, it needs to invest in training sessions for
the fresh employees that can hamper its existing
reserves. As it is cumbersome difficult for an
entity to promote products through digital
marketing strategy when they were using

traditional methods in past duration (Minazzi and
Lagrosen, 2013).
Opportunity Threat
Through digital marketing startegy, Hilton
can grab opportunity of maximising its
customer base. In addition, promotions
through social media also provide
opportunity of improving profit level and
market shares.
One of the threat for Hilton is fierce competition
as there are huge number of firms that adopts
digital marketing strategy in the same sector. Main
rival entities are Thomas Cook, Marriott and so
on.
Targetted market as well as customer segment: The head-offices of Hilton are located
at United States. At same time, it offers its services and facilities in all parts of world. The
business adopts digital marketing strategy to targeted international market. Moreover, the
customer segmentations are done on the basis of geographic and demographic segments wherein
the targetted customer segments are customer groups having high income level, huge usage
frequency, brand loyalty and so on (Semeradova and Vávrová, 2016).
Marketing mix : Hilton managers are planning to use elements of promotion mix in
order to ensure that all the activities in context to digital marketing are properly carried out as per
set criteria. Elements of marketing communication mix are underneath:
Advertising: It is considered as important aspect to communicate all relevant information
in paid and non personal manner. Through this, Hilton managers builds effective digital
marketing campaign to demonstrate about existing product portfolio of the company. Along with
this, it helps in focusing on unique selling point to make impactful image of business in
customers mindset. In this, digital marketing officer will make usage of publishing digital
content on websites along with e-mail marketing for attracting huge population.
Sales promotion: The another essential marketing communication tool in promotional
process which leads to promote business and its products for growing sales. Herein, attainment
of short term objectives are focused through adopting huge strategies for satisfying more number
of population in limited time-frame. It assist business such as Hilton to stimulate purchasing by

customers by promoting its sales. In this, social media marketing and transactional marketing
will be used for digital campaigns so to increase name addition to stake of luxury business.
Public relation: It is the communication mix element which deliberately manages
spreading information among public and institution (Sigala, Christou and Gretzel, 2012). It is
another element that Hilton uses for fulfilling needs of active holiday seekers, developing new
information, building prosperous brand identity in hospitality sector. In this, community relation
strategy and relationship marketing will be opted to strengthen and improve existing revenues
and customer base.
Budget: for executing digital marketing techniques and conducting digital marketing
activities, only few proportion of funds are required. The requirement of funds for distinct
activities are as follows:
Particular Amount (In £)
Research and development 150
Pr and Events 100
Website and infrastructure 80
Total 330
TASK 4
Key Methods for evaluating, monitoring and measuring of effectiveness of digital marketing
effectiveness for recommenced activities.
It is very significant for business concern such as Hilton to track as well as evaluate
effectiveness of digital marketing so to address the areas that are part of the plan. The main
reason the evaluation, monitoring addition to measuring is to assist the managers fro devising
strategies that suits current conditions and engaging huge audiences with the plan and current
products (De Pelsmacker, Van Tilburg and Holthof, 2018). Below are some methods that are
used for assessing, observing and measuring digital plan effectiveness in context to the activities:
Evaluating digital marketing effectiveness: Key performance indicator: The method to
evaluate the essentials of digital marketing is KPI that assist in monitoring success rate of
various recommended activities. Digital marketing officer of selected hospitality firm is working

on essential parts of its digital promotional plan. The method will assist administrators to manage
efficacy as per fixed standards. For the marketing campaign wherein Hilton will showcase 10 –
20 second advertisement, it can make use of KPI method. Moreover, the other way for using the
method is for involvement of customers in digital content. For this, various parameters should be
set related to viewpoints, likes, comments, subscriptions, shares and re-tweets for the digital
content as well as measure then continuously for determine aspects through which Hilton can
create engaging content. In context to social media, Hilton managers should set population
number that are connected with social handles as Key performance Indicator.
Monitoring digital marketing effectiveness: Google Adwords: For the purpose of
monitoring effectiveness of digital marketing, Google Adwords is important tool that helps in
monitoring success of performed activities (Kriechbaumer and Christodoulidou, 2014). Through
this tool, Hilton managers can properly monitor effectiveness as it assist in managing all PPC
advertisements of company in effective manner. Moreover, it will benefit the hospitality
company through providing better scopes to manage all marketing advertisements properly and
systematically.
Measuring digital market effectiveness: Online metrics: Online metrics are the tools that
helps companies to measure effectively of their digital marketing related workings. For measure
the web content, digital marketing officer of Hilton could use it. There are huge types of online
metrics that assist in exposing business performance in distinct marketplace. Moreover,
HootSuite is a preferred online metrics by companies for measuring effectiveness of their digital
marketing as it covers communication with targetted audiences addition to web content.
Moreover, there is one formula that can also be utilised by the hospitality firm that is
“Traffic*Conversion rate* value” for measuring digital marketing effectivity.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been concluded that hospitality digital marketing is
promotion of services and facilities offered by hotels through online mechanisms. Environment
analysis provides insights for the elements or dimensions that have power to affect and influence
business performance. Moreover, it also helps in understanding available opportunities,
challenges as well as threats that are within digital environment of particular sector. Business
concerns have digital presence on various online platforms, channels and tools like Instagram,
YouTube, LinkedIn and so on. A plan for organising digital marketing activities supports

initiatives of company for building capabilities to satisfy various dimensions. Key performance
indicator, online metrics and Google Adwords are some tools used for purpose of evaluating,
monitoring together with measuring activities of digital marketing.

REFERNCE
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