Island Beach Resort: Evaluation of Marketing Communication Channels

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the marketing communication strategies employed by Island Beach Resort, a small, privately-owned resort on the Florida Gulf Coast. It begins with an introduction to marketing and its importance in the hospitality sector, emphasizing the role of integrated marketing communication. The main body evaluates the resort's existing marketing channels, including its reservation framework, property management system, and contractual relationship with a web-based marketing provider, assessing their effectiveness in achieving communication objectives. The report then critically examines the resort's current communication strategy, channel choices, and creative content, highlighting areas for improvement. The analysis reveals shortcomings in the resort's digital presence and marketing efforts, leading to recommendations for enhancing its market reach and communication effectiveness, particularly through the adoption of digital marketing channels like social media to foster two-way communication with customers and improve sales. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and reiterates the importance of effective marketing communication strategies for achieving business objectives, such as increased market share and a stronger customer base.

Integrated Hospitality
Marketing Communications

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Evaluation of the different marketing channels using within the resort for the purpose of
attaining communication objectives............................................................................................1
Critical evaluation of the current case of Island Beach Resort involving communication
strategy, channel choice and creative content..............................................................................3
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Marketing can be comprehensively referred to as the integration of activities that are
aimed at promoting the products as well as services of the corporation amidst the audience. This
provides assistance to the organisation in capturing the attention of individuals prevailing in
market place. The primary intent linked to marketing is the dissemination of data within the
customers about the features and characteristics of products. With the help of this, the entity is
able to place a positive influence over the potential customers, thereby effectively persuading
their purchase behaviour in a manner that consumers can make a purchase. Marketing plays an
important role in the context of hospitality sector. The strategy and tactics adopted by a
hospitality firm provides assistance in duly establishing long term relations with the customers.
In addition to this, it can be said that marketing is the route way to bridge the gap between the
audience and the corporation. It places a strong and impeccable impact over the mindsets of the
customers inducing them to make a purchase for the products and services offered by the entity.
The purpose of conducting this report is to gain knowledge of the benefits linked to
implementation of effectual integrated marketing and communication strategies in a company.
The report is based on the case study of Island Beach Resort which is a small and private owned
small beach engaged in provision of resort services, accommodation and tourism facilities to its
customer base. The report includes examination of wide varieties of marketing channels utilised
in resort for attainment of communication objectives. Along with this, it encompasses critical
evaluation of the case of Island Beach Resort inclusive of communication strategy, channel
choice, creative content etc. Lastly, some suggestions are provided to management to inflate the
current level of market and communication determinants.
MAIN BODY
Evaluation of the different marketing channels using within the resort for the purpose of attaining
communication objectives
The growth and development perspectives of an organisation are largely based upon the
presence of a company in market place. Also, it is dependent upon the extent to which an entity
is able to effectively spread a word about the products and services offered by it to the public at
large in market place. This is largely aimed at placing a positive influence over the purchase
behaviour exhibited by a consumer. The sole intent hereby is to persuade their purchase
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characteristics in a manner such that they are influenced to make a purchase of the products sold
by the company. With respect to this, it has been identified that there are mainly two facets that
need to be taken into due consideration. These are acknowledged to the channels of marketing
used by the company along with the communication objectives laid down by the firm.
It is important to lay down achievable and effective communication objective so as to put
forth the targets that the firm intends to achieve in terms of setting interaction with the target
market. It is in accordance with the target market only that the strategies are formed by the
corporation. In addition to this, the marketing channels opted by an organisation tend to play an
important role in achievement of the communication objectives set by the entity. Both of these
together form an effective base in accordance with which a company is able to deliver important
information related to the organisational offerings to the potential buyers. The marketing
channels possess the potential to develop a strong and distinct image of a brand in the minds of
customers, placing a strong impact over their overall purchase behaviour. The implementation of
wide variety of marketing channels is not an easy task for the company as each channel has its
own set of positives and negatives linked to it.
To make the process easier, companies find it better to make use of integrated marketing
communication channels which tend to combine the aspects and present a tailored approach in
accordance with the requirements of the firm. The extrinsic factors of the market place
constantly keep on changing thereby placing a significant impact over the choice of integrated
marketing communication channels. This put pressure over the company to develop a team
which is aligned with the market demands and conditions so as to take measures through which
entity can introduce changes as per the marketplace.
The case study being taken into account for analysis within this report is of Island Beach
Resort. This is a private and small resort company situated on the Florida Gulf Coast having
direct access to a beautiful beach which can be reached by way of a ferry or a boat. The resort
also offers service package inclusive of facilities like sporting, shopping, dining, entertainment,
security, recreation etc. The resort is not much renowned amidst the population. The local
individuals are not aware of this resort and it is not even present over Internet. It implies that the
marketing efforts of the resort have been very ineffective over the course of time. The entity
lacks digital presence reducing the chance of being found by customers on searching keywords.
Below mentioned is an evaluation of all the marketing channels that are being used by the resort
