Marketing Plan for Travelodge: TOWS Analysis and Marketing Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Travelodge's marketing strategies. It begins with an introduction to marketing management and its importance, particularly within the hospitality sector. The report includes a TOWS analysis, examining Travelodge's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It then outlines three marketing campaigns designed to enhance Travelodge's brand, leveraging digital media, customized marketing, and image upgrades. A detailed marketing mix plan is presented, covering product, price, promotion, place, and people. Finally, the report proposes strategies for improving customer service and addresses ethical and sustainability considerations, concluding with recommendations for Travelodge's future marketing efforts.

Marketing
management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
TOWS analysis.......................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
Three marketing campaigns for “Enabling a leading Brand” for a period of 12 months:......7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
Marketing mix plan:...............................................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
Proposals on increasing customer services:.........................................................................12
Ethics and sustainability:......................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................14
REFERNCES.................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Marketing management is one of the most important activities of every organisations as it
is related with the promotion and marketing of their brand. With the changing scenario it has
become very important to consider different activities that can impact the way marketing
functions are being performed in a organisation. In case of hospitality organisations it has
become more crucial to understand different ways in which this function are perceived to be
performed. In present scenario, there is discussion of hospitality brand that is helping in
development of understanding of the marketing activities that will be undertaken in order to
develop a marketing mix place in order to attain some specific laid down objectives after making
a deep analysis of audits of external environment (Abeck, , 2017). Travelodge that is Britain's
brand value hotel and was launched in UK. There is discussion in relation with their new
marketing campaign “Enabling a leading brand” that will help in developing a overview of
various marketing options that are available for this hospitality organisation and how it is going
to help in attainment of some specific laid down objectives. The main objective of this
marketing champaign is to create a competitive advantage in the 21st century for this there is a
requirement to prepare a marketing plan by using of several techniques like marketing mix, STP
analysis and lastly there are several recommendations that are made according to the above made
analysis.
TASK 1
TOWS analysis
Company scenario: Travelodge hotels is having presence in different parts of world they
are having a chain of 500 hotels in major locations. They are serving 13 million people each
year. Their headquarters are present in Thames England UK and their presence is spread across
Ireland, Spain and UK.

Travelodge is a hospitality organisation that is operating in major cities like Ireland,
Spain. It is a range of hotel that consist of bar, buffets and cafes. They are providing facilities of
mobile reservation and online reservation for development of services (Dadzie, Amponsah,
Dadzie, and Winston, 2017). Presently there is discussion of SWOT analysis as a part of
marketing audit of the organisation and based on that there is formation of TOWS matrix for
Travelodge (Travelodge: Comprehensive Business Analysis and International Expansion Plan,
2020).
TOWS Analysis:
Strength Weakness
 Travelodge is a brand
that offers very
reasonable prices for
family rooms & double
rooms with special
deals like bookings on
special occasions.
 Travelodge is having a
extensive presence
across different parts of
UK with more than 500
facilities and it helps
their loyal customer
 Travelodge is not able
to provide a wide range
of products & services.
Such as it does not
offer room services and
concierge services.
 These have been
instances where
Travelodge has face the
risk of guests turned
down because of
situations of frustration
and discomfort that

base to access their
services from
anywhere at anytime
(Erbakanova, 2016) .
they face.
Opportunity Strength-opportunity Weakness-Opportunity
 There have been
generation of more
environmental
protection movements
in recent years that has
lead to generation of
some new trends.
Those Hotels that are
having a reputation of
being eco friendly and
sustainable activities
are more likely to
receive positive
feedback from their
customers.
 Travelodge also has the
opportunity to expand
themselves across
different parts of globe
and reinforce their
present reputation.
 Travelodge has a very
attractive opportunity
of using their image of
providing budgeted
options to their
customers for the
purpose of extending
towards different parts
of globe and preserving
their reputation.
 Travelodge has the
opportunity to use their
extensive presence in
existing cities of UK
like Spain and Ireland
for the purpose of
establishing and being
part of certain green
movement campaigns.
That will help them in
adding a edge to their
present market
reputation. (Górska-
Warsewicz and
Kulykovets, 2020).
 Travelodge hotel scan
use their weakness of
not be able to offer
wide amount of
product and services
for the purpose of
expanding to different
parts of the world apart
from UK where they
are not having any
presence in present
scenario like countries
of south Asia.
 Dissatisfaction of their
elastomers has resulted
in negative effect on
their present brand
image that can be dealt
by using certain
sustainable
environment
campaigns for the
purpose of improving
their image.

