Strategic Marketing Plan & Customer Retention at Marriott Hotel

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Marriott Hotel's marketing and customer retention strategies. It explores various marketing management philosophies such as the production concept, product concept, selling concept, marketing concept, and social marketing concept, highlighting their relevance to Marriott Hotel's operations. The report also examines the principles of marketing, promotional mix elements (advertising, direct selling, sales promotion, public relations, and personal selling), and integrated marketing communications tactics employed by the hotel. Furthermore, it discusses the development of a strategic marketing plan, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer needs, setting clear objectives, and utilizing effective marketing tools to enhance customer retention and overall business performance. The analysis also touches upon the role of corporate social responsibility in building a positive brand image for Marriott Hotel. This student contributed assignment is available on Desklib, a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

MARKETING AND CUSTOMER
RETENTION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................................2
Marketing management philosophies and principles of marketing, ethics and corporate social
responsibility...........................................................................................................................................2
Promotional mix and integrated marketing communications tactic.........................................................5
Development of marketing plan..............................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Marketing can be defined as procedure of getting potential buyers interested in specific
services and products. It includes finding, advertising, selling and providing goods to target
market. It is one of the best strategies and combination of several approaches and techniques that
bring a lot of benefits for companies. Marketing is beneficial for organization as it helps to
increase sales and profitability even better. The current assignment will be based on Marriott
Hotel, which falls under category of leading hotels in the world. It is an American international
diversified hospitality hotel that franchises and successfully manages a wider portfolio of hotels
chain across the United Kingdom. This study will explain marketing management philosophies,
examples of corporate social responsibility, principles of promotional and ethics. Furthermore,
this report will justify promotional mix and utilize of integrated communication strategy relate to
marketing. This assignment will clarify development of strategic marketing plan in context of
chosen company.
MAIN BODY
Marketing management philosophies and principles of marketing, ethics and corporate social
responsibility
Marketing management philosophies utilized by several companies to guide their
advertising attempts (Kotler and et.al., 2019). It comprises of five different concepts that are
mentioned below-
Production Concept-
It places their emphasis on creativity and quality of products more than accessibility and
price. According to this concept, Marriott hotel and its management needs to focus on quality of
its services and products such as meal, accommodation etc. which allow guest to revisit hotel
again with family and friends. Organization could make assure that its items are of the excellent
quality, which means cost of manufacture and price of items can be higher (Stadnyk and et.al.,
2020). Quality is the key element that gain attention of new buyers towards Hotel services. It acts
on assumption that customers prefer those items which are widely accessible and inexpensive
because it allow each buyer to purchase what he or she wants.

Product concept-
According to this philosophy, Marriott hotel and its manager should develop goods of
greater quality which mostly turns out to be expensive, as it helps to manage marketing act and
process systematically and in positive manner (Khan, Freeman and Lee, 2020). It can be
analyzed that customer influence and take decision by considering products quality and quantity
as well as price. It drives attention of marketing team towards devoting most of their time in
manufacturing meal and other services and then selling with better quality. It allows company to
focus on products and services quality which prevent them to fail or lose appeal of target market
whose demands are driven by different factors like accessibility, price & usability.
Selling concept-
This concept is quite different from other marketing management philosophies, as it
drives attention of marketing team towards making actual promotion plan and strategy that
present real products and quality in front of target customers (Singh, Srivastava and Sharma,
2019). It helps to generate awareness of items and business in market successfully. Marriott hotel
and its marketing department according to this philosophy must concentrate on making real sale
of items and every possible sale of goods and services regardless of quality or consumers need.
This philosophy could not allow hotel to build strong relationship with target guest as it only
needs to focus on making money by promoting and then attracting buyers towards purchase
which is really very essential.
Under this concept, ethics relate to business could be considered that company should
follow and implement within current practices of management in systematic manner. Promoting
actual product without cheating and conducting any unethical act is business ethics which should
be followed by Marriott hotel while marketing its overall venture at national & international
level. For instance, marketing team must present what its company produce and wants to offer
target consumers, without making any mistakes, using words that could not harm other emotions
and feelings. Marketing content need to write and present in ethical manner as it could not be
offensive and inappropriate, management needs to focus on each practice.
Marketing concept-

