Hospitality Consumer Decision-Making and Marketing Influence Report

This report, prepared for a consumer behavior specialist at Shift Consultancy, analyzes hospitality consumer behavior, focusing on Travelodge. It explores the cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors influencing consumer decisions, and how digital technology changes consumer trends. The report examines the customer decision-making journey, the importance of mapping the path to purchase, and compares hospitality decision-making processes. It also discusses market research approaches and how marketers influence each stage of the consumer decision-making process. The report covers topics like cultural influences, the impact of social factors, the role of technology (IoT, VR, wearable tech), the stages of customer decision-making (need recognition, information search, evaluation, purchase, post-purchase), and various marketing strategies to influence consumers. The report aims to provide insights into understanding consumer preferences and how marketers can leverage these insights to improve service offerings and increase profitability.

Hospitality Consumer
Behaviour and Insight
Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1.The different cultural, social, personal and psychological factors that influence consumer
behaviour.....................................................................................................................................1
P2. How consumer trends are changing cause of the influence of digital technology................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P3. The stages of the customer decision making journey and map a path to the buying............3
P4. Why it is important for marketers to map a path to purchase and acknowledge consumer
decision making...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
P5. Compare and contrast the key differences of the hospitality decision making process........6
P6. The different approaches to market research and methods or research utilised for
understanding...............................................................................................................................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P7. How marketers can influence the different stages of the hospitality decision making
process.........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour is the activity of studying the behaviour and characteristics of people
and a particular regarding buying, selecting and utilising the goods and services with the aim of
offering fulfilment to their demands and requirements. It is a constant process that starts with pre
buy activities and ends with post purchasing experience. It includes several factors like assuring,
obtaining, using and removing of goods and facilities. Customer behaviour is effective to the
firm as it assist in offering information about their taste and preferences that is useful to the firms
to increase rivalry benefits from market (Kustos and et. al., 2019). This assignment is supported
on Travelodge which is a private company operating in the hotels and hospitality sector. This
firm was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Thame, England. It is the UK’s largest
independent hotel brand with more than 570 hotels and 40,000 guest bedrooms, right crosswise
the UK and other nations. This document will consider information about the factors that affect
consumer behaviour, consumer decision making activity and capability to map a path to buy.
Moreover, it will explain about effective research to acknowledge impacts on the decision
making process. It will also describe that how marketers impacts the diverse phases of
determination devising activity.
TASK 1
P1.The different cultural, social, personal and psychological factors that influence consumer
behaviour
There are diverse cultural, social, personal and psychological aspects that create influence
upon customers’ behaviour and attitudes. These components are briefly defined as under:
Culture- Consumers behaviours are greatly influenced through these aspects such as purchase
culture, subculture and social group. Cultural components impact people as there are diverse
people and they belong from several religion, values and beliefs etc. For instance, If Travelodge
provide offer its services to those people that like to take benefits of its services like
accommodation, tour and many more then they can buy its commodities and services (Altinay
and Taheri, 2019). Now these days people like to prefer room services and other as per their
culture and if the firm consider that kind of services then it will enhance the customer and sales
of the venture. These sorts of individual make determination for buying by including their
culture, religion, value and beliefs.
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Social class- It is another aspect that influence customer behaviour. As per to this, the
behaviour of consumer cannot be determined supported to income but there are diverse other
factors such as wealth, education and profession etc. In Travelodge, they can buy commodities
and facilities of it as per to their living standard.
Social factors- Human beings are social animal so they and their behaviour greatly influenced
through these factors (Papargyropoulou and et al., 2019). Reference groups, family, role and
status are some social components which influence customer behaviour in diverse ways.
Reference group- This component considers family, friends, colleagues and well-known
individuals from whom they are greatly impacted. Fr instance, a person utilise the services of
Travelodge and view regarding effectiveness and efficiency of them to their relatives and friends,
and then it forms influence on the consumer behaviour.
Personal factor- It consist living standard, financial situation, occupation, age, personality and
other self concept. These all aspects influence a person’s behaviour.
Occupation and income- It is the key component that is greatly influenced to customer
behaviour. For instance, an individual that is performed as a house keeper to manage the lower
level duties regarding cleaning and do not make high interaction with guest. But as working a
manager, the person highly accountable to perform high level duties and interact with diverse
visitors.
Psychological factors- This aspect considers empowerment, perception, learning beliefs and
characteristics which greatly influence surcharging authority and customer determination making
of people.
Perception- It is the key aspect that greatly influences consumer behaviour and attitude.
For instance, if individual observe that Travelodge provide efficient facilities and products on
affordable price in compare to others then they can utilise the facilities of the respective firm (Hu
and et. al., 2019). While, the insight is not excellent and think that the cost of services and
commodities is high then they can move on to other enterprise.
