Marketing Communication Strategies for Premier Inn: A Detailed Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Premier Inn's integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy. It begins with an evaluation of the current market situation, identifying key marketing tools and methods, including SWOT analysis. The report then examines various marketing channels, such as direct marketing, advertising, social media, and public relations, assessing their effectiveness within the hospitality organization. Furthermore, it delves into the design of communication objectives, justifying the selection and integration of different communication channels, particularly social media and content marketing. The report details a marketing communication plan, outlining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives. The report concludes with a critical evaluation of the IMC plan, offering recommendations for improvement and maximizing revenue, and meeting organizational goals. The analysis emphasizes the importance of content creation, communication strategies, and channel selection in achieving marketing objectives within the hospitality sector.

Integrated Marketing
Communication

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1- Evaluation of current market situation and identification of tools along with methods of
use................................................................................................................................................1
M1- Evaluation of marketing channels of communication within the hospitality organisation..3
D1- Judgement on how marketing channels add value in the hospitality organisation along
with the demonstration of their communication objectives.........................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P2- Designing the communication objectives for the organisational along with the justification
of selection and integration of communication channels.............................................................4
M2- Evaluation of application of communication objectives in relation to the marketing and
hospitality objectives...................................................................................................................5
D2- Detailed marketing communication plan along with integration of communication
channels........................................................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
P3- Designing and producing appropriate content for the channel and achieving
communication objectives...........................................................................................................6
M3/D3- Determination of communication strategies for accomplishing the organisational
objectives.....................................................................................................................................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
P4- Critical evaluation of an integrated marketing communication plan with respect to
communication strategy, choice of channel and creative content................................................7
M4- Critical review about the success of monitoring and impact of integrated marketing
communication plan.....................................................................................................................8
D4- Recommendations for improving marketing communication plan to maximizing the
revenue along with meeting the organisational objectives..........................................................8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The process of integrated marketing communication is defined as the combination of
different factors of communication such as social media, public relations, audience analytics and
business development. The selected organisation for defining the concept of integrated marketing
communication is Premier Inn, a hospitality organisation. This organisation is located in London
and was founded by Whitbread in the year 1987 (Tairova, Giyazova and Dustova, 2020). The
organisation has hospitality services all around the world for profitability aspect of the market
share.
This report highlights various means of marketing channels that serve the common
objective of organisation of hospitality. Along with highlighting the objectives of these
communication channels, this report comprises of appropriate justifications. The design and
production of content is based on communication objectives. The discussion also revolves
around the skills that critically evaluate a case study of hospital with choice of channel and
communication strategy.
TASK 1
P1- Evaluation of current market situation and identification of tools along with methods of use
Marketing communication is defined as the process of delivery of messages that are used
to communicate about the products and services with the targeted section of customers. The
variety of communication sources available are direct marketing, sponsorships, social marketing
and traditional marketing that are executed by firms for the promotion of their brands and
products. In concept with the Premier Inn, the process of marketing operates at a large scale
which bring a huge amount of customer base for their premium quality hospitality services. In
order to earn organisational profit, they want to enhance the customer base with the purpose to
overcome from losses they had, since pandemic. Customers' taste is changing frequently and this
changing is increasing the competition of the market. Change in trend and external environment
are also considered as contributing factors for enhanced market competition. Company
traditional marketing, holdings and channels helps to promote their products and services to
make organisational benefits (Schultz, 2020). There are several contributing factors which
impacts operation and marketing of Premier Inn. In order to manage this, SWOT analysis is
helpful to evaluate either they are performing well or not, given below:
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Strengths Weaknesses
 Respectable Brand Image
 operations are carried out at a large
scale with huge number of customers
 Highly Skilled staff
 The global presence of Premier Inn is
less
 Proper hygiene practices are not
followed
Opportunities Threats
 There is opportunity for expansion in
the new market place
 Introduction of advanced technology
has created various opportunities for
marketing operations
 The pricing policies of rivals is more
attractive and effective in attracting
customers
 The market conditions are poor due to
dynamic environment of the
marketplace.
A variety of marketing communication channels can be used by the marketing managers
of Premier Inn in order to increase their effectiveness and eliminating weaknesses. Some of them
are given as follows:
 Direct marketing: This method is considered the most effective as it helps marketers
identify their targeted base of customers along with their services and objectives in order
to produce attractive content (Suay-Pérez, Penagos-Londoño, Porcu and Ruiz-Moreno,
2022). The customers of Premier Inn will be directly targeted by the firm. The
organisation will offer special discounts, coupons to maintain their customer base and
enhance their experiences.
 Advertising: The marketing managers at Premier Inn will employ the use of money for
promotion of their products and services through radio, TV, YouTube, newspapers etc.
these methods are able to attract a large number of customers leading to welfare of the
organisation. However, this method of marketing communication is very expensive as a
contract is held with an advertising agency in order to increase their market share.
 Social media marketing: This method is considered the most common and effective as
every big organisation uses this form of marketing channel for connecting with their
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targeted audience (Rubtcova and Pavenkov, 2019). This method is cost effective and acts
as a promotional tool which will help Premier Inn in promoting their services across the
global market. Some of the commonly used social media platforms are Instagram,
LinkedIn, Facebook etc.
