Marketing Report: Hospitality Strategies and Plan Analysis

This report examines the essentials of hospitality marketing, using the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) as a case study. It begins by defining marketing and exploring its concepts, including production, product, selling, marketing, and societal concepts, with a focus on current and future marketing trends like voice search and artificial intelligence. The report then details the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function within IHG, such as determining and retaining consumers and managing relationships. It also explains how the marketing department interacts with other departments, including human resources and finance. The core of the report compares how different organizations apply the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion) to achieve business objectives. Finally, it produces and evaluates a basic marketing plan for IHG, covering situational analysis, strategy, marketing mix decisions, and implementation, offering a comprehensive overview of marketing strategies in the hospitality sector.

Hospitality Marketing Essentials

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Key roles and responsibility of the marketing function........................................................1
P2. Explain how roles and responsibility of marketing related to the wider organisation
concept.........................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
P3. Compare the way in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the market
planning process to achieve business objective...........................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P4. Produce and evaluate basic marketing plan for an organisation...........................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality sector is considered as wider industry that incorporates various classifications of
services like food & beverages, theme parks and others. With changing period such as COVID-
19, Brexit etc. respective industry has changed their facilities at huge scale. Marketing is defined
as practices, methods and set of activities in order to communicate, develop, deliver and
exchange products or services that are valuable for audiences, communities and many more at
large level (Amatulli, De Angelis and Stoppani, 2020). For respective report, the chosen
company is InterContinental Hotels Group plc, it is known as the British multinational
hospitality firm having headquarters is in Buckinghamshire, Denham, England, UK. It have
around 889, 582 guest rooms as well as also it have above 5, 900 hotel in across 100 countries.
The topics which are going to be discussed in this report are marketing function’s role and
responsibilities, marketing process, interrelation among marketing and other functional units.
Moreover, the comparison among the ways both firm adopt marketing mix is explained. Apart
from this, marketing plan is also discussed in this report.
TASK 1
P1. Key roles and responsibility of the marketing function.
Definition of Marketing
Marketing is regarded as the societal procedures through which persons as well as groups
gain what they required as well as desires by developing, providing and freely exchanging
offerings of value with others. – Philip Kotler.
Concepts of Marketing and their current and future trends
Marketing concept is defined as philosophy which entity should determine their consumers
desires as well as then develop decisions form satisfying that requirements, effective than its
competitors (Camerano, 2020). There are few concepts of marketing which may be helpful for
InterContinental Hotels Group plc are described underneath:
 Production concept: This is regarded as the traditional concept. Moreover, the concepts
which is supported by respective concepts states that the offerings which are much
reasonable could be recommended by audiences. Whereas on other hand, it is sometimes
leads towards myopia of marketing development and firm adopting this undertakes
greater risks of not achieving actual goals.
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 Product concept: This concentrates upon products. Moreover, it is the philosophy that is
supported by this states that, only those offerings would be favoured that are highly
innovative, performance and renders much standardized quality of services to audiences.
Also, the tactics which is opted through respective concepts concentrates on ensuring
continuous development within offerings.
 Selling concepts: Respective concepts consider that promotion is vital tactics which
induces willingness within audiences and trends in order to maximise offerings selling.
Moreover, associated with high risk, entity adapt this concept undertake implementing
aggressive selling sessions.
 Marketing concept: It aids the ideas hat entities have undertake through considering
marketing desires and audiences expectation in considerations which would results within
profit.
 Societal concept: This undertakes that offerings which would be advantageous for entity
as well as society. Moreover, it ensures welfare of person is an essential reason of
product formulation.
Therefore, among whole above, marketing concepts is efficacious for InterContinental Hotels
Group plc as it aids them to acknowledge the potential audiences desires and requirements and
obtain much profit.
Current trends:
Recently, Entity has been adopting several ways of marketing in order to acquire at
audience’s attention towards their offerings (Guillet, 2020). Therefore, few current trends which
InterContinental Hotels Group plc adopt for their marketing are described below:
Voice search: Within current times, voice search are emerging as one of the vital trends
of hotel marketing as well as there are various tactics which could undertake benefits of this. For
instance, InterContinental Hotels Group plc can execute voice search into hotel rooms and
thereafter promoted as way of grabbing consumers’ attention. Moreover, it could be attained
through incorporating smart speakers or hubs into their hotel rooms, enabling guests to utilise
them for gaining current information of tourists or for booking hotel service from comfort of its
room.