All above marketing management philosophies are really very useful and beneficial in
regard to Marriott hotel as it permits marketing them to manage entire procedure of promotion
by focusing on key element that discuss in each philosophy in different manners (Patsiaouras,
2019). According to current philosophy, employees should produce an item and then promote in
a manner through which they can fulfil demand and needs of target customers. This philosophy
work best and in effective manner on assumption that target segment or consumer purchase items
which fulfil and meets his or her requirements. By following and considering this philosophy,
hotel marketing team need to take better action such as conduct market research that can help
them to known about what its target market wants, needs and expect from hospitality industry.
Social marketing concept-
The marketing practices and activities of Marriott hotel could be managed when
employees and its operational as well as functional units should concentrate on how to fulfill
guest needs without affecting natural resources, environment and focusing on society’s
wellbeing. For example, organization need to hire skilled and talented people from society who
has no job in recent time. It can help to improve living standards of local people and allow to live
his or her life without taking too much stress. By hiring and recruiting new employees firm can
support in development of economy and society well-being. As it philosophy assume that a
venture is a part of society and hence it need to take part in social services like improving living
standards of unemployed individual by selecting and recruiting them. By conducing this practice
and taking decision to hire new workers, hotel could take each step towards taking part in
corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, organization can contribute in more effective and
ethical manner in context of society well-being.
They can use vehicles that reduce zero percent air pollution and control its explosive
progress. Just like other hospitality brands, Marriott hotel could include corporate social
responsibility as part of its marketing practices and activities which is actually very important in
term of building and boost brand image excellently.
Principles of marketing-
Marriott Hotel should follow and implement the overall principles of marketing that
assist managing advertising act in effective and systematic manner. For example, organization

needs to improve quality of its services and products even better than its rivals as it helps to gain
attention of new buyers and retain exiting one for longer period of time, which in return increase
sales and profitability as well as generate more revenues than last few months or years.
According to the second principle of marketing, firm needs to select the most comfortable place
or location where target market can easily reach and buy what he or she wants to purchase from
longer period.
Promotional mix and integrated marketing communications tactic
Promotional mix is integrating of personal selling, marketing, sales promotion, direct
marketing and public relations. It can be defined as set of varied marketing approaches and
techniques that marketers of Marriott hotel could develop and utilize to optimize advertising
attempts and to reach a wider group of people. There are four different types of promotional mix
elements are accessible in the world of marketing that marketer of chosen hotel can use to gain
several benefits such as increase its customer base, profitability, generate revenues and much
more than these. Components of promotion mix are mentioned below-
Advertising-
Marriott hotel and its marketing department can use this element of promotional mix in
order to achieve set objectives and aims in term of promoting products at global level and
generating brand awareness in similar manner and same place even better than other hotels that
has operated in hospitality sector from longer period of time (DEOKAR and JAWALIKAR,
2020). It can consider as non-personal ads of items and accommodation services. Marketing
team and its employees could utilize this component as important tool for increasing and
successfully generating brand awareness, which is actually very essential for chosen brand in
today’s competitive environment. Different approaches and methods are available in context of
this force that marketers can use to advertise meal and other services of hotel at international
degree. They could use email, banner, webpages, radio and other traditional marketing tools. All
these sources are quite beneficial in term of awaking consumers about quality items develop and
provide by firm.
Direct selling-

Marriott hotel along with above element of promotional mix concept can use this one as
well. It is face to face communication procedure conduct between sales department and target
consumers (WORKU, 2019). It is use to influence each buyer to decide to purchase
accommodation and other service as well as products offer by Marriott hotel. Direct selling is
one of the most efficient and effective approaches of marketing that chosen company can use as
it helps to increase sales and generate a lot of profits of business. It also considers as one of the
most expensive types of sales because with this component firm need to pay for one person’s
duration. By interacting and communicating with narrow group of workers, firm can promote its
offering through email, brochures, snail mail, telephone marketing and catalogs. Despite of using
abundance of offers from junk telemarketers, this approach gives the best option to hotel in term
of cost effective ways of reaching potential or target consumer.
Figure 1: Promotional Mix Elements
(Source: What is a Promotion Mix, 2020)
Sales promotion-

