Hospitality Digital Marketing: Strategies for Success

This document discusses the role of digital marketing in the hospitality industry, with a focus on Marriott Hotel. It explores the environmental analysis of Marriott's digital presence, critical assessment of its digital marketing strategies, and the digital marketing plan of the hotel. The document also highlights the challenges and opportunities in digital marketing for the hospitality industry.

Hospitality digital marketing

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
Environmental Analysis...............................................................................................................3
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
Critical assessment of digital presence........................................................................................6
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................8
Digital Marketing Plan of Marriott Hotel....................................................................................8
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................12
Methods of Monitoring, Measuring and Evaluating..................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing can be defined as the platform whereas uses different channels i.e.
content marketing, social media, online advertising and influencer marketing to support
organization to promote it’s products to the customer. Digital marketing plays effective role in
the organization because it allows to track and monitor it’s marketing campaign. In modern era
no organization can get success without involving digital marketing functions. With the digital
marketing organization is not only enable to reach it’s goal but also improves customer
engagement. To understand role of digital marketing has an example of Mariotte hotel. It is an
American multinational diversified hospitality company which is headqauareted Maryland, US.
It posses’ two type product services like hotels and resorts, and offers it’s services across the
world. Marriott Inc. is the largest hotel chain in the world with wide range of rooms. In this
report will discuss about digital marketing landscape and difference betweenonline and offline
marketing concepts. The brief study provides understating about key hospitality consumer trends
which are fuelling the growth of digital marketing.
Task 1
EnvironmentalAnalysis
Environmental analysis refers as an organization’s involvement in digital marketing.
Currently organization gives huge contribution over influencing it’s digital presence across the
world. Digitalisationhas led transformation in the whole corporate sector. The Vice president of
global creative has recently disclosed that Marriott Inc. focuses on “3 Cs” strategy for it’s digital
marketing presence (Punchihewa, Gunawardena and Silva, 2017). The strategy mainly focuses
on content, community and commerce for entertaining success in the business market. 3C’s
strategy mainly focuses on content, community and commerce to influence success in the
hospitality industry. With this strategy organization can give an effective engaging marketing
content which can attract all young travellers s well as it can build strong customer base.
Organization targets young travellers because they are highly active over various social media
applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and other social media tools. The
main goal of the 3C’s strategy is to attract young travellers who willing to spend more price for
receiving high memorizing experience, by delivering informative contents about the hotel,

community techniques to engage with young travellers and commerce which can influence
business outcomes of hospitality industry across the world. There are numerous
characteristicsthat affiliated with the digital marketing campaigns which can be analysed in
effective manner through Mariotte Hotel’s environmental analysis.
Technological factors
Organization uses different technologies to execute it’s online presence within business
market. Advancement in existing technologiesplays effective role for the corporation such as it
improves attractiveness ofmarketing campaigns. Marketing team of MarriottInc. develops
effective and customer’s engaging content for influencing it’s digital presence with the use of
overall latest tools like high quality camera, sound quality, voice control tools and other features
that assists technological advancement. With this technological tool MariotteInc. can create
customer’s engaging videos which can attract all youngstersto buy hospitality services.
Content analysis
Marketing team of Marriott hotel emphasizes to make attractive and customers’ engaging content
for influencing the brand and it’s products across the world. As organization’s targeted audience
is young travellers who are more updated for digital tools and various searchengines. However,
hospitality sector becomes most emerging sector in the business environment which has
increased aggressive competition among all hospitality companies (HRISTOFOROVA and et.al.,
2019Matamoros-Fernández, 2017). Whereas effective content gives huge contribution in the
hotel to influence young tourist for booking room or spot in the hotel. Marriott maintains
authenticity in content that plays key role to attract large number of users. With this strategy
organization can state that the marketing campaigns of the organizationis designed to
emphasizemore on organization’s priorities and it’s effective prospects can offer the best
hospitality experience to the Marriott’s customer.
Diversification
With this strategy Marriott can focus on content, community and commerce that allows
organization to engage with more potential users in it’s marketing campaigns. Organization can
frame the crucial information associated with hotel such as it’s luxury and extensive facilities

