This assessment will cover:
- Elaborate role of marketing with its interrelation and functional units in Travelodge
- Give appropriate ideas in hospitality organisations with marketing mix
- Develop marketing plan with marketing objectives for Travelodge
INTRODUCTION
Marketing essentials are the set of different type of strategies and policies that are implemented by the organisations to expand their business. It is very important for the companies to formulate effective strategies so that business can be promoted effectively and larger market share can be acquired. If the business entities are not able to analyse market condition that it may affect their ability to perform business operations. Marketing essential may help to analyse the way in which all the activities can be executed appropriate and may help to attain all the predetermined goals of the organisation (Albright, 2014).
Marketers make decisions by analysing market situations so that issues can be dealt excellently and their possibilities can be reduced. Organisation chosen for this report is Travelodge Hotels Limited which is currently operating its business in UK. This project report covers various topics such as roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, interrelationship of marketing with other organizational departments, comparison of 7p’s of marketing within two different organizations and a detailed marketing plan for the company.
TASK 1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions in an organization
Overview of the organization: Travelodge Hotels Limited is a private organization which is currently executing its business in Hotels and hospitality industry in UK. It is the world’s second largest hotel in budget hotel industry and third biggest hotel business entity by rooms as the hotel is having much number of rooms. Parent company of the Hotel is Endell Group Holdings and it was founded in 1985 by Peter Gowers. Currently 11000 employees are working with the hotel and revenues of the hotel are 63.71 GBP. Hotel is operating its business effectively and successfully (Aschengrau, and Seage, 2013). The organization is mainly concerned with hospitality activities in which all the services are provided to the general public.
Roles and Responsibilities of marketing functions: Marketing functions are the set of the works that are the part of marketing activities. It includes all the essential actions that are required to be taken by the marketing teams of the organizations. It is essential for the marketers of Travelodge to get knowledge of all the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions because they may help to attain all the marketing goals including attracting customers, increasing sales and profits and awaking customers about the products or services that are sold by the company. All the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions are as follows:
Market research: Main role of marketing is to conduct a marketing research in which all the information of market can be attained with the help of current situations. It is very important for the companies to conduct market research so that roper information can be gathered which can be used while formulating marketing strategies to market the product or services. Travelodge is providing hospitality services in UK and it is very important for the organization to get the information of market with the help of proper market research so that managers make take appropriate decisions that may result positively for the hotel. An appropriate market research can help the managers and marketers of Travelodge to be more aware about the market trends so that they may provide innovative services to their customers (Baker, 2014).
Gathering information of customers: Information of customers can be gathered by conducting survey or by interacting with them face to face. All such type of information may help the managers of an organization to be more aware about the needs of the customers and they may provide them products or services according to their requirements. Travel lodge can gather information of customers with the help of marketing activities as they are mainly conducted for this purpose. if the marketers of Travelodge are not able to get exact information of the visitors. It is responsibility of marketing functions to provide accurate content about individuals needs and demands so that marketers can provide them those services that are customers are willing to acquire.
Identifying future risk: Marketing function play a vital role to identify the future risk that may take place as it is very important for all the organizations to attain long term sustainability for their business. If a company is not able to identify risk than it may have to face different problems in future because they do not have any effective ways to deal with the same. In Travelodge marketers get information of risk with the help of marketing functions it is a tool that may help to gather appropriate information. Travelodge is a lar organization and it is vital for the hotel to make effective plan to deal with future consequences (Brooks and Simkin, 2012).
Selling: Another responsibility is to enhance sales for the company who are conducting marketing functions for their organizations. Marketing help to enhance awareness of customers so that they may get attracted toward company and buy their product or services that sole by the organization. Marketing help to increase sales because it helps to create urge in the customers to buy the product. Marketers of Travelodge are using effective techniques to market their services that helps to enhance their sales. It is an appropriate way to increase sales and gather profits for the company.
