Hospitality Marketing: Roles, Mix, and Planning for Hilton

This report delves into the realm of hospitality marketing, using the Hilton company as a central case study. It begins by defining marketing as a customer-centric process, highlighting its role in identifying needs and facilitating transactions. The report then examines the key roles and responsibilities of various marketing functions, such as marketing information, planning, product/service management, customer support, and financing, emphasizing their significance in delivering value to the end consumer. The interrelation of the marketing department with other organizational units, including production, finance, and human resources, is also explored. Furthermore, the report provides a comparative analysis of the marketing mix strategies employed by Hilton and Ritz-Carlton, evaluating their approaches to product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, process, and people. The report concludes with a comprehensive overview of the marketing strategies and their impact on the hospitality industry, with a PPT presentation summarizing key findings.

HOSPITALITY
MARKETING ESSENTIAL

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a process which identifies the customer requirement and analyse whether it
is feasible for the firm to produce product or services at right price in order to conduct the buying
and selling process. It is basically management process that has wider aspect as it help to convert
the idea into concept which probably satisfy the market (Allen, 2016). Thus, it include functions
like determining the market, select the adequate distribution channel, determine appropriate
promotional strategy as well as decide the price of the product. For the better understanding of
report Hilton company has been selected which is the multinational hospitality company of
America. It consist of various hotels, resorts and have around fifteen branches that are operated
in various part of countries. This report consist of various topics like role of marketing and its
interrelation with other functional unit of hospitality organisation. Compare the ways in which
different hospitality organisation uses marketing mix to attain the objective of an organisation.
Further, develop effective marketing plan in order to meet the objective of an organisation are
covered in this report.
TASK 1
P1: Key roles and responsibility of different marketing function
Marketing function perform different roles as well as responsibility which comprises of
different activity that start from designing the concept of product and reaches till the preparation
of final product (Nirschl and Steinberg, 2018). The primary aim associated with these functions
is that it help to cater the changing preferences or trend of the audience. Different marketing
functions are explained below:
Marketing information: Within marketing information the roles and responsibility of
marketing manager is to identify the prevailing needs of customer which changes with the
change in trend. The manager is responsible to gain wide reach of customer by collecting
relevant data from market and converting it in suitable information for the success of company.
Herein, Hilton company this function can help the firm to develop the product or services design
by identifying customer need effectively.
Planning: Within planning function the manager of company is responsible to set the
objective and make best possible effort to achieve them. Then the timelines and strategy are
decided on the basis of different functions. Herein, Hilton company planning function can help

the marketing manager to analyse different activities and remain updated to plan out for best
possible changes (Blakemen, 2014).
Product or services management: These are the offering of company that help firm to
gain revenue in exchange of fulfilling the needs of customer. Within Hilton company the role of
marketing manager is to manage the offering of company in order to satisfy the need of traveller
for the luxury services. For example, Hilton hotel has different division like Embasssy Suites
hotel, double Tree and so on. Thus, the services of these division different on the basis of the
geographical area as well as requirement of people. Further, in case of any issue or dissonance
the representatives of company are responsible to tackle the whole issue.
Customer support service: The roles and responsibility of this marketing function is to
address the queries and handle the problem of customer which arises either before or after
availing hospitality services (Okumus and Cetin, 2018). Such function retain the trust of
customer as they feel that company pays personalities attention to their problem. Herein, Hilton
hotel representative always ask for the customer feedback in order to make significant resolution.
Along with that company always give importance to the constructive feedback that are presented
on its website. For example, there are different method that is used by Hilton company such as
email, contact details as well as explore the review sites such as Yelp to understand customer
behaviour.
Financing: Financing is a crucial role of marketing function that help in the generation of
funds which is used to fulfil the monetary requirements of company. The firm generate the
revenue from different sources which is finally used to carry out the operational or expansion
activity. In terms of Hilton hotel that operate at a wide scale due to which it gain the advantage
of portfolio investment. Thus, the company support credit facility as well under which it extend
the credit for stakeholder, suppliers as well as representatives of company (Meyerson, 2015).
Hence, each and every responsibility of the marketing function has its own significance
that together help in delivering value to the end consumer. Thus, the manager of Hilton company
focuses on each element so that it can retain its image and maintain long term relationship with
internal as well as external stakeholders.
P2: Interrelation of marketing roles and responsibility to wider organisational market
As marketing department is a broad term that start from analysing the market, understand
the changing trend within the external market and significance to developing new product in the