which can give value on the customer’s travelling experience. Company designs all it’s
marketing campaigns based on young travellers needs and expectation so that can influence them
to buy travel services. Organization promotes it’s campaigns through different digital networks
with the helps of You tubers and other different content creators (Leite and Azevedo, 2017). In
addition, Marriott’s marketing strategy can be specifiedas it can give user attractiveness for the
corporation.
Opportunities for the marketing campaigns
There are extensive opportunities available for the marketing campaigns that can improve
effectiveness and productivity of campaigns in the business market. organization influences
strategies that allows to include YouTubers and other social media influencers for promoting it’s
product services and brands. However, content creators containmillion views in large number
that allows organization to influence millions of customers for buying hospitality services. Most
of the viewers are highly engaged over Snap chat and You Tube that belongs to young age
people’s which is also a targeted customer base of the hospitality industry. This strategic
alliances among organization, content creators and other social media influencers over social
media platform gives huge contribution in influencing it’s growth potential in the global market.
It develops great opportunity for the organization for attracting new customer base as well
(Dadwal and Hassan, 2016). However, target customers of the organization mainly belong to
young generation whereas these tactics or strategies assists organization to promote other
customer base as who are highly active on You Tube and other social media softwarei.e. Snap
chat, Instagram and other app applications. Organization has plan to expand it’s brand value
through digital marketing campaigns. Whereas these marketing campaigns helps Marriott to
expand it’s hospitality business in different parts of the world whereas organization does not
serve it’s hotel and resort services in current time. Organization conducts the various opportunity
to understand the expectation and needs of the young travellers effectively that can influence
customer’s satisfaction within hotels.
Challenges from marketing campaigns
Marketing campaigns also posses’ various challenges for the firm apart from the
opportunities. Social media influencers and YouTube’s are engagedwith various controversies

which can also lead negative publicity for the brand value of the organization in front of target
customers. In addition, competitors of the Marriott also can develop controversial consequences
due to unethical ground which can spoil brand image of the company all over the world. So it
can be stated as the big challenge for the brand promotion with the help of social media
influencers play. The challenges are hacking that becomes quite easier for the hacker and major
challenge for the company. There is another challenge associated with the digital platforms can
face by organization while using all digital tools in influencing marketing campaigns.
Diversification in the marketing campaigns is another challenge that can impact on
organization’s profitability. As same concept for the social media promotions whereas it is more
familiar tool for all companies and they use to influence brand value of the products and their
services. There are various competitors of Mariottehotel are used this strategy to influencetheir
products (Keegan and Rowley, 2017). Thus, it can affiliate as the key challenge for the
organization to develop unique campaigns for the organization which can be engaged with all
young travellers and other financially strong users of the organizations. Diversification strategy
gives huge contribution in achieving large competitive advantage within business market for the
organization.
Task 2
Critical assessment of digital presence
Digital marketing plays effective role in promoting products and services of the business
through different digital channels and internet. There are various channels, tools and platforms
for influencing organization’s products digitally which are described below:
YouTube promotion
In today’s world You Tube become one of the best leading sourcesor medium to
influenceorganization’s product and services. Organization can easily attract all financially
strong users all over the world through You Tube videos. However, Marriott also influence it’s
brand and products through YouTube channels. It has projected strategic alliance with different
channels of YouTube for promoting it’s brand and products. JacksGap is a YouTube channelof
the Marriott Hotel which is developed by Jackson Harris. It is key marketing and promotion

strategy or tactic which is influenced by others hotels and resorts as well. For example, Taj Hotel
London and other hotels uses this promotional strategyto influence it’s product and services on
the YouTube with the help of emerging you tubers. With the support of You Tube organization
can claim young travellers about it’s product quality and services which attracts them towards
company (Dadwal and Hassan, 2016). Generally, YouTube promotion gives extensive
opportunities to attract all financially strong people for purchasing organization’s services.
Social media advertisement
Social media has considered one of the most emerging strategy in influencing products
and services in the business market. All internet users are highly active on social media
application which offers wide scope in brand promotion over the social media. There are various
social media application i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat, Twitters and others are in fashion
or as new trendright now. However, social media is highlyengaged in products selling which has
analysed through statistics of social that gives huge contribution in online selling is around 25%,
Marriott Hotel also engage in influencing it’s brand value through social media applications.
Recently Marriott Hotel has involved in dealing with social media influencer “Snapisodes” for
influencing it’s products. It is an effective strategy to promote brand image of hotel across the
global. There is another hotel like Hilton are also made strategic alliancewith various social
media influencersto stimulate their brands image.
Promotion with Bloggers
Blogging is another new trend in influencing brand image over the internet. This strategy
allows organization to give different bloggers for shooting a video in the hotel to commercialize
it. It is new effective tool that looks like authentic as compared others and non-biased for all
customers or viewers. Recently Marriott Hotel is engaged with the strategic alliance through
social media influencer “Snapisodes” who shoots travelling videos. the4 social media influencer
shoots all the staying experience within room in the hotel to frame out all key features that
affiliated with Marriott Hotel. It is a new promotional tool that makes promotions more valuable
and authentic for the customer (Bowie and et.al., 2016). Other organizations like Haven Hotel
London also has influenced such brand promotional applications.

