Digital Marketing in Hotel Industry - PDF

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TO ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
DIGITAL MARKETING ON BOOSTING
THE SALES OF HOSPITALITY COMPANY:
CASE OF HILTON
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am so grateful to all those persons who have given me support, guidance as well as much
needed motivation so as to complete the current research study. Firstly, I owe my thanks to mentor
who gave me chance to undertake this dissertation. Furthermore, I am thankful to my team
members, family and friends who helped me in all possible accords. This led to successful
completion of dissertation and achievement of relevant results.
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ABSTRACT
In the current business scenario hospitality organizations are using different tools and techniques of
digital marketing for advertisement of products and services. These tools are effective for
international marketing as well as for attracting number of customers. Aim of the current study is to
assess the significance of digital marketing on boosting the sales of Hilton hotel which is one of the
leading hotel group of UK. For attaining this aim research has been focused on importance digital
marketing in marketing operations of hospitality firm. Along with this, determining reasons that
influence requirement of digital marketing in hospitality business was also one of the major
requirement for attaining aim of the research. Further focus has also been given on relationship
digital marketing operations and growth in sales of the company. Afterwards research has provided
appropriate suggestions to improve marketing of Hilton hotel. Researcher has used a very
systematic process for conducting whole investigation. Study has focused on primary as well as
secondary data collection methods for collecting facts and information about digital marketing and
sales of the organization. For analysing these information researcher has used quantitative and
statistical analysis methods such as frequency distribution, cross tabulation and chi square testing.
Findings of the research has concluded that digital marketing is important for advertisement and
marketing and promotion of products and services of Hilton hotel. Along with this, digital
marketing is significant for increasing customer’s awareness and sales of the company. Study has
also concluded that technology advancement, high use of internet by customers, competitor’s
strategy and requirement of global marketing and advertisement. Overall, findings have reflected
that digital marketing and sales have strong relationship with each other. So, different tools of
digital marketing are very significant for boosting sales of Hilton.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
chapter 1: Introduction.........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Title.............................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Introduction................................................................................................................................1
1.3 Project Rational..........................................................................................................................1
1.4 Aim and Objectives.....................................................................................................................2
1.5 Research Question......................................................................................................................2
1.6 Focus and Purpose......................................................................................................................2
1.7 Review of Literature and theory explored..................................................................................3
1.8 Review of methodology employed.............................................................................................3
1.9 Dissertation structure..................................................................................................................4
1.10 Significance of the research......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: Literature review...........................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Digital Marketing........................................................................................................................6
2.3 Importance digital marketing in marketing operations of hospitality firm.................................6
2.4 Types of digital promotion tools.................................................................................................8
2.5 Relationship between digital marketing operations and growth of sales in hospitality business
........................................................................................................................................................10
2.6 Impacts of digital marketing in an organization.......................................................................12
2.7 Research Gap............................................................................................................................16
2.8 Hilton Manchester Deansgate:..................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................17
3.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................17
3.2 Research Philosophy (Positivism)............................................................................................17
3.4 Research Approach...................................................................................................................17
3.5 Research Design:......................................................................................................................18
3.6 Research Technique..................................................................................................................19
3.7 Data Collection.........................................................................................................................19
3.8 Data collection instruments......................................................................................................20
3.9 Sampling...................................................................................................................................21
3.10 Data Analysis..........................................................................................................................21
3.11 Ethical Consideration..............................................................................................................22
3.12 Limitations..............................................................................................................................22
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chapter 4: Data analysis......................................................................................................................24
4.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................24
4.2 Statistical analysis.....................................................................................................................24
4.2.1 Frequency distribution...............................................................................................................24
4.2.2 Cross tabulation.........................................................................................................................30
4.2.3 Chi square testing......................................................................................................................34
4.3 Summery...................................................................................................................................36
chpater 3: Result and discussion.........................................................................................................38
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations....................................................................................41
5.1 Conclusion................................................................................................................................41
5.2 Recommendations.....................................................................................................................44
5.3 Reflective statement..................................................................................................................45
References..........................................................................................................................................47
Appendix 1.........................................................................................................................................52
Questionnaire for management team of Hilton hotel.....................................................................52
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TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: use of internet........................................................................................................................7
Figure 2: Use of digital marketing by various industries.....................................................................8
Figure 3: Advertising in social media.................................................................................................10
Figure 4: Budget allocation of digital marketing...............................................................................13
Figure 5: Skill Gap faced by marketers..............................................................................................15
Figure 6: Inductive approach..............................................................................................................17
Figure 7: Deductive approach............................................................................................................17
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Title
“To Assess the Significance of Digital Marketing on Boosting the Sales of Hospitality
Company: Case of Hilton”.
1.2 Introduction
Digital marketing is one of the important promotional tool for an organization which help in
promoting products and services via electronic media. Major channels of digital marketing include
social media networks, emails, search engine, website, online PR, Blogs, Mobile applications and
video advertising, etc. It is generally applied for increasing communication and brand awareness. At
the current business scenario digital marketing is current trend of marketing (Dhote, Jog, Gavade
and Shrivastava, 2015). Each and every organizations wants to invest specific amount of funds in
digital marketing. But, analysis of the return of digital marketing investment is little complex.
Sometimes online existence of an organization becomes costly so, companies need to pay attention
towards the digital marketing and its impact on financial performance.
The current study focuses on role of digital marketing on sales and performance of the firm.
Author wants to determine that whether digital marketing increase or decrease the financial
performance of the company (Gay, Mills and Airasian, 2011). Study focuses on hospitality industry
because it is one of the major industry which is using digital marketing for promotion of products
and services. Regarding this, researcher has chosen Hilton hotel which has invested huge amount of
money in different tools and techniques of digital marketing. So, determining the impact of digital
marketing on sales of the Hilton hotel is one of the major aim for researcher. For attaining this aim
author will focus on advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing for a hospitality firm.
Further it will also shed light on relationship between digital marketing and sales of the
organization. Author will follow a systematic process of research which will include literature
review, research methodology and data analysis (Khan and Siddiqui, 2013). It will help in
understanding, analysing and resolving research problem. Including this, using this process author
can easily attain aim and objectives in effective manner.
1.3 Project Rational
Demand of digital marketing is raising day by day which is affecting cost of the every
organization. Increment in marketing cost has negative impact on total financial performance of a
company. So, declining sales and increment in marketing cost are major issues of the current study.
It is an issue because it has indirect and negative impacts on overall performance of an organization
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