This element along with above two is beneficial for Marriott hotel when it can use them
in effective and systematic manner. It is sledgehammers of advertising world, effectively develop
sales promotion contribute in generating immediate web traffic and boost short or long term sales
of business more than its rivals. Sales promotion can consider as incentives such as coupon,
voucher or discount, intended to persuade buyer to make a buy. It tends to rapidly lose
effectiveness, and because of that firm need to avoid becoming dependent on promotions for
driving sales. It is the best utilized as supplement to other more sustainable advertising activities,
it found on professional training websites.
Public relations-
In publicity or public relations, Marriott hotel can share its message through current
marketing channels or sources most often press by sharing or doing effective content, which
source then shares with target market. There are different forms of public relations channels,
techniques and tools are available that can utilize for marketing purpose. This kind of
promotional approach identifies way consumers treat hotel. Hotel could utilize PR to build its
brand image and attractive position by planting interesting notification, stories and news about
their products, offers and activities in media. Firm need to manage public relation as promotional
mix element in systematic manner by controlling webpages.
Personal selling-
According to this element of promotional mix, Marriott Hotel could hire or recruit sales
person who is able to reach out directly to target consumers in order to transfer and share key
data about services and products. It tends to highly effective and efficient because sales people
could easily adapt and select their messaging to match prospects wants and needs in actual time.
However, selection and training of new workers is not cheap, so it is promotional mix
component often utilized by firm selling highly produce and ethical services or products. It is one
of the best methods through which sells person or sales force sell its items after meeting face to
face with consumers.
Integrated marketing communications tactic-
Marriott hotel can develop the best marketing communication strategy by determining
consumers, setting clear objectives and using effective marketing tool. For example, hotel can

use advertising and personal selling to directly communicate target market. These two
approaches are quite beneficial in term of selling products and promoting venture in effective
manner.
Development of marketing plan
Marketing Plan
In this competitive era organisation has to constantly upgrade its products and services to
sustain in market. Landscape hotel to remain competitive in the market and for long term growth
is planning to introduce new product and services that would attract the customers around the
world. The new strategy would provide the hotel a defined direction to follow for its products
and services and to derive maximum benefits in the market (Han and et.al., 2019). The new
marketing plan would help the hotel in attaining its short term and long term plans efficiently.
Company through new products would cover new market and extend its reach.
Executive summary
The marketing plan of the Landscape hotel has been developed with motive of providing
the customer new products and services for competing successfully in market. It will describe the
mission and vision of company reflecting the goals and objectives of the company to be
achieved. Hotel is planning to bring new Italian food and beverages to the dining as other
competitors are not yet providing unique traditional Italian dishes. The plan describes the internal
and external forces influencing the marketing that are required to be managed. Key performance
indicators are also framed to measure the performance of company and its new products. The
plan would provide about the target customers for the products and the industry analysis would
be carried to assess the current and future trends for the industry (Hollensen, 2019). The
controlling and monitoring activities would also be discussed for the operations along with
budget requirements for carrying out the operations of business.
Vision
“To provide the customers with mesmerising dining experience”
Mission
 To become the market leader in hotel industry
 To become the most recognised hotel name in industry
 To provide the customers with best food and beverages adding to their memorable events
 To provide its employees healthy working environment with growth opportunities.

SWOT Analysis
It would help the Landscape hotel in assessing the internal business environment so that
strengths and weaknesses could be identifies and opportunities and threats of the business could
also be managed effectively.
Strengths Weaknesses
 It is very trusted hotel brand in the
country
 The brand awareness helps to introduce
new products successfully.
 Financial performance is good that
would help in implementing new plan
 Loyal customer base of the Hotel
 In easy reach of customers and visitors
 The existing customer bases is small
 Management inefficiency
 Lower skilled staff in the hotel
 Innovation and invention of new
products is very rare.
Opportunities Threats
 Rapid growth in the hotel industry will
increase customers
 Liberal government policies will attract
tourists from world
 The lowering digital marketing costs
(Da Silva and Las Casas, 2017).
 Technological advancements can help
to increase the efficiency of services.
 Increasing number of competitors in the
industry
 Change in the customer tastes and
preferences
 Changing government rules and
regulations
Objectives
 The objective is to provide the customer with new Italian dishes and beverages to
increase their experience
 To compete successful in the competitive market provide quality products and services
 Increasing the customer base to five times in coming 5 years.
 To increase the growth rate above 10% in 5 years
Key Performance Indicators

