Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management Assignment Sample 2024

Introduction

Experiential marketing involved learning about the audience that the company want to reach and using the strategic channel and messaging to best engage with the audience. Companies and professional create plan for major projects (Křečková et al., 2020). Learning about the advantage and importance of experiential marketing enable the company to create stronger framework and build relationship with external and internal parties (Brown et al., 2021). Marriott International is American International hospitality business operating broad portfolio of hotel and related lodging facility. It was founded in the year 1927 and currently is based in USA. The company has established itself across 131 countries with more than 7000 properties across the world offering 1.4 million rooms to guess. The company being one of the most repeated Organisation in the hotel and hospital and convenience.

The product strategy covers everything which goes into running the hotel. Marriott International in November 2023 announced that it will be re-branding the Loyalty program from Marriott reward to Marriott Bonvoy. The new logo and name was intended to simplified the program and meet it more appealing to the customers particularly in the social media platform (Piramanayagam and Seal, 2022). The branding received mixed review and some people found the name and logo extremely generic while other simply did not like the logo. It also cost a sense of confusion among the existing customer base. In addition to that the company also made some changes in the benefit of the Loyalty program which also eventually faced criticism. The re-branding of the brand was not a complete success however since then the company has been making significant changes in the program for addressing the concern of the customers that are raised over different social media platform.Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management Assignment Sample 2024

Section 1 – Critical Evaluation and Synthesis of Experiential Marketing

This section of the report highlights critical evaluation about the experiential marketing theory for the experiential marketing of Marriott and provides exclusive experience to the customers. Marriott is one of the most recognised and renowned luxury hotel change having unique marketing strategy that centres on luxury traveller. 

Critical evaluation of experience

As understood from the above discussion Marriott is a luxury hotel chain which itself proves the fact that the guest expect the company to exclusive immunity to achieve various needs and ensure compiling experience in the properties. As a result the experience that is being provided by Marriott should be more than generic immunity and comfortable rooms (Barreto and Mayya, 2022). The competitive market of the hotel and hospitality industry highlights the fact that the customers expect the brand to create a positive impression and memorable experience. These aspects are crucial for retaining the existing guest and attracting potential customers. As a result effective experience is extremely crucial for Marriott and attracts the customers for maintaining competitive advantage (Nozdreva and Churakova, 2021). 

Positive experience of the customers creates a buzz in the social media platform which ultimately improves customer loyalty through positive word of mouth recommendation (Nishat, 2021). For a brand like Marriot it is important to constantly update the operation and offer personalised experience to the customers for guest satisfaction (Baneva et al., 2023). It can also enable the company to make the customer feel valued. The recent updates in the hotels of Marriott have incorporated low price buffet and multi-cultural cuisine. As per the demand of the traveller and market the company has shown its dedication towards continuous up gradation in the operation. It has helped the company to pull the Travellers who are cost sensitive. This type of action by Marriott reflects on the ability of the company to create a positive experience and essence of place to the cost sensitive customer that has also evolved the emotional understanding. 

Over the period of time the upgrade in the operation of the company will also create improved development and deeper connection with the cost sensitive guests (Jiahui, 2022). Overall it can be stated that the impact on the experience of the guest is not only about providing comfortable rooms and common amenities but also ensuring that individual needs and requirements are being met by the company. By extending the offering to basic facilities, and lowering price, the guest of Marriott, eventually can develop feeling to stay connected with the brand. Personalised service to the needs and requirement of the gas are managed by the hotel that over a period of time can improve the satisfaction level (GIRGEN, 2021). At the same time it will also enable the consumer to focus on memorable and personalised experience that is being provided by the company which eventually will help the company to increase the revenue generation and sand out from the competitors in the market. There is a variation in the rate of premium rooms also based on which the positive experience of the customers can be influenced. Eventually, the customers can be encouraged to spend extra on premium service and amenities provided by the company. 

