Integrated Marketing Communication Strategies in Hospitality Sector

This report provides an analysis of integrated marketing communication within the hospitality industry, focusing on Le Meridian, an international hotel brand. It explores various marketing communication channels and tools, including official websites, advertising, sales promotions, online review sites, and social media. The report evaluates how these channels are integrated to add value and increase resources for the organization. It also designs communication objectives, such as developing customer awareness and promoting services, and justifies the selection and integration of communication channels. Furthermore, the report discusses the role of budgeting in integrated marketing communication and provides a marketing communications plan with SMART objectives. It concludes with recommendations for enhancing the integrated marketing communication plan to successfully attain communication and company objectives.

INTEGRATED
HOPITALITY
MARKETING
COMMUNICATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
P1- Analysis of different marketing communication channels and different tools and methods.
.....................................................................................................................................................3
M1. Evaluation of how marketing channels of communication are integrated within a
hospitality organisation to add value and increase resources .....................................................4
D1. A judgement how marketing channels add value in hospitality organisation to
demonstrate their communication objectives. ............................................................................5
P2. Design communication objectives for organizational situation and provide justification for
the selection and integration of communication channels .........................................................5
M2. Evaluate the applications of communication objectives in relation to the marketing
communication mix and hospitality business objectives. ..........................................................7
D2- Marketing communications plan which appropriately integrates communication channels,
and has SMART objectives to meet the business objectives .....................................................7
P3- Create effective content to the communication channel as well as communication
objectives.....................................................................................................................................8
M3,D3- Determine the communication strategies which can be used to help achieve the
objectives. ...................................................................................................................................9
P4- Integrated marketing communication role in the communication strategy, channel
choice and creative content................................................................................................9
M4- The success of observing and affects of the integrated marketing communication plan. .10
D4- Appropriate recommendations for enhancing the integrated marketing communication
plan to successful attain the communication and company's objectives...................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Integrated marketing communication is a process which helps to integrate the
communication elements which are used in marketing. It allows businesses to deliver the
customers with seamless experience and build organizational relationship with stakeholders. It is
used to merge the elements like social media, advertising and sales promotion, public relations
and audience analytics into a brand identity. This report is about Le Meridian which is an
international hotel brand (Amatulli, De Angelis and Stoppani, 2021). The Meridian group had
around 109 branches with 29,439 rooms. This report gives description about the different
marketing channels and tools used by hospitality industry. Also the report discusses about the
integration of communication channels and the appropriate channel used in communication.
Further this report critically evaluate the hospitality case study including communication
strategy with creative content.
MAIN BODY
P1- Analysis of different marketing communication channels and different tools and methods.
Marketing communication strategy can be used by individuals and organizations
to influence the targeted marketplace by using different types of communication strategies. The
strategies can include the product message which has to be conveyed to the public, and the
medium through which it is to be conveyed and at last the target to whom the message has to be
conveyed. For promoting the products the company mainly focuses on the targeted customers
and the different ways in which can market its products.
The success of hotel industry basically depends upon the marketing and communication tools
which they are using to market their brand and create awareness. It is important for marketers in
hotels to focus on the location and the targeted customers. Right marketing strategies will lead to
great profitability and growth of the hotels. There are various marketing communication
channels which marketers of Le Meridian used to improve their brand which are-
 Official website- Hotels and resorts use official websites for creating a impact on the
guests and the customers which book rooms. Websites makes it easy for the customers to
get information about the prices and availability of rooms. Also the customers can get a
review of the hotel and go through the images and videos of hotel.