 Public relations: This is a traditional approach which enhances the customer base of the
company apart from being cost effective. The regular and loyal customers at the
hospitality organisation promote their live experiences to attract other customers. The
regular customers at Premier Inn genuinely promote the services offered by the hotel.
M1- Evaluation of marketing channels of communication within the hospitality organisation
The above discussion concludes the the integrated marketing channels of communication
at Premier Inn help the hotel increase their brand value along with their resources. The marketing
managers at Premier Inn can employ the use of direct marketing to increase their customer base
along save still remain cost effective. They can also employ the use of social media marketing
channels to cater a large number of audience at the same time (Littlefield, Sellnow and Sellnow,
2021). The Public Relations method works best for the Premier Inn as they can provide best
services, consistent client support, customer support which will enhance the overall brand image
of the hospitality organisation. Advertisements will also help the firm to develop an image in the
marketplace leading to increased profitability for Premier Inn. In conclusion, social media
marketing is the most effective channel that will help in the promotion of hospitality services at
Premier Inn and cater to a large customer base.
D1- Judgement on how marketing channels add value in the hospitality organisation along with
the demonstration of their communication objectives
The communication objectives of the organisation determine the perception of customers
towards the brand, which further rectifies the image of the brand in minds of customer. Factors
such as customer satisfaction and credibility are determined by the communication objectives.
For Premier Inn to promote their hospitality services, social media marketing channel is the most
effective way to help the organisation save their costs and increase their customer base. Social
media marketing channel will allow the firm to define their communication objectives which
includes communication, competency and persuading their potential stakeholders (Nikhat,
2019).
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TASK 2
P2- Designing the communication objectives for the organisational along with the justification of
selection and integration of communication channels
Communication objectives are defined as the long term goals set by the organisation in
order to increase the brand value of the firm over a period of time. The objectives of marketing
determines the image of brand in minds of clients in terms of rate of purchases, frequency of
visits etc. The marketing objectives of Premier Inn is to effectively communicate and convince
the customers along with gaining competitive edge in the hospitality market.
Communication: The communication objectives of Premier Inn is to communicate
effectively how the objectives of the brand along with their hospitality services. Spreading
awareness about the brand will encourage customers to visit again.
Compete: The ability to compete with rival organisations will allow Premier Inn to
attract customers with the differentiation of their services (Hashemi Baghi, Shirmohammadi and
Shahsavaan, 2018). The organisation will offer similar or low prices compared to other
hospitality services which will help them survive for a longer period of time.
Convince: The final marketing objective of Premier Inn will include convincing their
customers to revisit as they promise better quality of services in order to enhance their
experiences. The implementation of innovative ideas and digital technologies will allow the firm
to draw the attention of their targetted customers towards good quality of services. This will help
the company to achieve their desired goals along with gaining a positive market position.
Social media marketing and content marketing channels- The marketers at Premier
Inn must use social media marketing channel along with content marketing for them to be able to
achieve their communication objectives and distribution of awareness about the brand. By
implementation of appropriate strategies, all the information about the firm will be uploaded on
social media for increasing the customer base. Promotional activities can be done by inviting
celebrities and influencers so that the company can establish their brand.
Justification- Social media marketing will help the marketing managers of Premier Inn
to cater to a large number of audience which will enable them to save their time and cost for
spending it other activities (Siagian, Lubis, Erlina and Dalimunthe, 2022). On the other hand,
content marketing is very popular which enables the company to increase their brand value and
profitability.
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M2- Evaluation of application of communication objectives in relation to the marketing and
hospitality objectives
It was concluded that the communication objectives of effective communication enables
the firm to compete with its rivals and convince people to try out their products and services. The
marketing mix of the company enables the use of all communication tools such as social media,
email and advertising for achieving the organisational goals through direct communication with
clients. The marketing strategy enables the company to enhance their effectiveness along with
adding value to customer's experience. The use of these tools helps the business achieve goals of
the business such as maximum profitability and market share.
D2- Detailed marketing communication plan along with integration of communication channels
Marketing communication plan
The marketing plan for Premier Inn will include various marketing tools and channels
such as social media, digital marketing in order to promote their services all around the world.
The use of SMART objectives will help the marketing managers of Premier Inn to meet their
organisational and communication objectives effectively.
Specific Measurable Actionable Relevant Time bound
Increasing the
customer base
and market share
This can be
measured by
comparison of the
number of visitors
in current month
with respect to
previous month.
Use of digital
marketing
technologies and
social media will
help in the
promotion of their
services
To increase their
brand value and
profitability of the
business
operation for
future growth.
3 months
Convincing
people
Measured by
evaluating the
number visiting
after the COVID
pandemic.
Inviting
influencers to talk
good about the
hygiene services
of the hospitality
organisation on
their social
There will be a
huge number of
visitors that will
be influenced
which will further
increase the brand
value of the firm.
2 months
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media.
TASK 3
P3- Designing and producing appropriate content for the channel and achieving communication
objectives
The marketing staff of Premier Inn are required to produce an good quality content for
accomplishing their communication and marketing objectives.
