Hotel Marketing Strategy Analysis

This assignment delves into the strategic marketing of hotels, specifically examining the promotional mix and its effectiveness. It utilizes various theoretical frameworks like value proposition design and construal-level theory to analyze how different promotion strategies can influence customer perception and brand equity in the hotel sector. The analysis draws upon real-world examples like The Beachfront Motel and relevant academic literature.

Running Head: MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 1
Marketing and Digital Communications:
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 2
Executive Summary
The word “promotion” describes the process establishing communication between customers and
organizations for creating positive attitudes about the products and services. Through this
process, the company encourages the people to buy its products. Promotional and
communication plan is an important plan of a company that is developed to attract the customers,
so that they can increase their sales and demands of products in market. The major objective of
this report is to develop a promotional and communication plan for the chosen organization, i.e.
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel. It is a well-established motel that is based in Australia and
offering quality accommodation services to the customers. For introducing its services among its
target audiences, the organization is adopting various promotional strategies, like; advertising,
sales promotion, personal selling etc. The organization is able to create value among customers
by offering quality services at affordable prices. Furthermore, this report includes the
promotional budgets for the company, which includes funds, invested on promotional strategies.
The company is successful in fulfilling the needs and demands of customers by offering effective
hospitality services.

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 3
Table of Contents
Background......................................................................................................................................4
Aim...............................................................................................................................................4
Product Description......................................................................................................................4
Target Market...............................................................................................................................4
Comparison of position to Competitors.......................................................................................5
Justification for better value.........................................................................................................5
Research Methods............................................................................................................................5
Current Value Analysis....................................................................................................................7
Customer’s Supposed Value and Competitor analysis................................................................7
Current Value Position of Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel............................................................8
Marketing Promotion Plan...............................................................................................................8
Goals of Communication Mix Elements......................................................................................9
Personal Selling........................................................................................................................9
Sales Promotion........................................................................................................................9
Advertising.............................................................................................................................10
Direct Marketing....................................................................................................................11
Promotional Budget...................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 4
Background
Aim
The major aim of this paper is to prepare marketing and promotional plan by incorporating
different promotional strategies, so that Apollo Beachfront Motel can generate value for its
services.
Product Description
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel is a well-established motel that offers comfortable and affordable
accommodation to its customers. It is situated at 163 Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay, Victoria in
Australia. At this motel, every effort is developed to make the customers feel relaxed and
comfortable (Beachfront Motel, 2017). To attract a large population, this hotel offers best
amenities and hospitality services. Top specifications of this motel include precise and well-
managed check-in and check-out process, free Wi-Fi in rooms, parking area and Wi-Fi in
community area. This motel has attained various awards by serving the entertainment and
hospitality requirements of people. Specifically, this organization is offering the different
opportunities to its customers by providing options within lodging, food and experiencing best
facilities (Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel, 2017). This report primarily discusses about the
discounts, offers and other profitable schemes, given by the organization to its guests. Company
is facing intense competition from several players, i.e. Lord Ard Motor Inn, Cumberland Lorne
Resort, Mantra Lorne and Coastal Motel.
Target Market
For introducing its hospitality and accommodation services with new offers and discounts, the
company is targeting its customers considering different variables of market segmentation. It is
emphasizing on enticing the tourists towards its services. The target audiences for Apollo Bay
Beachfront Motel are couples, young generation, and leisure travellers and people from middle
income level. It is focusing on attracting the target audiences by offering three categories of
rooms according to their budget and spending (Galičić, & Laškarin, 2014). By targeting these
customers, the organization will be able to produce higher revenues. It considers the affordability
of guests, while serving to their demands.