P2. How consumer trends are changing cause of the influence of digital technology
There are diverse digital technologies that are accepted through hospitality sector and they
make influence on customer behaviour in form of making modification. There are some technical
changes that influence consumer trends, they are defined as under:
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Integration of internet of things- Internet plays an important function i travel industry in
reference to impacting consumer behaviour. For instance, with the assistance of social media, the
administration of Travelodge can develop data regarding its commodities and facilities to its
consumers of diverse countries (Murillo and King, 2019). It creates positive impact on behaviour
of customer as they will get effective data regarding its facilities and if they prefer, they can buy
them. It also crucial to the venture as with the assistance of it they can reach to number of
consumer and maximise number of user.
Virtual reality- It is another technology that influence customers’ behaviour. In Hospitality
sector, the probabilities of this technology are everlasting. In Travelodge, with the utilisation of
this technology, the management can offer data regarding the room services through
descriptions, images and videos before reservation and buying. It creates favourable impact on
customer’s behaviours as they can offer brief information regarding facilities of firms and if they
like, they can reserve ad take the benefits of their services. If they will not like cause of culture,
status, life style and many more, they will not purchase them.
Wearable technology- It is an effective technology that mainly impact trends of customers.
In Travelodge, it is influenced target audiences in optimistic manner as in this technology, there
are some wearable devices that are crucial to consumer to offer data regarding their booking
information, QR codes and many more. In current time people are busy so they do not remind
diverse things. With the implementation of this technology, they can effectively take book book
their room and many more.
TASK 2
P3. The stages of the customer decision making journey and map a path to the buying
Consumer behaviour is an act and decision making process of an individual to buy
commodities and services of a business venture with the aim of offering satisfaction to its
demands (Gursoy, 2019). Consumer purchasing activity is also acknowledged as buying
behaviour process of customer. It includes five phases, they are defined as under:
Need recognition- It is the primary phase of this process. In it, the person cannot buy
anything with knowing and distinguishing demand towards commodities and facilities. For
instance, in reference to Travelodge, within this phase, people find out demand towards to take
benefits of services the firm that they have a desire of it or not.
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Information search- It is next phase of determination making activity, within it, customer
start to search information and data after finding out their demand and need. For this, they make
communication to relative and interaction to relative and friends and co-workers to collect data
(Lugosi, 2019). In Travelodge, through designing and framing efficient and attractive promotions
that offer clear data regarding its facilities. It will be useful to customer to facilitate their
identification of irritation towards their demands and necessities.
Evaluation of alternatives- In this phase, consumers assess efficiency and ineffectiveness
of facilities and make solidity among the costs and quality of consumers and facilities between
diverse firms. For instance, if the target audiences demonstrate their interests in Travelodge
facilities, then they identify data regarding the cost of accommodation services and many more.
Purchase decision- After collecting data regarding commodities and facilities within this
phase, the consumer make a determination to buy commodity in reference to accomplish
gathered degree of satisfaction. In Travelodge, after knowing about the clear data towards
accommodation services, the consumer but its facilities and can reserve its room and other
services that are offered by the establishment.
Post purchase behaviour- It is the final phase of customer decision making, this stage
generates after purchasing the commodities and using it and its facilities to measure the
efficiency of the goods and services that it is able to fulfil the demands and needs of target
audiences or not. For instance, if the facilities that are provided by respective venture in its
services then target audiences again buy them during the time of need. While if the facilities are
not effective and not capable to fulfil consumers’ demands and fulfil customers demand and
fulfil them, they can move on to other hospitality firm and this activity of determination devising
restart from its primary phase.
These all phases of customer decision making activity support Travelodge to determine
customers’ insight and their requirements so that they can improve and develop services as per
their needs (Viglia and Dolnicar, 2020). It will useful for establishment as it assist in earning
rivalry benefits from marketplace and maximising profit margin and efficiency of the company.
P4. Why it is important for marketers to map a path to purchase and acknowledge consumer
decision making
In existing time, there is an immense competition in marketplace that is highly influence
through consumer determination towards firm. Customer behaviour is changeable in nature so
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taste and preferences of people are change as per to fashion and trends, For instance, the sector in
which Travelodge run its business, there are high degree extent of rivalry that influence the profit
margin and efficiency of the venture in negative form. SO the administration of respective firm
should determine market condition in context of reduce the complexities to accomplish the
effective position in marketplace. Some of the causes are described as under:
Influence of technology- Technical innovation and changes plays a crucial function in
maximise market share and creating high extent of rivalry at market (Murphy, Gretzel and
Pesonen, 2019). In Travelodge, if the administration of firm implements new technology in its
business then it assists in maximising sales and profitability of the organisation in efficient
manner. For instance, if they make creation in their advertising tools through utilising
technologies such as social media and web advertising. Then it assists in increasing consumer
base and market share of the establishment.