Threat Strength-threat Weakness-Threat
 There is a very high
threat on the hospitality
sector as there are large
number of participants
and this has lead to
large varieties that is
ranging from 1 star to 5
star hotels. There has
been a forecast of
world economic
growth of 2.7 percent
of tourist who are not
having confidence
related to their future
income and may be
willing to stay in
cheaper places than
Travelodge.
 Travelodge has a very
limited international
presence as they are
having focus on Ireland
and UK markets. Most
of the foreign tourist
have not hear about
travelodge and they
are having presence for
more familiar brands
that can help them in
establishment of their
 The existing Presence
of Travelodge can be
used as a tool for
dealing with threat of
rising number of
brands in the
hospitality sector.
 Travelodge can use
their identity of budget
hotel categories for the
purpose of increasing
their focus on markets
part from Ireland and
Spain so that they are
able to establish
themselves to other
parts of UK or to
countries other than
UK (Travelodge:
Comprehensive
Business Analysis and
International
Expansion Plan, 2020).
 There can be addition
of more luxury services
to existing service
range of Travelodge so
that they are able to
establish themselves
having a differentiation
position as compared to
other similar brands by
high quality in their
products.
 The frusstration and
dissatisfaction of
present base of
customers can be dealt
by approaching the
customers in
completely new target
segment of market.

own reputation.
 There have been
situations of recent
terrorists attacks &
immigration
controversies that is
leading to issues of
higher security across
UK and this is limiting
movement of people
and lowering the
demand of various
hotel services.
TASK 2
Three marketing campaigns for “Enabling a leading Brand” for a period of 12 months:
‘Enabling a leading brand’
For the purpose of developing a leading brand there is a requirement to develop a
detailed understanding of present level of customers services and scenario in order to
develop a future range of marketing objectives that have to be achieved by a business
organisation (Haynes, and Egan, 2017).
1) From past experiences Travelodge has seen a tremendous growth because of their
communication strategies that they have adopted in recent year. Such as they were one of
the first budgeted hotels to appear on television and having a coverage on national scale
that has helped them in enhancing their strong presence across years. This has also
awarded them with “Most improved brand of the year” in year 2000. recently the
customisation as a marketing technique can be used by Travelodge for sending direct
mails to their existing loyal base of customers. This strategy can be further expanded by
specifying a target customer of 5000 who belong for example to a particular city of UK

that is Spain and then sending them exclusive offers that are specially designed according
to deep analysis of their travel patters (Hollensen, 2019). It can be family tours or
business travels according to this research further there will be customised messages to
attract customers that will be valid for a time period of six months.
2) Using digital media sources: There has been increase ins shifting of hospitality industry
towards using digital media platforms for the purpose of promotion of their brand.
Travelodge has been first companies to make this realisation of using internet and this has
resulted in sophisticated since the year 1996. They are already having online brochures
and downloadable maps along with location finder. They can now make extensive use of
social media campaigns where there will be a special marketing team that can be
developed and it will have a major focus towards attracting maximum number of
customers. This embracing internet technologies will help in creation of a competitive
advantage (Travelodge: Comprehensive Business Analysis and International Expansion
Plan, 2020).
3) Travelodge can change their image from a budgeted hotel to a luxurious hotel. For this
there can be sue of certain specific criteria that has to be focussed in order to ensure this
shift of their image (James, , 2019). There has to be a investment scenario of spending
100 million pounds in expansion and increasing the level of their services across all their
hotel chains. Where there will be up-gradation across their 30,000 rooms and installation
of 40,000 new king size beds. All these will lead towards a new contemporary look to
their rooms.
Further there will be use of below discussed additional services in order to upgrade their
image from budgeted hotels.
Room services cleaning, changing bathroom
and bed items
Free
Business centre 04 computers with access to
the Internet, printer, scanner
£5 for every 10 pages

