HND Hospitality Marketing Essentials Report: Travelodge Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of hospitality marketing, focusing on the UK-based company Travelodge. It begins with an introduction to marketing's role in achieving organizational goals, particularly within the hospitality sector. Task 1 details the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions within Travelodge, including market research, promotional tool management, trend tracking, and budget management. It then explores the relationship between marketing and the wider organizational context, along with the impact of the micro and macro marketing environments. Task 2 compares the marketing mix of Travelodge with a competitor, Holiday Inn, highlighting elements like product, price, place, and promotion. The report discusses tactics used by Travelodge to achieve business objectives. The analysis covers marketing strategies, competitive advantages, and the interrelationship between marketing and other functional units such as finance, food and beverage, sales, and HR. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and implications for Travelodge's marketing success.

Hospitality Marketing
Essential

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Role and responsibilities of the marketing functions within Travelodge...............................1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing related to the wider organisational context.............3
Roles and responsibilities of marketing in the context of the marketing environment..........4
Significance of interrelationship between marketing and other functional units...................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
Comparison of marketing mix between two similar organisations to achieve business
objectives................................................................................................................................6
Tactics used by Travelodge to achieve overall business objectives.......................................9
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
Covered in Poster...................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
In modern scenario, marketing is foremost and valuable part of an organisation which
makes a suitable path for them to achieve its desired goals and objectives within limited time
period. It plays a significant role in assisting an organisation to achieve huge customer base
through inviting and influencing their buying behaviour using various promotional tools and
techniques such as Social media platform, print media, Digital technology etc. To enter into new
market with new product in more successful manner, an organisation requires an adequate
support from marketing unit. The present assignment is based on Travelodge which is UK-based
hospitality company engaging in providing luxurious rooms with standard services and
amenities. The project describes the importance of marketing through defining their roles and
responsibilities to a wider organisational context along with the marketing mix of two companies
engaged in similar sector. Marketing plan to launch new product of Travelodge has been also
discussed under this report.
TASK 1
Role and responsibilities of the marketing functions within Travelodge
Marketing: It may be defined as an activity, set of institutions and process of generating,
communicating, transferring and exchanging products and services that have value for
customers, suppliers, investors and community at a large.
In hospitality sector, marketing plays a key role in establishing a strong brand, attracting
new customers and retain loyalty of existing customers through updating them about new
changes in their offerings along with their benefits. Travelodge is one of the largest in hospitality
sector which is currently attained strong brand image in competitive market. To enhance their
brand image and exist customers base, marketing manager of Travelodge need to perform crucial
functions that will help in driving business move ahead than their rivals (Bellenger, Bernhardt
and Goldstucker, 2011).
Roles and Responsibilities How is it executed in the selected Organisation
Market research An organisation such as Travelodge expect from marketing
unit to create demands of their products and services. For
this, marketing focuses on identify the needs and preferences
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of targeted people first through conducting an appropriate
market research and accordingly communicate organisations
to bring the same products or strategies which maximises the
satisfaction level of targeted people. For example,
identification of perception of customers towards pricing
strategies followed by Travelodge and makes changes
accordingly to create demand of offerings
Monitoring and managing
promotional tools
Promotion is an essential role that to be played by marketing
manager of Travelodge through using various tools and
techniques such as digital or print media etc. The buying
behaviour of targeted customers can be influenced towards
offerings of company only if the company attracts them
through providing benefits and competitiveness of their
products among their rivals. For example, advertising
regarding cashback offers or coupons on getting their
services using social media easily attracts lots of customers.
Track trends and monitor
competition
In hospitality sector, number of companies are operated its
business such as Howard Johnson, Wingate etc. which gives
tough rivalry to Travelodge. Therefore, analysing their
competitive strategies using social media platform provides
an opportunity to management to make suitable competitive
changes in their existing strategies in order to compete with
them more effectively. For example, researching on rivals'
strategies by visiting at their official sites gives an
opportunity to Travelodge to move ahead than their rivals.
Manage marketing budget Due to presence of lots of complexities in business
environment, Travelodge may faced difficulties in executing
their business operations more smoothly. Thus, to analyse the
influencing factors along with its impact on company, it
enable marketing manager to deal with them through
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preparing an effective market budget. For example, demand
of premium room may goes high in future then market
budget should be prepared by Travelodge to deal with such
future trends in favourable manner.
