Analyzing Social Media's Influence: A Travelodge Customer Study

This report examines the role of social media in the hospitality industry, using Travelodge Hotels Limited as a case study. The study investigates the positive and negative impacts of social media on Travelodge's customer base, analyzing its influence on customer retention and brand image. The report outlines the research aim, objectives, and questions, followed by a literature review that explores the concept of social media and its effects on businesses. It then delves into the research methodology, data findings, analysis, and discussion, including a questionnaire to gather insights. The report concludes with recommendations for Travelodge to improve its social media strategy and mitigate potential negative impacts, ultimately aiming to enhance customer attraction and retention within the competitive hospitality market. The study highlights the importance of understanding customer behavior and preferences in the digital age, emphasizing the need for effective social media management to achieve business goals.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TITLE:.............................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................1
Background.................................................................................................................................1
Statement of research problem....................................................................................................1
Research aim...............................................................................................................................2
Objective of research...................................................................................................................2
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................2
Purpose and scope of research ...................................................................................................2
Rationale for selection of topic...................................................................................................3
Research specification.................................................................................................................3
Research Time Line....................................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................5
Concept of Social Media.............................................................................................................5
Positive as well as negative impact of social media on Travelodge Hotels Limited consumer
base..............................................................................................................................................5
Social media influence on improvement in the ratio of consumer retention of Travelodge
Hotels Limited.............................................................................................................................5
Measures in order to overcome social media negative image on Travelodge Hotels Limited
brand image.................................................................................................................................6
Chapter 4: Data Findings, Analysis and Discussion......................................................................10
Chapter 3:.......................................................................................................................................16

Research Methodology:.................................................................................................................16
Research Design:.......................................................................................................................16
Research approach....................................................................................................................16
Data collection methods............................................................................................................17
Chapter 5: Conclusion, Recommendations and anticipated Limitations.......................................18
Reflection..................................................................................................................................18
Recommendations.....................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20

