Executive Summary

Prepare a Strategic Marketing Plan that comprises the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

2. Mission Statement

3. Goals and Objectives

4. Market Segmentation Strategy

5. Positioning Strategy

6. Strategic Action Plan

            This paper described the strategic marketing plan on Courtyard by Marriott Hotel which is owned by Marriott International. Courtyard by Marriott Hotel began for business traveler, but also they provide services according to families. The main objective of this paper is to present the segmentation, positioning and action plan strategy for Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. The aim must realistic and applicable so that the hotel can use it in their strategy marketing plan. Hotel industry contributes 6.23 percent to India’s GDP and 8.78 percent of total employment in our nation. Hotel industry includes the business hotels, resort hotels, airport hotels, suites hotels, casino hotels, apartment hotels, conference centers and convention centers. Marriott International is the leading organization in the lodging industry. The constant growth of this industry is enhancing the countries to depend on the revenue generating in the hotel industry. Marriott International is expended their business in Gujrat (India) through new branch of Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. Indeed, Courtyard by Marriott Hotel was founded in the Ahmedabad near Gulmohar Park Mall. It is near from all business stops such as world-class silver screen, Shaking Minarets, biggest shopping center of Gujarat and the Gandhi Ashram. Further, our recommendations for the strategy marketing plan is to look at three year time horizon with achievable short term goals to motivate the prospect of a constant commitment. Further, most of visitor in Gujart belongs to Ahemedabad and abroad visitor especially USA visitor comes in Ahemedabad. So, we should expand our business in Ahemadabad region through best Hotels services.

The mission statement of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel is to “provide excellent lodging facilities and services to our guest”. The main objectve of a mission statement is to provide high quality standards in our food, rooms and beverage department. The mission statement would support the organization to improve the customer’s awareness towards the offering the brands of its hospitality. It would also help to determine the customers’ needs and desires.  Chart 1 also defined the meaning of mission statement.

(Chart 1, Source: Preece, Smith & Moodley 2007)

            The main goal of this research study is to determine the specific activities and standards which perform or achieve to effectively carry out its mission. Goal must specific as compare to mission because it require a certain level of achievement that can be measured and observed. Measurable goals motivates hotel staff to perform effectively when enables management to watch staff progress. (Kraus 2005) The main goal of this study is to maintain its brand image in the worldwide hotel industry through provides excellent service to their consumer. Management could explain when goals are being achieved and any corrective action will necessary. These are some objectives that are achieved through this strategy marketing plan to accomplish the broader objective of the research.

• To provides world-class service in the specific region at affordable rates. (Kraus 2005)
• Promote sustainable tourism through foster of hospitality and product that are in full concord with the social, economic, physical, cultural and political environment of the Indian region. (Kotler 2011)
• Provide an effective hospitality which can satisfy customer needs or desire.
• Enhance the contribution of tourism to the cultural, economic and social development of the region. (Kraus 2005)
• Enhance the quality services as compare to their closest competitors in their product and make an important contribution to the foster of the sector through the promotion of professionalism.
• To increase brand value of the Marriott Hotel.
• To develop awareness in the Indian Hotels and attract them.
• To target the high class people, those preferred the quality services. (Kraus 2005)

Mission Statement

            Indeed, market segmentation is the subdivision or part of overall market with specific needs, desires and characteristics of the customers. In the other word, it is process of dividing the market into and more groups of consumers and each group must similar as well as certain character and customer needs or desires. (Dibb & Simkin 2013) Market segmentation will be classified in these factors that are:

Geographic segmentation: Geographic segmentation includes the dividing the market into its specific area such as city, state, region and nation. We can also divide in the urban and rural market segmentation. (Jafari 2008) Further, Marriott geographic segmentation strategy is the local customer oriented. They opened Courtyard in Ahemedabad for attracting the business people and especially business travelers.