The data driven information cannot be neglected by Marriott for providing customised experience to the customer who can also provide the customers with optimised service (Fagyas and Datta, 2023). Competitive advantage of Marriott heavily depend on the extent to which it continuously improves the operation based on the feedback of the guest and maintains the premium standard in the market. Overall it can be stated that the analysis seconds on the extent to which it is crucial for Marriott to serve various needs of the customer and provide exceptional experience to the guest. The company can also exceed the needs and expectations of the customers by creating personalised customer journey maps which eventually can also help it in developing a loyal base of customers and differentiate it from the competitors for achieving a long term sustainable competitive advantage. 

Experiential marketing

Experiential marketing is considered as an advanced version of fundamental marketing strategy that focuses on creating emotional connection and real world experience between the customer and the brand. It is also referred as the combined strategy or approach that is made by the company for the customers to provide interactive experience showing the overall personality and value of the company along with the service benefits (Yapici and Büyükkaragöz, 2023). The concept not only limits itself to the marketing and emotional branding strategy but goes beyond promoting the company to create a positive and memorable impression with the customer. However the experience shared can be of a different format. For example, a company can achieve dominance by conducting product description event or up event as well as sponsored workshop. Depending on the target audience however the activities are planned and it is essential for effective participation or customer engagement (Visser, 2021). 

The brands provide this marketing to increase the reach and create a positive impact. Positive word of mouth and brand awareness is developed with the help of experiential marketing as it collects valuable information from the customer and provides the service according to the requirement. The primary differences of this marketing from the conventional type of marketing is the ability of this format to provide an immersive experience to the customer which particularly for the current competitive market place is extremely critical to create a strong impression and connection with the customer leading to better purchase intention and brand loyalty (Lebedieva et al., 2023). In the current scenario experiential marketing is also attracting the customers with attractive advertising messages. It happens when the customers have the first-hand experience of using certain services and products. When the experience is informative or fun it helps the brand to build a sense of community among the guests who participate and engage together. 

Advantages and disadvantages to the business and customer

The marketing is more than passive advertisement however. It encourages the customers to actively participate and explore the amenities and exceptional services provided by the company. For a hotel for example a virtual reality experience can be provided to the customer who is getting into the property for the first time and it will help the potential customer to make informed decisions. As the video or information shared through virtual reality is directly associated with the service or product provided by the company the customers will also be able to access the suitability and benefits of features according to individual needs and requirements (Mani and Mishra, 2022). The customers can also develop confidence and trust to the company in their choice as they will be able to interact with other customers having similar experience by activities participating in the workshop or demonstration or brand sponsored festivals. The marketing strategy is highly entertaining and engaging. If companies use the marketing it can conduct engaging contests and product demonstrations with interactive games which eventually will influence the customer decision making (McLean et al., 2022). 

Certain disadvantages are also associated with this type of marketing as the company has to be careful about developing strategy or using resources for showcasing the service or product in best format. If the customers are not able to generate appropriate information there are high chances that it can negatively impact the decision making. However, the majority of the marketing campaign focuses on creating a media platform rather than providing valuable experience to the customer and influencing their decision making. Due to lack of accessibility and information it sometimes also becomes difficult for the potential customers to participate in this marketing event as it also requires effort and time. Consumers might not always be able to engage in events due to differences in the location or conflict in schedule as well as Limited capacity.

Brands benefiting from this marketing by creating emotional connection with the potential and existing customer can also go beyond featuring products or service. The positive experience of the guests can be influenced with highlighted product features (Hartley et al., 2023). Positive experience also ensures better loyalty that directly improves the revenue generation and sales of the company through recommendation and positive word of mouth. The companies also generate the opportunity of having valuable data of the customer which can further be used to improve the marketing approach and provide personalised marketing Solution. By improving the product and service development strategy the future marketing efforts of companies can be improved (Soponyono et al., 2024). In addition to that it can also help in generating personalised future marketing efforts which can help the company to improve product development strategy. However, conducting the campaign or event is expensive and required creating engaging experience. In such a situation managing the resource or logistics and securing venue can be difficult collectively. It is used as a financial resource if used appropriately however the challenge remains in regard to managing and measuring the return on investment precisely.