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 5
Comparison of position to Competitors
However, the company is confronting competition from some leading players in Australian
hospitality industry, i.e. Lord Ard Motor Inn, Cumberland Lorne Resort, Mantra Lorne and
Coastal Motel. But this motel has achieved 4.5 rating out of 5 that indicates the popularity and
service encounter of the organization. The major reason behind this is its luxurious services and
rooms with the attractive and modern amenities.
Justification for better value
The foremost reason behind better value is enhancing the customer base for hospitality business
of Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel (Karppinen, 2011). The marketers can extend its target market
by focusing on the business travellers and bachelors, who stay at motel for the purpose of
holidays or education. By launching the services and room facilities at comparatively lower
prices will entice people from middle and lower classes.
Research Methods
To gather and analyze the information regarding target customers, both primary and secondary
sources of data will be chosen. There will be use of an effective method that can help a
researcher for assuming results of research. The researcher will ensure that sources are valid and
reliable for collecting the information for understanding the target market and customer value.
This part of this report will emphasize on collecting the information regarding marketing and
advertising of Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel for gaining full customer satisfaction. The data and
information regarding the company’s strategic position can be collected from the annual reports,
websites and ads. The assistance can be taken from some government websites that can provide
the information about the customer response and abilities towards hotel and motel services. Use
of customer feedbacks, surveys and reviews from firm’s websites and travel agencies will widen
the perspective of management to understand the significant ways for producing higher revenues
and profits. The government sites will be the best and most reliable source for collecting the
insight about the purchasing power of target audiences (Chandy, 2014).

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 6
Apart from above methods, STP framework is also an effective way to collect the data regarding
target market. The companies use different variables and approaches of market segmentation for
understanding the target market characteristics. Using value position framework will help in
knowing about company’s value in mindset of customers and compare that value to the
competitors’ value. Segmentation, targeting and positioning are the approaches for recognizing
and determining the target audiences (Huang, & Sarigöllü, 2014).
A company uses different characteristics, like psychographic, demographic, geographic and
behavioral. When the company will collect the data, it will consider the reliability, validity and

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 7
authenticity of the data sources (Killian & Mcmanus, 2015). It will make the use of legal and
ethical considerations while communicating its brand message with target customers.
Current Value Analysis
Customer’s Supposed Value and Competitor analysis
The value, perceived by customers is directly related to the quality of products and services
offered by organization. Apollo bay Beachfront Motel is offering best hospitality services on
affordable prices. The primary target market of the organization is the travellers and visitors,
who are reaching Victoria from different locations of Australia and world and spend some time
with their loved ones. For enhancing and developing its value, company has improves its
services as per the demands of customers (Boksberger, & Melsen, 2011). This motel offers three
categories of rooms, like; queen rooms, twin rooms and superior queen rooms. These rooms are
categorized according to the amenities and affordability of the guests. All of these rooms are
arranged by using modern and attractive appliances and furniture.
About the services of Beachfront Motel, the customers perceive that services at the motel are
very much satisfactory. Each and every room provides modern features and facilities, like; free
Wi-Fi, LCD TV, air conditioner, heater etc. In addition to this, there is the availability of bar
fridge and other related facilities. The prices of motel rooms are affordable and set according to
the customer spending and budget. The employees at motel are well-trained and customer
friendly and they are always available to assist the guests regarding their needs and demands.
The prices of its services are affordable and lower than other motels, which are situated on
beachfront in Australia.
There are so many competitors of this beachfront motel, such as; Lord Ard Motor Inn,
Cumberland Lorne Resort, Mantra Lorne and Coastal Motel. These players are posing threat on
the company by offering similar services to the people. Cumberland Lorna Resort is one of the
biggest competitors of this beachfront motel (Hassan, 2012). It is providing effective
accommodation and hospitality services to the customers. The range of rooms is very wide at this
hotel group. It offers the rooms for a single person and also for more than 5 guests. The
competitors of these beachfront motels are using effective promotional and advertising strategies