 The KPI's are also framed to measure the performance of company over the year
 Revenue per customer to be increased by 20% in a year
 Profitability to be increased by 5% till the year end
 Increase in satisfied number of customers above 20000 by the year end.
Target Customers
As the marketing plan is developed for the new Italian traditional food and beverages it is
essential to identify the target customers to focus the attention over specific customer group.
Identifying the target customer enables the managers to identify what marketing strategies are to
adopted to achieve the goals and objectives of the business (Kreutzer, 2019). Target customer
group will be identified using the STP. As company is operating in hotel industry the main focus
would be over tourists and also local people.
Segmentation – It is described as division of the market population based on factors such as
demographic, behavioural, geographic etc. It will be done on income level and age group of the
customers. There will be demographic segmentation.
Targeting – On the basis of segmentation business has to identify its target audience. It is
essential to target the people as all the marketing strategies would be based over it. Hotel will
target the customers belonging to income level above €2000.
Positioning – It is also an important factor to identify where the products and services of the
company has to be placed. Landscape hotel would positioning its products and services through
discounts, coupons, membership etc to the customers. Products and services would be based over
unique selling prices.
Industry analysis
It provides the business to identify the external environment forces that will influence the
hotel so that measures could be taken for reducing their impact.
Political: It provides how the political forces influences the business. Government rules and
regulations impact the hotel industry as it has to comply with food safety standards and other
statutory compliance requirements. Current the Brexit uncertainty will influence the hotel
industry the most as new reforms would be implemented for every industry. The requirements of
VISA and passports for entering UK by EU residents will decrease the number of travellers.
Economic: This factor is highly uncertain but influence the business significantly. The economic
growth of the country directly affects the revenues. It influences the purchasing power of the

people and slow economic growth will not allow the people to spend more. Other factors such as
monetary and fiscal policies in the country determines the growth of industrial sector and
competition. Unemployment, exchange rates can influence the business.
Social: The society could influence the business as they are the ultimate customers to whom the
products and services would be offered by the hotel. It has to assess the existing customer trends
and future trends to frame their strategies in a manner that will help them to grow systematically.
The marketing strategies are also developed based on trends as consumers are using social media
more than other which has to be accounted for drawing customer attention.
Technological: The automation is taking place in each and every sector of the industry. Hotel is
required to adopt new technology to increase the efficiency and enhance the existing business
processes. The customers nowadays are demanding advanced technology in the hotels and
restaurant like internet, easy accessibility over online platforms.
Legal: The factor deals with the legal laws and regulations that every business enterprise has to
comply for operating successfully in the market. Hotel industry as to ensure that all the
applicable laws regarding the food and customer safety are assessed and complied. It has to
comply with tax requirements and financial reporting and other rules timely.
Environmental: Due to the increasing exploitation of environment people are moving towards
companies that are tacking active steps towards the environment. Hotel has to ensure that the
environment laws applicable are complied.
Marketing mix
It is essential for the hotel to justify the marketing plan which will be implemented. It is
because it will provide the overview about the marketing practices or activities that will be
followed and the manner in which marketing will be done. The marketing has to consider several
things for effectively delivering the products and services in market.
Hotel will follow the 4Ps of marketing mix which are product, price, place and
promotion. For the marketing of new products and services company will be using digital
marketing approach. The digital marketing will use social media mainly to create about the new
Italian food and beverages brought by the company (Fotiadis, Mombeuil and Valek, 2018).
Along with social media platforms advertising would also be made over newspapers, magazines,
TV etc.
Budget

Budget is prepared for implementation of the plan and achieving the goals and objectives.
The below budget is prepared for the initial three years:
Marketing expenses 2020 2021 2022
Social media advertising 12000 13000 14000
Promotion through website 11000 11500 12000
Payroll expenses 25000 26000 27000
Miscellaneous expenditures 9000 9500 10000
Total marketing expenses 57000 60000 63000
Monitoring and Controlling
The above plan will be monitored through quarterly reports on the business performance
and comparison of the outcomes with goals and objectives of the company. Controlling measures
will be established at different stages to prevent the errors and mistakes and ensuring that the
plan is going in the defined direction.
CONCLUSION
It could be concluded from the above report that the Landscape is operating in limited
regions. Also the products and services offered to the customers are limited with no change. The
customer tastes and preferences are changing continuously that makes it essential for the
business to bring something new and unique that will enable it to attract new and retain the
existing customers. Innovation and invention has become essential in every industry as the
competition is becoming stronger every day.

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