4E experience marketing

Figure 1: 4E Framework

(Source: Schmitt, 1999)

The above framework enables companies to create crucial customer experience and Holistic model to engage the consumer at emotional level throughout the customer journey. Engage is the first step which refers to the activities conducted by the company to increase the interest of the customer. The strategies that are considered in the engagement stage are social media content or virtual reality experience. Events are also conducted by the companies to increase curiosity and engagement rate of the customers (Claudy et al., 2021). This stage is extremely crucial to lay down the foundation and grabs the attention of the customers from other competitors. As evident from the model above the next step is to educate required the brand to inform the consumer about the vision or value and the story about the product offering. For this companies create content which are interactive and engaging. For example for product demonstration workshop and tutorials are conducted for equipping the customers with knowledge about the advantages and functionality of the brand. Having clear knowledge and understanding is crucial to positively encourage the decision making of the customer that leads to better loyalty and satisfaction (McLean et al., 2020). 

As it results, the significant stage or the third stage of the model is experience which is about engaging and creating memorable experience that is more than the service or product itself. Immersive experience is created by the brand in this stage and it creates emotional engagement reflecting the personality of the company. The fourth and final stage is evangelism which encourages the customers who are satisfied and happy with the brand to become the brand advocate spreading positive word of mouth and recommendation in various communication channels (Sadewa et al., 2023). The strategies which the brand performed in the stage is conducted through attractive social media content where the existing customers share their experience and reward program is conducted to increase referral highlighting positive brand experience to the potential customers. The loyal consumer base can amplify the marketing further and attract new customer true trusted recommendation. The advantages of the model are that it put the customers at the centre of communication channel and marketing strategy. It results in cohesive and better customer journey as it evaluate every touch point from initial awareness to the post purchase intention. As the marketing strategy particularly focuses on influencing the experience and engagement of the customer it directly impact the emotional bond of the company with the customer which eventually improves brand loyalty (Baraybar-Fernández et al., 2023). However, tracking the evangelism stage is difficult. Overall the framework can act as an effective model for businesses to engage with the customers by creating interactive customer experience throughout the customer journey.

Changes of designing and Staging environment

The legacy of Marriott significantly depend on the commitment of the company to influence the guest experience as it require effective execution and extreme planning to all stage of 4e framework. The analysis however highlights the ways in which Marriott face difficulty while staging and designing the overall environment offline and online before during and after the stay of the guest. As per the first stage the hotel faces difficulty to generate the attention of a particular segment of the customer for online prospect (Piramanayagam and Seal, 2022). For this it is crucial that the company create engaging social media content and developed personalised online interaction or user friendly website. Sometimes it also becomes difficult to attract the customers in various physical locations. As a result to create visually appealing display in lobby that can help the company to attract the attention of the customer. This unique promotional opportunity can be achieved by the company by partnering with local businesses and supplier.

For the stage ‘to educate’ the customers the brand will need to provide conscious data online without providing comprehensive information. For this the company can involve offering Virtual tour to the customer through virtual reality and augmented reality showing the facilities and amenities of the rooms and local attraction or experience (Barreto and Mayya, 2022). However at the very alimentary level the company needs well trained employee and adequate resources to educate the guest during the entire duration of their stay.

Following the framework the third stage is mitigating the challenges faced by the company in the experience from the Marriott Hotel (Nozdreva and Churakova, 2021). The critical requirement can be managed by highlighting the partnership and ambience of the company with travel influencers who share authentic experience.

