Picture Frames for Marriott Hotels - Case Study Example

Full & Number: (SWOT Analysis) 29 February (estimated word count = 2,146) Picture Frames for Marriott Hotels Introduction People go on vacations whenever they can afford it so they can enjoy themselves and de-stress their lives. This is the reason for the recent surge in global tourism which has been a great contributor in reviving the moribund economy which previously had been badly affected by a series of factors such as concerns about terrorism, security while traveling, high costs in having a vacation, expensive airline tickets due to rising jet fuel prices and wildly fluctuating foreign currency rates that contributed to some people having second thoughts on travel. But despite all the hassles involved, such as going through strict airport security inspections, some people still really love to travel to go on vacations and stay at their favorite hotels. Latest figures available (2010) showed there were about 940 million international tourist arrivals worldwide with a projected growth of around 6.6% annually for the next five years, barring any unforeseen events or shocks that will again discourage tourists from going out and leaving their homes and countries. The hospitality industry, which includes the sectors of airlines, hotels, resorts, restaurants, convention centers and luxury cruise ships, anticipate a renewed vigor and interest among potential travelers for exotic and far-away places. This paper examines the possibility of enticing more tourists to avail of the vacation packages available to them being offered by the hotel industry, and in particular, the chain of Marriott Hotels which has enjoyed an excellent brand recognition worldwide ever since. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats presented by the possibility of having a marketing and advertising tie-up with a famous hotel chain. Discussion The hotel industry is a vital part of the overall tourism industry. Tourism is defined as any travel that does not last more than a year to a place that is not the usual environment of a person and the travel is exclusively for purposes of recreation, relaxation, business or leisure. When a person goes out of his residence in order to travel for these aforementioned purposes, it could either be by land (car, train, etc.), by air (planes) or by sea (ships, steamboats, etc.). In any case, once the person is out of his or her home, he or she needs a place to stay for duration of the travel period. This means a decent place to stay and sleep in while on the road. In this regard, there are cheap places to stay in and also expensive places such as hotels and resorts. People often have a favorite hotel for them to stay while on travel because of its brand. One of the worlds foremost hotel chains is the Marriott Hotels due to its excellence in service and the great accommodations it offers in terms of value for money for the traveler. The tourist is likewise encouraged to become a loyal customer by offering a loyalty members card which entitles him to discounts and promotions while enjoying superb service. This is a mark of a great hotel such as Marriott Hotels which has earned a good reputation worldwide. Most visitors who had stayed at a Marriott hotel have only good words for this chain. Marriott International Incorporated is a worldwide hotel chain operator that has some 3,150 hotels, resorts, suites and other lodging accommodations in United States of America; it also operates in 68 countries globally using its franchise which has earned a good review over the years and developed a loyal clientele of guests and visitors. It was founded by J. Willard Marriott back in 1927 and is now expertly and ably managed by his son, J. W. Marriott, Jr. It is one of the foremost American global brands that is easily recognized worldwide and is also a favorite place of seasoned travelers. As such, it is an ideal hotel chain to choose to launch a new product such as the subject of this paper, which is the high-quality (fine) picture frame. Hotel chains like Marriott Hotels employ a variety of marketing and advertising mix in their campaigns to attract new customers and repeat visitors to their brand. Good service, a clean and safe environment, reasonable pricing schemes and favorable locations are some of the attractions why people may choose to stay in a hotel over another hotel chain. In this vital aspect, Marriott Hotels enjoy a competitive advantage over other hotel chains because its own customers can reasonably expect the same type and quality of service anywhere it is located. Promotional campaigns like a loyalty membership card entitles the customer to a host of those benefits such as frequent visitor discounts and airline mileage credits by earning points that a tourist or traveler gets when staying at a Marriott Hotel chain member (called Rewards). Besides offering these distinct and tangible benefits, Marriott Hotels also undertakes to offer their guests a good environment in terms of ambiance, such as a spacious lobby in its hotels. A beautiful-looking hotel lobby is one of the first things that a visitor will notice upon his arrival and is a good indicator of nicer things to expect from such a famous hotel brand. It is therefore important for any hotel to put serious emphasis on having this good impression on its guests such as putting in a nice fountain, a high foyer and other furnishings such as placing comfortable chairs or hanging attractive picture frames that will easily catch their attention. It contributes to the overall experience of staying in a great hotel such as Marriotts. A tie-up with Marriott Hotels for the sale of high-quality picture frames fits in nicely with this great hotel brand and is a good marketing strategy, considering its many locations in the world where a picture frame in a Marriott Hotel lobby gains the attention of lots of guests. However, before such undertaking is finalized, it is good to consider a few things on how to do it properly by analyzing some factors that may contribute to the success of picture frames. The next paragraphs will discuss how this can be done with regards to marketing these frames in conjunction with Marriott Hotels in all its locations worldwide in a prudent manner. Strengths – the Marriott Hotel is a fantastic hotel brand and any tie-up with them is a great marketing ploy for any product. This means working with them for the display of frames will leverage their brand name with that of the high-quality picture frame which will give it a credibility among potential buyers of frames. It is a synergy of sorts for both brands that will highlight each other in a positive way among hotel guests. People have a high regard for hotel Marriotts and being chosen as its supplier of picture frames will