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 8
and tactics to attract people towards their hospitality services. It has received the ranting between
4 and 5 and posing competition on Apollo Bay Beachfront motel.
Current Value Position of Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel has a better strategic position than its other competitors. It has
placed itself as a world class luxury motel at affordable prices. It offers rooms in different
categories, so it can target the people from different income levels. By doing this, the
organization is creating its value among the customers and competitors. Primarily, it has
positioned itself in an attractive way, so that it can entice the young generation, couples and
leisure travellers (Beachfrontmotel.com.au, 2017).
This motel is able to gain more competitive advantage in Australian hospitality industry. The
services of this motel offers different values to its customers, like; economic value, emotional
value, functional value etc. This is the reason that customers are satisfied with hospitality
services of Apollo Beachfront Motel. The rating given by customers and travel agencies shows
that organization is experiencing a significant growth and increased demand in the Australian
and global market. It is successful in fulfilling the needs and demands of customers by offering
quality hospitality services (Osterwalder, Pigneur, Bernarda, & Smith, 2014).
Value
Analysis
Emotional
Value
Economic
Value
End Value
Functional
Value
Symbolic
Value

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 9
Marketing Promotion Plan
Digital and marketing communication plan of an organization is an important part of its strategic
marketing plan, which incorporates all marketing and promotional strategies for introducing new
products and services in the marketplace. There are different components of marketing mix, such
as; product, price, place, promotion, people, processes and physical environment. A company
develops its promotional plan under promotion mix part, which includes various strategies and
promotional techniques. The main objective of the company is to share the brand message to the
target customers and entice them towards their services (Gurol, & Bilen, 2015). Apollo Bay
Motel will adopt several marketing techniques, such as; personal selling, sales promotion, direct
marketing and advertising. The organization is implementing each and every communication mix
element with different objectives and goals, which are given below;
Goals of Communication Mix Elements
Every firm selects some communication mix components for contacting its audiences. It adopts
these techniques with different goals, like; brand awareness, brand loyalty, market share etc.
Through these techniques, Apollo Bay wants to entice the people towards its hospitality services
and to focus on brand message, which it requires to communicate to the population (Kim, Kim,
Kim & Magnini, 2016). The advertising and communication strategies and their goals, which are
used by Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel, are stated below;
Personal Selling
This is the type of promotional techniques, under which a company utilizes its human resources
to offer the services by having face to face contact with customers. In the case of hospitality and
tourism sector, the opportunity for this technique is restricted because most of the people think to
arrange their hotel booking in advance. Online and advanced booking is the major reason in this
industry that makes it needless for Apollo bay Motel to adopt personal selling. This organization
can use its personal selling technique, while guests stay in their rooms. The staff at motel should
be professional and customer friendly, so that they can fulfill the needs and demands of guests at
their stay. At this motel, it can be useful because this has the capacity to provide the people a
deep knowledge about the services, which are offered by this Beachfront motel. Using this

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 10
technique, the motel can increase its brand value among customers (Beachfrontmotel.com.au,
2017).
Sales Promotion
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel can also adopt sales promotion technique for motivating the
people to access their hospitality services. The major goal under this technique will be to
increase the demands of its services among a large population. This is the best way for attracting
the target audiences by giving them a significant discount and offers on their real booking
amount (Assaf, Josiassen, Mattila, & Cvelbar, 2015). Primarily, the organization can use sales
promotion technique in lean season, when the guest arrival is comparatively low. It can increase
its customer base by offering hotel services cheaper than its other competitors in the Australian
hospitality industry. It will assist the organization in gaining more competitive advantage over its
competitors. By providing discounts, offers and complementary services, Beachfront Motel can
increase number of customers and brand presence all over the world (Pacheco & Rahman, 2015).
Advertising
When an organization develops its marketing and promotional plan, it makes a major emphasis
on advertising process and its methods. This method includes different modes, which make it
easier to approach a large population in a small timeframe. Under advertising process, Apollo
Bay Beachfront Motel can use different activities, through which it can communicate its message
and ideas to the people (Rendon, Martinez, & Flores, 2014). Primarily, this Beachfront Motel is
partnering with different digital ads and advertising agencies, which can promote the hospitality
services of motel. The firm is using different media, like; print media, digital media and
traditional media, which are given below;
Traditional and broadcasting Media
Under advertising strategies traditional media is one of the most important methods, which can
be used by the Beachfront motel to communicate its marketing message to the target audiences.
In this, organization can promote its services using different platforms, like; Television and
radio. The customers, who are not active on internet and social media sites, they can be
approached using this method. It can give its advertisements on TV in an attractive way and
mention about the facilities and amenities, offered by Beachfront Motel (Sedaghat, Sedaghat, &
Moakher, 2012).