Future trends:
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There are few marketing future trends which InterContinental Hotels Group plc might
used for its development. Therefore, some trends are explained underneath:
Artificial Intelligence: This plays vital role into future trends of marketing. Such as,
Artificial Intelligence powered chat bots are considered as one of the effective ways for assuring
consumer receive faster responses via functions of live chat upon Websites of hotel, 24 *7
assistances, obviating slow responses. Therefore, the utilisation artificial intelligence is future
trends in hospitality industry. Such as Artificial Intelligence would aids InterContinental Hotels
Group plc for segregating guests much effectually, helping with personalisation marketing
potential. Moreover, this may also fasten the data analytics, while AI-driven consumer services
robots which could be organize within respective hotels (Hotel Marketing; The Latest Trends in
the Hotel Industry, 2020).
Marketing function:
Marketing function is considered as aspects that assist entity to determine s well as source
potentially successful offerings for market area they performs upon as well as promote through
differentiating them from similar goods or services (Jeaheng, Al-Ansi and Han, 2020).
Moreover, there are various roles and responsibilities of marketing function that are performed
within InterContinental Hotels Group plc are described below:
Roles of marketing functions in InterContinental Hotels Group plc.
 Determining consumers: This is one of the essential role of marketing function within
InterContinental Hotels Group plc that it determines potential consumers through
acknowledging the requirements and desires of guests. Additionally, it also determines
whom to target for enhancing sales and formulating tactics to reach them.
 Retain consumers: As per the respective role, marketing function of InterContinental
Hotels Group plc highlights its brands in effective way that provide reasons to guest for
coming back. Additionally, effectual marketing aids them to attain profitable
opportunities of business.
Responsibilities of marketing functions in InterContinental Hotels Group plc.
 Managing relations: This is undertaken as the one of the key responsibility which is
performed at InterContinental Hotels Group plc to manage relations among with guests,
partners and corporations. For instance, they formulate innovative and attractive ideas.
So, for managing the relations effectively marketing functions formed gainful ideas.
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 Product promotions: This is also undertaken as other vital marketing function
responsibility of InterContinental Hotels Group plc is to perform successful brand as well
as offerings promotion so that they would able to grab the attention of huge guests.
Moreover, through performing effective accountability respective firm marketing
department could attract large audiences bases and investors for business.
P2. Explain how roles and responsibility of marketing related to the wider organisation concept.
Marketing department of entity plays one of the vital role as it is limited to perform
efficaciously with other functional areas in order to ensures the development of hospitality
business (Kaushal and Srivastava, 2020).
Structure and Operations of Marketing department
Figure 1,Marketing department structure.
(Source: Marketing department structure. 2020)
The structure of marketing branch will vary as according to the business necessities
specially; there is a frontrunner, excessive stage executives who advanced strategies and screen
crew operations. Each manager organises their team in addition to specialist who carry out work
in its group. InterContinental Hotels Group plc, marketing department are interrelated with
others also such as housekeeping and many more. So, respective functional units perform several
roles and responsibilities few of them are discussed below in context of InterContinental Hotels
Group plc:
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Marketing research: that is taken into consideration to be the main role and
responsibilities that marketing branch plays in InterContinental Hotels Group plc as this aids
enterprise to engage into research. It undertakes investigation upon diverse vicinity, clients’
necessities, developments and others.
Communication: This is also undertaken as essential role and responsibility that is plays
through marketing section within entity. By effectual communication they could capable to
formulate appropriate relation in and outside business entity which drives them towards
accomplishment of predetermined objectives (Koc, 2020). In relation of InterContinental Hotels
Group plc, its marketing department communicate with its guest by utilising switchboard
operators when clients get influences then they come to hotel. Moreover, it also communicates
with front office so that it can further interact with its customers through making them aware
regarding several offerings, discounts and others. Additionally, marketing department of
InterContinental Hotels Group plc also communicate with another functional division such as
housekeeping, finance and others. This is performed for delivering present demand and desires
that is identified through marketing section with assistance of doing research.
