Integrated Marketing Communication - Hilton Garden Inn Hotel - Essay Example

Marketing Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 About the Hotel 4 Theoretical Concept: Integrated Marketing Communication 4 Focus on Audience 5 Channel Centric Approach 6 Focus on results 6 Theoretic Approach: Electronic marketing 6 Theoretic Approach: Relationship Marketing 7 Discussion of major issues with Examples 8 Major Issue 1: Electronic Marketing 8 Major Issue 2: Relationship Building 9 Reference 10 Introduction The world in the 21st century is a thriving place that provides tremendous opportunities for growth and development for individuals, businesses, economies and nations at large. The concept of globalization that is being diffused in the minds of the masses all over the world while using the highly advanced and sophisticated technological platforms like the internet connected smart phones and laptops have played a major role in the dispersion of knowledge to masses around the world. This has also led to the eradication of geo-physical barriers that previously existed between countries of various parts of the world and has thereby paved the way for economic development through the process of creation of internal and domestic demand for products and services of international brand, quality, design and stature. It is of considerable importance to state that the need of economic development has led to the process of opening up of economies around the world. The emergence of new and developing economies around the globe has played a catalytic role in the process of increasing the level of competition in the marketplace. So quite naturally, this has led to the process of increasing the demand for standardised and high quality goods and services in regions all over the world. In an attempt to maintain a level of standardization, the services sector all over the world has focused on implementing various new tools and strategies that considerably helps in the process of developing a significant benchmark of service delivery and retaining of authentic quality. With the growth, penetration and continuous evolution of technology, the global services sector has broadened its extension to delivering services to clients who are located in various parts of the world. It is of significant importance to state that in an attempt to do so, the services sector has increasingly embedded the technology platform as a medium of delivery in their entire service delivery model. About the Hotel It can be said that the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is part of the highly popular brand of hotel chain which is trademarked by the group Hilton Worldwide. The hotel offer hospitality sector based service offerings, which are found to be falling within the category of mid-range pricing. The hotel and its esteemed services are mostly targeted consumers all over the world, who essentially form the segment of business men and leisure travellers. Talking in a more detailed manner, it can be said that the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is a part of the independently operating chain of hotels, which despite of its ownership by the Hilton Worldwide follows a highly decentralized mode of handling daily operations, transactions, business communications and related processes. The hotel is widely acclaimed for its services to consumers and has won several highly prestigious international awards of the global hospitality sector (Hilton Worldwide, 2012). Theoretical Concept: Integrated Marketing Communication It can be said that the marketing communication is the process of communicating the values of a particular product or service to a specific group of consumers that are located in a specific or in various markets around the world. However, it can be said that the integrated marketing communication follows a slightly different kind of strategy while imparting and communicating the values of a particular service or product to various category and range of consumers (Kitchen & Li, 2005, p. 51). The American Association of Advertising Agencies has defined integrated marketing communication as a concept which highlights the concept of designing an effective communications plan that involves the strategic contribution of a wide range of communication based categories like the general advertising, promotion of sales as well as public response. Source: Kliatchko, 2005, p.26 Talking in more details, it can be said that the integrated marketing communication has three foundation pillars which comprises of focus on the audience, channel centric approach as well as the focus on results (Kliatchko, 2005, p. 14). Focus on Audience Talking about this particular fact, it can be said that the focus takes into consideration the internal as well as external audience of the firm. While external audience can comprise of consumers, stakeholders, government etc the internal audience is essentially formed by the organization’s employees, suppliers, vendors as well as members of the board Channel Centric Approach The channel centric approach represents the firm’s strategy that involves proper coordination and usage of various channels and tools of marketing like advertising, public relations, and internet based value communication tools. It can be said that by using this strategy as well as other information sources and points for significant brand development, the companies in the recent times, are trying to develop communication based competitive advantage and reach out the desired target market. Focus on results It is of considerable importance to state that the third pillar of integrated marketing communications concept comprises of its focus on results and considerable returns on investments. So naturally, this comprises of usage of various tools of evaluation which will measure the effectiveness of marketing communication and change of attitude in the minds of the consumers with regards to brand awareness. This helps in the entire process of value determination for exercises related to the integrated marketing communications. (Jerry Kliatchko, p. 25-28) Theoretic Approach: Electronic marketing The concept of electronic marketing generally represents the process of engaging in value generation, value communication, value distribution and value capture, while using the technological platform as a medium. It can also be highlighted that the electronic marketing is a concept that essentially represents the process of communicating and delivering values of services or products