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 11
Print Media
Print media is another important way for promoting the services to the customers. It can assist
the Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel in increasing its brand presence. The organization can attract
the people towards its hospitality services using print media, like; newspaper, posters, magazines
and billboards. It can give the advertisement in the papers, which are most circulated on
domestic and international level. By using this mode, the organization will be able to approach a
large number of customers, as newspapers are read by most of the people and females also. The
discounts and offers of the company can be displayed in an attractive way (Shimp & Shimp
2017).
Online Media
In addition to print and traditional media, Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel can adopt online media
as the most effective way for promoting its services. Under this, it will emphasize promoting the
services on social media sites, because most of the population is using internet and these sites.
Through these modes, Beachfront Motel can communicate their offers and discount to the
customers easily. There are some social media networking sites, which are very popular and
actively used, like; Facebook, Twitter, Youtube etc. This organization can create a Facebook
page with the name of motel and post the pictures and video on it. It can post about the services
and amenities, which are offered by the motel (The Beachfront Motel, 2017). By the use of this
mode of promotion, motel can understand the feedbacks of people towards its hospitality
services.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is also an important type of promotional mix element that presents the brand
message about the organization’s services to the target customers without using its human
resources. Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel can develop directing marketing by the use of different
platforms, like; e-mails, text messages, newsletters, catalog, brochures etc. The motel can issues
its own documents, which give the information about its services. It will support this motel in
establishing brand loyalty and brand reputation in Australia (Rendon, Martinez, & Flores, 2014).
It is the most cost effective method for promoting and marketing the hospitality services.

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 12
Promotional Budget
For forecasting and managing the investment for all the activities of promotion, the Apollo
Beachfront Motel will develop a promotional budget (Mills, 2015). This budget will include all
the expenses, related to advertising and promotional activities. Promotional budget for
Beachfront Hotel is given below;
Promotional Budget (Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel)
Promotion Tools Amount
(in $)
Social/Digital Media Marketing
1. Facebook $4,500
2. Twitter $3,000
3. Youtube $5,500
Total Social Media $13,000
E-mail Marketing $16,000
Online Display ads $5,500
Other Online promotional Campaigns $24,000
Total Budget for Online Media $58,500
Print Media
1. Newspaper $14,000
2. Magazine $22,000
Total Print Media $36,000
Traditional and Broadcasting Media
1. TV Channels $60,000
2. Hoardings $25,000
Total $85,000
Personal Selling $7,000
Sales Promotion $3,000
Direct Marketing $2,700
Total Required Budget for Promotion $192,200
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that it is very necessary for organization to
formulate marketing and communication plan, so that it can approach and attract its target

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 13
audiences. The promotional and advertising services, which are used by the organization, have
assisted it in attaining success in hospitality industry. The competitors and customer value
analysis indicates that company has tough competition in Australian Hospitality industry. Apollo
Bay Beachfront Motel is offering quality services on affordable prices. This is the major reason
that people are getting attracted towards its services. Thus, organization is successful in the
Australian hospitality industry.

MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 14
References
Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel. (2017). Best Price on Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel. Retrieved
from https://www.agoda.com/apollo-bay-beachfront-motel/hotel/great-ocean-road-
apollo-bay-au.html?cid=-145. (Accessed on 19 January 2018).
Assaf, A. G., Josiassen, A., Mattila, A. S., & Cvelbar, L. K. (2015). Does advertising spending
improve sales performance?. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 48, 161-
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Beachfront Motel. (2017). Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel. Retrieved from
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2018).
Beachfrontmotel.com.au. (2017). Beachfront Motel. Retrieved 19 January 2017, from
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Value Delivered by Firms – A Study of Customer Perspectives on Supermarkets in
Southampton in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Marketing Studies. Vol. 4,
No. 3.

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Huang, R., & Sarigöllü, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand
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