Hospitality Marketing Strategies: Unit 15 Report on Hallmark Hotel

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of hospitality marketing essentials, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions within the context of Hallmark Hotel, a five-star hotel chain. It explores the interrelation between the marketing department and other functional areas such as finance, front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance, highlighting their collaborative roles in achieving business objectives. The report also compares the marketing mix strategies of Hallmark Hotel with Bridge Hotel, evaluating how these organizations apply product, price, place, promotion, and other elements to gain a competitive edge. Furthermore, the report includes an evaluation of a basic marketing plan for an organization, providing insights into strategic planning and implementation within the hospitality sector. The report covers key concepts like branding, promotion, customer relationship, and digital marketing approaches, providing a detailed overview of the industry's best practices.

Unit 15 - Hospitality
Marketing Essentials

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................5
P1) Discuss the key roles and responsibilities of marketing function........................................5
P2) Elaborate the interrelation between marketing and other functional department of
hospitality organisation...............................................................................................................6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
P3) Compare how different organisation of hospitality industry apply the marketing mix to
achieve business objectives.........................................................................................................8
TASK 3.........................................................................................................................................11
P4) Evaluation of basic marketing plan for an organisation. ...................................................11
CONCLUSION: ............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry is a crucial field that provides several services such as food,
beverages, event planning and many more. It provides a range of services and give significant
contribution in overall economic development of country (Avila-Robinson and Wakabayashi,
2018). With the change in current market trend, there are several new as well as recent
techniques have been adopted by hospitality industry. The current report is about Hallmark that
is a five star hotel has headquartered in UK. It has expanded business in different countries such
as Canada, London, U.S and more. Here, roles and responsibilities of marketing functions along
with its interrelation to another organisational functions are discussed in current report. In
addition, comparison has been carried out between two organisations of hospitality industry.
Further, a detailed marketing plan is included in current report to ensure future growth and
success of company.
TASK 1
P1) Discuss the key roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Marketing Concept: It is an important concept as per which customers are crucial key
stakeholders of an organisation. In this, company analyse the needs and wants of customers and
provide them product band service accordingly. In context of Hallmark, managers of entity
undertake extensive research in order to know the prevailing trend at market place. With this,
they are able to provide enhanced services to clients.
Future and current market trend:
In hospitality industry, organisations use digital marketing approaches such as social
media and content marketing, search engine optimization to promote services at wide level thus
enhance sales and profit margin (Baggio and Baggio, 2020). Here, marketers of Hallmark use
various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook to stay connected with potential and
existing customers. In future, there is huge scope to use automations and robotics in hotel
industry to provide better services to customers. It will make customers enable to do easy check
ins and check outs using mobile devices that is essential to operate business effectively. Thus,
there are several trends are prevailing in market and can be adopted in near future for the
betterment of whole industry.

Marketing is a series of events conducted by a company to efficiently interact with their
customers and convey the virtue of their products so as to satisfy them and increase the growth
of the organisation. Effective marketing plays a crucial part in the success of any enterprise as it
not only helps the company in promoting it's product it also helps the company in driving away
completion by imprinting the organisations brand in the consumers mind as synonymous to
quality. In context of the hospitality sector, marketing the purpose of marketing is to inform the
consumers about the excellence of various services offered by the hotels. Several marketing
functions used by the British hotel chain Hallmark Hotels with 28 hotels across UK are described
below:
Branding: Building an impactful public image which ensures the organisation to become
substitutable with excellence is important as it brings customers back to avail services of the
hotel (Caliskan, 2019). This task can be accomplished by creating campaigns which market the
unique facilities offered at the hotels. The organisation should focus on creating a brand which
give the customers a sense of eliteness to their customers and motivates them to revisit the hotels
in desire to associate with the hotels elite status. The hallmark hotels has invested to brand itself
as an accessible yet noble establishment and offering top notch services.
Promotion: The hotel industry uses promotion as a marketing strategy to increase
costumers. Promotion is a continuous operation and requires planing so that the organisation can
promote their services at different time periods to different consumers. Such planing is necessary
for the hotel marketing as unlike other industries here customers are not available in same
amounts all year. Hallmark uses special promotion strategies for holiday seasons such as
Christmas or new years. The company also indulges in targets their international customers
during their cultural holidays.
Rewards: Many organisations use planned rewards schemes and lucrative offers to lure
customers. These offers and rewards are placed to give maximum satisfaction to the customers
and ensuring revisits in the future (Chen, Murphy and Knecht, 2016). Limited time offers can be
used to produce a sense of necessity in the minds of consumers which motivates them to avail
the offer before the offer reaches expiration date. The organisation uses this strategy in making
effective and targeted discount offers for their customers. The hotel chain also gives their
revisiting customers special incentives to retain them for a long period of time.