market. To undergo such major role marketing department depend up the various other
departments such as human resources, production, financial, sales, research and development
(Gillespie and Riddle, 2015). Hence, the interrelation of marketing department with some of the
other departments are explained below:
Marketing and production department: These are the two distinct department of an
organisation where Production department's role is to integrate the raw material and develop
final good as well as services which leads to value creation. Here the main objective of Hilton
hotel is to efficiently use the limited resources to carry out effective production activities. On
contrary, marketing department is responsible to identify the latest trend and update its services
accordingly. Apart from different roles both of the area are interrelated with each other as
marketing department identifies the demand which need to be fulfilled by the production head.
Hence, this can help the company to cater existing as well as potential customer effectively.
Marketing and finance department: The finance department plays a crucial role as it
overview all the monetary transaction and makes the budget to control the unnecessary
expenditure of company (Hiam, 2014). Financial manager of Hilton company makes sure that it
offer the adequate funds to carry out different marketing ass well as other activities activities
such as advertisement, research, sales and so on. Further, interact between marketing and
financial department in terms of allocation of fund help in maintaining coordination by reducing
the chances of over expenditure in any activity such as promotion.
Marketing and human resource: Human resource department like other departments is
one of the most essential within which the manager of Hilton hotel pays immense attention. It
basically include the activities like conducting whole recruitment cycle, performance appraisal,
training and development on which HR manager focuses as they have to deal with elite
customers (Perry and Pyatt, 2015). Whereas, marketing department is responsible to interact with
customer and handle their query by building positive brand awareness. So in this situation
marketing department depend upon HR in order to enhance the skill and knowledge of staff to
maintain interpersonal relationship with end user. For example, the HR of Hilton company
mainly uses external source of recruitment to get the most potential employee. As different
evaluation round such as interview round and aptitude test are conducted to weed out unsuitable
ones. These selected representative helps the marketing department to widen the market share of
company by diversifying its brand effectively.

TASK 2
P3: Compare the ways in which different organisation apply marketing mix in order to achieve
business objectives
Marketing mix consist of seven P's for the services which is presented by hospitality
industry in order to expand the market reach by offering right product to the desirable audience
(Kayabasi and Mtetwa, 2016). The company usually prepare marketing mix before launching the
new product in the market as it help to gain all the essential insights which are required to
effectively compete with competitors. Thus, the comparisons between Hilton hotel and Ritz-
Carlton on the basis of marketing mix is demonstrated below:
Basis of difference Hilton hotel InterContinental Hotels
Product It is the full service hotel that
offer wide range of services to
the customer like space to
organisation meeting or
wedding, lounge, swimming
pool, food and services. The
products of the company are
usually divided in the three
categories that include core
products which include basic
service for example bed, towel
and food. Facilitating products
offer bar and online
reservation service. Supporting
as well as Augmented product
for instance newspaper, mega
discount for luxury image and
so on.
The company offer high class
services that include spacious
rooms, fitness area, private
bath, ambiance facility, travel
guide and operate in more than
100 countries (Jacoby, 2014).
Price The majority of the rooms
belong to the particular
As the target audience of IHG
is high income group so it

category that is upper upscale
so due to which Hilton hotels
charge premium price for its
five star rooms. For example,
inclusion of additional services
such as gym area, swimming
pool as well as spacious room
laid the person to make higher
prices.
charges premium prices for its
luxurious services because
these prestigious customer can
comprise the price but not
quality. So they prefer IHG as
it matches with etrhi brand
personality.
Place It is widespread in the 103
countries that target only the
exclusive segment which
depict that it has better
coverage as compare to other
hospitality industry.
Premium hospitality brand that
is IHG function in more than
100 different countries in both
developed and emerging
markets like UK, Spain,
Malaysia, India.
Promotion The marketing manager are
responsible to communicate
all the essential offerings of
company through digital or
traditional platform (Hilton
Marketing Mix (4Ps) Strategy,
2019). Although the brand
recognition value of Hilton
company is high but still it
target the audience by
preparing customised
advertisement and
demonstrating all the essential
and updated information in the
website of company. For
Although the company depend
upon different channel such as
official website, social media
and sponsor various events in
order to promotes its chain but
being premium brand it rely on
the positive publicity gained
from word of mouth
advertisement (Rowley, 2016).

example using digital method
like SEO help to enhance
ranking of firm. Further,
during peak season the
selected hospitality industry
too uses celebrity endorsement
Physical evidence Hilton group has basically tied
with various hotel booking
chains that enhance the elite
customer to be the part of
particular hotel. For instance,
ambience and interior décor of
hotel appeal the interest of
traveller (Schader, 2014).
All the accessories, interior,
antique art collection, finest
dishes, comfort as well as
toilet equipments are the
physical evidence of company.
Process The flow of interior system as
well as processes is consistent
within the Hilton company that
help to maintain the desirable
services offered to the
customer. For instance, with
the help of adequate
distribution and online
booking system via website
relatively help the company to
maximise the revenue.
The internal staff of company
makes sure that the entire
process of the hotel goes
smooth start from the arrival
till checking out. The brand
constantly identify certain
customer touch point and bring
alterations to serve them via
touch points .
People In order to maintain the
services Hilton hotel recruit
the qualified staff that
maintain the image of
company and successfully
InterContinental Hotels hires
different staffs such as
manager or chefs from the elite
sector of different regions and
train them so that they can

serve the functioning of
company (Wilson, 2014).
effective deal with guest.
TASK 3
Covered in PPT
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that marketing itself is a broad term which
need to be effectively used in hospitality industry in order to understand and fulfil the customers
demand. There are various functions that are provided by the marketing department in order to
enhance the profitability and perform different role of an organisation effectively. Moreover,
hospitality industry comprises of different department that function simultaneously with the
purpose to attain the overall objective. Therefore, marketing plan is basically designed for the
new product that the company is thinking to launch so it cover different aspect on which the
attention to be given in order to gain sustainable advantage.

REFRENCES
Books and Journal