Roles, Responsibilities, and Marketing Plan: IHG Case Study Report

This report analyzes the essential aspects of hospitality marketing, using InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) as a case study. It begins by outlining the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function within IHG, including market analysis, relationship building, branding, and competitive tracking. The report then examines the interrelationship between the marketing department and other organizational divisions, such as human resources, finance, and production. A comparison of marketing mixes of two organizations is expected to be in the PPT section, but not included in the provided text. Finally, the report develops a basic marketing plan for IHG, including an overview of the company, its aims, objectives, vision, mission, strategy, and marketing budget. The plan outlines strategies for achieving business goals, such as increasing sales and profitability, and addresses current and emerging marketing trends like digital marketing and AI integration. The report provides a comprehensive overview of marketing principles and their practical application within the hospitality sector.

Hospitality marketing
essential

INTRODUCTION
Marketing refers to the process of trading goods and services or it can be an activity of
importing and exporting products from one place to another. For doing the marketing of goods
and services, the company use different essentials of marketing like advertising, promotion,
publicity and sales techniques etc. Marketing function is one of the essential component in each
industries regarding production, hospitality, service and others (Pike, 2015). Hospitality sector
indicates to to those businesses who encompasses different kind of services such as lodging,
accommodation, food, transportation etc. This report is based on InterContinental Hotels Group
plc which is a British multinational hospitality company. This firm was incorporated in 2003 and
headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. This study will discuss about roles and
duties of marketing function and interrelationship among marketing function with other
divisions. Further, will explain about the comparison of marketing mix of two organisations.
Finally, marketing plan will be produce to accomplish business aims of the company in set time
frame.
TASK 1
P1. Key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function
Marketing is an efficacious factor and component of a business because it play an
effective role in running the business and it growth or development. With the assistance of this
function, the administration of a company can create awareness about its products and services
by using different promotional tools. It will make contribution in growth and development of the
company by developing and improving the sales, productivity and profitability. Basically
marketing indicates to those business actions that are connected with selling, promoting and
distributing products and services between wide range of consumers making better customer
relation. In Intercontinental hotel group, marketing has different roles and responsibilities which
help in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organisation in more appropriate manner
(Hassanien and Dale, 2019). The description of them mentioned as below:

Roles
Explore marketing size- Marketing function assists in monitoring present or emerging
market trend and supported to it direct them to take effective actions which assist company to
make expansion in its business, market size and share to diverse geographical locations in an
appropriate and adequate manner. In context of Intercontinental Hotel group, marketing provide
information about its costumer's needs and demands so that the administration can provide goods
and services accordant to that. It will help in making improvement in customer base and creating
loyalty of target audiences.
Incorporating relationship- It is another effective role of this respective determinant. By
offering product as per consumer requirement, this function help in making effective relation
with employees so that they can retain till long term (Dinçer and Alrawadieh, 2017). In
Intercontinental hotel group, the firm use different marketing tools and techniques to make
effective relationship with its potential client. For example, they use marketing tool to resolve
their queries and provide required information.
Responsibilities
Branding- In each company the main responsibility of this function is to provide
satisfaction to consumers in effective manner. Moreover, in Intercontinental hotel group, it help
in analysing new channels of marketing so that by utilising them, the firm can help in providing
products to consumers and aware with their requirements so that the needs of them can be fulfil.
It will help in maximising the sales, profitability and productivity in improved way. By using
different promotional channels, this function create awareness about the brand so that people
familiar with it.
Tracking market competition- In Intercontinental hotel group, this determinant monitor
the position of the company in the market. Marketing plays an effective role in term of finding
out the level of competition so that the company can deal it or gain rival benefit in effective
manner in set time frame. It will help in growth and success of the respective firm.
Marketing inception consisting current and future trend
Marketing is an act of selling, purchasing, manufacturing and fulfilling customers needs.
Cause of advancement and digital technology in industry, it generate high level of competition
among organisation that instantly affect productivity and profit margins of company. Cause of
this kind of competition, consumers needs and demands also affected in different manner which

influence sales, profit and brand images of organisations (Chandiokand and Sharma, 2017).
Some of actual trend of merchandising are digital marketing online trading, advance technology
etc. which are effective for the maturation and improvement of the organisation. In
Intercontinental hotel group, the management is taking initiative in term of accept more
advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, programmatic promotion, video marketing and
others to gain effective position in market and easily deal with different challenges in appropriate
way. Moreover, marketing concpetion of IHG considers five elements that varies according to
the current and emerging trend of market and it create impact upon profitability of the company
in direct way. Therefore, the respective company can take decision to apply some automation
techniques that assist them to survive firmly in forthcoming time in a developed manner.
Therefore, some of marketing conceptions which respective company follows in its functional
area regarding present and future trend that are as below:
Production concept- It affiliates with way through which consumers perceives within
which it intends that each customer is instantly tended regarding those goods and services which
are easily available in marketplace at an affordable price (Okumus and Cetin, 2018). The
operation function of Intercontinental hotel group must make their concentration on maximising
production rate for increasing level of productivity.
Product concept- It refer that consumer is get attention regarding those companies and
brand which manufacture quality and valuable products and services to get an efficacious
position in the marketplace. In IHG, the management of the company offer effective services to
retain its current population base and help them to attract of number of people regarding
organisation.
Selling concept- It indicates that to get attention of target audiences, the company should
utilise different promotional channels which authorise organisation to explore its market size in
an adequate way.
Marketing concept- This factor emphasis that this concept assist a company at the time
of facing competition in the market. In IHG, this marketing concept assist in delivering its goods
and services in valuable way which help in targeting wide range of population to increase
profitability in improved way.
Social marketing concept- In it, this concept mainly make concentration regarding the
fulfilment of consumer's needs and demand of targeted population (Lanier and Lanier, 2017). In