INTRODUCTION
TITLE:
` “ To evaluate the role that has been played by social media in hospitality industry in order
to attract and retain customers for long period of time”. A Case Study of Travelodge Hotels
Limited.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
Social media plays an key essential role in current world and offer wide range of platform
space with the help of which business organisation can effectively able to gain new heights. As
in this, organisations despite of their size can effectively able to conduct their marketing and
promotion business activities in order to influence large base of customers from wide locations
(Ahmad and Musa, 2016). Within hospitality industrial segments hotels can effectively able to
strengthen their online reputation and further can create their attractive reputation in
marketplace. Present research has been conducted on, Travelodge Hotels Limited. Company is
operating their functioning in hospitality industry and was founded in the year 1985.
Organisation have managed to be in the list of second largest budget hotel in UK and have
estimated number of more than 40,847 bedrooms.
Statement of research problem
Travelodge Hotels Limited in recent days in going through the problem which is linked
with decrease in sales margin ratio and decline in number of customers. Thus, in order to
overcome this situation hotel manager communicated with marketing team as to formulate a
formative research in order to effectively evaluate current prevailing situation and identify
customers current taste, preferences and behavior. With the help of this manager of hotel is
looking forwards to increase sales ratio of company alongside with rise in customer base of hotel
with the help of which Travelodge Hotels Limited can effectively able to increase their
profitability and productivity ratios.
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Research aim
The research aim of present study is “ To evaluate the role that has been played by social
media in hospitality industry in order to attract and retain customers for long period of time”. A
Case Study of Travelodge Hotels Limited.
Objective of research
 To analyse Social Media Concept.
 To evaluate positive as well as negative impact of social media on Travelodge Hotels
Limited consumer base.
 To identify social media influence on improvement in the ratio of consumer retention of
Travelodge Hotels Limited.
 To analyse number of measures in order to overcome social media negative image on
Travelodge Hotels Limited brand image.
Research Questions
 What is the Concept of Social Media ?
 What is the positive as well as negative impact of social media on Travelodge Hotels
Limited consumer base?
 How social media influence on improvement in the ratio of consumer retention of
Travelodge Hotels Limited?
 What are the measures in order to overcome social media negative image on Travelodge
Hotels Limited brand image?
Purpose and scope of research
Main purpose that has been hold in order to conduct this research is to effectively
increase the knowledge on the concept of social media with the help of which hotel can
effectively able to increase their sales ratio as well as customer base. Main scope in order to
formulate this investigation is to effectively enlarge the understanding of hospitality industry.
With the help of purpose and defined scope organisation is looking forwards to increase their
business operations efficiency as to increase profitability ratio in best effective manner.
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Rationale for selection of topic
Main objective as to select the present topic of research purpose is to widen the
understanding and knowledge of hospitality industrial segment. As this topic is feasible and
hospitality industry is one the leading and fastest growing industrial segment, with the selection
of present topic employees can effectively able to attract large base of customers towards
organisation and can further able to generate high base profitability.
Research specification
In this present research investigation has been conducted on different types of sub
sections with the help of which further research can effectively able to conduct. In addition with
this, research covers the aspects of research background. Along with this, there are different
types of research questions and objectives covered in this research. With the help of all these
questions and objectives researcher can able to facilitate further research analyses in best
effective manner. In addition with this research covers the section of literature review as per
according with the author point of view. Along with this research include the aspects of
methodology and timescale with the help of which researcher can accomplish their research
findings in stipulated period of time.
Research Time Line
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Concept of Social Media
As per according to the view point of Anitha, 2016 social media acts as an one of the best
effective concept with the help of which organizations can effectively able to increase their
profitability and productivity while promoting their products and services on large area area of
platform to wide range of customers. With the help of this organization can further able to
strengthen their global brand image. In addition with this social media help company to increase
their customer base and attract them to many different locations. Thus, in this it is essential for
business organizations to take advantage of different type of social media tools with the help of
which they can effectively able to increase overall sustainability and profitability of company.
Positive as well as negative impact of social media on Travelodge Hotels Limited consumer base
As per according to the Haider, Rasli and Akhtar, 2015 Social media impacts on an
organisation in negative as well as positive way. For this it is essential for business organisations
like Travelodge to take advantage of different types of tools and techniques in order to overcome
negative impact of social media on business. Positive outcome of social media is that it help
organisation to showcase their new products and services with exciting offers and discounts.
While negative impact of social media is that it, social media can lead towards negative rumours
and bad publicity. For this in order to effectively overcome this, it is essential for Travelodge to
take regular feedbacks as to offer more new existing products and services and gain new heights.
Social media influence on improvement in the ratio of consumer retention of Travelodge Hotels
Limited
As per according to the view point of.(Zhao, Chen and Wang, 2016) social media
effectively influence on business organisations as with the the help of this companies can
effectively able retain large base of customers by providing them number of benefits. That may
include discounts and new exiting offers. In context with Travelodge hotel it has been evaluated
that it is essential for company to regularly interact with their customers as to showcase them
different types of services and products. With the help of this they can effectively able to attract
customers from different locations and can further increase productivity and profitability base of
organisation in best effective manner. In addition with this in order to attract customers and
ensure long term sustainability of organisation within hospitality industry it is essential for
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Travelodge to take advantage of number of social media platforms in order to gain attention of
large base of customers and further increase productivity, proficiency and profitability of
company in best effective manner.
Measures in order to overcome social media negative image on Travelodge Hotels Limited brand
image
As per according to the Saeidi, 2015 it has been analyzed that problems related to social
media is increasing day by day. This creates requirement of finding out certain measures which
will help hospitality sector in avoid negative impact of social media over the brand image of the
hotel. Some of the common ways for this are Press release, devising social media compliance
strategy and tracking of misleading and negative statements. For instance: it can be said that if
Premier Inn faces any issues related to social media then the management team of the hotel can
use any of these option to overcome the issue and maintain their brand image effectively at
market place in effectively manner
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Questionnaire
Q 1) Do you have understanding of Social media concept?
a) Yes
b) No
Q 2) As per your opinion do you think with the use of social media tool can facilitate
Travelodge promotional activities for increase in their sales performance?
a) Yes
b) No
Q 3) Do you think social media platforms can effectively help in retaining customers for
Travelodge?
a) Agree
b) Disagree
Q 4) In which way do you think social media influence customers for buying a particular
product or services?
a) Wide range of option
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b) Feedbacks from experienced consumers
c) Access to services in easy manner
Q 5) According to you what is the major form of advantage of social media for Travelodge?
a) Impressive Relationship with customers
b) Publicity of offering of products and services of hotel
c) Development of cardinal inter-business relationship.
Q 6) As per your opinion what are the major negative impacts of social media for Travelodge?
a) Unsupportive promotion
b) Dishonourable claims
c) Negative rumor
Q 7) According to you which is the main effective measure that can prove to be effective to
decrease social media negative impact on Travelodge?
a) Release of Press reports
b) Following misleading and unsupportive argument
c) Making a social media abidance plan of action
Q 9) Give some recommendation to Travelodge with the help of which they can effectively able
to increase their profitability and productivity.
Questionnaire
Q 1) Do you have understanding of Social media concept? Frequency
a) Yes 25
b) No 5
Q 2) As per your opinion do you think with the use of social media
tool can facilitate Travelodge promotional activities for increase in
their sales performance?
Frequency
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a) Yes 20
b) No 10
Q 3) Do you think social media platforms can effectively help in
retaining customers for Travelodge?
Frequency
a) Agree 25
b) Disagree 5
Q 4) In which way do you think social media influence customers
for buying a particular product or services?
Frequency
a) Wide range of option 15
b) Feedbacks from experienced consumers 5
c) Access to services in easy manner 5
Q 5) According to you what is the major form of advantage of
social media for Travelodge?
Frequency
a) Impressive Relationship with customers 10
b) Publicity of offering of products and services of hotel 5
c) Development of cardinal inter-business relationship. 10
Q 6) As per your opinion what are the major negative impacts of
social media for Travelodge?
Frequency
a) Unsupportive promotion 5
b) Dishonourable claims 10
c) Negative rumor 5
Q 7) According to you which is the main effective measure that
can prove to be effective to decrease social media negative impact
on Travelodge?
Frequency
a) Release of Press reports 10
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