 Advertising and Sales promotion- Advertisements are the most spectacular and broadly
used method by the hotels to market their brands. This is the best marketing
communication strategy as it increases the awareness among the audiences and is
effective (Inanc–Demir and Kozak, 2019). Sales promotion helps the businesses to attract
more customer base by providing various discounts and coupons.
 Online Review Sites- Online review sites allow customers to read the reviews before
buying or using any services. They are the platforms which helps the customers to view
the ratings and opinions of other customers who have previously visited the hotel. Online
review sites allow hotels to maintain a good relationship with the customers as they
provide feedback with their visit.
 Social Media- The hotel industry often use social media to attract its customers and also
allows the brands to get involved with the audiences. Social media provides information
about the products and services delivered by the hotels. Most of the individuals have their
accounts on different social media sites like Instagram, Snap chat, Facebook etc. These
sites provide opportunities to the hotels to market their brand along with the exclusive
photos and videos of the premises.
 Text Message Marketing Tool- This tool is the most used strategy by the marketers as it
does not require any third party involvement. The marketers simply transfer the messages
on the name of hotels providing information about the prices and discounts available at
the hotel. The hotels usually tend to send the messages to those customers which have
visited before or their loyal customer base.
M1. Evaluation of how marketing channels of communication are integrated within a hospitality
organisation to add value and increase resources
Integrated marketing communication is a process which is used to merge the marketing
communication strategies and tools. It helps the Le Meridian to provide smooth consumer
experiences and modify the brands image while building relationship with the stakeholders.
Marketers at Le Meridian uses direct marketing methods which helps them to build up more
audiences by providing them with better services. The hotel is using social media sites to
promote their brand and target youngsters, as social media sites are highly used by the
youngsters (John and De'Villiers, 2020). This will help them save the time and cost as social
media marketing doesn't require huge capital. Through social media the Le Meridian can market

there brand globally with the help of PR teams. Also advertisements and social promotion
strategy can also be used by the hotels as the hotel is operating in different nations across the
world. It is necessary for the marketers to attract more customers which can be done by
providing discounts and coupons through sales promotion. The marketers can analyse the
customer base and then decide the pricing strategies. More customers will define the loyalty of
the hotel which will help in future productivity of the business.
D1. A judgement how marketing channels add value in hospitality organisation to demonstrate
their communication objectives.
In hospitality industry the marketing and sales are the important departments as they
directly affects the profitability of the business. Marketing helps the Le Meridian to build
awareness among the audiences about their services. Marketing channels helps Le Meridian to
save money because marketers know the measures which reduces expenses. It also helps in
building more customer base by reaching to more audiences, which will influence them in
booking rooms. Le Meridian gives more priority to guests and focus on maintaining a strong
relationships.
P2. Design communication objectives for organizational situation and provide justification for
the selection and integration of communication channels
Communication objectives- It is the process which is used by the marketers to set targets for
communicating with the audiences. Marketers need a effective communication channel to
increase the productivity and to align the organizational objectives to the employees (Kaurav,
Baber and Rajput, 2020). The communication channel provide the capabilities and the power to
managers to maintain the harmony among the hotel and the customers.
Communication objectives set by the Le Meridian for gaining competitive advantage in
marketplace and gaining broader customer base are-
 Develop awareness in customers- It is important for Le Meridian to increase awareness
in customers about the services provided. Increasing awareness will help the brand with
higher sales and also directly affect the profitability level in an effective manner.

 Develop interest of the people towards services- It is important for hotels to influence
the audiences to buy their services so that they can create a positive impact on the
customers. Le Meridian needs to formulate effective strategies for marketing to create
interest of large number of customers.
 Promotion of product or service- It is important for Le Meridian to promote its brand
and increase reputation with the customers. If effective promotion strategies will be used
by the marketers then the hotel can gain new customer base as well as retain old
customers.
Role of budgeting in integrated marketing communication-
Budgeting is important as it helps in controlling resources, managers at Le Meridian use different
marketing strategies to motivate the employees so that they can achieve budget goals and also
helps in evaluating the performance of managers (Kim and Lee, 2020). Budgeting is an
important tool in marketing as it specifies the amount of resources and provides the budget
which have to be used in marketing. Budgeting helps in tracking the impacts of resources and
the expenditures done on marketing and advertising of the product.
Social media marketing and content marketing channels
Le Meridian is using social media marketing which is helping in achieving communication
objectives and also helps the hotel to spread awareness about their brand across the world. Proper
marketing strategies helps the organization to build loyal customer base. The hotel can use social
media to increase awareness among the individuals as most of the individuals are actively using
the social media sites. The Le Meridian can invite celebrities which can create a positive impact
on the customers as people get influenced by the celebrities and try to go at the places which are
more hyped.
JUSTIFICATION- Social media will help the Le Meridian group to reach out to a million of
people and increase the brand awareness and the reputation. There are many sites which are used
by the individuals like Instagram, Snap chat and Facebook through which the hotel can market
its brand.