Brand awareness: Marriott can raise brand awareness in all peopleabout it’s new
hospitality services or discounts with the support of different marketing strategies. However,
brand awareness gives huge contribution in influencing the market presence of the organization.
Customer engagement: It is another strategy that helps organization to achieve all goal
which has projected by management. Generally, management of the Marriott Hotel always try to
increase customer engagement. However, all marketing campaigns of the Hotel are more
interactive with users about the products of company. Organization uses different tactics like
phone calls, text and others for improving customer engagement.
CRM: Marriott Hotel uses this strategy as well to influence customer experience with
hotel and improves quality of services within business. CRM act as a mediator between potential
customers and company and builds good relationship with them.
Content marketing: Organization also implement the practice of content marketing.
Organization influences marketing through different travel magazines and blogs to influence it’s
all services.
Email marketing: Marriott also follows this practice of email marketing to communicate
with potential customer directly. With the email marketing organization gives different attractive
offers to all potential customer so that they influence to buy company’s services.
From the above-mentioned points can be analysed that all key approaches support to
influencebrand and product in hospitality sector. There are above mentioned tools and tactics of
the brand promotion like search engine plays big role in brand promotion (Partington, 2016).
Marriott also offers ratting option to the customer on internet for attracting potential users
towards the brand. But in recent times hospitality industries also engage with negative
publicities. Organization follow all policiesassociated with public issues. It is another effective
strategy that supports organization to gain customer trust in the case of any controversial
consequence.

Task 3
Digital Marketing Plan of Marriott Hotel
Aim
 To increase the profitability of company by 30%.
Objectives
Specific: The objective behind the marketing campaign is specific in nature. Company is aiming to
target all young travellers, travellers, social media peoples and other potential customers of company.
Company is aiming to achieve the profitability enhancement of 30% with the support of this
marketing campaign of Marriott Hotel.
Measurable: The success of the marketing campaign is measurable. Increase in company’s sales
turnover can be measured by analysing the trading accounts of company. Increase in market share can
also access.
Achievable: The sales growth of 30% is achievable for the Marriott Hotel with the support of this
marketing campaign. Company has achieved the sales growth of 30% in earlier years as well (Yejas,
2016). The different marketing strategies like social media marketing, digital marketing and other
strategy will support company in achieving this sales growth in a year.
Realistic: The target to achieve the sales growth of 30% is realistic in nature. Company has done this
before as well. The target is realistic and company is capable to achieve this target with all the
different marketing strategies planned in this marketing campaign.
Time based: The target will be achieved in the nest one year.
Strategies
Digital marketing strategy
Marketing team of Marriott Hotel is aiming to target customers with the support of
promotional videos at YouTube. Company has formed a strategic partnership with emerging You
Tube start Jackson Harris who run a YouTube channel call JacksGap. He has almost more than 4
million subscribers over his You Tube Channel. With the support of promotions at his channel
company will be able to target young travellers and other travel enthusiasts to book the hotel (Larsson
and Viitaoja, 2017). In current business environment it becomes important for an organisation to
influence customer’s decisions making journey as they carry majority of options available in market.
It’s important for Marriott Hotel to attract customer’s decisions at the time of booking. This strategy
will allow company to attract the bookings of all the followers of JacksGap. This strategy will support
company in achieving its objectives behind the marketing campaign.
Social Media marketing strategy