Impact before, during and after to improve brand experience

Particularly in the hospitality industry the term experience refer to more than offering good service or room to the guest. Experience rather in the hotel and hospitality industry considered the entire journey of the customer with also includes post stay interaction and pre booking decision. Experience also is holistic approach insurance to create positive and memorable impression about the property that also goes beyond the physical space and considered emotional needs also (Nishat, 2021). There has been shift from service and goods to industry of experience. In the current era of globalisation and extreme competition companies are competing against each other to create customer engagement and share memorable experience. In contrast to that if the expectations of the customers are not met and the company field to meet the higher expectations of the guest if lead to disappointment. Hotels or restaurants in addition to that also depend on technology which always might not be easier for customer of every age group and demography to understand and operate the technology. When hospitality business focuses on the experience which are differentiated from the competitor it significantly impact the attraction of the customer. However, ensuring that appropriate assistant is provided to the customers in terms of technical advancement or different amenity provide compared to the competitor needs to be facilitated with adequate availability of skill and resources among the staff it also impact the revenue of the company as customers opt from the premium room and utilise the immunity is provided by the company (Jiahui, 2022). Companies offering superior experience to the customer however also at the same time need to invest heavily on technology and other advanced immunity. Technology infrastructure and staff training are also significant area of investment for hotel and hospitality business to offer superior experience to the customers.

Section 2 – Communications plan

Communications plan

Table 1: Communication Plan

(Source: As created by the author)

Communication plan is detailed outline demonstrating what the company want to inform to the customer and the ways in which it will benefit both the service provider and receiver (Fagyas and Datta, 2023). Particularly for the marketing team of Marriott the findings of the current report will be important to examine the ways in which the marketing channel and communication will impact current and potential customer and overall business profitability or customer engagement. It will also be useful to provide consistent update to the company about the advance project marketing and its effectiveness to engage with the customers (Vuillermin and Huck-Sandhu, 2021). experiential marketing enable professional to raise awareness about specific subject in tactical way and the findings of the current report will evaluate the ways in which audience can effectively receive message from Marriot and maintain their brand loyalty. 

For inconvenience and confusion caused the company also issued statement of apology and eventually it is focusing on ensuring that the commitment of the re-branding is implemented by considering the feedback of its members (Visser, 2021). 

The new Marriott Bonvoy can be made to ensure that rather than being extremely simplified it is memorable to the customer and reflect the commitment of the business to connect with the people through travel. Moreover the logo also needs to be simplified and be more modern. In response to criticism the company can make it easier for the members to earn Elite status and free night. Number of points in addition to that can also be increased which will help the members to get engaged in various activities and increase the duration of stay (Kelley et al., 2022). Between the programs the company can also provide the opportunity of transferring the point which will make even easier for the customers having different loyalty programs. In the current era of globalisation and technical advancement it is even more important for hotel and hospitality business to maintain the competitive advantage for which utilising appropriate communication channel and planning is extremely important (Soponyono et al., 2024).

Social media marketing plan

Conclusion

Experience in the hospitality industry also is about designing the customer experience that it developed value and trust for the company and increase the long term loyalty which ultimately drive business profitability and success. As a result, it can be stated that in the hospitality industry the aspect of providing good experience to the customer is extremely broad however it is important for the companies to maintain the standard of providing good experience. Beginning with the pre booking part it further follows to the arrival of the guest and the service or accommodation provided to them. Implementation and use of technology or local amenities integration as well as dining experience also effectively enhance customer engagement. 

The findings of authors and writers from previous literature highlights the fact that well-crafted experience in the hospitality industry ensure the consumers are able to create a long term memorable experience and satisfactory stay with the property. Having personalised recommendation based on specific knees and requirement of the customer particularly in the current age of social media marketing enable the company to ensure customer engagement for the customers advantages of good experience with the hotel also reflect increase value good service and immunity in the properties and makes them feel what they are getting is valuable to the money which is paid.

References

Baneva, I., Lebedieva, N., Parfinenko, T., Velychko, O., Petrova, O. and Peresichna, S., 2023. Digital Tools of Marketing Stategies in Hotel Branding.