Overview marketing process
Process of marketing includes numerous ways in which value may be advanced for
purchasers for enjoyable its needs. It is undertaken to be an infinite collection of action as well as
reaction as amongst customers and companies. Herein, state of affairs is decided to discover
opportunities, method is developed for cost proposition, tactical decisions are formulated, plan is
carried out and effects are supervised (Kwok, Tang and Yu, 2020). So, InterContinental Hotels
Group plc can follow this process for increasing their enterprise in well defined manner. All
steps are described under:
 Situational analysis: on this, companies could become competent to determine itself as
the idea for identifying chances of pleasant unfilled necessities of customers. Herein,
InterContinental Hotels Group plc could able to do evaluation of atmosphere as well as
situations in order to identify several alternative for purchasing know-how about its very
own talents and surroundings in which they are operating.
 Marketing strategy: After determining the options of marketing availability, a plan is
shaped for following the decided choice. Herein, InterContinental Hotels Group plc
formulate efficacious plans as well as tactics for its alternatives.
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 Marketing mix decisions: Within respective step, tactical decisions are described in order
to control parameters of marketing mix. Moreover, it incorporates decision related with
formulation of services, pricing and many more.
 Implementation and control: It is undertaken as the final step wherein marketing plan is
carried out as well as potential of marketing outputs are located for adjusting marketing
mix as per modifications.
So, the ones complete steps help InterContinental Hotels Group plc to execute their plans
effectively and efficiently into aggressive marketplace.
Interrelationship amongst functional units and marketing.
Marketing department of business enterprise is restricted to perform successfully with every
other purposeful unit in order to ensure commercial enterprise operative development (Line and
et. al., 2020). So, these interrelationships are discussed beneath:
 Marketing and human resource branch: The marketing in addition to human resources
department has a few effective relations. Human resource department of firm is
associated with hiring and recruiting ready team of workers inside corporation. So, they
undertake responsibility of brining extra proficient individuals in advertising branch. On
other hand, marketing segment plays critical function into the advertising and
advertisement of vacant position into marketplace. This interrelationship and marketing
function role assists in achieving human resource department agenda in InterContinental
Hotels Group plc in appreciate of obtaining equipped personnel for company.
 Marketing and finance branch: Finance department knows as well as continues lengthy
and brief term economic necessities of firm. There is co- relationship amongst finance
and advertising division of InterContinental Hotels Group plc. As finance is difficulty
approximately funds management for serving customers successfully and advertising and
marketing department cognizance upon gainful advertisement and promotional practices
for selling its offerings. So, the not unusual rationale is to store price range as well as
allocate a budget for advertising practices. Additionally powerful advertising is beneficial
to reap large wide variety of clients and thus, it gain more monetary revenue. For this,
InterContinental Hotels Group plc marketing department desires fund to indulge in
competitive advertising and marketing for its on line and offline services, finance unit
allows budget to them.
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TASK 2
P3. Compare the way in which different organisations apply the marketing mix to the market
planning process to achieve business objective.
Marketing mix is regarded as the tactical marketing tools with assistance of which firm
become competent for pursuing their goals within targeted marketplace. By opting tactics of
marketing mix an entity may obtain guidelines for putting the appropriate product and effective
areas (Pillai and Sivathanu, 2020). Moreover, there are mainly four key components’ such as
product, price, place and promotion but further it is extended three people, process and physical
evidence. Comparing the ways in context of InterContinental Hotels Group plc and its rivals
through marketing is described below:
Elements InterContinental Hotels Group
plc
Marriott International
Product It incorporates various
offerings whcih aids them to
grab teh attention of huge
guest towards their brand.
Some of their offerings are
luxury rooms, well- developed
restaurants, premium rooms,
bars, and many more,
Respective entity is
facilitating various kinds of
services. Moreover, their key
offerings are classic premium
rooms, luxury rooms, resorts
and others.
Price Price is considered the amount
which has been charged
through entity in exchange of
their offerings.
