Unilodge Company: Digital Marketing

This article discusses the strategies for market targeting, positioning and branding used by Unilodge Company. It also explains the marketing mix of the company and how it is adapting to the changes in digital marketing. Additionally, it highlights the differences between Unilodge and Mantra hotels.

Running head: UNILODGE COMPANY: DIGITAL MARKETING 1
Unilodge Company: Digital Marketing
Student
Institution
Professor

UNILODGE COMPANY: DIGITAL MARKETING 2
Introduction
Unilodge is one of the leading providers of accommodation facilities to students with
more than 60 properties, across countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Unilodge is owned
privately and mostly specialises in professional operations and management of various properties
located within the university or areas close to the universities across Australia and New Zealand.
Strategies for market targeting, positioning and branding
Unilodge Company employs proper marketing strategies to identify available target
markets and to come up with a marketing mix that helps in winning the trust of its potential
customers.
Market targeting involves dividing a market into segments and the concentration on one
segment (Hulse, Martin, James & Stone, 2018). Unilodge mainly targets students learning in
various universities in Australia and New Zealand and who need accommodation while pursuing
their studies.
Also, Rowley, Costello, Higgins, & Phibbs (2014), explains that market positioning is a
strategy used by companies to develop a position in the customers’ minds. For example,
Unilodge has been well-known by the students to provide quality accommodation services at
affordable prices. The company makes its accommodation facilities to reflect the lifestyles of the
university students as a way of developing customer preference.
Furthermore, Branding involves creating a unique name and image for a product
(Parameswaran & Bowers, 2014). Unilodge has developed a strong brand for its services. It has
been known by the students for providing quality housing at affordable costs.
Market segmentation Market targeting Product positioning
Involves identifying bases for The company evaluates the The company comes up with

UNILODGE COMPANY: DIGITAL MARKETING 3
segmentation potential and also the
commercial attractiveness of
each segment
a detailed product positioning
for the selected markets
Determining and coming up
with some essential
characteristics of each market
segment identified.
The company then selects one
or more segments from the
potential segments
The company then develops a
marketing mix for each of the
potential chosen markets.
Unilodge mainly deals with
university students who need
accommodation services as a
market segment.
Unilodge targets university
students around Australia and
New Zealand who need
accommodation while
pursuing their studies
Unilodge has developed a
strong brand as a company
which provides quality
accommodation services at
affordable prices.
Marketing mix of the company
Unilodge Company uses the marketing mix to enhance the effectiveness of the services
offered by the company. The marketing mix involves an overall combination of various factors
that can be controlled by the company to motivate the customers to buy the products offered by
the company. The marketing mix of Unilodge Company involves;
Product: This mainly refers to the company’s market offer (Khan, 2014). It is the item
that is produced by the company to satisfy the needs of a particular targeted group of people. The
company provides accommodation services as the product in the marketing mix. A product in the
marketing mix of the company has a life cycle which involves growth, maturity and sales decline
phase.

UNILODGE COMPANY: DIGITAL MARKETING 4
Price: This refers to the amount paid by the clients to enjoy the services offered by the
company, (Khan, 2014). Price in the marketing mix is useful in determining the profits earned by
the company and the survival of the company. Ideally, Unilodge offers accommodation services
to university students at affordable prices. It prices its accommodation facilities at relatively
lower prices to make them more affordable.
Distribution: This entails the location of the product and the means by which the
products are made available to the customers by a company (Khan, 2014). About Unilodge, the
company uses intensive distribution, exclusive distribution, selective distribution, and
franchising. To ensure that its facilities are made available to the students.
Promotion: Promotion involves finding a market for a specific product, through making
the customers aware of the existence of a product and then convincing them to buy (Withers,
2014). Digital marketing is an important marketing and promotional strategy used by Unilodge
to boost brand recognition and sales. Sales promotion is carried out by the company through
advertising on various social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
How this company is adapting to the changes in digital marketing focusing on each
element of the marketing mix.
Unilodge Company is adapting to the changes in digital marketing to boost customer
awareness of the services provided by the company (Pinto, 2017). The company advertises the
product aspect of the marketing mix so that the customers are made aware of the services offered
and the prices to be paid for the product (Robertson, 2017). The company is making use of social
media sites to stimulate marketing of the services offered by the company.

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In its social media sites, the products (the facilities and the accommodation services
available) are described, with the costs attached to them thus enabling the students to evaluate
and choose the services of their interest.
Differences between Unilodge and Mantra hotels
Mantra hotels use different strategies and approaches to enhance the effectiveness of the
activities carried out by the company. The difference between Unilodge and Mantra hotels is
evaluated in the table below:
Unilodge company Mantra hotels
The company is involved in professional
management and specialises in the
management of student accommodation
Mantra hotels do not specialise in the
management of student accommodation but
rather offers holiday accommodation in
Australia.
Unilodge company has less advanced
information technology system as compared
to mantra hotels
Mantra hotels use diverse asset base, brand
ownership and make use of streamlined,
centralised operations and have a superior
information technology infrastructure.
The sales and marketing teams used by the
company in sales promotion is weaker as
compared to the team employed by Mantra
hotels
Mantra hotels use sales and marketing teams
which are so strong such that it makes the
company the strongest hospitality
management group in Australia
Conclusion

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In conclusion, Unilodge Company is very effective in providing accommodation services
to the students in universities across Australia and New Zealand. The company employs the
marketing mix to boost the profits earned by the company. The aspects of the marketing mix
used by the company are product, price, distribution and digital marketing (promotion).

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References
Hulse, K., Martin, C., James, A., & Stone, W. (2018). Private Rental in Transition: Institutional
Change, Technology and Innovation in Australia.
Khan, M. T. (2014). The Concept of ‘Marketing Mix' and its Elements (a Conceptual Review
paper). International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 6(2), 95.
Parameswaran, A., & Bowers, J. (2014). Student Residences: From Housing to
Education. Journal of Further and Higher Education.
Pinto, S. A. (2017). Shackled Bodies, Unchained Minds: Lunatic Asylums in the Bombay
Presidency.
Robertson, S. (2017). Infrastructures of Insecurity: Housing and Language Testing in Asia-
Australia Migration. Geoforum.
Rowley, S., Costello, G., Higgins, D., & Phibbs, P. (2014). Subsidized Affordable Rental
Housing: Lessons from Australia and Overseas.
Withers, G. (2014). The State of the Universities. Through a glass darkly: The Social Sciences
Look at the Neoliberal University.