Evaluation of Marketing Channels and IMC Plan in Hospitality Marketing

This report evaluates different marketing channels and the importance of an integrated marketing communications plan in the hospitality industry. It discusses the evaluation of marketing channels for Diamond Resorts, including traditional marketing channels, digital marketing channels, social media channels, online advertisements, and online review websites. The report also explores the critical evaluation of an integrated marketing communications plan, including steps such as identifying the target audience, situational analysis, determining marketing communication objectives, budgeting, developing strategies and tactics, and evaluating and measuring results. The case study focuses on Diamond Resorts, a resort based in the UK.

Integrated
Hospitality
Marketing
Communication
s

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
P1: Evaluation of marketing channels......................................................................................................3
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................................5
P5: Critical evaluation of IMC plan...........................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality Marketing refers to use of different types of marketing strategies in the
hospitality industry so as to get more customers and clients and to ensure achievement of
different types of goals and objectives and to ensure maximization of profits in the long-run
(Baker and Magnini, 2016). This will ensure that the hospitality organization achieves long-term
strategic advantage in the future time period and makes sure that it achieves higher market share.
For this report, Diamond Resorts has been chosen which is a resort based in U.K. In this
assignment, detailed analysis will be made on evaluation of different types of marketing channels
and demonstration of ability of critical evaluation of hospitality case study will be discussed.
Also, devising of communication objectives and justification of proper channel selection and
integration and designing and producing of content appropriate to channel and communication
objectives will be discussed as a part of this project.
TASK 1
P1: Evaluation of marketing channels
There are different types of marketing channels which can be used by the hospitality
organizations. They can be used by them so as to achieve their desired goals as well as objectives
in the future time period without problems and issues. The marketing channels which can be
used by Diamond Resorts are as follows-
 Traditional marketing channels- Traditional marketing channels help the organizations
as they are useful in connecting with different types of customers (Camilleri, 2018). They
can be used by Diamond Resorts so as to connect with its different types of customers as
well as clients. These channels are also used by Island Beach Resort as reflected in the
case study and thus the managers of Diamond Resorts can learn by taking its example
and can improve the overall efficiency as well as effectiveness. This will help it in
obtaining a strategic and competitive edge and increasing its business turnover.
Ultimately this will help in increasing the level of profits and achievement of the desired
goals as well as objectives in the short-run and long-run.
Achievement of objectives- Use of these channels can be helpful for the organizations
like Diamond Resorts so as to attain their communication objectives as communication
can be facilitated with the customers who do not have access to digital mediums. They
are required to be used as they have their own importance in having a mass reach and
targeting a wide variety of customers as well as clients.
 Digital marketing channels- Digital marketing channels can help the organizations
because these will make sure that connection can be made with those customers and
clients who use digital mediums. This thus helps in better communication with them.

These channels can be used by Diamond Resorts so that they are able to attain a strategic
edge in the market and they can use the example of Island Beach Resort in this regard as
reflected in the case study. The use of these channels is recommended as digital
marketing is in trend nowadays and to attract the younger customers and clients it is
recommended to use it so that they can be attracted towards the business and thus the
revenues and level of profits can be increased effectively and efficiently.
Achievement of objectives- Use of these channels is quite helpful for the organizations
like Diamond Resorts because it helps them in communicating in a better way and
achieving their marketing objectives. They can be used in the right manner by making
sure that the digital marketing tools and techniques are used properly.
 Social Media Channels- Social Media Channels can be very helpful for the
organizations because social media has assumed much importance nowadays
(Dewnarain, Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2019). Thus this can help the managers of
Diamond Resorts as this will make sure that they are able to attain their goals as well as
objectives and they can make use of example of Island Beach Resort as reflected in the
case study. Facebook, Twitter etc. can be used by the firms so that they can do marketing
of their products or services offered and the customers and clients can be targeted on the
basis of their various types of preferences.
Achievement of objectives- Use of these channels will make sure that the organizations
are able to use social media effectively for communicating with the customers and
achieving their objectives. With the use of these channels the firms can make sure that
they are able to target the customers on the basis of their choices and preferences and thus
higher level of profits can be earned effectively and efficiently.
 Online Advertisements- Online Advertisements are in use nowadays. These are used by
the companies so that they can use popular websites to attract the attention of the
customers and clients and therefore increase their level of revenues and profits (Ieong and
Lam, 2016). The managers of Diamond Resorts can use them and can learn from the
example of Island Beach Resort in the case study. The use of online advertisements can
help the organizations a lot in showcasing their products and services without having to
pay a heavy cost and thus this will make sure that they are able to get ahead of the
competitors and maximize their level of profits.
Achievement of objectives- Use of these advertisements can make sure that the
organization is able to communicate in a better way with its customers and clients. In this
way the managers can make sure that they are able to achieve the desired goals as well as
objectives without facing issues and problems.
 Online Review Websites- Online Review Websites can be used by the organizations so
that they are able to attract the attention of the customers and clients through their