Building relationships: Creating good customer relationship with their customer is an
important element in achieving high success rate. A good customer relationship will motivate the
customer to spread their experience to others and increase the organisations reputation. This will
help the organisation attract new customers. The key to maintaining a good customer relationship
is in understanding the importance of customer service after the customers departure. In context
of the organisation mentioned before construction and implementation of quality customer
service which adheres to the needs of every individual customer helps the company in building
excellent relationship with their consumers.
Therefore, there are several roles and responsibilities are undertaken by marketing
department of hospitality company that is essentials to attain predefined goals and objectives. So,
all these functions need to perform by managers in an effective way to ensure overall growth and
success of organisation.
P2) Elaborate the interrelation between marketing and other functional department of hospitality
organisation
Marketing is an essential department of organisation that helps to promote the product
band services at wide level (Ciasullo, Montera and Palumbo, 2020). Marketing managers
perform several activities such as promotion, advertisement to increase in sales and profit margin
of hotel by increase in number of bookings. In addition of marketing there are several other
divisions within hospitality industry such as finance, housekeeping, front desk and more. These
all divisions are associated with each other and play a major role to accomplish predefined goals.
In context of Hallmark, interrelation between different areas is discussed as under:
Marketing and Finance: Finance managers arrange funds to undertake necessary
business activities to operate effectively. They procure, allocate as well as take appropriate
control over funds within company. Here, it is essential to have sufficient funds in order to
perform various marketing and promotional activities. In context of Hallmark, it is monitored
that both departments are associate with each other. Marketing team prepare efficient marketing
plan and perform various seminars, public relation events for which funds are provided by
finance department of hotel. Whereas marketing team are helpful to increase in cash inflow
within company by attracting more number of customers. Effective branding and advertisement
tools are used by marketers of organisation to retain existing clients and earn substantial profit

margin. Therefore, there is strong association between both areas of business that is significant to
receive better outcomes.
Marketing and Front desk: Front desk people are those who first interact with guest
within hotel (Dileep and Mathew, 2017). Here, they also take necessary information from clients
such as name, number and more which further assist marketing managers to prepare personalized
marketing campaigns. As per the current trend, it is crucial to prepare customized strategies in
order to attract more number of customers. Information provided by front desk people help
marketing team to prepare personalized emails, content to get higher competitive advantage at
market place. Front desk people of Hallmark not only interact with guest but also responsible to
provide best services to them. Here marketers prepare effective strategies to promote services at
wide level in order to attract more number of customers. It is essential to survive at market place
for longer run. Marketing managers keep in touch with front desk managers on continuous basis
to receive necessary information to formulate appropriate strategies and plans. In context of
Hallmark, it is analysed that both divisions are interrelated with and coordinate with each other
to attain desired goals and objectives in an efficient manner.
Illustration 1: Interdepartmental relationship

