Evaluation of Marketing Channels and Integrated Marketing Communication Plan in Hospitality Industry

This report evaluates different types of marketing channels used in the hospitality industry and how they serve communication objectives. It also critically evaluates an integrated marketing communication plan for a specific hospitality company. The advantages and disadvantages of the plan are discussed.

Integrated
Hospitality
Marketing
communications

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Evaluation of different types of marketing channels and the ways they serve
communication objectives in hospitality organisation................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
Covered in PPT............................................................................................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................3
Covered in PPT............................................................................................................................3
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................3
P5. Critical evaluation of integrated marketing communication plan.........................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry is categorisation of meadow in service segment which comprises of
cruise line, accommodation, transportation, lodging and other areas within tourism industry.
Integrated marketing communication refers to utilisation of diverse marketing strategies for the
purpose of optimising communication of steady message of organisational brand to all its
stakeholders. It needs employees in marketing department to recognise boundaries within
promotional mix elements along with consideration of effectiveness of message. To understand
about integrated hospitality marketing communication, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort is
considered. It features luxury spa addition to award winning restaurant having headquarters in
Ballymena, UK (Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, 2020). The resort is committed towards searching
ways for making effective contribution to society as well as major ways through which it can
work with societies, clubs together with local charities to have positive influences in community.
The report discusses about different marketing channels that are used by Hospitality Company
and the ways they serve communication objectives. It also involves evaluation of integrated
marketing communication plan involving strategies of communication, creative content addition
to channel choice as per hospitality case study.
TASK 1
P1. Evaluation of different types of marketing channels and the ways they serve communication
objectives in hospitality organisation
In hospitality industry, marketing channels plays essential role in promoting a brand
(Balmer, 2017). Marketing channels are crucial systems which ensure to distribute merchandise
of organisation to end users or consumers via passing information with the help of middlemen or
intermediaries. Hospitality organisation uses marketing communication for conveying messages
in creative addition to unique manner to their current and prospective audience about products
and services which they offers. According to case study, it has been identified that managers of
resort makes considerable changes in their marketing channels for communicating with
customers and enhances their awareness for its tourism services. In context to Galgorm Spa &
Golf Resort, various kinds of marketing channels are used for creating brand awareness,
improving communication with clients and audiences, enlightening investor community,
expressing competitive advantages, attracting talents, boosting profits, fostering goodwill etc. As
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per case study, success of communication objectives is based in attracting, serving and meeting
expectations of public for particular product or service. In context to Galgorm Spa & Golf
Resort, traditional marketing channels used and their servings to communication objectives are
as underneath:
Television: It is one of traditional channel of marketing in which main communication
objective is to attract large population and generating awareness among them for the brand and
its products (Daems, De Pelsmacker and Moons, 2019). It assist hospitality organisation to create
attractive video containing information about the resort, its services and additional facilities.
Earlier, marketers of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort used the television as marketing
communication which helped them in attaining communication objective of increasing
consciousness about the resort among large population through playing its video on all
televisions channels.
Banner ads: It is another marketing channel that hospitality organisation used as
marketing channel. It is utilisation of rectangular graphic display which stretched across the top
and bottom of any website or other media property (Fernandes and Fernandes, 2018). It is type of
inline advertising resource which construct and displays particular advertisement on user’s site
when clicked. In relevance to Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, banner ads covered offerings specific
prices along with areas of diverse services in tourism field. By using banner ads, managers of
resort achieved success in communication objective of increasing viewers and customers of
entity. Moreover, it served in attaining communication objective by influencing users to click on
website and visiting it that enhances number of viewers on its online website.
E-mail marketing: It is direct digital marketing channel that is widely used by
hospitality companies in present scenario (Hudson and Hudson, 2017). The objective of the
channel is to build customer loyalty, converting customers into clients and solving customers
queries effectively. As per the case study, resort managers have direct contact with online
marketing provider which does not act as vendor but works to meet business communication
objectives. Marketers of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort used the marketing channel and attained
success in achieving objective of communication that is building customer loyalty through
answering all messages of customers, solving their queries and also sending them attractive
brochures which makes customer loyal to company and enhances its customer base.
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Through mentioned marketing channel, managers of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort
effectively achieved communication objectives through devising attractive advertisement and
displaying them of different mediums that generate brand awareness, build customer loyalty and
networks with widely situated people.
TASK 2
Covered in PPT
TASK 3
Covered in PPT
TASK 4
P5. Critical evaluation of integrated marketing communication plan
Integrated marketing communication plan is an approach for making promotion of
message via multiple strategies which perform together as well as reinforces one another. It
brings distinct components of marketing plan together that are used as blueprint or as guide in
execution stage of plan (Jauhari, 2017). Moreover, the plan uses similar thematic messages for
distinct promotions as well as leverages endorsement sources to potential customers for
purchasing offerings. In case with Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, there are various benefits which
the plan provides in context to channel choice, creativity content as well as communication
strategy. Critical evaluation of the integrated marketing communication plan for Galgorm Spa &
Golf Resort is as follows:
Advantages of integrated marketing communication plan for Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort
According to King and Lee (2016), it has been evaluated that integrated marketing
communication plan scores than traditional marketing ways as it emphasis on proper selection of
communication channel, devising creative content and effective channel choice. It enhances