Demographic segmentation: It is based on age, religion, family, gender, size, income and education. (Mukherjee 2014) Hotel Marriott has several branches including courtyard and suits such as Fairfield inn, residence inn. Suits are on spring hill, suites on Town place. Suits hotel and Fairfield have free Wi-Fi and lobby facilities for their business travelers which belong to different age, income and education backgrounds. Business people are the used of heavy technology so they provided full speed Wi-Fi in suite hotel. Every suit have good space for work, comfortable sitting facilities and iPod docks and they also have two connection with voice mail and data port. (Sturman, Corgel & Verma 2011)

Psychological segmentation: It is dividing on the basis of consumer attitudes, interest, personal traits, values and lifestyle. Psychological segmentation will allow you to develop luxury hotel to satisfy their consumer which have different lifestyle, values, attitudes and traits, especially in Hotel Marriott so they created two luxury hotels such as hotel courtyard and bulgari resort etc. Most of travelers in Gujrat belong to businessmen profession which prefer luxurious courtyard for stay. (Wedel & Kamakura 2000) You would find many especial dishes and recipes in Hotel Marriott that can’t be easily available in other places. They also provided live music and thrilling shows in their renaissance hotel. A renaissance hotel also helps to discover food, local wine and culture. They opened many branches in the all over the world such as Thailand, Sweden and China to satisfy the interest of adventure of travelers. (Sturman, Corgel & Verma 2011)

Due to lot of visitors comes in Ahemedabad in the 2003 as per chart 2, which is main reason for established Marriot hotel branch in the Ahemedabad. Chart 2 shown that most of visitors comes from new jersey (USA) which wanted high services quality so how to satisfied their needs or desires. So, Marriott Hotel should provide excellent lodging facilities as per guest requirement. Further, Hotel Marriott also provides various services. Therefore, you can enjoy at the wedding and get full relax. Customer can select where they can enjoy wedding in Hotel Marriott and resorts. They are also very good in arranging the tablets and menus that are given in final farewell of any occasion which occurred in Hotel Marriott.

Goals and Objectives

(Chart 2, Source: TripAdvisor 2015)

(Chart 3, Source: TripAdvisor 2015)

            Positioning strategy is marketing activities which determine the market problem and opportunity and create a solution through market research, data and segmentation. In other words, positioning strategy means make a different product and service which can beat your competitors and then evaluate which market niche to fill your needs or desires. Positioning is the significant part of marketing plan. So, Hotel Marriott team member will consider the following positioning strategies that are:

Brand positioning strategy: It is lifeblood of the business. It shows the organization personality and values. Brand positioning means creates the unique, credible and sustainable position in the mind of the consumer. Brand positioning requires several qualities that include clarity, relevance, patience, commitment and courage. (O’Guinn, Allen & Semenik 2011) Further, Marriott Hotel is the world-class luxury brand organization in hotel industry which provides an environment of simple elegance. Once guest feel comfortable, welcome and free to them. Marriott Hotel is becoming popular brand in the worldwide in hotel industry.

Product positioning strategy: It is the image which product produces in the mind of customers as compare to other products of the same organization. Marriott hotel produce several kind of product facilities for their visitors, guest and travelers. They provide seven sets of attributes that are external factors such as size, location, building shape, types of pool and landscape design. Rooms like décor of the room, bathroom and type of cooling or heating. Security factors such as security guards, video camera and smoke detectors for 24/7 hours basis. Lounge facilities such as atmosphere and clientele. Services facilities are such as bellman, car rental, registration and reservation. Leisure time facilities such as room game, children playroom, exercise room and tennis room. Food services like breakfast dinner in room, stores and vending services etc. (Kotler 2011)

Competitive pricing strategy: Marriott hotel pricing strategy is the challenging issue in itself which need several consultations before finalizing. Competitive pricing strategies utilized by hotel to signal quality or value. The main objective of this pricing strategy is to maximize revenues in hotel industry. (Collins & Parsa 2006) Hotel Marriott provides several kinds of room such as deluxe, semi-deluxe and super-deluxe and their rates are also different so according to traversal requirement to stay in the different variety of room. Due to some other competitors they started to provide various kinds of room facilities which can beat their closest competitors and satisfy their consumers. Marriott feels that their caliber when they reduce their final price for their consumer. Pricing strategy based on promotion, sales campaign and fixed amount. In spite of various challenges in pricing strategy it can be beat their competitors and able to established their image in the target market.