InterContinental Hotels Group
plc mainly utilise dynamic
pricing strategies as it assist
them to maximise huge
profitability.
It sets their prices through
comparing the cost which is
set through their competitors.
as they are proving standard
quality services to guests and
deicide princes based upon
their services effectiveness.
Place InterContinental Hotels Group
plc operates there is about 100
Respective hotels have
performing in above 110
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countries in which they have
around 842,759 guest rooms
as well as approx 5, 656 hotel
across those 100 countries.
countries. Additionally, this is
also considered as one of the
well known and largest chain
of hotel which offers their
services to several parts of
countries. Also, its expansion
aids in grabbing the attention
of huge number of guest.
Promotion InterContinental Hotels Group
plc basically focused towards
promoting their brand through
word of mouth. Moreover, it
also utilise modern
promotional tools such as
social media channels an
many more.
The promotional method
which is utilised through
respective hotel is both
modern and traditional such as
print media advertisement,
social media channels and
others.
People Within InterContinental
Hotels Group plc, it have well
qualified and talent staff
members. Also, there are
around 400, 000 employees
who are performing with them
in all over 100 countries. All
were working effectively
towards attainment of
organisational objectives.
It is hiring as well as choosing
much competent staff which is
performing activities
effectively. Their staffs are
talent to facilitate higher
quality services for
accomplishment of their guest
desires.
Process InterContinental Hotels Group
plc is incorporating consumer
base procedures that assist
them to accomplish their
guests’ requirements. Also, by
Respective entity is
performing highly manageable
business procedures.
Moreover, those processes
assist them to meet their
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effective base of audiences
they would able to formulate
stronger relation with its
guest.
clients’ requirements and
desires in effective and
efficient way.
Physical Evidence InterContinental Hotels Group
plc physical evidence is their
well developed hotels, resorts
and other with different areas.
It aids them to grab the
attention of huge guest. Also,
its interior structure influence
them o come back again and
again to avail services.
The key physical evidence of
respective entity is their hotels
which have higher brand
image within competitive
marketing.
TASK 3
P4. Produce and evaluate basic marketing plan for an organisation.
Marketing plan is defined as blueprint or comprehensive document that represents business
and market potential for future. In addition to this, they also described the business practices that
are incorporated in accomplishing specific marketing goals at certain time period (Sann, Lai and
Chen, 2020). So, there are various aspects that required to be undertaken into InterContinental
Hotels Group plc marketing plan that are described below:
Describe your business: InterContinental Hotels Group plc is known as the British
multinational hospitality firm having headquarters is in Buckinghamshire, Denham, England,
UK. It have around 889, 582 guest rooms as well as also it have above 5, 900 hotel in across 100
countries. As due to COVID-19 pandemic situation there is reduction into business revenue and
profitability. So, their new marketing plan is to introduce robotics services within their hotels as
this is effective for guest safety and also provides an edge towards their offerings.
Objective: “To introduce Robotics services to enhance their revenue by 20 % within 6
months”.
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Perform Situational Analysis
In context of InterContinental Hotels Group plc, this is vital for InterContinental Hotels
Group plc to perform situational analysis as it aids them to know about the circumstance. For
instance, SWOT analysis is performed:
Strengths Weaknesses
The key strengths of robotics service in hotel is
this keep both staff and guest safe. Also
provide the fastest services. So, all these aids
respective firm to grab the attention of huge
guest again after COVID-19 pandemic
situation.
The weakness of this is that they cannot have
influencing power to attract the guest it only
performs accordingly that have been set into
their functioning system.
Opportunities Threats
This provides an opportunity to obtain
competitive edge through using more advance
technology into their services.
The key threats is there is more possibilities of
its damages and errors anytime and anywhere.
Define you consumers: The targeted consumers of InterContinental Hotels Group plc are
middle and upper class people who are having keen interest in travelling and spending times with
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families during vacations but with safety. So, their new services feel them protected within
pandemic times also.
Strategies your marketing entry: InterContinental Hotels Group plc innovative services
aid them to provide standard and safe service to its guest. That helps them to enter into market
gain with gainful purpose.
Anticipation of sales and demands measurement:
Figure 2, sales
(Source: SERVICE ROBOTS Record: Sales Worldwide Up 32%, 2020)
Figure 3, Market demand.