Intercontinental hotel group, the company can adopt effective position in competitive industry in
an effective and creative style.
Therefore, as per preceding defined marketing concepts and responsibilities of marketing
assist Intercontinental hotel group to develop its sales promotion and gaining competitive edge
in effective way.
P2. Roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational
To accomplish and attain growth success and sustainable profit in competitive industry,
marketing function help the company to take correct actions and forms company capable to
operate in competitive market. Moreover, the main roles and duties of marketing function of
marketing is manufacture better quality and valuable products which are able to provide
satisfaction to customer and target audiences are also ready to purchase them (Pappas, 2015). In
InterContinental hotel group, there are several divisions and they all are worked for accomplish
the set objectives and goals. These all department support to each other to attain business
objectives. In context of respective company, interrelation of different functions with marketing
are as below:
Marketing department with human resource department- In a company these business
function play and important role that help in bringing high extent of customer fulfilment without
facing any issues and complexities. In IHG, to hire skilled and well qualified employees for
operating business in effective manner. Human resource department of the company use
promotional channels of marketing to provide information and notification regarding vacant
positions of the company. So that they can aware people and get a pool of population regarding
vacant posts. For this the administration of respective organisation usage various promotional
tools like social media, advertisement and television etc. It will help in getting attention of
candidates and the HR function can hire knowledgeable and suitable person as per job role.
Marketing department and finance department- these both divisional area has an
effective role within company as it aids organisation to improve its sales volume in effective
style. In context of IHG, the marketing function work for promoting goods and services within
competitive industry in a set time frame. However, for gaining the similar, they use the finance
division for meeting out all expenditures in an effective manner. Therefore, finance function
offer monetary value to marketing department so that they can perform their roles and

responsibilities like promotion, selling, advertisement and others in effective manner. Cause of
this action, IHG can earn rival's benefits and profitability in am innovative way.
Marketing department and production department- These both ruction are interrelated
with each other because marketing function provide data about the wants and demands of
consumers regarding products & services and production function manufacture products and
services according to target audiences needs and requirement (Neuninger, 2017). Both functions
play an effective role in the development and improvement of the organisation so that they can
sustain in the market or specific sector till long term. In IHG, these both division offer services to
its guests as per their requirement so that they can retain till long term.
Therefore, these interconnection of different organisational functions help
Intercontinental hotel group to attain its target aims in an efficacious way so that brand value and
images can be improved in competitive industry (Eletxigerra, Barrutia and Echebarria, 2018).
TASK 2
Covered into PPT
TASK 3
P4. Develop a basic marketing plan to meet marketing objectives
Marketing plan
It indicates to a written document and comprehensive report that outlines the promoting
and marketing endeavour for forthcoming time. It explain different business actions that consist
in achieving particular marketing aims and objectives in set time duration (Kooli and et. al.,
2016). This kind of plan formulated and developed by a company so that during the time of
framing plan for growth of business, they aware with their aim, objective, vision, mission and
strategy etc. Marketing plan in context of Intercontinental Hotel Group is mentioned as beneath
by considering its different elements of plan.
Overview of the company- Intercontinental Hotel Group is incorporated in 2003 and it is a
British multinational hospitality organisation which headquartered in Buckinghamshire, England.
This company operate its business 5,723 hotels at different locations of the world. There are
35,330 employees make their contribution in running the business of this firm. It run its business
hotels and resorts products to it potential clients.

Aim- The aim of this hospitality organisation is to offer better quality services to its guest which
help in retaining them till long term.
Objectives
 To offer good quality services to its consumer for gaining more profit and providing
satisfaction to customers needs.
 To make 5% maximisation in the sales of the company within 1 years.
 To increase 10% profitability of the company within 2 year.
Vision- The vision of Intercontinental Hotel Group is to become one of the great organisations in
the world by creating Great Hotels guests love. For this, they will offer quality and valuable
services that will able to attract customers.
Mission- The mission of the organisation is to offer ,most preferable locations as per the choice
of professionals, companies and market.
Strategy- It refers to those activities and actions which are designed by the management of
company for resolving issues and overcoming from them (Altinay, Paraskevas and Jang, 2015).
There are several issues and conflicts faced by the respective company from market place, so get
over from these the administration frame different strategies and plan of actions. There are
different strategies like STP, Marketing mix, competitive analysis and other which can be used
the company to deal different situations and hurdles.
Marketing budget- It indicates planning of cost which will invested by the company in its
business and marketing activities for the growth and development of its business (Rudden,
2016).
MARKETING BUDGET
PARTICULARS I Year II Year III Year IV Year V Year
Initial money 10000 12000 16500 18060 20900
Investment 15000 16000 23840 39500 22400
TOTAL 25000 28000 40340 57560 43300
MARKETING OUTLAY

Promotion 10400 4000 8000 2800 6000
Online publicity 3000 3000 10000 5060 5050
Print media 7000 2700 10000 5900 10600
TOTAL 21500 9700 26000 13770 21700
Monitoring and controlling- To achieve the aims and objectives in effective manner or
in set time frame, IHG ensure that its all business concern activities should be execute in an
effective way which direct them to direct appropriate manner without any issues (Loo and
Leung, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the preceding content, it can be summarise that marketing is an impressive function
for growth and development of a business. This division of a business company play different
roles and responsibilities in term of increasing profit, maximise customer base and develop
productivity of the company, to find out customers needs and demands. By using different
promotional tools this function help in getting attention of number of consumers. This function is
also interrelate with out functions of the company so that the firm can operate its business in
more efficacious manner. Marketing mix of two companies are defined to make comparison
among two hospitality firms. A marketing plan explain help in accomplishing the business
objectives on set time frame.

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