TASK 3
Marketing mix plan:
There is a need to conduct a marketing mix analysis in order to develop a detailed
understanding of what are various aspects of marketing mix that can be considered in order to
develop a marketing mix plan that is named as “Enabling a leading brand”:
 Product: Travelodge is offering certain services to their guests that consist of fully
finished rooms and other services like family rooms but with limited services like
reception, Wifi. Being a type of budget hotel they are having a standard infrastructure and
is suitable for short stay (Muchiri, 2016). They are also providing facilities to cater
specific customer requirements.
 Price: Travelodge is having a view of providing best services at reasonable prices as they
are having target market of low income based consumers and all types of casual
travellers. They are running many competitive promotional campaigns that consist of
special offers for early bookings and different types of special deals. The low price
offered by Travelodge is helping in boosting of demand of their guest.
 Promotion: For appealing their customers in new target market there is requirement of
advertising. For this there can be use of some special offers and discount coupons in
order to attract customers (Pappas, 2016). Further, the use of technology and internet
has further lard to creation of situation where more preferences are given by both
customers and organisation for interacting with each other through these available
platforms. Such as travelodge is a part of hospitality organisation and they can make use
of digital media sources for purpose of promotion of their brand.
 Place: Mostly in case of budgeted hotels there are very limited options in case of
locations as compared to other luxury hotels which are present at expensive and strategic
locations. In case of some new locations that can be targeted by Travelodge there can be
use of roads close or entrance of cities as most suitable locations. There is a objective set
of expansion by opening up of 13 new hotels in the year 2020.
 People: Travelodge is having a working force of 11000 colleagues in present situation
and they are looking after their guests by a specially designed support centre so that they

are bale to deal with all the queries of customers and solve them as early as they are
arising so that they are able to maintain their satisfaction level. They are also having ideal
employment options so that all employees associated with them can built their careers
and personal development can take place at same time (Parsons, and Travelodge Hotel,
2019). If in case they are willing to expand themselves then there will be requirement to
make policies for some new hiring in their organisation.
 Physical evidence: Physical evidence in the hospitality industry is related to how
customers are able to perceive the different services that are being offered by a brand to
their customers. Travelodge will be making efforts towards increasing the quality of their
services so that customers are able to realise higher value. There can be enhancement of
quality in terms of comfortable bedding options, better room service, competent staff in
front office departments (Travelodge: Comprehensive Business Analysis and
International Expansion Plan, 2020).
 Process: There will be efforts made to create facilities for special online bookings and
using present marketing campaign for the purpose of attracting their prospective buyers
and creating a scenario of proper communication with help of competent front office staff
who can deal with bookings. There will be a team who have to handle queries and
customer questions on different online platforms. All these will help in timely solving of
all issues faced by their prospective customers (Rao-Nicholson, and Khan, 2017).
Based on above discussed marketing mix activities of Travelodge there is formation of certain
plan according to their product category and pricing strategies that can be used by Travelodge in
emerging as a leading hospitality brand of the 21st century:
Products Features and specification Pricing plan
Double room King size bed, pillows,
showers, TV with up to 17
channels, white towels, desk,
tea and coffee making
facilities
£40/night to £60/night
Single room Smaller in size £55 - £45/ night