Social media marketing strategy is also an essential part of digital marketing plan operate by
Marriott Hotel. Marketing team of Marriott Hotel has collaborated with Snap chat influencer Shaun
McBride and Casey Neistat for its digital marketing strategy. This strategy will support company to
target young travellers, story tellers, travellers and other key target customer base of company. Snap
chat is one of the biggest platforms all young people have been part of all across the globe. This
strategy will allow company to target all such potential customers of company. This strategy will
support company to target millennial for its further growth of sales turnover.
Search engine optimisation
Marketing team of Marriott Hotel has formed a strategy call search engine optimisation for its
upcoming marketing campaign. In this strategy company will influence the internet for its growth and
success. In this strategy company will improve its ratting at different travel websites and other
applications use by travellers (Sijia and Lei, 2020). Company will also improve the traffic on its
website. Google search will also be improved by upgrading the content available over internet in
respect to Marriott Hotel. In order to book the hotel al travellers and other potential customers of
Marriott Hotel go and scroll internet for the most affordable offers. This strategy will support
company in attracting all potential customers.
E mail marketing
Marketing team of Marriott Hotel will also use email marketing strategy. In this strategic tool
company will give attractive offers to all potential customers all across the globe. Company will also
target its existing customers for its marketing campaign use this strategy.
Marketing Tactics
Segmentation
The segmentation strategy of company will segment the potential customers of company on the base
of social class, lifestyle, income group, background, interest of peoples and other backgrounds like
demographics (Dibb and Simkin, 2016). For this marketing campaign company has already
segmented the potential customers like travellers, young travellers, social media enthusiast and other
key travelling enthusiast. With the support of all the customers segmented for this marketing
campaign marketing team will be able to achieve all its objectives behind the marketing campaign.
Targeting
The targeting strategy of company will include social media applications like Snap chat, Instagram,
Facebook and other social media tools. Company will also target customers over You Tube. This is an
effective targeting plan of company. You Tube is among the most used digital platform. Company
will also target the potential customers over different gaming applications like Teen Patti and other.

Internet ratings will also use to target customers.
Positioning
With the support of You Tube influencer and Snap Chat influencer company will position its
marketing activity. Company has also appointed digital marketing professionals who will support
marketing team of Marriott Hotel to position its marketing campaign. Company will use internet,
social media, digital channels, emails, radio and other key tactics to position its promotional
campaign.
Implementation
Implementation of the marketing campaign will be done with the support of proper communication
channels and digital marketing tools used by the marketing team of Marriott Hotel. Omni channel is
the best tool available for implementing the digital marketing campaigns planned by organisation.
Marketing team has set the monthly based sales target to implement the entire marketing campaign
(Gill and VanBoskirk, 2016). Different analytics will also use to monitor the success and failure of all
the different marketing strategies. On the basis of the usual traffics at different applications like You
Tube, Snap chat and other channels targets are segregated to achieve the overall objectives behind the
marketing campaign. A proper team of professionals is developed for this marketing campaign who
would keep their eyes over all the strategies and their success. Regular feedbacks will also taken for
customers to identify what are the driving factors behind the purchasing decision making of such
customers to assess about the impacts marketing strategies are making for the objectives of the
marketing campaign of Marriott Hotel.
Budget
Total budget of £ 500000 Pound that will involve strategies cost £ 250000 Pound, STP £
100000 Pound, Evaluation £ 150000 Pound.
Task 4
Methods of Monitoring, Measuring and Evaluating
Monitoring is all about analysing the success of different marketing strategies used by
company. Monitoring allows marketing team of company to make necessary changes in the
strategies to achieve the potential advantages of the ongoing marketing campaign of company.
Monitoring and measuring is the only approach that allows company to take the full advantages
of the marketing activities planned to enhance the growth of organisation.

Methods of Monitoring
Set objectives:This is the first step involve in monitoring the digital marketing plan of Marriott
hotel by setting up the proper objectives for its marketing activity (Chanavat, Desbordes and
Lorgnier, 2017). Setting up objectives for the marketing campaign allows company to provide
the strategic direction to its marketing campaign.
Identify target segment:Identifying target segment is also very necessary tool for hotel to
monitor its digital marketing campaign. Identification of target segment will allow company to
monitor the campaign in limited time frame.
Implement KPI (Key Performance Indicator):Implementing key performance indicator(KPI)
is the best way to monitor company’s digital marketing campaign. Key performance indicator
allows company to measure outcomes of all strategies applied for its marketing campaign at
individual level. Company must set all the performance indicator to monitor the marketing
campaign. Key performance indicator must be total views over the marketing videos, total
feedbacks given by customers and other such factors that can support the impacts generated by
marketing strategies used by company.
Methods of Measuring
Total You Tube Views:Total number of views over the You Tube video will be an effective
technique to monitor the success of marketing strategies run by company. Marketing team of
Marriott Hotel has framed collaborations with the You Tube influencer Jackson in respect to its
marketing campaign (Deepak and Jeyakumar, 2019). Total number of views over the
promotional video run on his channel will provide an effective basis to company towards the
success and failure of the marketing strategy. Total number of views will be a key technique to
analyse and assess the impacts of marketing strategies.
Total site visits:Marketing team of hotel will also assess the total site visit for its marketing
strategies. Marketing team will analyse the increasing trend over the website visits of customers.
In case the company’s strategies are effective enough than it will attract more number of
customers over company’s website to book the rooms and other services cater by hotel. Site visit
will provide the exact figures in respect to company’s marketing strategy. In case the company is