Marketing and Housekeeping department: Housekeeping people are responsible to
maintain cleanliness and hygiene within hotel. It is their duty to provide services to clients as per
their requirement (Dogan and Erdogan, 2020). They arrange facilities as per the status of
customers in order to satisfy them. It is analysed that housekeeping division on Hallmark is
responsible to make appropriate arrangements for the ease of customers. In addition, they also
interact and get necessary information from clients that is essential for marketing department. It
helps marketers to prepare effective strategies to attract target segment. House keeping people
have information regarding the status, income level of guest that ease out the work of marketing
team and help to formulate customized and personalized marketing approaches. Therefore, there
is great association between both divisions that is essential to make proper use of available
resources and sustain in market place for longer run.
Marketing and Maintenance: In hotels, maintenance department plays a major role as
they are responsible to maintain whole ambiance in better situations. It is the their duty to
provide better services to guest to enhance their satisfaction level. For this, managers address the
complaints of client on timely basis. In addition, they also maintain safety and cleanliness within
hotel in order to protect existing brand image of organisation at market place. Marketing
department of Hallmark is responsible to prepare better strategies in order to maintain long term
relationship with guest. Maintenance division emphasis to provide better experience to customers
by providing then clean and hygienic environment (Fairley, 2019). It is essential to satisfy
customers and maintain better relationship with them. In addition, maintenance division also
provide necessary information to marketing team to prepare appropriate strategies in order to
attract more consumers. Hence, there is effective association between both departments of
Hallmark which eventually leads it towards higher success and growth.
With above discussion, it is analysed that there is strong association between marketing
and other departments in hospitality organization. There are different departments in hotel such
as marketing, finance, front desk, housekeeping , maintenance and many more. These all
divisions are interrelated with each other and play a crucial role in attainment of business goals
and objectives.

TASK 2
P3) Compare how different organisation of hospitality industry apply the marketing mix to
achieve business objectives
Marketing mix refers to the combination of different elements such as product, price,
place, promotion and more in order to attain higher competitive advantages. It helps markers to
prepare appropriate strategies to attract more number of consumers in order to inflate sales and
profit margin of company (Gehrels, 2019). In context of Hallmark, there are expanded marketing
mix is used which comprise several additional elements such as people, physical equipment,
process and more. Comparison between marketing mix of Hallmark and Bridge hotel is given as
under:
Basis Hallmark Hotel Bridge Hotel
Product There are several services are
being provided by hotel such
as free WI-FI facilitates,
luxurious rooms, guest and
waiting rooms, delicious
cuisines and many more. In
addition, they also provide
effective front desk and house
keeping services to guest.
In regards of Bridge hotel,
they also provide wide range
of services like room booking,
quality foods & beverages,
Wi- Fi and more to provide
better services to guest.
Price Price refers to the value that is
paid by customers for products
and services. It is analysed that
managers of Hallmark hotel
use affordable pricing strategy
to attract more number of
customers (Guille and
Kucukusta, 2016). They
charge different segments and
determine price range in such a
Here, management team of
hotel use competitive pricing
strategy in to receive higher
competitive advantages. In this
, they first identify the current
market trend and then
determine appropriate price for
services to increase in number
of bookings within hotel.

manner which is affordable for
all. It helps them to target huge
segment. In addition, managers
also evaluate the pricing
strategy of competitors and
make modifications
accordingly.
Place Place in marketing mix refers
to the location from where
services are provided to
customers. In context of
Hallmark, it is situated at
prime location which is easily
accessible by large number of
customers. Here, it has the
branches at various places
within UK such as London,
south coast, Midlands and
more. With this, they are able
to cater the needs of huge
segment.
Here, Bridge hotel is located
opposite to London south bank
university. They have decided
such a location from where it
is easy to attract more number
of customers. Managers decide
such a location for hotel that is
easily approachable by
customers (Hughes, 2018).
Promotion It is essential to prepare
appropriate strategies in order
to promote products and
services at wide level. In
context of Hallmark, managers
of organisation develop
effective marketing strategies
to grab the attention of
customers. For this, they use a
In this regards, managers of
Bridge hotel formulate
effective strategies and
develop marketing campaigns
to enhance in number of
bookings. In addition, they
also use various social media
platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram to connect with