Baraybar-Fernández, A., Arrufat-Martín, S. and Rubira-García, R., 2023. A Comparative Study of Communication Management Strategies on Social Media in the Hotel Industry in Spain in Times of COVID-19. Administrative Sciences, 13(11), p.240.

Barreto, N. and Mayya, S., 2022. SWOC Analysis of Marriott International-A Case Study. International Journal of Case Studies in Business, IT and Education (IJCSBE), 6(2), pp.877-889.

Claudy, M., Doyle, G., Marriott, L., Campbell, N. and O’Malley, G., 2021. Are sugar-sweetened beverage taxes effective? Reviewing the evidence through a marketing systems lens. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 40(3), pp.403-418.

Fagyas, C. and Datta, P., 2023. An investigation of the factors associated with consumer behaviour at arrival, check-in and the check-out process: A case study Marriott International Inc. in the UK. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, 17(2).

GIRGEN, M.Ü., 2021. IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR TOURISM COMPANIES. Research and Reviews in Social, Human and Administrative Sciences-I.

Hartley, P., Marriott, S. and Knapton, H., 2023. Professional and business communication: Personal strategies for the post-digital world. Routledge.

Jiahui, Z., 2022. Response Strategy to Negative Electronic Word-of-Mouth: A Case Study of Marriott International in China (Doctoral dissertation, Bangkok University).

Lebedieva, N., Banyeva, I., Parfinenko, T., Velychko, O., Petrova, O. and Peresichna, S., 2023. Digital Tools of Marketing Strategies in Hotel Branding.

Mani, S. and Mishra, M., 2022. How to Leverage Marketing to Build Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Insights from Leading Companies. Managing Disruptions in Business: Causes, Conflicts, and Control, pp.137-146.

McLean, G., Al‐Nabhani, K. and Marriott, H., 2022. ‘Regrettable‐escapism’the negative effects of mobile app use: A retail perspective. Psychology & Marketing, 39(1), pp.150-167.

McLean, G., Osei-Frimpong, K., Al-Nabhani, K. and Marriott, H., 2020. Examining consumer attitudes towards retailers’m-commerce mobile applications–An initial adoption vs. continuous use perspective. Journal of Business Research, 106, pp.139-157.

Nishat, R.I., 2021. Effectiveness of marketing strategies for renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel.

Nozdreva, R. and Churakova, A., 2021. Digital tools in empirical marketing strategies of global hotel companies. Digital strategies in a global market: Navigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution, pp.213-227.

Piramanayagam, S. and Seal, P.P., 2022. The language of luxury: Decoding the luxury hotel brand’s marketing communication. In The Emerald Handbook of Luxury Management for Hospitality and Tourism (pp. 221-242). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Sadewa, I.K.A., Mataram, I.G.A.B. and Komala, I.G.A.M.K., 2023. The effectiveness of Instagram ads as a promotional platform in selling product at Sthala Ubud Bali using the EPIC model method. Journal of Applied Sciences in Travel and Hospitality, 6(2), pp.96-106.

Schmitt, B., 1999. Experiential marketing. Journal of marketing management, 15(1-3), pp.53-67. Available at: https://olijones93.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/experiential-marketing-an-artistic-approach/ (Accessed on 25 April, 2024).

Soponyono, A.E., Santoso, A. and Ichsan, M.N., 2024. Marketing Communication Strategy For New Student Registration. Journal of Economics and Business UBS, 13(2).

Visser, M., 2021. Digital marketing. In Digital Marketing Fundamentals (pp. 12-28). Routledge.

Yapici, O.Ö. and Büyükkaragöz, T., 2023. Advertising analysis of hotel businesses in terms of digital visual culture. Journal of multidisciplinary academic tourism, 8(1), pp.1-11.

Know more about UniqueSubmission’s other writing services:

Assignment Writing Help

Essay Writing Help

Dissertation Writing Help

Case Studies Writing Help

MYOB Perdisco Assignment Help

Presentation Assignment Help

Proofreading & Editing Help