M2. Evaluate the applications of communication objectives in relation to the marketing
communication mix and hospitality business objectives.
Communication mix is a tool which helps in effective communication of messages to the existing
customers as well as potential customers. Communication mix can be through social media,
advertising, official websites and direct marketing (Koba, 2020). Successful communication mix
involves all the elements which are required for effective communication. All these elements are
used by Le Meridian to increase the effectiveness of the communication between the customers
and the marketers. Effective marketing strategy requires more then two elements which can help
in enhancing the services. Effective marketing strategy also allows the marketers to fulfill the
desires and needs of the customers. By using communication tools the marketers can meet the
targets and achieve their business goals.
D2- Marketing communications plan which appropriately integrates communication channels,
and has SMART objectives to meet the business objectives
Marketing communication plan
It is important for Le Meridian to make a effective marketing plan which will include the tools
and channels which help in promoting the brand across the world. Marketing plan is an effective
way to meet business objectives and achieve desired goals. Le Meridian can use smart objectives
which helps in making proper plan to meet their communication objectives.
Specific Measurable Actionable Relevant Time bound
Increasing
customer base
and market
share
Customer base
and market share
are both
measurable as the
last month or last
year data can be
used to compare
the increase and
decrease in the
customers.
Le Meridian can
use social media
and advertising
strategies to
promote their
brand and
services in the
market.
Increase in
customers is a
effective sign that
the brand is
growing and also
there is positive
impact on the
customers.
4- 6 months

Convince people Le Meridian can
measure their
convincing power
as if more people
are visiting their
hotel it means
their
communication
strategies are
effective in
convincing
customers.
Le Meridian can
post videos on
social media
about the quality
of services and
hygiene factors
which they are
providing.
It is relevant for
Le Meridian to
convince people
as they are the
one who will
increase the sales
for the hotel.
3- 4 months
P3- Create effective content to the communication channel as well as communication objectives
The marketers at Le Meridian are effective in making marketing strategies by using marketing
mix to achieve communication objectives.
 Make effective content- Le Meridian is using symbols in their prospectus which makes
it effective. It is seen that signs and symbols are more catchy than the phrases so the
marketers at hotels use eye catchy symbols and attractive colours (Ma, Cheng and Hsiao,
2018). The language used in the prospectus and the website is also simple and readable
by the customers. For making their content effective the marketers use different types of
videos and collages which attract the customers to buy the services.
 Cover all details- It is important for every organization to cover all the details related to
the organization. In Le Meridian the marketers have provided all the details in the official
websites and prospectus. The hotel is also providing the videos of the employees
following hygiene practices and using masks and sanitizers. This will ensure the
customers that the hotel is hygienic and the customers are safe in the hotel premises.
 Modify logo- Le Meridian can also modify their logo as there are many technologies
available which can modify the colour and font which make it more attractive from the
previous one. For marketing content the hotel can use the images and videos of their