mix of traditional as well as
online approaches to promote
services. Here,marketing
department organise public
relation events along with
various online methods (Lin,
Chiang and Wu, 2018).
existing and potential clients.
Here, they also undertake
efficient SEO techniques to
improve the ranking of
websites and get more traffic
over website.
Physical equipment It refers to the intangible
things that are visible to
customers while they visit to
stores. In regards of Hallmark,
it is analysed that there
ambiance of hotel is lucrative
that is essential to attract more
number of guest. They have
waiting rooms, attractive
interior to provide better
experience to clients.
Here, hotel recruit competent
and qualified front desk as
well as housekeeping people to
interact with customers in
better manner. In addition,
they emphasis to make proper
arrangements as per the guest
specifications. In Bridge hotel
guest get attractive services,
ambiances and interior that is
essential to enhance their
satisfaction level.
People In case of hospitality industry
people play a major role as
they are responsible to interact
with guest. Managers of
Hallmark, hire skilled and
potential candidates to
represent company in front of
clients.
It has different people in staff
such as housekeepers, front
desk people and more to
ensure better services to
customers. With this, they are
able to provide better
experience to guest (Melissen
and Sauer, 2018).
Process Hallmark uses effective
process to provide better
services to customers. Here,
They also use effective process
to render timely services to
client in an efficient manner.

they take appropriate steps in
order to make services
available to clients at right
time.
Here, they also provide
appropriate post sales services
to get in touch with guest for
longer run.
TASK 3
P4) Evaluation of basic marketing plan for an organisation.
In this business world, it is essentials to make new strategy and plan to utilise the proper
resource is an effective way (Rather and Hollebeek, 2020). Marketing plan is termed as
operations of prepared something and developed the set of activities and plan in a written
documented form. It is a written documents that provides an overview of company' s objectives,
current marketing strategy, budget and more. In the context with hospitality management sector,
marketing plan play a vital important role, it help the marketer to make proper decision within
the organisation to achieve the goals. The manager ensure that planing which is going to
implemented with proper market observation so the arisen of new issue do not occur in near
future. Selected firm, the marketing plan are :
Company overview: the organisation hallmark hotel which established in UK. The hotel
have global expansion and they also expand their business in larger level. It provide many of
facilitated to customer like Wi-Fi, room booking and transportation and many more.
Vision and mission: Here the mission of company is to provide better quality services to
customers in order to increase in overall sales and profitability.
Corporate Objective: The objective is to expand the firm globally and create maximum
reachability of customers and increase the quality service to customers.
Market Audit: It refers to the current position of company at market place. In context of
Hallmark, it is analysed that it has several competitors at market place such as Bridge Hotel and
more that are providing effective services to clients at competitive price. They offer range of
services such as proper space for different events, quality food and beverages and more. Besides
this, they also adopt appropriate marketing strategies in order to attract more number of
customers.

Market Analysis: It refers to the number of customers of company. Its target segment and
positioning of organisation among customers. Current market position of entity can be
understand with the help of below mentioned strategies:
STP: In marketing strategy, the STP play very vital and important role which help to
create the market more effective by following tools which is segmentation, targeting and
positioning. Which help to gather the customer and create position of brand or product.
Segmentation
It refers to dividing the market with using the different variable such as demographic,
geographic etc. for decision making to carried out the potential market. In context to chosen
hotel, they divide their market on geographic variable.
Targeting
This element is used to target the market which is done by the enterprise. Selected hotel
target the middle aged customer. This helps them delivering their services accordingly.
Positioning
Customer is targetted for awareness of services and It helps in attracting the customer
towards the brand. The hotel position themselves as a premium brand.
SWOT Analysis
It is the framework which is used to analyse the internal capabilities and skills.
Strength
 Hallmark Hotel have the strong
financial status which is used to carry
out their further activity (Baggio and
Baggio, 2020) .
Weaknesses
 Due to impact of Brexit, there are many
difficulties faces by the hotel to expand
their business globally.
Opportunities
 They are having the opportunities to
merging up with the local brand hotel
for business expansion.
Threat
 Changing in behaviour of customer
causes the threat to the business which
affect the organisational structure.