Roles and responsibilities of marketing related to the wider organisational context
Above it is clearly mentioned the roles and responsibilities of marketing makes huge
positive impact in the process of achieving desired goals and objectives of an organisation.
Creation of demands through identifying needs and preferences of targeted people, promoting
products and services, analyses of rivals competitive strategies etc. are some functions of
marketing which drives Travelodge to build strong brand image and enhances customer base. For
example, identifying needs and requirements of customers provides an opportunity to Travelodge
to fulfil those accordingly which in turn results in increasing their revenue and profitability.
Illustration 1: HOTEL ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
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Source: HOTEL ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. 2018
Roles and responsibilities of marketing in the context of the marketing environment
Marketing has different roles and responsibility in the context of micro and macro
environment. Micro environment begins with an organisation's environment. It implies the forces
and factors in the immediate situation which impact the ability of Travelodge to serve their
market (Brooks and Simkin, 2012).
In case of macro environment, it refer to those forces which are mainly related with
external factors in the business environment that impacts organisation's activities and do not
involve the immediate environment. Such type of factor not controllable which impact business's
ability to run in the marketplace effectively.
Therefore marketing play effective role in the both context which are determined as
under table:
Role Responsibility How do they Relate to each other and to the
Marketing environment
Marketing
function
Market Strategy
It is identify as initial role and responsibility of
marketing that depicts the creation of marketing
planning and strategies for the Travelodge. The
manager of an enterprise requires to analysis the
requirements and needs of target audience and give
their goods or services accordingly. Marketing
strategies development brings out an effective balance
between business objectives and changes of market.
This responsibility is mainly related with the sales
department to make an effective and appropriate
market strategy and accomplish better results within
predetermined time period.
IT Departmnt
Marketing information
system
It is identify as an effective and essential
responsibility of marketing which is mainly related
with the micro factor of company. This system gives
the information about different factors such as product
or services, planning, and development, monitoring of
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marketing strategies. This role and responsibility is
related with the IT department of company and help
the hospitality sector to retain strong position at
marketplace.
Research and
Development
department
Marketing research It is identify as a part of macro environment which is
interrelated with the research and development
function of company. It is main and essential role of
marketing and involves particular knowledge of price,
consumer and product in order to transmit the best
quality services and products of the hospitality
organisation in the market.
Significance of interrelationship between marketing and other functional units
Travelodge is large-sized organisation, getting support from various departments such as
finance, production, HR, sales etc. to achieve desired goals and objectives. Marketing unit itself
cannot be perform its roles and responsibilities more effectively due to which it requires an
adequate support from these functional units which can be possible through maintaining healthy
relationship with them. Here are the interrelation of marketing with other functional units:
Marketing and food and beverage : Marketing unit can inform to the targeted people
about the food facilities the company served at the time of their visit in Travelodge, it requires
support from production unit who is responsible to produce food and beverage products to
provide the sufficient details about their items along with their prices and varieties. Marketing
department provides information regarding taste and preferences of customers to food and
beverage department which helps them in serving to guests accordingly.
Marketing and finance: Marketing unit cannot influence the buying behaviour and
interest of targeted people if they have no adequate amount of funds to to prepare an effective
marketing budget. Thus, it requires proper support from finance division to fulfil their financial
requirement either through allotting them from cash reserves or raising funds from various
sources such as banks (Campbell, Martin and Fabos, 2018). availability of adequate amount of
funds helps marketing department in carrying out its promotional activities in more effective
manner.
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Marketing and sales: Marketing and sales unit are very much depend on each other as
they are interrelated in terms of achieving desired results. Marketing influences the buying
behaviour of new customers and retain loyalty of existing customers by using advertising tools
such as digital technology so as to increase sales of Travelodge which is also an objective of
sales department.
Marketing and HR: Marketing functions can be performed more effectively if
Travelodge have an effective marketing team consisting of skilled and knowledgeable members.
For this, it approaches to HR unit to fulfil their workforce requirements through searching and
conducting recruitment programs at workplace. Interrelationship of these departments facilitate
Travelodge to attained skilled and knowledgeable employees who are capable to perform
different marketing functions in more effective and efficient manner.