positive reviews. These can be used effectively by Diamond Resorts by using the
example of Island Beach Resort in the case study. If the managers obtain a positive
review and feedback then this will help them in increasing their business and maximizing
the level of profits.
Achievement of objectives- These websites help the organizations in achieving their
communication objectives as through them they can easily communicate with the
customers without problems and issues. Positive reviews and feedback will help the
managers to connect with various satisfied customers and clients who can give their
references to be used for increasing the business.
TASK 4
P5: Critical evaluation of IMC plan
Integrated Marketing Communications i.e. IMC is a concept. In this concept, careful
integration and coordination of various communication channels is done by the organizations so
that a clear message can be delivered to the customers and clients. Through it, consistency of
message and complimentary use of media can be ensured (Integrated Marketing
Communication- Meaning, Tools and Examples, 2019).
There are various steps which are used in the creation of an IMC Plan. These steps are
explained as follows-
 Identification of target audience- It is very important for the organizations to determine
their target audience. In this way, they can make sure that they develop a correct plan to
target the required audience and increase their overall revenues and profits without
problems and issues (Keller, 2016). In the context of Diamond Resorts it is highly
important because it has to oversee how Island Beach Resort has used the IMC plan to
identify the target audience and make effective plans for them for the purpose of
achievement of desired goals and objectives. Thus in this way the desired level of
efficiency as well as effectiveness can be brought in the marketing operations by the
managers without problems and issues.
 Situational analysis- It refers to performing a thorough analysis of the situation and then
taking the desired and necessary action according to the situation (Naumovska and
Blazeska, 2016). This helps in taking the right decisions which can be quite beneficial for
the organization. In the context of Diamond Resorts, this analysis can be very helpful
because it can help the managers in making sure that they can identify the situation which
is prevailing in the market and then take the right and necessary action so as to ensure
that goals and objectives can be achieved without problems and issues. Thus the
managers of the resort can learn from the example of Island Beach Resort and how it
used the IMC plan in the right manner to perform situational analysis so as to achieve its

desired marketing goals and objectives and to attain a strategic edge over the competitors
in a sector which has a high-level of competition between organizations.
 Determination of marketing communication objectives- It is important for the
organizations to determine their marketing communication objectives (Seric, Saura and
Mikulic, 2016). This will help them in connecting in a better way with the customers. For
Diamond Resorts, this can be very helpful because this will make sure that it sets the
right marketing communication objectives and is able to reach the customers as well as
clients. It can learn from the example of Island Beach Resort and how its managers used
the IMC Plan in the right manner to determine the marketing communication objectives
achieve their desired goals as well as objectives.
 Determination of budget- For the organizations, it is crucial that they are able to
determine the budget for their marketing communication objectives. Preparation of a
budget is very crucial for them because it helps them a lot in making sure that their
expenses are in check and thus the right forecasts are made accurately using different
types of techniques as well as methods. The managers of Diamond Resorts can learn
from the example of Island Beach Resort and the way it used the IMC plan to achieve its
desired goals and objectives by accurately forecasting the future requirements through the
preparation of a budget. This will lead towards the achievement of the goals and
objectives in the future time period without problems and issues as there will be no
problem related with allocation of various types of funds for marketing activities as and
when required according to the requirements of the market.
 Strategies and tactics- For the companies, it is important they are able to frame the right
strategies and tactics so as to ensure that they achieve higher sales to increase their
revenues and ultimately maximize the level of profits (Thaichon and Quach, 2016). In the
context of Diamond Resorts, it becomes highly important that its managers learn from the
example of Island Beach Resort and the strategies and tactics used by them to attain a
competitive edge over the various types of competitors in the market. Thus this will help
them a lot in attainment of the desired marketing goals as well as objectives in the future
time period.
 Evaluation and measurement- For the firms, it is essential that they are able to evaluate
and measure the results obtained (Valos and et.al., 2016). This can help them in finding
out different types of deviations and variances and thus the right rectifying steps can be
taken to achieve the desired goals and objectives. In the context of Diamond Resorts, it is
highly necessary that its managers are able to continuously evaluate and measure the
results to make the required improvements wherever necessary. The managers of
Diamond Resorts can learn from the example of Island Beach Resort and how it
evaluated and measured the performance to make the necessary improvements to obtain a
strategic and competitive edge. This will make sure that the desired goals and objectives
can be achieved without facing issues and problems in the future time period which will
lead to increase in the level of efficiency as well as effectiveness.

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that hospitality marketing has to be used in
the right manner so as to make sure that the desired goals and objectives can be achieved by the
management without problems and issues in the future time period. There are different types of
marketing channels which the firms can use for the achievement of their communication
objectives. Also, an IMC plan can be prepared so that the right marketing approach can be
adopted for obtaining a strategic and competitive edge over the various types of competitors
which exist in the market.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Baker, M. A. and Magnini, V. P., 2016. The evolution of services marketing, hospitality
marketing and building the constituency model for hospitality marketing. International Journal
of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Camilleri, M. A., 2018. Integrated marketing communications. In Travel marketing, tourism
economics and the airline product (pp. 85-103). Springer, Cham.
Dewnarain, S., Ramkissoon, H. and Mavondo, F., 2019. Social customer relationship
management: An integrated conceptual framework. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management. 28(2). pp.172-188.
Ieong, C. Y. and Lam, D., 2016. Role of internal marketing on employees’ perceived job
performance in an Asian integrated resort. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management. 25(5). pp.589-612.
Keller, K. L., 2016. Unlocking the power of integrated marketing communications: How
integrated is your IMC program?. Journal of Advertising. 45(3). pp.286-301.
Naumovska, L. and Blazeska, D., 2016. Public relation based model of integrated marketing
communications. UTMS Journal of Economics. 7(2). pp.175-186.
Seric, M., Saura, I. G. and Mikulic, J., 2016. EXPLORING INTEGRATED MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS, BRAND AWARENESS, AND BRAND IMAGE IN HOSPITALITY
MARKETING: A CROSS-CULTURAL APPROACH/ISTRAZIVANJE INTEGRIRANE
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Thaichon, P. and Quach, T. N., 2016. Integrated marketing communications and their effects on
customer switching intention. Journal of relationship marketing. 15(1-2). pp.1-16.
Valos, M. J. and et.al., 2016. Exploring the integration of social media within integrated
marketing communication frameworks. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
Online
Integrated Marketing Communication- Meaning, Tools and Examples. 2019. [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.feedough.com/integrated-marketing-communication-meaning-tools-
examples/>