Competitive positioning strategy: Competitive positioning strategies define that how your product and services are differ from you competitors and which kinds of value you provide and how it is differ from the alternatives. Marriott Hotels have many competitors in the hotel industry but it is becoming world leader organization in the luxury lodging. Courtyard by Marriott offer several hotel rooms such as deluxe rooms, executive rooms and executive suites. All rooms have carpet flooring which looks attractive in whole day and night. So, their competitors haven’t these kinds of variety of product so it is easily launched in the target market. (Kotler 2011)

Market Segmentation Strategy

Marketing strategy: Marketing strategy is process which helps to increase the sales and achieving the competitive advantages. Marketing strategy includes all short term and long term activities that deal with starting condition of organization, evaluation, formulation and selection of market-oriented strategies. So, they contributed to achieve the goals of organization and its marketing objectives. A marketing strategy must focus on the main concept that customer satisfaction is the main goals. Further, a marketing strategy became more effective when they integral component of corporate strategy, prospect and competitors in the market arena as a corporate mission and corporate goal. Strategy marketing plan includes a set of particular actions required to successfully execute a marketing plan. Marketing strategy contain of a well thought out of series of tactics to create strategy marketing plan more attractive and effective. Marketing strategy helps to fulfill organization marketing objectives, policies, goals and action plan sequence (tactics) into a single area. This marketing strategies teach us that where are you going in your organization. Make estimate that how long time it will take to fulfill its objectives and goals. Indian has lots of luxurious as well as Courtyard by Marriott Hotel which are facing very tuff competitions in current world. To handle this competition, the hotels are using marketing strategies to improve their revenue and to face market competition condition. This research provide an efforts to evaluate and analyze the role of marketing strategy of Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in India and its impact on annual revenue or income. The focus of the report is to analyze the marketing strategy in the regard of their objectives and target markets.

• Marketing strategy provides the guidance and way to achieve marketing objective of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. (Lasune 2012)
• The marketing strategy analysis can find main competitors of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel which enable the organization to offer its appropriate designed marketing mix in order to acquire the objective of the organization.
• Marketing strategies supports to minimize risk due to alters in competitor’s strategies, changes in product and services and changes in technology of Hotel industry. If risk or contingencies take particular area then the alternative strategies are put into action to reduce the risks.
• Marketing strategies of the Courtyard by Marriott have several sales promotional strategies to put into action in order to face the challenges of their closest competitors strategies. Corporate Suites, Art Reverie and The Garden Palace are closest competitors of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. (Singh 2014)
• Marketing strategy makes easy to organizing, controlling and directing and short term planning of the organizing activities.
• Marketing strategy has function of marketing segmentation of Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. These strategies are supporting to determine the market segmentations such as geographic, demographic and psychological market segmentations. (Lasune 2012)
• Marketing strategy supports organization to find the competitive advantage. Through the competitive advantage, it can be identify the competitive difference which can compete effectively at the marketplace. The organization can enjoy in the competitive areas such as corporate or brand image, product superiority, service superiority and distribution network. (Kotler 2011)
• The main function of marketing, promotion, advertising and sales are to identify and acquire enough guests to maintain a profitable level of business. In the Courtyard by Marriott Hotels have full time marketing and sales department of hospitality organizations which arrange guestroom, lounges, dining room and meeting space. However, sales are a significant part of every staff of the organization. It is not an individual person responsibility to raised it. (Lasune 2012) Hotel industry marketing strategy includes new material on a number of topics, innovation and development of product and service, increase the market shares, increase the corporate image, relationship marketing, promotional strategies, advertising policy and public relation, customers satisfaction and relationship, food and safety.

            After the marketing strategies setting, we would create action plan. The action plans are specific and they expand on the marketing strategy which provides more detailed answer to what is going to be done in strategic marketing plan. The action plan sets a timetable so it is easy to follow them. It is apparently show that who is responsible for implementing for action plan so there are no misunderstanding and everybody in the organization knows that what their role is in the action plans themselves. Action plan is an idea or thought of marketing campaigns. They depicted that coordinatation program of marketing activities are the product design, communication, promotion, pricing and distribution. (Middleton et al 2009)

Innovation tactics: Innovation means introduction of a new discovery or idea to the marketplace. Innovation action established value through new product, new services and new experiences, but innovation is not as similar to improvement. Because of improvement only related to existing solutions. Innovation is nearest to invention. Indeed, invention means discovery of a new ideas. Every organization has space for innovation actions. Every innovation needs a leader and innovation require also time. Hotel management must generator of innovation actions by creating its own awareness and employees. Every employee hasn’t ability to act innovatively and you should provide reward quickly those personal traits deliver innovation activity in the business. (Kossakowsak 2013) Further, there are several categories of innovation tactics or strategies offered by different researcher. The five kinds of innovation tactics are commonly used by researcher in the industry. These are process innovation, product or services innovation, marketing innovation, business model innovation and organization innovation tactics. The main objective of process innovation tactics is to increase the productivity. In the other word, it is process of investments and technology advances. Product or services innovation is purely new tactics in the market. Marketing innovation is concerned to improving service quality and development of marketing mix. Business model innovation developed the market share of organization through attracting new consumer. Finally, organization innovation includes enhancing employee responsibilities or duties and creating new technique to coordinate and control staffs. (Iplik, Topsakal & Dogan 2014) These are following innovation marketing tactics which used in Courtyard by Marriott Hotel to improve their services in the lodging sector.