customers and staff on the social media. This will help the hotel to influence customers to
buy their services.
M3,D3- Determine the communication strategies which can be used to help achieve the
objectives.
Communication strategies are a effective way to market the products and services for Le
Meridian as it helps in achieving business objectives. Communication strategy is based on three
elements which are-
 The message- It is an important element of the communication strategy, as it is the
content which has to be marketed (Mensah and Amenuvor, 2022). The message has to be
clear and in appropriate language so that there will be no misunderstandings created
while conveying it. Images, signs and symbols can be used in the message which will
attract customers as signs and symbols are more catchy then phrases.
 The Target- There should be a targeted customer base or audience to which the message
is conveyed. The target can be the people who are ready to pay for the services of Le
Meridian. The hotel should target particular market and customers which will definitely
buy their services. The focus of the hotel should be to meet the needs of the consumers
and provide them best quality services.
 The Medium- Le Meridian can use marketing channels which will allow them to market
there services through social media, advertising, sales promotion and official websites.
The hotel can male various discounting strategies which can attract customers to buy the
services. Providing better services at lower costs will help the hotel to gain competitive
advantage over other hotels.
P4- Integrated marketing communication role in the communication strategy, channel choice and
creative content
It is the process of combining all the methods of brand promotion to advertise or promote a
specific product or services between the target customers. Basically this is the technique which
company uses all aspects of communication medium to encode a consistent message. This
process save the time of the company as well as money also as it only provide the authentic and
applicable information to the consumers (Roth-Cohen and Lahav, 2019). IMC have created an

capability to create a brand loyalty between the consumers. In IMC , to increase the sales all
aspects of marketing communication works together. It helps organisation to maximise their
profit with the help of effective campaign that attract consumers.
 Integrated marketing communication plan in the communication strategy:
Company uses integration marketing plan to achieve the organisational goals. The successful
implementation of integrated marketing communication plan depends on the understanding of
the consumers. It is always preferable to concentrate on target customers. It is very important to
have a eye on the competitors activities as well. To create an integrated communication plan
company have to reflect the best of their brand. Communication helps company in encoding or in
decoding messages to get to know the audience best.
 Integrated marketing communication plan in the channel choice:
Marketing communication channels helps company to share their offers , discounts to their target
consumers. Company uses marketing communication channels according to their consumers
(Šerić and Mikulić, 2020). It is the method to attract consumers more or to stay connected with
them with the help of communication channels. Communication channels helps organisation in a
certain way to achieve organisational objectives.
 Integrated marketing communication plan in the creative content:
It is the process of executing messages in an inventive way. It is a framework that share the
relevant content through different channels. With the help of various strategies, it promote a
content which helps company in marketing.
M4- The success of observing and affects of the integrated marketing communication plan
Integrated marketing communication plan are very effective for the organisation. There are
multiple methods that help company to observing the integrated marketing communication plan.
It plays an very crucial role in encoding a unified message to target consumers or to attract more
consumers. Effective controlling is the only road from where the company can identify that the
objectives are attained or not. Integrating marketing communication plays an very important role

in sharing the integrated messages through various channels like social media, advertising, radio,
TV etc. Brand reputation plays an very important role to stay in the market and to allure
consumers (Šerić and Vernuccio, 2020) . This helps in building a strong relationship among
consumers and provider. It helps organisation to boost their sales and to earn the profit .
D4- Appropriate recommendations for enhancing the integrated marketing communication plan
to successful attain the communication and company's objectives.
 Customer is important: Customer is the king of the market . Company should make the
plan according to the needs or preferences of the customers. This is the first step to get to
know about the audience choice. This helps in understanding the behaviour of the
consumer. This steps helps in analysing benchmark data , and the scope of target
customers.
 Social : Social media is the foremost important tool in communication marketing as it
helps in attracting more customers all over the world (Song, Ruan and Jeon, 2021). It
helps organisation to build relationship, creating website traffic.
 Focus on maintaining the healthy relations: Company should maintain an good and
strong relationship with customers to achieve their organisational goals. It helps company
in enhancing their brand image.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that the marketing channels are a important part for hotel
industry. As marketing channels helps Le Meridian to attract more customers which will help in
the development of the business. It has been concluded that effective communication of
marketing strategies is important as it helps in focusing on increasing brand reputation.

Integrated marketing communication helps Le Meridian to build loyal customer base as it
promote brand awareness. Communication marketing is not costly and every hotel can use it to
increase their brand reputation.