Along with this, there are diverse conceptions and frameworks that are useful to provide
directions to marketers to accomplish their goals and objectives, some of them are described as
under:
Economic view model
In it, customer tries to assess diverse brand prices and select the effective for which they
can easily offer and assume amazing gratification level. So marketer can ensure that their
commodity cost should be accountable for increasing market.
Passive view- It concern with promotional activities and processes that help organisation to
develop its efficiency. In Travelodge, the administration of the firm can make creation in its
endorsement tools that assist establishment in earning rivalry benefits in efficient manner.
Emotional view- In this phase, Travelodge marketers take an initiative to determine and
acknowledge the feelings of consumers that assist in making authorization over consumers
mental status to accomplish their goals and objectives.
Cognitive view- In Travelodge, within it, administration of the firm can gather data regarding
taste, preferences and needs of consumers so that they can provide commodities through
improving efficient plan of actions as per them (Mariani, Borghi and Kazakov, 2019).
To map a path to buy customer determination devising, in hospitality sector is crucial for
the marketers as if they map a path and framework then they can efficiently familiar with the
customer’s demand then they can shape their plan as per their needs and necessities. With the
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assistance of it, they can administrate their assets according need that assist in reducing the waste
of resources in effective form that enable in managing inventory. With the assistance of mapping
regarding consumer decision making, they can provide their goods and facilities to them timely
that will be offer fulfilment to them.
Customer Journey mapping
There are four steps that are considered in consumer mapping and they are defined as
below in reference to Travelodge:
Inquiry-It refers to the activity when a possible customer begins to search and find out data
regarding the commodity and facilities, either instantly through the company site or by third
party that can be social media, word of mouth promotion and other kind of promotion etc
(Samoggia and Riedel, 2018).
Comparison- It is another stage within the consumer earns a considerable amount of control
and can compare certain commodities and facilities with others to make sure that they get what
they need. They can compare product attributes, costs and ability of fulfilment the demands and
necessities.
Purchase- When the customer chooses a commodity after compare and identify its
efficiency. Then they are ready to buy it so that they can satisfy their demands and desires.
When a prospect becomes, consumer activating the service division to start with intellection or
follow up facilities.
Installation- It is the final phase that is a section of two of the purchase phase, where a serve
need to be physically executed (Vanhala and et. al., 2020). It is crucial to staying a consumer till
long time and making them loyal.
TASK 3
P5. Compare and contrast the key differences of the hospitality decision making process
The difference among B2B and B2C are described as below:
Particulars B2B B2C
Purchasing decision In it, before making
determination regarding
purchase commodity, business
assess data about commodity
In it, target audience is the
vital aspect that makes a
judgement towards buying
decision of the firm. It takes
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cost, attributes, strategies etc.
in specific industry (Kustos
and et. al., 2019). To assemble
reliable data in reference to
goods that directs them to
make improvement in entire
execution.
less time in context of B2B.
Finding out needs In it, B2B place it
participation to determine the
market condition. The
administration of the business
finding out demands of
commodities that are needed
to operate business.
In this, the administration
makes an effort to analyse
demands and requirements of
consumers that are supported
to Travelodge endorsement
tools to attract wide range or
number of consumers.
Decision making In B2B. Travelodge classified
its wide market size supported
to earnings, age, profession,
lifestyle etc. and segmented
them in a small units that that
is crucial to the firm to target
its audiences in most efficient
manner.
In B2C, the administration of
Travelodge covers vast scope
of market assortment for
obtaining the attraction of
customers regarding the
enterprise (Altinay and Taheri,
2019).
The above described difference of B2C and B2B assist Travelodge to search the industry
scenario and collect information to capture high level of revenue without any complexities. With
the assistance of respective venture can also make effective relationship with their target
audiences that assist in maximising profit and sales of the company or enable in earning rivalry
benefits.
P6. The different approaches to market research and methods or research utilised for
understanding
To survive and sustain within existing market till long term, research play an essential
function to provide a firm to identify the trends and demands of customer and sector in context to
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appropriate course of action. Travelodge focusing over both forms of business like B2B and B2C
market research that is described as under:
Market research approach in B2C
Within it, marketers mainly concentrating on primary data gathering tool that help them
to offer fresh and first hand data that enable in reducing issues and complexities
(Papargyropoulou and et al., 2019). Some tools of this source are as:
Personal interview- In it, surveyor makes face to face interaction to customers so that they
can obtain efficient and adequate data in to market that assist in developing value of the product
in efficient way.
Questionnaire- It is another tool of data assembling, with in the investigator designs a set of
questions to earn data to consumers that assist them to develop the efficiency of the report as
well as company’s value.