brand visibility as well as enables audiences to remember the company at the time they plan for
vacation or shopping. Following are the advantages or benefits of the case study or integrated
marketing communication plan for the resort:
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 Creative consistency throughout communication channels: Through integrated
marketing communication plan, hospitality business gains effectiveness from distinct
communication channels via specific creative treatment (Lee and Cavanaugh, 2016).
Using the communication channels in consistent manner helps marketers of Galgorm Spa
& Golf Resort to ensure that customers along with prospects receive messages at the time
they are delivered by entity. Moreover, creative consistency also reinforces devising
creative content that build awareness and promote the brand effectively in market.
 Aligning customer preferences: Integrated marketing communication plan helps
hospitality entity to provide customers with all information kinds through channel
choices and strategies including social media platform, e-mail marketing, banner ads etc.
It ensures potential and prospective population receives same information via creative
content in all communication mediums (Pato and Kastenholz, 2017). This helps Galgorm
Spa & Golf Resort in meeting preferences and choices of travellers who searches Internet
for the purpose of product information through integrating organisational website design
along with content within communication.
 Creating greater marketing accountability: Integrated marketing communication plan
integrates all the aspects related to communication strategies, creative content etc in order
to create greater promotional accountability in industry. In case with Galgorm Spa &
Golf Resort, the marketers integrates the selected strategies, choices of channels etc for
promoting offerings of the resort and offers effective discounts to them which create
marketing accountability at great extent.
Disadvantages of integrated marketing communication plan for Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort
As per the views of Pöyry, Parvinen and McFarland (2017), it is critically evaluated that
integrated marketing communication plan has some limitations that restricts the resort to gain
success in communication strategy, creative content and channel choices. Some are as follows in
association to Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort:
 Challenging measurements: As integrated marketing communication plan comprises of
various workings in which marketers perform across diverse communication strategy,
eye-catching creative content and diverse channel choices with a mega campaign, success
measurement along with data points that is challenging to consider (Yoon and Chen,
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2017). In case with Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, measuring the results and recognising
aspects of attained successes via channel choices and many more is challenging.
 Complexities of tools: Measuring and evaluating entire integrated marketing
communication plan along with operations is done through various tools which are
complex in nature (Saleem, Yaseen and Wasaya, 2018). Using tools for measuring
effectiveness of communication strategy and channel choice involves huge complexities
for managers of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort that restricts attaining success of the plan
and other organisational objectives.
According to the case study, it is very crucial for Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort to develop
effective program through consultation with event manager in order to celebrate anniversaries,
birthdays etc which attract more customers and create entertaining environment for
accommodating guests (Sotiriadis, 2017). The managers of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort publish
advertisement for grabbing attention of audiences to spend quality timings at the place and enjoy
its unique services. Moreover, it is also evaluated that the plan is evaluated by the administrators
of company through ways or methods, for example, customer relationship management, cost per
lead, incremental sales, return on investment etc. these all assist in achieving set communication
objectives along with business objectives in hospitality sector.
CONCLUSION
The above report concludes those marketing channels are key for an organisation to
promote the brand in competitive world. In an industry, there are some producers who sell their
commodities to final users directly. While most producers uses intermediaries with the hope of
commercialising products to market. For this, marketing channels are forge for making
organisational offerings available for indirect or direct use by consumers as well as business
users. The major marketing channels used are banner ads, e-mail marketing and television that
assist the entity to achieve communication objectives of organisation. They serves key working
in accomplishing communication objectives including stimulating demand, building awareness,
creating interest and enhancing customer base. Integrated marketing communication plan
amalgamates marketing mix elements for promoting offerings of company in market. There are
diverse methods, channels, strategies, content creativity etc are put together with the aim of
promoting brand for maximum effectiveness together with better results. The advantages of the
plan include creative consistency during communication channels, aligning customer preferences
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and creating greater marketing accountability. The disadvantages of the plan are challenging
measurement and complexities of tools.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Balmer, J. M. ed., 2017. Foundations of corporate heritage. Taylor & Francis.\
Daems, K., De Pelsmacker, P. and Moons, I., 2019. Advertisers’ perceptions regarding the
ethical appropriateness of new advertising formats aimed at minors. Journal of
Marketing Communications. 25 (4). pp.438-456.
Fernandes, T. and Fernandes, F., 2018. Sharing dissatisfaction online: analyzing the nature and
predictors of hotel guests negative reviews. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management. 27 (2). pp.127-150.
Hudson, S. and Hudson, L., 2017. Marketing for tourism, hospitality & events: a global & digital
approach. Sage.
Jauhari, V. ed., 2017. Hospitality marketing and consumer behavior: Creating memorable
experiences. CRC Press.
King, C. and Lee, H., 2016. Enhancing internal communication to build social capital amongst
hospitality employees–the role of social media. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management.
Lee, J. W. and Cavanaugh, T., 2016. Building your brand: The integration of infographic resume
as student self-analysis tools and self-branding resources. Journal of Hospitality,
Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education. 18. pp.61-68.
Pato, L. and Kastenholz, E., 2017. Marketing of rural tourism–a study based on rural tourism
lodgings in Portugal. Journal of Place Management and Development.
Pöyry, E., Parvinen, P. and McFarland, R. G., 2017. Generating leads with sequential persuasion:
should sales influence tactics be consistent or complementary?. Journal of Personal
Selling & Sales Management. 37 (2). pp.89-99.
Saleem, M. A., Yaseen, A. and Wasaya, A., 2018. Drivers of customer loyalty and word of
mouth intentions: moderating role of interactional justice. Journal of Hospitality
Marketing & Management. 27 (8). pp.877-904.
Sotiriadis, M. D., 2017. Sharing tourism experiences in social media. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Yoon, D. and Chen, R. J., 2017. A green shadow: the influence of hotel customers'
environmental knowledge and concern on green marketing skepticism and behavioral
intentions. Tourism Analysis. 22 (3). pp.281-293.
Online:
Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort. 2020. [Online]. Available through: < https://www.galgorm.com/>
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