HOH601 Report: Digital Marketing Campaign Analysis for Hilton Hotels

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Hilton Hotel & Resort's digital marketing campaign, specifically the 'Expect Better, Expect Hilton' initiative. It begins with an overview of the campaign's purpose, which emphasizes the benefits of direct hotel booking and aims to build customer relationships. The report then details the campaign's timeline, outlining distribution channels and POEM (Paid, Owned, Earned Media) categories. The SOSTAC framework is applied to evaluate the campaign's effectiveness, followed by an explanation and validation of the metric categories used, including social media engagement, channel performance, consumption, and conversion. Analytical data and metrics are interpreted to assess the success of the campaign and the chosen distribution channels. Finally, the report offers actionable suggestions for improving both the measurement metrics and the campaign itself, concluding that the campaign holds long-term potential due to its lucrative benefits and customer-centric approach.

Running head: MARKETING
Digital and Distribution Marketing
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Executive Summary:
The aim of the report is to provide an overview of marketing in context of digital marketing
campaign put across by one of the most famous global hospitality company, Hilton Hotel. The
report begins with a description of the campaign thereby mentioning its purpose and target
audience. The report also discusses about the effectiveness of the campaign through a SOSTAC
framework. The report also puts forward a timeline mentioning the distribution channels and the
POEM categories. The report also validates and evaluates thee metric categories through an
evaluation of the interpretation of analytical data. Further the report also mentions suggestive
measures for improving the measurement metrics and campaign.

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Table of Contents
1
.Introduction:...................................................................................................................................3
2. Description of the Digital Marketing Campaign.........................................................................3
2. Timeline of the Campaign Noting Distribution Channels and the POEM Categories Used.......4
3. SOSTAC Framework..................................................................................................................5
4. Explanation and Validation of Metric Categories with Examples..............................................7
5. Two Valid Suggestions for Improvement Of:...........................................................................12
1. The Measurement Metrics.........................................................................................................12
2. The Campaign Itself.................................................................................................................13
6. Conclusion:................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction:
The report provides an insight into marketing in context of the digital marketing
campaign launched by one of the most renowned global hospitality company, Hilton Hotel &
Resorts. The new campaign known as the ‘Expect Better, Expect Hilton’ put forward by the
company mentions the benefits provided to the customers for direct hotel booking (Ting, 2017).
The report commences with the description of the digital marketing campaign with a focus on
the purpose and the target audience. The report also creates timeline for the campaign
mentioning its distribution channels along with a mention of the POEM categories. The report
also reconstructs the marketing campaign into SOSTAC framework for analyzing effectiveness
of such framework as strategic tool. There is also an explanation and validation of the used
metric categories mentioned in case study. The report also puts across an interpretation of the
metrics and the analytical data for evaluating the failure and success of the chosen distribution
channels of the digital marketing campaign. The report even puts forward suggestions for the
improvement of measurement metrics and the campaign.
2. Description of the Digital Marketing Campaign
The international hospitality company, Hilton Hotel & Resorts introduced a digital
marketing campaign that featured actress Anna Kendrick (hilton.com, 2019). The campaign
emphasized one the existing benefits enjoyed by the loyalty members of Hilton Honors during

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their stay at the hotels along with the benefits of a price match guarantee. The campaign is also
supposed to roll out in other countries through other channels like radio and television. The
newly introduced campaign helps in educating the customers regarding the benefits of direct
hotel booking instead of resorting to thirds party distribution channels like booking.com or
Expedia. The campaign also stresses on the benefits of the loyalty member of Hilton. This
particular campaign has been different in the sense that on depended on the direct consumer
feedback and research. In other words, this particular campaign has been customer centric.
Through the campaign the global hospitality group tries to build relationships with the customers
at the emotional level. The organization holds the belief that relationships needed to nurtured and
they should grow over time.
Therefore, the purpose of the campaign is not limited towards highlighting the savings
through the direct booking facilities of Hilton but also in building a long term relationship with
the customers. It has been found that campaigns put across by Hilton have some amount of
positive influence in driving increasing number of customers towards directly booking the hotels.
2. Timeline of the Campaign Noting Distribution Channels and the POEM Categories
Used.