STP analysis of Travelodge”
STP analysis is a framework that is used for the purpose of locating their target segment
of customers. It involves different stages like segmentation targetting and positioning as
discussed below:
Segmentation:
Travelodge can use a strategy of dividing their present customer base according to their
level of income. It can work towards improving their services levels at affordable prices. This
strategy is very helpful in attracting more customers who are looking for some low budgeted
options (Our company, 2020).
Targetting:
Travelodge can work towards establishing of successful low income base of customers
for the purpose of their present and future target base of customers. It will also help then in
having a loyal customer base as low income base customer are having more chances of being
loyal and if their satisfaction level is meet up there are very rare probability that they will be
willing to make a switch to any other brand for fulfilment of their requirements (Slivar, and
Bayer, 2017). They are having a target market that is highly sensitive to prices and respond to
various promotional activities undertaken by a brand.
Positioning:
Travelodge can create a differentiation and an effective position in the market with the
help og various strategies like price penetration for their new expansion of luxurious services.
Apart from this they can also use their budgeted image for the purpose of generation of
additional amenities and services.
Time period:
There will be a time period of 12 months that have been set up for the process of
achieved of above mentioned objectives.
Monitoring and controlling:
This is the last stage of every marketing plan in case of Travelodge there will be use of
adequate monitoring and controlling activities after time period of one year for the purpose of
making a analysis whether the set objectives have been achieved or not. Such as there has been

objective of opening up of 13 new hotels in new locations so there will be measurement at the
ned of year 2020 that whether this objective have been achieved or not.
TASK 4
Proposals on increasing customer services:
Based on the above discussed points it can be said that there are some market entry
strategies that will be used by Travelodge for the purpose of expansion into other foreign
markets. These strategies have been broadly classified as equity methods and non equity
methods.
Travelodge is not a type of luxurious or fancy hotel but it is a type of budgeted hotel.
Their main strength lies in special deals, affordable prices and high management expertise over
three operation decades and having a high reputation in market.
Franchising can be considered as a very suitable option for the purpose of its use as a
entry strategy they can have benefits like low cost, low risk and accessing of available
knowledge. Apart from this Travelodge also has a benefit of economies of scale for performing
various activities like business consulting & marketing.
Travelodge has to work towards making detailed planning in order to use franchising
method of extending in other countries. Such as there is a requirement to consider that they will
Illustration 1: Different entry strategies that
can be used by a Travelodge

posses less control over their business functions as they have to standardize their facilities and
operations. They will also have to follow strictly the franchise contract. There is a need hat
travelodge has to standardize and streamline its internal management process with their external
infrastructure.
Travelodge also has to make alignments with law firms to protect their rights and have to
hire several local business consultancy to advise them and make connections with their future
potential partners.
Ethics and sustainability:
Ethical considerations are very important to be considered for various accommodation
providers for fixing of prices and referring to the practise of front desk managers.
False advertisement is the act of making inaccurate statements in case of public advertisement
with a objective of influencing their customers by providing them incorrect information.
Travelodge must make efforts to carefully scrutinize their messages towards their customers
made in all public platforms. They must make sure that their marketing executives are held
responsible for honesty and authenticity of their advertisements. There must be proper adherence
to all local regulations of advertisements and it must be studied carefully before designing any
new advertisement.
Avoid situations of overbooking: In case of peal season and weekends there can be
situations of overbooking that can be experienced by a budget hotel like Travelodge. There have
been some instances in past where Travelodge has found guilty of having overbooking. Such
situations also lead to creation of frustration among their customers. There must be use of proper
measures to to avoid such type of situations. For this there is a requirement to implement and
adopt some internal regulations in order to prohibit such activities. There is also a requirement to
promote a organisational culture that is positive enough to create a environment of healthy
competition.
Above discussed are some of the proposals that can be considered by Travelodge for the purpose
of enhancing their present brand image and be successful in their campaign “Enabling a leading
brand”.

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above discussed information that there is requirement of
market research by using various models and techniques in order to make a deep analysis of all
the factors that can impact the functioning of a organisation in long run. There is need of
development of some marketing objectives to achieve higher growth and profitability by a
organisation. Marketing mix analysis is a type of technique that can be used by organisation for
the purpose of developing a detailed analysis of various aspects of a particular brand and to form
certain marketing strategies to be achieved in a specified period of time.

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