TASK 2
Comparison of marketing mix between two similar organisations to achieve business objectives
Marketing mix: It is an effective model which can be used to conduct marketing
activities. It includes 7P's such as product, price, place, promotion, process, people and physical
evidence. It can be developed over a period of time by Travelodge in order to sustain in market
for longer period of time. For this, the management is required to develop marketing mix after
comparing its existing marketing mix with their rivals. Here a subsidiary of intercontinental hotel
group plc is taken as competitor of Travelodge (Marketing Mix, 2018).
Elements Travelodge Holiday inn
Product Travelodge provides budgeted
services to their clients which
includes lodging services for
professionals who travel for
business or personal motive. It
mainly uses internet market to sell
its products to customers from
various parts of market. The
company now decided to launch
premium rooms for their targeted
The hotel is offering good
accommodations services to all its
customers that helps to attract
large number of tourists and
retain them as well. As the service
quality is very good hence it helps
hotel to capture large market area
by satisfying customers.
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clients.
Price Travelodge mainly emphasis on
lowering their prices of their
products and services so that it can
be easily afforded by its targeted
clients. The management decided
the prices of products according to
the market competition and other
factors in order to achieve huge
sales. Currently, the company has
adopted low cost pricing strategy.
Price of all the services are set
according to the premium pricing
as the price is high and the main
target market of the hotel is upper
class customers. The customers
find the price is affordable for
them and they have also a thought
of that it suits to their standard of
living.
Place It refers to the location where
Travelodge find more targeted
customers for their products and
services. Travelodge is currently
operated its business in United
states, Canada, Newzealand,
Australia etc.
Location of the hotel is Porsche
and near to railway station and air
port. It is easy to reach for the
tourists and they do not have to
face problems while looking for
the hotel. It is operated in many
nations such as Australia,
Malaysia, United kingdom etc.
Promotion Travelodge has using online
marketing tool on the basis of
which marketing strategies has
been developed and implemented
by company. Travelodge publish
advertisement on internet
containing information about their
products and services along with
their benefits and pricing policies.
Holiday Inn is using attractive
promotional techniques that
includes discount coupons and
other benefits to the customers so
that they can be retained and the
organisation can enhance its
profitability. Promotion is an
effective way to retain all the
customers by offering them good
schemes.
Process It includes the ways of providing The process which is used by
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services and products to the
targeted customers. Travelodge
provides an opportunity to clients
to book their rooms through using
online platforms.
Holiday Inn while delivering
services is very good as it
contacts with airline companies to
offer their airline services to their
clients so as to faciliate them in
reaching at the location of their
hotels. Managers plan in effective
manner and use planning process
to expand business and acquire
higher market share.
People It includes both employees as well
as clients of Travelodge. The
management put more emphasis
on identifying the actual needs and
preferences of clients through
conducting market research so that
new offers can be introduced
which can easily influence the
buying behaviour of new
customers. Apart from this,
training and learning programs are
also provided to employees to
make them more capable to deal
with different clients.
Hotel staff members are very
cooperative with the visitors.
They take immediate action on
the issues of customers and clear
all their queries so that their trust
can be gained in order to retain
them.
Physical evidence Travelodge is one of the largest
hotel chain in UK due to which it
can be well recognised by clients
of different nations in terms of
having good budgeted hotel with
standard of services.
Physical evidence for Holiday inn
is its interior that attracts guests
for the organisation. In this
element of marketing mix space,
colour and light is considered as
physical evidence that fulfil all
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the requirements of the visitors of
hotel. Advertising is also
considered as the part of this
element that attracts customers.
Holiday Inn is using various
advertising tools that includes its
discount coupons and other
schemes that are offered to the
customers. It helps attract large
number of customers.
Tactics used by Travelodge to achieve overall business objectives
There are different tactics which can be adopted by Travelodge in order to achieve its
desired goals and objectives. It includes identification of target market through conducting
market research, analyses of their needs and preferences so as to fulfil them, developing
positioning strategy and evaluation and feedback process of segmentation. It assist organisation
to attract new customers and retain loyalty of existing clients which in results achieving huge
revenues and profitability (Coombs, 2012).
TASK 3
Covered in Poster
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above project report that marketing functions drives an
organisation to achieve strong market position and huge customer base. Marketing function
cannot solely perform its own functions as they required maximum support from other functional
units such as finance, HR, sales etc. An organisation can compete with its rivals in more efficient
manner through developing its marketing mix which can be possible through comparing it with
their rivals marketing mix. Marketing plan is also necessary to prepare in order to make new
product more successful in market within shorter period of time.
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