All the above mentioned roles and responsibilities of marketing function help to run the organization smoothly and effectively. There are various ways to market a product that may attract large number of customers who may buy product or services of the company and provide benefits. In Travel lodge all the functions are implemented effectively so that it may result in higher and increased sales and profits with the help of customer satisfaction. Sales and profit maximization which is major objective of private companies like Travelodge and it can be attained with the help of effective marketing strategies (Caragher, 2016).
P2 Roles and responsibility of marketing relates to the wider organizational context
Roles and responsibility of marketing is related to the organization’s other functions all of them are explained below:
Figure 1: Organisational functions, 2018
- Reception: Customers directly visit to the reception of the hotel and the receptionist is the part of the hotel. Behavior of them help to market the hotel. In Travelodge the staff members cooperate with all the visitors so that they get satisfied with the services and promote their hotel to other.
- Room division: Rooms are divided according to the requirements of the customers. Marketing division decide the budget for each room and then allot it to the visitors so that they get a place where they can relax. Marketing department of the company handles the room division related issues and other activities so that all the customers get what they are willing to get (Illing and Anders, 2016).
- Bookings: Now a days all the customers are booking their rooms online as they do not want to waste their time for looking a good hotel. Marketing department handle all the online booking and then communicate with the other hotel staff so that they May help the customers to get those things that they are willing to acquire.
- Food and beverages: Foods of Travelodge is promoted online and it is also a good medium to market the business as good food also help to satisfy the needs of the customers. Marketing department of Travelodge handle all the food related activities so that best food can be supplied to their customers and they have a good experience of visiting the hotel.
- Human resource: All the employees and workforces of the company are the part of marketing activities as they behave good and cooperate with the visitors so that a good image of the hotel can be set in the mind of customers. Human resource department is the main division of the company who may help to market the product or services effectively as they directly communicate with the customers.
Marketing department of Travelodge is related to all the other functions of the organization and from all the above points it can be analyzed. For all the staff members the is very important to be more cooperative with the staff members so that business can be expanded with the help of good image of the hotel.
TASK 2
P3 Comparison of two organization’s way in which they apply marketing mix to achieve business objectives
Marketing mix: It is the combination of seven different P’s that are required to be evaluated while conducting marketing activities. Main objective of marketing mix is to enhance organizational sales and profits so that organization may become more competitive in the market. It is also required to attain long term sustainability for the business. these marketing mix are product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence (Khan and Adil, 2013). All of them are analyzed in detail before deciding for any innovative products and service which is going to be launched in the company in order to enhance sales and profits as well as expand then business. For Travelodge it is also very important to have exact information of its marketing mix so that it may help to operate business activities appropriately. A comparison of Travelodge’s marketing mix with the Sainsbury’s is as follows:
Marketing mix |
Travelodge |
Sainsbury’s |
Product |
Product refers to the rooms and the services that are provided by the hotels to its customers. Travelodge is providing high quality services to its customers that helps it to be their first choice. It is also very beneficial for the hotel because good quality of services helps to retain the customers and visitors and attract new visitors. If the quality of services is not good than it is not easy to attract customers towards the hotel. |
Sainsbury is providing good and effective products that helps to attract customers. as quality of its products are very good hence the organization takes advantage of this and retain all its customers and target all the prospect customers. |
Price |
As quality of the rooms and services is good and the price doesn’t matter to some customers when they get good treatment by the hotel, but price of the hotel is very low as compare to other. Travelodge is using price penetration strategy in which the hotel keeps the quality high and prices low so that each type of customers may get attracted toward their hotel. Low price is affordable for all type of tourists and they prefer those type of hotels who are providing good quality services on low prices (Schlenker and Roth, 2013). |
Sainsbury’s is using premium pricing system as the quality is very good hence the company sells the goods on high prices and it is mainly focused with the upper class of the society. |
Place |
It is mainly related to the location of the organization, that attracts large number of visitors. As the hotel is near to railway station and airport hence it is a place where visitors can reach easily. It is very important for all the companies to be easily accessible for the customers so that they may reach to the destination in less time. |
Location of the organization is very good and it is easily accessible for the customers it helps Sainsbury’s to be competitive in the market and attract large number of customers so that it can increase its market share (Kladou and et. al., 2016). |
Promotion |