through the electronic medium. In today’s fast moving environments, where the masses all over the developing as well as the developed world are becoming more and more career minded, value of time is intensely high. As a matter of fact, this has automatically created a life for the global masses, where they are suffering from poverty of time. The highly demanding nature of today’s lifestyle are automatically making people to attach themselves to the virtual medium of the internet on a 24/7 basis. As a matter of fact, the electronic marketing concept has already gained a huge and tremendous popularity in the recent times. This has in return created the opportunity for various businesses which belong to the ecommerce segment and focuses on the process of creating and delivering value to the consumers all over the globe, while using the technology platform. As a result of developments in the zone of electronic marketing, various new kinds of business models like the highly used consumer to consumer (C2C) business model has evolved. Apart from that, many new traditional business models like the business to consumers (B2C) and business to business (B2B) models have undergone a major change in their process of value communication and are using technology as a principal for communicating values of their products and services to consumers and clients located all over the globe. Also, it has brought a major change in the process of information gathering undertaken by the buyers of both individual and organizational nature (Clarke & Flaherty, 2005, p. 3-5). In an attempt to better understand the relevancy of various tools that help in designing the integrated marketing communication strategy for the company, companies try to identify the various parameters that help in the value communication process (Kitchen & Li, 2005, p. 73 - 77). Theoretic Approach: Relationship Marketing Relationship marketing is defined as the process of developing effective relationships with the internal as well as the external audience for the purpose of developing effective business transactions and relationships (Baron &et.al, 2010, p. 26). Talking on this note, it can be said that as a part of relationship marketing, various new kinds of management models like customer relationship model and other new models has been developed over the years. It can be said that as a part of the entire effort of developing relationships with the stakeholders, consumers and employees of a company, the concept of relationship marketing helps to cover one time high value transactions, repeat transactions from existing customers as well as develop long term relationship between the buyers and the sellers. Many companies try to indulge in relationship marketing with the consumers, as this helps in significant reduction in expenses related to client acquisition, while promoting repeat sales from the existing customers through high level of customer and brand loyalty (Shajahan, 2004, p. 212 -213). Discussion of major issues with Examples It can be said that both electronic marketing and relationship marketing forms two critical aspects of modern day communications of business processes to the intended target consumers. Major Issue 1: Electronic Marketing In the case of electronic marketing, it can be said that the concept has helped in the development and evolution of new kind of business models. As a relevant example, the case of the EBay can be highlighted. It can be said in this connection that EBay helps in the process of creating a platform between the buyers and sellers of a particular product or service, while using the internet technology platform for the purpose of initial communication. It is of considerable importance to state that the site brings in to focus the business model of the consumer to consumer relationship. Talking on this note, it can be said that since technology has got highly integrated in our daily lives, hence electronic marketing through sites like EBay, Amazon and other social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Orkut are gaining significant importance. As a result of this, electronic marketing and social networking sites are gaining significant amount of recognition in regards to being used as tools for modern day integrated marketing communication. Major Issue 2: Relationship Building Relationship building has gained significant amount of importance in today’s highly competitive business scenario. Businesses all over the world, being faced with significant competition due to the emergence of new competitors in markets all over the globe, has started realizing that retaining and catering the demands and needs of already existing customers will significantly help in achieving a significant level of growth in the business. The businesses are also realizing that developing relationships with the customers and other stakeholder of internal and external nature, helps in a great way in the process of developing of brand and consumer loyalty, which in return helps in the process of generation of free word of mouth publicity. Having free word of mouth publicity as well as strong positive references from fellow consumers helps in building the brand value for a particular product and service as well as trust factor of the consumers on the brand. In an attempt to develop relationships on the part of the consumers, various new management tools like CRM surveys, consumer satisfaction index, perception mapping surveys are taken by the companies, which fall in the purview of the integrated marketing communications (Karahanna & et.al, 2006, p. 793). Reference Karahanna, E. & et.al., 2006. Reconceptualising Compatibilty beliefs in technology acceptance research. USA: MIS Quarterly Kitchen, P.J., & Li, T., 2005. Perceptions of Integrated Marketing Communications: a Chinese ad and PR agency perspective. USA : International Journal Of Advertising. Kliatchko, J., 2005. Towards a new definition of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). Vol 24(1). USA: International Journal Of Advertising Shajahan, S., 2004. Relationship Marketing: Concepts and Cases. India: Tata McGraw Hill Publishing. Baron, S. & et.al, 2010. Relationship Marketing: A Consumer Experience Approach. UK: Sage Publications Clarke, I & Flaherty, T.B., 2005. Advances in Electronic Marketing. USA: Idea Group Publishing. Hilton Worldwide, 2012. Why Hilton Garden Inn. Available at: http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/about/jd-power-award-winning-hotel.html [Accessed: 9 Jan 2013] Read More