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organisation along with their ability to attain the communication objectives set by Island Beach
Resort.
Reservation framework: For attainment of the communication objectives, resort was
making use NAVIS. This software gives data to resort with respect to the unanswered call and
unbooked lead. There was no connection of this framework with the part of outside
communication from buyers according to learning their perspectives and inclinations.
Additionally, it does not help in providing information to potential customers about resort’s
products and services. This channel was ineffectual or insufficient to meet the principle of
correspondence about dissemination of information regarding the resort within public at large.
Property management system: The resort was utilising the online PMS software called
Escapia to fulfil the correspondence goals. This software provided assistance in relation to
website architecture, back-of-the house capacities and web marketing. With respect to the
circumstance of resort within marketplace, it was clear that the product wasn't functioning
adequately and not ready for fulfilment of the ideal correspondence goals.
Contractual connection with web based marketing provider: To effectually advertise
and deliver information about the products and services of the resort to customers, resort had an
agreement with web based marketing supplier. This worked against the company whereby the
customers were not able to find information about the resort by searching via the keywords. At
the same time, insufficiency of this channel reflected that it was not able to meet the
communication objectives in defined course of time.
Critical evaluation of the current case of Island Beach Resort involving communication strategy,
channel choice and creative content
Island Beach resort is situated upon Florida Gulf Coast, having direct access to a serene
beach. It’s 160 rental units change from one to three rooms. Visitors may drive onto the property,
yet are required to leave their vehicles in a focal part and limit auto use for off-island exercises as
it were. Transportation on the island is by foot, bike or golf truck what's more, water exercises
are made open by rental of the hotel's stream skis, vessels with angling gear, also, kayaks. This
Resort has been sensibly effective in past years, yet financial state of this decade has affected
business.
Its business structure is atypical of numerous exclusive SMEs. It has developed on a base
plan of action for land improvement started by the proprietor of the land, Ralph Wittcome, who
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began by building and selling summer homes with the idea of adding rental administration to the
improvement organization. In the early long periods of improvement, this point of view
prompted a general plan of including a pool, tennis courts, volleyball, two cafes, a coffeehouse,
and a comfort store that additionally, took care of bike and golf truck rentals. To help invigorate
deals and bolster an income imparting plan to workers, Ralph started leasing the units when not
involved by the proprietor. This clearly depicts that approach of improving business and sales
was quite significant where focused over fulfilment of all different visitors needs that came to the
specific place for enjoyment and spending good time. Here, they can play with family, eat good
food and spent time properly as all different facilities are available.
To market the own business, resort adopted the various marketing communication channels.
This includes the use of three different options such as reservation system, property management
system and contractual relation with online marketing provider. The reservation framework
utilized by the Resort is NAVIS, an assistance and programming program possessed by a Bend,
Oregon organization. As a feature of this program, the NAVIS RezForce element is fused. The
RezForce framework offered every minute of accessibility catching night-time and occupied/no-
answer calls and passed any unbooked prompts to the resort. Related to this administration, the
Resort also utilized Escapia specialist/framework, an online PMS that portrays itself as an
excursion property the executives programming and internet promoting arrangement. This
supplier offers a total bundle for SMEs that can incorporate website architecture, back-of-the
house capacities and web advertising.
Here, nothing was adopted by the management that help the resort to build the effective
connection with consumers along with disseminating timely and proper information about their
offerings. Also, the current channels not performed well due to which resort had least presence in
market. This is cleared from the presentation of information that there was huge need for
adopting the new channels of marketing along with their effective implementation because mere
selection of good not help to get the success. In respect to building communication, they tied up
with call centre because the reception was closed at 11pm. This was also the reason that the
resort did not have the good level of communication with consumers because many times their
calls were unanswered. This clearly depicts that a resort was need to adopt the approach of
personal assistance along with usage of digital communication tools that help to build effective
level of communication.
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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
On the basis of overall information provided in the above section, it has been
comprehended that the businesses are required to adopt effective marketing communication
strategies which help them out in obtaining their business objectives in quicker manner. Some of
the main benefits that are mostly gained by businesses by making use effective marketing
communication methods are enhancement of larger market share, development of strong image
of company and creation of strong customer base. Through the implementation of effective and
sound strategies within hospitality industry, the business operating in it can ensure that they exist
in market place for long period of time in future context of time. Apart from this, it can be
further said that by having strong connections with the marketing channels businesses can easily
communicate core information about their products and services to its customers that ultimately
supports them in acquiring effective market share. Also, it assists in gaining competitive edge at
marketplace in rightful manner.
Along with this, it is further recommended to the resort functioning within hospitality
sector to emphasize on making use of advance of marketing channel such as digital media
especially social media in order to have appropriate interaction with the customers. This directly
provides adequate support to the customers in giving them opportunity to give feedback to the
hotel or others about their core services. In addition to this, it can be further said that businesses
which acquire digital medium of marketing have appropriate opportunity of developing two way
communications with the customers and attain their sales targets in the predefined time limit.
This would directly aid company in enhancing their profitability and also contribute in maximise
their market share within the same industry.
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REFERENCES
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