It is a part of marketing activities in which organization aware customers about their business and their new schemes. Travelodge is using innovative methods of promotions as it advertises itself online, provide benefits to its existing customers by applying new schemes for them. It is a good way to attract large number of customers and acquire higher market share. |
Innovative methods are used by marketers of Sainsbury’s so that they may attract new custoemrs.it provide high discount in festive season and also provide bonus coupons that can redeemed on next purchase of customers. |
People |
People are the employees of the hotel who are well trained and educated they are liable to cooperate with all the visitors. In Travel lodge all the employees are directed to guide customers and resolve all their queries so that they may get satisfied with the services of hotel. For hospitality industry it is very important to retain good employees they have good experience of cooperating with customer and this may help to attain growth. |
Employees of the organization are very cooperative and they listen problems of customers and resolve them. Sainsbury’s also provide benefits to their employees according o their performance so that they get motivated. |
Process |
It refers to the method in which services are offered to the visitors which is very good as firstly they have to go to reception than managers help them to find appropriate rooms and then they take feedback of the services that are provided to the customers. this process is followed in Travelodge because it helps to gain trust of customers and also set a good image of the hotel in their mind. |
Sainsbury’s is using good processes for delivering and selling the gods in which employees communicate with the customer and take their feedback about the products so that they may make changes next time according to the requirements of customers (Larson and Draper, 2015). |
Physical evidence |
These are the features of the services or products that make them different from others and rooms of Travelodge are very attractive and have good features that helps to enhance customers attractiveness in the organization. |
It includes market image of the organization in which it is analyzed by the customers that they will but products of such organization whose market image is good and providing good products to the customers. |
TASK 3
P4 Marketing plan for the organization in order to meet marketing objectives
Marketing plan: It is detailed plan in which all the marketing related information is recorded by the marketers of the company. As Travelodge is going to launch premium economy rooms or super rooms and these room are very innovative and also have new and innovative features. Travelodge have assured that price of the rooms wont get affected due to the new feature and this will attract large number of customers (Mueller and et. al., 2015). To analyze the market conditions Travelodge is going to conduct a SWOT analysis in which organizational information can be gathered and it may also help to evaluate the response of the customers.
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SWOT Analysis
It is combination their different aspects that are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It helps the business to evaluate all its market conditions and situations for a business SWOT for Travelodge is as follows:
Strengths:
Price of the rooms are very low and quality of services is very high that helps to increase number of loyal customers (Proctor, 2014).
- Market image of Travelodge is very good that helps to attract large number of customers.
- Organization is using innovative marketing techniques to expand its business and acquire higher market share.
- As organization is using penetration pricing strategy that creates a negative image in the mind of upper class customers that the hotel is for lower class customers.
- Marketing activities are good but Travelodge is using extra innovative techniques for promotions like providing coupons for next visit in which to redeem the coupon is not possible for foreigners as they visit a country once in a year.
- As Super rooms are going to be launched by the company than it may help to set a good image in the mind of upper class customers as these rooms are mainly going to be launched for premium customers.
Threats:
- Competition in the hospitality industry is very high and there are various tough competitors in the market of Travelodge.
- Organization is not sure that customers will adopt its new rooms or not as the name is super rooms and this may affect the old customers because they think that these rooms are mainly made for upper class not lower class.
There is another way to launch the business sin the market which is STP. Which is a combination of segmenting, targeting and positioning. All of them are as follows:
- Segmenting: In this stage the organization identify the target market where the product or services if going to be launched to attain organizational goals.
- Targeting: This stage is related to target in which customers are targeted according to their class and taste.
- Positioning: This the last stage in which Travelodge is going to set a positive image of company in the mind of its customers (STP Mode,. 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the above project report, it has been summarized that marketing essentials are the set of elements that may help to attain all the marketing objectives. It is very important for the marketers of the company to analyze market trends so that all the marketing activities can be performed according to those trends. Marketing mix may help to analyze marketing conditions and organizational position in the market so that effective decisions can be formulated in order to establish a good market image. If marketers of the business entities are not able to analyze market conditions that they may not form strategies that are required to be more competitive in the market.
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