(Source: Service Robotics Market Synopsis, 2020)
Define your marketing budget:
Marketing budget
Particulars 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year 5th year
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Early money 4000 5000 6000 5000 20000
Venture 8000 13000 13000 33000 11000
Total 12000 18000 19000 38000 31000
Promotion lay out
Advertising 6000 3000 4O00 3300 3250
publicity 4000 2000 6000 2200 2000
Direct selling 4200 2000 5000 3000 4650
Total 14200 7000 15000 8500 9900
Integrate your marketing communication: For its new service that is robotics services
they utilise social media channels, perform events and others.
Determine sales channels: InterContinental Hotels Group plc for its new robotics services it have
to determined various marketing channels that would assist them for attracting huge customer at
pandemics situations.
Track marketing activities: Within this, management would have to monitor the
effectualness of each marketing practices that is performed for new services (Teng and Cheng,
2020). In context of robotics services, InterContinental Hotels Group plc’s management opt
social media advertisement.
Evaluate your progress: In order to evaluate the progress of InterContinental Hotels Group
plc new services it take feedbacks from their guest which aids them to know about their new
services effectiveness. Also, the profit gained after offering new services implementations. So,
accordingly their progress could be evaluated.
CONCLUSION
Based upon the above report, this has been concluded that marketing plays vital role within
all entity as this assists them to accomplish various opportunities of business development.
Moreover, within hospitality firm, marketing function perform various key role and
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accountabilities such as determining customer needs and others. In addition to this, they also
interrelated with several functional units in order to attain the organisation objectives. Also, by
opting tactics of marketing mix an entity may obtain guidelines for putting the appropriate
product and effective areas.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Amatulli, C., De Angelis, M. and Stoppani, A.,2020. The appeal of sustainability in luxury
hospitality: An investigation on the role of perceived integrity. Tourism Management, 83,
p.104228.
Camerano, M., 2020, April. An innovative marketing proposal for a small family-owned hotel
business in Plymouth. In ISCONTOUR 2020 Tourism Research Perspectives:
Proceedings of the International Student Conference in Tourism Research (p. 180).
BoD–Books on Demand.
Guillet, B.D., 2020. An evolutionary analysis of revenue management research in hospitality and
tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Jeaheng, Y., Al-Ansi, A. and Han, H., 2020. Impacts of Halal-friendly services, facilities, and
food and Beverages on Muslim travelers’ perceptions of service quality attributes,
perceived price, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management, pp.1-25.
Kaushal, V. and Srivastava, S., 2020. Hospitality and tourism industry amid COVID-19
pandemic: Perspectives on challenges and learnings from India. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 92, p.102707.
Koc, E., 2020. Cross-Cultural Aspects of Tourism and Hospitality.
Kwok, L., Tang, Y. and Yu, B., 2020. The 7 Ps marketing mix of home-sharing services: Mining
travelers’ online reviews on Airbnb. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, 90, p.102616.
Line, N.D. and et. al., 2020. Control, use and ownership of big data: A reciprocal view of
customer big data value in the hospitality and tourism industry. Tourism
Management, 80, p.104106.
Pillai, R. and Sivathanu, B., 2020. Adoption of AI-based chatbots for hospitality and
tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Sann, R., Lai, P.C. and Chen, C.T., 2020. Review papers on eWOM: prospects for hospitality
industry. Anatolia, pp.1-30.
Teng, C.C. and Cheng, S.S., 2020. Hospitality Ethics: Perspectives from Hotel Practitioners and
Intern Students. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, pp.1-12.
Online
Hotel Marketing; The Latest Trends in the Hotel Industry. 2020. [Online]. Available Through:<
https://www.revfine.com/hotel-marketing/>.
Marketing department structure. 2020. [Online]. Available through <
https://www.orgcharting.com/templates/marketing-department-structure/>.
SERVICE ROBOTS Record: Sales Worldwide Up 32%. 2020. Available through <
https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/service-robots-record-sales-worldwide-up-32>.
Service Robotics Market Synopsis. 2020. Available through <
https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/service-robotics-market-2437>.
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