Unit 15: Hospitality Marketing Essentials for The Connaught Hotel

This report provides a comprehensive overview of hospitality marketing essentials, using The Connaught Hotel as a case study. It begins with an introduction to marketing concepts, current and future trends, and an overview of marketing processes. The report then delves into the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, exploring how marketing influences and interrelates with other departments such as housekeeping, front desk, and finance. It further analyzes the value and importance of marketing in the hospitality industry, including how marketing helps to build brand awareness and drive organizational survival. The core of the report examines how The Connaught Hotel and a competitor use the marketing mix (product, place, price, promotion, process, people, and physical evidence) to achieve their business objectives. It also offers a critical analysis of the interrelationships among various functional departments. Finally, the report includes a basic marketing plan, outlining strategies to meet marketing objectives and achieve success in the competitive hospitality market. The report highlights marketing's importance in shaping customer perceptions, driving revenue, and ensuring long-term business growth.

UNIT 15: HOSPITALITY
MARKETING
ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
Concept of marketing along with current and future trend....................................................3
Overview of different marketing process...............................................................................4
Roles and responsibilities of marketing functions.................................................................4
How marketing influence and interrelates with other functional departments......................5
Value and importance of marketing role................................................................................6
Different ways hospitality organization use marketing mix to attain company objectives. . .7
Critical analysis of effective interrelationship among various functional department..........9
Marketing plan.......................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
In this modern era, every company uses different marketing style in order to attract
the range of customers. In the same way, current study also shed a light upon the hospitality
marketing essentials and chosen firm for this study is The Connaught which is a five star
hotel in London that has its different unit in many countries. The report will help to describe
the key roles and responsibilities of marketing function and analyze how marketing influence
and interrelates with other functional department. Further study compare the ways in which
different hospitality organization apply the marketing mix to attain business objectives.
Lastly, study will produce a basic marketing plan that help to meet the marketing objectives.
Concept of marketing along with current and future trend
Marketing is that process through which an individual and group obtain the product as
per their demand. Thus, marketing concept is that philosophy that helps to analyze the needs
of their customers by satisfy their demand in order to stay ahead in competition. Further,
these concept are as mention below:
Production concept:Under this, consumer prefer product which are widely available
and inexpensive in nature. Hence, it retain customers in order to meet the define aim
(Khojaeva, 2020).
Product concept:User favor those products which are high in quality along with
innovative features.
Selling concept: Customer buy those products through which company continuously
promote these products. Such that The Connaught continuously offer product and service at
discount rates.
Current trends
 Content marketing is the classic marketing technique that helps to attract the
customers towards it. Such that web content like blog post and long form content that
also provide important information.
 Personalized advertisement is another marketing trend that create interest upon the
customer in which company send email to their users that assist to improve
performance (Kirova, 2017).

 Social media is current trend of marketing that let people know about new offers. In
this Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are consider some of the basic social media
platform that attract customer.
Future trend
 Artificial intelligence is the future trend of marketing that grab attention of many
customers towards it. Such that it improve communication channel that assist to
improve performance.
 Programmatic advertising is another future trend in which AI to automate
advertisement buying to the target audience.
Overview of different marketing process
Mission: In this, company has to set the corporate objectives which will be attain by
using effective marketing strategy.
Situational analysis: In this stage, company conduct the marketing audit in which
SWOT analysis and Pestle analysis is conducted that helps to determine the internal and
external situation.
Marketing strategy: Through effective marketing strategy, company communicate
different offers and product to their customers. Further tries to forecast the expected results
by creating alternative plans as well (Key and et.al.,2017).
Marketing mix: In this, 7 P’s are considering that helps to determine how business
promote their key products to customers.
Implementation and control: The last stage in which marketing budget is assign and
determine the detailed action plan that assist to examine the overall performance of the
company as well.
Roles and responsibilities of marketing functions
 Market research:Through effective advertisement, quoted hotel sustain the brand
image and determine the customer perception with regards to the offered product and
services. Product development: After analyzing the need of customer, The Connaught tries to
offer the best variety of product to their customers which in turn promote the brand at

further level of success. Hence, this in turn leads to maximize the profit and expand
the business operations as well (Gama and Casaca, 2019).
 Communication: Another function of marketing which in turn leads to communicate
the message to the customers. Also, company uses marketing in order to let people
know about the new products offered by the company through advertisement and blog
post.
 Planning and promotion: Marketing function also includes effective planning and
promotion that assist to improve the overall performance of a company (Role of
marketing,2020). Also The Connaught uses online marketing style that assist to grab
attention of many customers towards it.
 Branding: Marketing is used to promote the brand and it is considered one of the
vitalprospects of market that develop identification of an organization (Rangaswami
and et.al.,2020). This also assist to take a business at further level of success by
offering high quality of services to their users.
How marketing influence and interrelates with other functional departments
Every functional department is directly link with the marketing department and they
all tries to attain the define aim. There are many functional department within The Connaught
that assist to promote brand image of the company and increase financial performance as
well. These are as mention below:

