MKG203: Digital Marketing Communication in Hospitality Report

This report analyzes digital marketing communication (DMC) within the hotel and hospitality industry, focusing on the Australian context. It provides an overview of the current landscape, highlighting the increasing importance of digital platforms and social media for customer engagement. The r...Read More

Running head: DIGITAL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Digital Marketing Communication in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
Name of the Student
Name of the University
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1Digital Markeing Communications in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
Executive Summary:
This paper deals with Digital Marketing and Communication in the hotel and
hospitality industry in Australia. It gives an overview of the current scenarios of DMC in the
industry discussing three opportunities and threats. Travelodge is a company chosen for
further discussion. A brief summary of the company’s branding and target marketing is
provided. An analysis of the company is done keeping its performance in the area of digital
platform with respect to availability of website, online PR, digital advertising, content and
social media marketing.

2Digital Markeing Communications in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Current Scenario of the Digital Marketing Communication in the industry..............................3
Company’s Digital Media Marketing........................................................................................4
Positioning and branding........................................................................................................4
Target marketing....................................................................................................................4
DMC analysis of Travelodge Sydney Martin Place...................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

3Digital Markeing Communications in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
Introduction
Advancement of technology has played a significant role for information technology
in developing and transforming tourism and hospitality industry. Internet is a powerful tool
for marketing. It has revolutionized opportunities and operations for business. Emerging of
social media has given hotels a website as third party, which identified promotional activities
and growth in advertising (Isa et al, 2017).
Current Scenario of the Digital Marketing Communication in the industry
The business of hotel is arguably a lucrative business in the industry of hospitality.
The astronomical rate of growth in the industry proves this. Brands are utilizing the
advantage of digital platforms and social media has been a constant connectivity to gain
engagement of organic customers. Technology is getting used dynamically to enhance the
experience of customers via digital creations. Five characters that are interconnected has
helped the tourism industry to revolutionize are data-driven, co-creation, and consumer-
centric creations (Buhalis & Sinarta, 2019).
The internet has become more important in hotels and tourism industry in the recent years.
Travelodge Sydney Martin Place adopted the forms of hospitality marketing in many ways
that includes making the hotel’s presence on online platforms noticeable such as Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter and so on. The system of marketing, promotions, secured online payment
and booking through apps make it a very convenient experience for the customers (Law et al,
2015). Some key opportunities and threats of digital marketing of Travelodge Sydney Martin
Place from a communication point of view are as follows:
a. Being reachable online: The first and foremost things is to be accessible online or
searchable. If they are not visible in the digital platform, it will not work no matter
how much adverts are produced. It does not have a hotel website with two lines for

4Digital Markeing Communications in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
content and few pictures of poor quality but it has hotel website displaying the
location of hotel, amenities, rooms and every service it provides.
b. Advertising on Meta-search Engines: Meta-search engines basically means Google
Hotel Ads, Trivago, TripAdvisor and so on. Listing on meta-search engines not only
boosted the visibility but also helps in improving the brand value.
c. Going live on Social Media: In today’s date, millennial set the trend. Presence on
social media for a company to grow is important. Going live on Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and so on has helped the company grow.
d. Lots of Expenses: Creating digital contents and maintaining that gets very expensive
because the company has to upgrade according the trends.
e. Clients take time: Sometimes client take time to figure out bookings and might not do
if it is not according to their conveyance. That becomes a problem for the company
because they always have a fear to loose clients.
f. Maintaining online reputation: Having a reputation online is very important in digital
marketing of any brand. The reviews posted by clients create an impact for new ones
whether to book the company or not. Keeping up with a good feedback is goes longer
ways.
Company’s Digital Media Marketing
Positioning and branding
To increase the impact and appreciation, the brand has to think in terms that add value
for consumers towards the brand (Tarrant, 2018). Travelodge has a brand vision, strategy,
proposition and positioning which helps them innovating their strategy in order to meet the

5Digital Markeing Communications in Hotel and Hospitality Industry
consumer demands. An integrated activity plan is further executed, evaluated and learnt to
win the market.
Target marketing
Developing a target marketing includes ideation, planning and creating content.
Travelodge has pushed out via channels of communication like you-tube, organizational blog,
and social media with a goal of earning other media. Basically it is also delivering organized
content to audience who is looking for hotels and searching everywhere. It is a combination
of creating, curating and syndicating content (Baltes, 2015).
DMC analysis of Travelodge Sydney Martin Place
Travelodge Sydney Martin Place is a hotel, which is designed the way one will like. It
has a down to earth attitude with a humorous sense. It is located conveniently to suit the
standards of living today without unnecessary extras. All parts of it make stay very
comfortable with hearty breakfasts and leisure (Travelodge, 2019). The company is utilizing digital
tools of communication effectively for its marketing. It has a company website, which is the
foremost important thing in the digital platform. The website contains all the details about the
hotel and what amenities it offers to its consumers with appropriate visuals. In this age, social
media marketing plays a great role and Travelodge manages its content which strategically
organizing with integrated analysis which is put on social media to gain audience and in a
way make the brand visible to the audience in digital platform. It has a mobile app, which
makes the consumers locate it without hasty. Digital advertising and online public relations
goes hand in hand which is another important aspect of digital platform. The promotional
activities of Travelodge in various digital platforms and constant upgrade of the content and

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customization makes it more engaging for its audience and the online PR is done
automatically with the increasing number of reach.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is concluded from the paper that Digital marketing and communications
if going ways in the present are giving brands an exposure to promote their services. The
hotel and hospitality industry has grown increasingly after coming to the digital platform
through mobile apps and social media. Effective planning and strategy not only helps to build
the brand image socially but also gives it a reach to maximum number of audience present in
the digital world making it easier for the brand to target its audience and expand.

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References
Baltes, L. P. (2015). Content marketing-the fundamental tool of digital marketing. Bulletin of the
Transilvania University of Brasov. Economic Sciences. Series V, 8(2), 111.
Buhalis, D., & Sinarta, Y. (2019). Real-time co-creation and nowness service: lessons from tourism
and hospitality. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(5), 563-582.
Isa, N. F., Rosli, N. A., Hakim, F., & Akhir, I. M. (2017). Impact of web and digital experience on the
stickiness of third party hotel website. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts, 9(2),
399-410.
Law, R., Leung, R., Lo, A., Leung, D., & Fong, L. H. N. (2015). Distribution channel in hospitality and
tourism: Revisiting disintermediation from the perspectives of hotels and travel
agencies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), 431-452.
Tarrant, C. (2018). Never mind the love, smell the money: What is the ‘value-add’of a brand?. Journal
of Brand Strategy, 7(1), 54-68.
Travelodge (2019). Travelodge Hotels | Sydney Martin Place - Best Rates & Free WiFi. [online]
Travelodge. Available at: https://www.travelodge.com.au/hotel/sydney-martin-place/
[Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].