also improve the visibility of the manufacturer of picture frames. An international hotel chain like Marriotts provide all the necessary marketing muscle and expertise when it comes to selling a product, a tie-up with its corporate headquarters is like leasing a great branded name (Andrews 50), especially since it operates in and serves segmented markets (such as Marriott Hotels, Residence Inns and also Courtyard Hotels), to include in some locations, even budget hotels. The sheer number of total guests who visited Marriotts worldwide is estimated at about six million gross reservations in which approximately some five million translated to actual hotel stays, booked through it own reservation system and also third-party reservations such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. In other words, this represents an excellent opportunity to sell to a captive market audience. Weaknesses – although Marriotts has earned a good reputation in the hotel industry, it is also up against famous hotel brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton and Holiday Inn. All the international hotel chains compete for the same market segments, with some of hotel brands able to offer a better service or a cheaper package deal than Marriott Hotels can provide. But on a wholly different matter, Marriotts had been targeted by terrorists as symbol of American prestige such that its branch in Islamabad (Pakistan) was bombed in 2008, followed next year by a similar bombing in Jakarta (Indonesia). The Marriott Hotel brand represents high-quality service, great comfort and true value such that it is generally preferred by frequent travelers. This had marked it as a place where many Americans congregate and has become a target. Opportunities – with the strategic locations of most of its branches, Marriott Hotel is in a great position to further sell these hotels by hanging a beautiful picture of its locality with an emphasis on the main tourist attraction of each location. An example would be nice view of the Rocky Mountains in its hotel in Denver, Colorado or a beautiful sunset of Manila Bay in a tropical country like the Philippines. The point is to highlight a particular view that will gain the attention of its hotel guests which they can identify with during their stay. Picture frames can either be static (made of wood or metal frames) or the newer, more modern digital picture frames which can be easily changed by the flip of a switch. Digital frames can store a number of pictures; it can be varied during certain hours of the day to show different views. Another possible great idea is to sell the picture frames as part of an overall package, such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations and other important social and personal events. For example, couples who are getting married can have their videos taken and then the picture of a highlight of the wedding ceremony can be displayed in the hotel lobby in a picture frame. This forms part of a honeymoon package, and this includes a stay at the hotel itself afterwards to make the occasion a very memorable one for the couple and maybe make them come back after many years of married bliss and to reminisce about their stay in a Marriott hotel. A new market segment has arisen out of the globalization trend today and this is the so-called MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) which attracts a different segment of the traveling population. This group of people have money to spend because many of the MICE people going out of town are paid for by their companies and reimbursed for the expenses incurred during their travel and stay in a hotel. Todays newest technologies allow it to edit a digital frame very easily and this can serve as a great come-on for a hotel chain or to invite a group to hold their convention there with a fast Internet connection for easy sharing of pictures or viewing photos taken to serve as souvenirs and mementos (Baldauf & Stair 361). Threats – the travel industry and in particular the hotel industry is subject to a good number threats which can discourage people to travel outside their homes. Besides terrorists, another serious threat is a virus epidemic such as the chicken flu virus which had forced many people to cancel their travel plans altogether. The international hotel industry faces a number of challenges like a sudden rise in jet fuel prices which increase airline ticket prices. This will have a dampening effect on hotel demand because international hotel operations pose unique problems such as cultural diversity, foreign exchange rates, political instability, guest security, increased competition, brand management and distribution channels (Wood & Brotherton 87). Moreover, consumer electronics products such as cellular phones with digital cameras make it relatively easy for anyone to take a picture without anyone helping; often, there is no need to hire a professional photographer for the purpose of taking a good photo. Lastly, some people may not like their pictures taken and displayed in a public place for reasons of privacy. Conclusion There is a great marketing opportunity with the idea of selling picture frames in close cooperation with a great hotel brand like Marriott Hotels. This chain can offer many benefits such as in-house marketing expertise, a partnership that offers a captive market of hotel guests and even the possibility of a management contract with regards to display of picture frames in all its hotel lobbies worldwide. Using digital picture frames, for example, is one great way for a hotel chain like Marriotts to also advertise in this digital age using e-marketing (electronic) which does not cost very much (Ramesh 196). Lastly, a promotional campaign to raise guests awareness of picture frames is to hold a photo competition among them, with the winner then getting the privilege of displaying the picture he has taken displayed in the hotel lobby for one year for maximum exposure. Perhaps he can get a free nights stay at Marriotts in exchange for that winning photograph to serve as a wall décor that helps generate traffic (Piscopo 216). Works Cited Andrews, Sudhir. Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill, 2007. Print. Baldauf, Kenneth and Ralph Stair. Succeeding with Technology. Florence, KY, USA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Piscopo, Maria. The Photographers Guide to Marketing and Self-promotion. New York, NY, USA: Skyhorse Publishing Incorporated, 2010. Print. Ramesh, Venkatasubramaniam. Canadian E-Marketing: A Strategic Perspective. Columbus, OH, USA: McGraw-Hill Publications, 2002. Print. Wood, Roy C. and Bob Brotherton. The Sage Handbook of Hospitality Management. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications Limited, 2008. Print. Read More