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Jan Feb March April May June July
Distribution
Channel & Poem
Category
Paid Media
i.Sponsorship
ii. Paid Search
Owned Media
i. Website
ii. Mobile Site
iii. Social Media
Earned Media
You Tube Video
Figure 1: Diagrammatic Representation of Distribution Channel and POEM Categories
Source: Created by Researcher

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3. SOSTAC Framework
The effectiveness of the digital marketing campaign is determined by the SOSTAC
framework. The six components of the framework include Situation Analysis, Objectives,
Strategy, Tactics, Action, Execution and Control (Chaffey & Bosomworth, 2013).
Each component can be described as follows:
Situation Analysis: This refers to defining the present situation of company (Mei &
Zhan, 2013). Hilton Hotel & Resorts has introduced a new campaign known as ‘Expect Better,
Expect Quality’ that provided benefits to consumers whoever opted for a direct booking rather
than using the distribution channels like booking.com or expedia in addition to the benefits
extended to the loyal members. The campaign was different in the sense that it was based
completely on the consumer feedback and research thereby making it a customer centric
campaign
Objectives: These are the objectives where the firm would like to reach. Hilton Hotel &
Resorts had the objective of becoming a customer centric organization by building direct
relationships with the customers by providing benefits of booking to the ones who directly opted
for booking instead of adopting other distribution channels.
Strategy: These represent the strategies that the company adopts in reaching objectives.
Some of the strategies include:

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a. Identifying Target Audience: It indicates the consumers who make a booking for
staying in the hotel and the loyal holders of Hilton Honors
b. Observing Competitors: This involves keeping a closer eye on competitors and their
ways of adopting digital marketing.
c. Prioritizing Digital Tactics and Channels: Prioritization of the digital channels can take
place through social media platform like Instagram, You Tube, Facebook, You Tube, Twitter
and Pintetest, referral traffic, directory listings and press.
d. Achieving Quicker Wins: In case of Hilton Hotels & Resorts quicker wins can be
achieved through adoption of social media marketing strategy.
c. Monthly Reviews: This involves reviewing marketing tactics on a frequent basis that
helps in driving results for adapting to new ‘Expect Better, Expect Hilton Campaign by taking
advantage of market research and feedback.
Tactics: This involves the following steps (Bowie et al. 2016):
a. Product/ Service: Through its new campaign Hilton promises a guarantee of price
match for the guests who makes a direct booking at Hilton.com through Hilton Honors app or
through other official channels of Hilton.
b. Prices: The prices of the service put forward by Hilton is not yet decided.
c. Access: Guests or clients can avail the service through the company’s own app and
the official channels.

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d. Promotion: The new campaign for Hilton Hotel & Resorts would be promoted through
television commercials during the Ryder Cup on NBC. The campaign is also rolled out to the
other markets and countries through other channels like social media, online and radio.
e. Process: It is the newest campaign introduced by Hilton for providing benefits to those
who directly book hotels through the company’s app and is dependent on the feedback and
research.
d. People: They represent the employees of the hotel whose job remains in taking care of
the guest the moment they make a plan for travelling.
Actions: These include (Ting, 2017):
 Members qualifies for additional discount
 Members earns points for each night of their stay
 The Hilton Honors app have the provision for pre selecting room
 Members are asked for ordering ahead
 Free Wi-Fi.
Control: This refers to estimation, monitoring, modification, investigation and up
gradation of system. Previous data from Hilton Campaign are seen to have positive impact on
driving more customers for undertaking direct booking.
4. Explanation and Validation of Metric Categories with Examples
The metric category includes:
Social Media:

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a. Definition: This refers to the use of the social media websites and platforms for
promoting the service (Tuten & Solomon, 2017).
b. Analysis:
Figure 1: Tabular Representation of the Social Media Reach of Hilton Hotel
Source: (Hearn, 2019).
c. How it can determine Success in Meeting Objectives: Hilton makes use of social
listening via the social media. It therefore decided to build the social media strategy for meeting
the objectives of building a customer centric relationship via its ‘Expect Better, Expect Hilton
Campaign’
Engagement:
a. Definition: This refers to the indicator that determines the success and ranking of the
site.

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b. Analysis: Increasing number of Hilton guests are headed towards the social media for
voicing their concern and asking for recommendations.
Figure 2: Tabular Representation of Hilton Hotel Facebook Campaign
Source: (Hearn, 2019).
c. How it can determine Success in Meeting Objectives
The international hospitality brand Hilton is determined in meeting the objectives through
customer feedback and research.
Channel:
a. Definition: It represents the means adopted through which the service reaches the
customers. In this case it is the television channels and the You Tube channels.
b. Analysis:

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Figure 3: Tabular Representation of Television Commercial Viewership of Hilton TV for
USA
Source: (Hearn, 2019).
Figure 4: Tabular Representation of You Tube Commercial Viewership of Hilton TV for
USA
Source: (Hearn, 2019).