Producing effective content: The use of simple language, visual effects, pictures,
colours and shaped can prove to be fruitful for the content writers of Premier Inn in their digital
marketing strategy (Zwerin, Clarke and Clarke, 2020). The content produced for marketing
purpose can include the videos covering each and every part of the hotel to make it look
luxurious, as it will help in attracting remote tourists.
Covering all details: Video making will help the tourists to have an insight about the
conduction of safe practices at the hotel, which will include the use of masks, sanitisers. This
will enable the clients to feel safe about their visit.
Modified Logo: The use of a personalised logo by the use of 3D technologies will help
the hotel to generate an attractive logo for their social media channel. Different pictures of
customers can also be added to convince potential tourists to visit the company.
Modified tag lines: The content produced must be catchy and full of necessary details
describing the room services, food, sustainable operations along with some of the positive
feedbacks of the customers (Girotto and et. al., 2022). This strategy will help the company add a
sense of personal touch to social media channel of the company making it difficult for rivals to
gain competitive advantage. Premier Inn will experience increased customer base and enhanced
brand value.
M3/D3- Determination of communication strategies for accomplishing the organisational
objectives
Execution of various communication strategies will help the Premier Inn achieve their
business objectives. The communication strategies contain three elements such as The
communication, The Target, The Message and The Medium, which are explained as follows:
6

The Message- The message delivered by the marketers of Premier Inn will include clear
image, feedbacks of clients and other factors which will help the organisation achieve their
communicational objectives (Twum and Yalley, 2021).
The Target- The marketers of Premier Inn must target customers which are ready to pay
the price of services and products offered by the hospitality organisation through Public
Relations.
The Medium- The medium used by the hotel to promote their services is through their
social media marketing channel through which the staff will be able to offer discounts,
innovations and offers to their targeted customers. This will help Premier Inn to gain competitive
advantage to enhance their resources.
TASK 4
P4- Critical evaluation of an integrated marketing communication plan with respect to
communication strategy, choice of channel and creative content
Integrated marketing communication plan for Premier Inn will target the audience in the
global market for implementation of effective communication strategy, choice of channel and
producing good, creative content. Some of these strategies are described below:
Communication Strategy: The communication strategy will help the firm promote their
goods and services to their target audience with respect to their desired set of goals. The analysis
of recent trends and market situation will help the firm cater to their audience. More customers
will enhance the profitability aspect of the business which is an advantage offered by this
strategy (BASHARA, 2022). On the other hand, the negative aspect will involve the increased
costs and time which can disrupt growth process.
Channel of choice: The marketing team of Premier Inn must choose a strategy
appropriate for communicating services offered by the firm to a large audience. The process of
choosing a channel is cost-effective, market share of marketing operations. However, it will take
a lot of time searching for the right influencer who has the potential to design content in an
appropriate manner. This might lead to some delay in the process.
Creative content: The professionals at Premier Inn are making consistent efforts for
promoting the services along with the implementation of marketing mix in order to meet the
desired goals of the organisation effectively. There are both positive and negative aspects of
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content production which impact the business operations. Good content will prove to be
beneficial to the company as it will attract a number of customers. However, the budget for
hiring a specialist, with complete knowledge about 3D and advanced technologies will be
considered a negative aspect. This will increase the cost of promoting services using digital
marketing.
M4- Critical review about the success of monitoring and impact of integrated marketing
communication plan
Tools such as key performance indicators and benchmarking will be used in evaluating
the management of marketing plan while working on growth opportunities. Key performance
indicator will measure the value of impact caused by using digital marketing services and the
increase in effectiveness of dynamic market. Recording the number of views, posts, likes,
comments and number of followers will help in determining the success of Premier Inn to
increase their customer base. However, there is a possibility of conflicts, disagreements with
stakeholders during promotional activities(Gavino, 2021). The lack of digital marketing skills
might increase the overall budget and time. Therefore, it is crucial for the management team to
know about the measurement tools related to digital marketing for measuring the success
achieved through digital marketing tool.
D4- Recommendations for improving marketing communication plan to maximizing the revenue
along with meeting the organisational objectives
The recommendations derived on the basis of this report conclude that the marketing
managers of Premier Inn must conduct an extensive research about the recent market trends
including the expectations of customers for attracting the customers. Appropriate training must
be provided to the staff for using digital marketing tool and adapting to the new trends
implemented by the company. Hiring bloggers and influencers can help the firm to gain more
recognition and fame, which further adds to their brand value (Javier, 2021) . The firm should
introduce additional services such as online booking and online payment to make it feasible for
customers to book the hotel after the COVID pandemic.
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CONCLUSION
From the above presented report, it can be concluded that there are various elements of
marketing communication such as direct marketing, public relations, promotion of sales,
advertising, social media marketing etc. Some of the communication objectives of Premier Inn
includes communication, competence and implementation of appropriate strategy for persuading
stakeholders. The onset of effective communication strategy, quality content and effective
marketing channels can help Premier Inn earn the loyalty of their customers. The use of
advanced technology and appropriate training can help the staff gain skills which can further
fulfil the organisational objectives.
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REFERENCES
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