Interrelationship of marketing with Housekeeping department: There is a strong
interrelationship between marketing function and housekeeping department such that if there
is a proper cleaning then marketing manager is able to offer good services to their customers.
This in turn improve the financial performance and benefit the customers as well.
Housekeeping department also provide the status report to the manager and then send the
same to marketing manager in order to examine the overall performance.
Interrelationship of marketing with Front desk: Front desk staff interacts with all
department and work as a communication liaison in order to provide best guest services.
Also, through marketing company come to know about the need of customers and
communicate t front desk department with an aim to offer the same (Martin, Javalgi and
Ciravegna, 2020). Hence, in hospitality industry, front desk also provide data on guest while
marketing manager provide ways to retain employees.
Interrelationship of marketing with Concierge department: There is a strong
relationship between the both departments because concierge assist guest by performing
different task such that making restaurant reservation, booking hotels and arrangement for
spa service. Hence with the support of effective marketing manager, concierge department
make changes in their customer service so that it will help to attract the customers.
Marketing
Hopusekeeping
Front desk
Finance
Conceirge

Interrelationship of marketing with Finance department: Finance department of The
Connaught assign budget to the marketing department with an aim to let people know about
the new offers and grab attention of many customers towards it (Weng, 2020). Hence with
proper support from both the departments, company examine its financial performance. In
this, marketing spend the money while finance department tries to save the amount with an
aim is to sustain the brand image at international level.
Value and importance of marketing role
Marketing inform the customer about the product and services, also users values the
product by creating brand awareness. Moreover, through marketing company ensure about
the organizational survival and enhance the reputation within an international market.
Through this, The Connaught also offer the better product and services to the users by
adapting the right price which in turn improve the overall performance of the company.
Through effective marketing strategy, company is able to stay ahead in competition and
monitor the market closely (Karimova, 2020). This is clearly reflected that marketing plays
an important role in the success of a business as it also contribute its part in economic growth
as well. It is so because marketing creates demand which somehow encourage production as
well as distribution activities. As a result, it also offer employment opportunities that further
improve the standard of living as well.
In addition to this, it is also examine that marketing strategy is the only technique that
helps to meet the customer needs and wants because it assist to shape the cultural and
individual personalities. In the same way, The Connaught also have an experts who try to
identify the need of customers and with the help of effective marketing style, company meet
the demand and take a business at further level of success as well.

Different ways hospitality organization use marketing mix to attain company objectives
Particulars The Connaught Four Season hotel
Product Hotel provide room and restaurant facilities
to their customers with high quality. Also,
quoted hotel is a five star hotel which is
managed by Maybourne Hotel Group
It is a five star hotel which is count
among one of the luxury hotels in
London. It also provide
accommodation facilities along with
proper lunch, breakfast and dinner
facilities with high quality products
Place It is located in the corner of Carlos Place
and Mount Street in London and opened in
123 years ago. Though the hotel is five star
but it has a single unit only in London
(Gölgeci and Kuivalainen, 2020).
Four Season hotel is located in
Hamilton Place in London and there is
no other units operated in other
countries.
Price It uses competitive pricing strategy in
which there is a wide fluctuation in its
overall pricing strategy. Such that during
season time, hotel offer its accommodation
facilities in high price, whereas, during off-
season time, it offer its services with
different discount strategies.
Four season hotel uses skimming
pricing style that helps to take the
products in upper market which in
turn grab attention of many customers
towards it.

Promotion For the purpose of promoting the business
the most important thing is the effective
strategies for the promotion like the social
media marketing and the other digital
platforms in order to market its product and
services.
On the other side the Four season
hotel is the one which also makes the
use of the digital marketing tools but
also lay more emphasize over the
sales promotion and different offers
which are made to the consumers.
Process This involves the process actions which are
taken by hotel in order to deliver the
product to the consumers. For this The
Connaught makes the use of the transparent
process which involves recording of all the
transaction relating to the consumer so that
every detail of consumer is being present
with the hotel as well.
On the flip side for the purpose of the
process the Four Season makes the
effective use of different types of
process which are necessary for the
company to manage the consumer and
try to attract them to come to the
hotel.
People For this The Connaught hires a good set of
employees and this assist the hotel in
attracting a large number of consumers. The
major reason for this is that when the
company hires good set of employees then
they communicate in effective manner and
this attracts attention of the company.
For this the major focus of Four
Season is over hiring of the educated
and well mannered people. the major
reason for this is that when the
company hires effective employees
then this creates a goodwill of
company within the market.
Physical
Evidence
For the purpose of good physical evidence
the major important thing on which The
Connaught focuses on providing better and
effective infrastructure and ambience to the
consumer coming to the place.
In against of this Four Season lay
emphasis on creating good physical
evidence with help of providing a
good quality of the food and other
services to the consumer. The major
reason for this is that when the
company provides good quality of
product and services then this will
create a good image of the company
among the consumers.
All these tactics are used by the company in order to attain the objectives of the
business. The major reason for this is that when the company makes the effective use of this