Market research approach in B2B
Within it, surveyor used secondary tool of data assembling that is already accessible on
internet, organisations’ website and many more. Thus data can be utilised through the surveyor
in future. Some methods of this source are explained as below:
Public records- In this, Travelodge prosecute its decision making process of trading with the
company through determining their previous records and execution among consumer and
marketplace in context of accomplishing their goals efficiently.
Government and non-government agencies- In this, Travelodge view all the national
authorities or non-governmental agencies policies and process that assist them to maintain the
brand image in marketplace.
TASK 4
P7. How marketers can influence the different stages of the hospitality decision making process
B2B and B2C are two integral factors of marketing that are totally supported on the buying
behaviour and determination devising activity to accomplish great assistance of profitability ratio
and effectiveness (Hu and et. al., 2019). Within business, marketers are included to be the most
essential factor because they serve business by several pros. These are the only source to the
business of firm that assist in making profits B2B and B2C can influence by marketers through
accepting diverse tools that are defined as under:
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Marketing campaign- Customer get data regarding commodities and facilities by promotion
or word of mouth advertisement of them. In reference to this, marketer must also make focus on
the endorsement of commodity and facilities so that they can offer data and aware consumer with
the commodities (Murillo and King, 2019). It assists in getting attraction of customers towards
products and services that assists in maximising revenue and developing efficiency.
Perception- It refers to the way that how a person observes things and has ideas towards
them. Travelodge, insight can play a crucial function to impact the buying behaviour of
consumers. Marketer can focus on improving perfection of the commodities and facilities in the
mind of consumer in optimistic way. So that the consumer can gets attention regarding them and
offer fulfilment to their demands and requirements through buying them.
Example- Some of example are described as in reference of B2B and B2C business. For
example, Travelodge run its business in hospitality sector. it provides accommodation facilities
but when other ventures such as transportation firm operated their business with the assistance of
its services and offer transportation services, then it is acknowledged as B2B business that is run
by business to business (Gursoy, 2019). In B2C, when Travelodge offer all facilities by merging
in its accommodation services to its consumers by making endorsement by social media,
internet, TV and others are acknowledged as B2C.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the preceding defined information that consumer behaviour is
efficient and cooperating by which a firm can measure market trends and get data regarding
consumer’s demands and desires. There are several transformations and modifications in digital
technologies that affect consumer behaviour. Customer determination devising activity assists in
finding out interest of people towards a particular commodities and facilities of an establishment.
It plays a crucial function in respect to B2B and B2C that help them to use accessible assets for
earning profitability. In addition to this, making effective course of action assist the manager of
the firm to accomplish sustainable efficiency and aid them to revolutionize brand value and
image in an amended form.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Kustos, M. and et. al., 2019. Using consumer opinion to define New World fine wine: Insights
for hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 83, pp.180-189.
Altinay, L. and Taheri, B., 2019. Emerging themes and theories in the sharing economy: a
critical note for hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management.
Papargyropoulou, E. and et al., 2019. Patterns and Causes of Food Waste in the Hospitality and
Food Service Sector: Food Waste Prevention Insights from
Malaysia. Sustainability, 11(21), p.6016.
Hu, F. and et. al., 2019. Evolving customer expectations of hospitality services: Differences in
attribute effects on satisfaction and Re-Patronage. Tourism Management, 74, pp.345-
357.
Murillo, E. and King, C., 2019. Why do employees respond to hospitality talent
management. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Gursoy, D., 2019. A critical review of determinants of information search behavior and
utilization of online reviews in decision making process (invited paper for ‘luminaries’
special issue of International Journal of Hospitality Management). International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 76, pp.53-60.
Lugosi, P., 2019. Deviance, deviant behaviour and hospitality management: Sources, forms and
drivers. Tourism Management, 74, pp.81-98.
Viglia, G. and Dolnicar, S., 2020. A review of experiments in tourism and hospitality. Annals of
Tourism Research, 80, p.102858.
Murphy, J., Gretzel, U. and Pesonen, J., 2019. Marketing robot services in hospitality and
tourism: the role of anthropomorphism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(7),
pp.784-795.
Mariani, M.M., Borghi, M. and Kazakov, S., 2019. The role of language in the online evaluation
of hospitality service encounters: An empirical study. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 78, pp.50-58.
Samoggia, A. and Riedel, B., 2018. Coffee consumption and purchasing behavior review:
Insights for further research. Appetite, 129, pp.70-81.
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Vanhala, M. and et. al., 2020. The usage of large data sets in online consumer behaviour: A
bibliometric and computational text-mining–driven analysis of previous
research. Journal of Business Research, 106, pp.46-59.
Online
Travelodge. 2020. [Online]. Available Through: < https://www.travelodge.co.uk/about/our-
company/>.
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