able to attract customers with the support of its marketing strategies this will impact over the
increasing trend in total site visit of customers.
Feedback forms: Company will also take feedbacks from every customers book the hotel. This
feedback from will involve the key source behind the bookings. Marketing team will analyse this
feedback form filled by customers to asses weather the digital marketing and social media
marketing strategies are working or not (Rowley, 2016). In case the strategies are effective it will
attract customers towards the booking of company’s services and rooms. This is also an
important performance indicator company can use to assess the impacts of marketing campaigns
of company.
Online booking sites:There are so many different sites are available in market, like; Expedia,
Trip Advisor and otter sites who books stay in hotels. With the support of assessment over
bookings at these sites marketing team of Marriott Hotel will be able to assess the success or
failures of the marketing campaign of company.
All the above techniques will enable company to assess the impacts of different
marketing and promotional strategies run by company. All these tools will provide the exact
impacts marketing strategies of company will create.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that there is a need for the organization to get
involve in different digital marketing strategies like You Tube, social media and other effective
modern promotional tools. Social media and digital channels like YouTube have become more
profitable for companies as compare to other traditional models of marketing like radio,
televisions andother. Digital channels are becoming one of the major promotional techniques to
promote company’s products and services. With the support of number of views over
promotional videos, total site visits company can assess the success and failures of the marketing
strategies. Digital promotions also provide access of analysing the impacts over the company
sales. Company can also assess the sales growth to address the success and failures of the
marketing campaign run by company.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Punchihewa, D., Gunawardena, K. and Silva, D.A.C., 2017. Digital Marketing as a Strategy of
E-Governance in Sri Lanka: Case study of Sri Lankan Hospitality Industry.
HRISTOFOROVA, I.V and et.al., 2019. Improvement of Digital Technologies in Marketing
Communications of Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises. Journal of Environmental
Management and Tourism, 10(4), pp.829-834.
Leite, R.A. and Azevedo, A., 2017. The Role of Digital Marketing: A perspective from Porto
Hotels’ Managers. International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media,
(2).
Dadwal, S.S. and Hassan, A., 2016. The augmented reality marketing: A merger of marketing
and technology in tourism. In Mobile Computing and Wireless Networks: Concepts,
Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 63-80). IGI Global.
Keegan, B.J. and Rowley, J., 2017. Evaluation and decision making in social media
marketing. Management Decision.
Dadwal, S.S. and Hassan, A., 2016. The augmented reality marketing: A merger of marketing
and technology in tourism. In Mobile Computing and Wireless Networks: Concepts,
Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 63-80). IGI Global.
Bowie, Dand et.al., 2016. Hospitality marketing. Taylor & Francis.
Partington, S.N., 2016. Hospitality employment. The routledge handbook of hospitality studies,
p.207.
Matamoros-Fernández, A., 2017. Platformed racism: The mediation and circulation of an
Australian race-based controversy on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Information,
Communication & Society, 20(6), pp.930-946.
Yejas, D. A. A., 2016. Estrategias de marketing digital en la promoción de Marca
Ciudad. Revista Escuela de Administración de Negocios. (80). pp.59-72.
Larsson, A. and Viitaoja, Y., 2017. Building customer loyalty in digital banking. International
Journal of Bank Marketing.
Sijia, N. I. U. and Lei, S. H. E. N., 2020. Strategic analysis of marketing channels of clothing
brand under digital transformation. Wool Textile Journal. 48(4).

Dibb, S. and Simkin, L., 2016. Market segmentation and segment strategy. Marketing theory: A
student text. pp.251-279.
Gill, M. and VanBoskirk, S., 2016. The digital maturity model 4.0. Benchmarks: Digital
Transformation Playbook.
Chanavat, N., Desbordes, M. and Lorgnier, N. eds., 2017. Routledge handbook of football
marketing. Taylor & Francis.
Deepak, R. K. A. and Jeyakumar, S., 2019. Marketing management. Educreation Publishing.
Rowley, J., 2016. Information marketing. Routledge.