marketing mix then this provides the company a knowledge that how they have to deal with
all the decisions of business.
Critical analysis of effective interrelationship among various functional department
As per the views of Han and et.al., (2019) when the company operates then there are
many different types of functional areas or departments which work effectively and need to
operate in coordinated manner. For the better working of organization the most essential
thing is to have a better coordination and good relation among all the different functional
departments of the company. These involves department such as housekeeping, front desk
and other functions of The Connaught. On the other side Fotiadis, Mombeuil and Valek
(2018) argues that if there will not be a link among all these function then the working will
not be good and this will not attract majority of the consumers.
Marketing plan
Aim and Objectives
“To promote the operations of the company with respect to the current pandemic for the
safety and security of the consumers.”
Objectives
To increase the sales by 20 % with respect to following the guidelines of COVID 19 like
social distancing and proper sanitization.
To increase the awareness of the consumers with help of the use of latest measures of dealing
with the current pandemic.
Marketing audit or situation analysis
In the current marketing environment the main thing going on is the pandemic and the effects
of pandemic has majorly affected the hospitality industry only .thus, for this in reviving with
the situation of COVID 19 it is of utmost importance that The Connaught analyze the market
and need of consumer in effective manner. Thus, for this the company majorly performs the
PESTLE analysis which is as follows-
Elements Description
Political With respect to the current pandemic the
government of country is providing much of the

relaxation and subsidies. Thus, this will provide
benefit to the hotel as they might get some
relaxation and different subsidies.
Economic With respect to the current pandemic the interest
rates within the economy has decreased and this
has good impact over working of The Connaught.
The major reason underlying this fact is that hotel
will get the loan on less interest rate and thus, this
will save the money.
Social On the other side because of pandemic the
consumer has become more conscious relating to
their health and safety. Thus, the current plan of
focusing on proper sanitization and social
distancing will assist the hotel in getting a good
position.
Technological Furthermore when the company wants to install
and work on their sanitization then, The
Connaught need to install some of the machine
like the full body sanitizer tunnel, contact free
sanitizers and other technology.
Defining the consumers and SWOT analysis
Element Description
Segmentation The major segment for this plan will be based
over demographic and behavioural segmentation
Targeting For this purpose The Connaught will majorly
focus on youth that is people belonging from 20-
45 age group. Further the people who are intense
food lover or loves travelling will be focused.
Positioning For this company will majorly focus on the
proper and effective use of the sanitization and

proper health and safety measures.
SWOT analysis
Strength
The hotel provides for good quality of services
and the service of accommodation is also very
good for the company.
Another major strength of hotel is that it has a
good set of employees which increases the
working of hotel in effective manner.
Weakness
The major weakness is that the location of the
hotel is limited and this needs to be increased.
Another weakness is that hotel is having less of
social media presence.
Opportunity
To invest money in the third party application
like Airbnb and others.
To invest money in use of technology like AI.
Threat
The major threat is the high competition
Another major threat is the changes in the need
and demand of the consumers.
Forecast of expected results
Particular
s
Jan
uar
y
Feb
rua
ry
M
ar
ch
Apr
il
Ma
y
Jun
e
Jul
y
Au
gus
t
Sept
emb
er
Oct
obe
r
Nov
emb
er
Dec
emb
er
Cash
inflows
Opening
cash inflow
500
0
630
0
86
82
111
45.8
8
136
91.4
5
163
18.4
3
190
26.4
8
218
15.1
6
2468
3.9
276
32.1
9
3065
9.19
3376
4.11
Sales
revenue
100
00
102
00
10
40
4
106
12
108
24
110
41
112
61.6
2
114
86.8
6
1171
7
119
51
1219
0
1243
4
Other
income
200
0
200
0
20
00
200
0
200
0
200
0
200
0
200
0 2000
200
0 2000 2000
Total cash
inflows
170
00
185
00
21
08
6
237
57.9
6
265
15.7
7
293
59.2
4
322
88.1
1
353
02.0
2
3840
0.5
415
83.1
2
4484
9.14
4819
7.85
Cash