Positioning Strategy

Pre-conference before face to face meeting: Courtyard by Marriott is providing the pre-conference facilities to their traveler, guest and visitor. These tactics are attracting to their business class customer which has engage in lot of business meeting in routine work. In the meeting many time and money spend so they are providing pre-conference which is attracting many organization as well as individual person. (SocialTables 2014)

Use of social media: Courtyard by Marriott Hotel is using social media to attract their customer and visitors. They explained all facilities through social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter blogs. Through Facebook, they are attracting youth as well as business class visitors which has weekly or monthly meeting in the near of Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. They provide roadmap for Hotels to railways station and bus stand through Facebook app which is very helpful for new visitor and travelers. (Kotler 2011)

Use experience to fulfill anticipate needs: Courtyard by Marriott is concentrating on the anticipate needs or requirement of the consumer such as free Wi-Fi, parking vouchers, discounted coffee and early check-in and late check out. Hotel management team is arranging already existing demand from their customers. (SocialTables 2014) Through this way, you can show your clients that not only you understand their needs or desires, but also you have proper solution for their problems. This small motion will be appreciated by your clients and it will save both of time and headache of communication between each others.

Timeline for each strategic initiative: Phase 1: The first phase is concerned to marketing strategy. Therefore, it would take few months that are given below:

Phase 2: The second phase describes the customer orientation strategy. Therefore, followings are timetable for customer-oriented strategy:

References

Collins, M, & Parsa, HG, 2006, Pricing strategies to maximize revenues in the lodging industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 25(1), 91-107.

Dibb, S, & Simkin, L, 2013, Market Segmentation Success: Making It Happen, Routledge, New York.

Fyall, A, & Garrod, B, 2005, Tourism Marketing: A Collaborative Approach, Channel View Publications, New York.

Iplik, FN, Topsakal, Y, & Dogan, O, 2014, strategic innovation: an empirical study on hotel firms operating in antalya region, Isindexing.com, 2(1), 16-29.

Jafari, MA, 2008, Using a Geographic Information System to Develop a Marketing Geographic Segmentation Model for Continuing Education Programs, ProQuest, New York.

Kossakowsak, E, 2013, 20 Tips To Build Innovation Into Your Hotels Sales And Marketing Processes, view 14 January, 2015 from: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4061062.html

Kotler, P, 2011, Principles of Marketing, Pearson Education India, New Delhi.

Kraus, NP, 2005, Frommer’s USA, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.

Lasune, S, 2012, Marketing strategies and quality management of five star hotels in order to improve its revenue with special reference to selected five star hotels in Mumbai. Abhinav national monthly refereed journal of reasearch in commerce & management, 4(1), 28-36.

Middleton, Victor TC, Morgan, FA, Ashok, MR, 2009, Marketing in travel and tourism. Fourth edition, Elsevier Ltd, London.

Mukherjee, R, 2014, Demographic Segmentation- An Understanding Of A Fundamental Marketing Concept, view 14 January, 2015 from: https://www.udemy.com/blog/demographic-segmentation/

O’Guinn, T, Allen, C, & Semenik, R, 2011, Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, Cengage Learning, Ohio.

Pathak, J, 2010, Gujrat Is 10^th Popular Domestic Tourism State In India, But Foreign Tourist Are Just Minute, view 14 January, 2015 from: https://gujaratmoney.com/2010/07/07/gujarat-is-10th-popular-domestic-tourism-state-in-india-but-foreign-tourists-are-just-minute/

Preece C., Smith P. & Moodley K. (2007). Construction Business Development.UK: Routledge.

Reece, M, 2010, Real-Time Marketing for Business Growth: How to Use Social Media, Measure Marketing, and Create a Culture of Execution, Pearson Education, New Jersey.

TripAdvisor, 2015, Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad, view 14 January, 2015 from: https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g297608-d1557534-Reviews-Courtyard_by_Marriott_Ahmedabad-Ahmedabad_Gujarat.html

Wedel, M, & Kamakura, WA, 2000, Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Massachusetts.

Sturman,  MC, Corgel, JB, & Verma, R, 2011, The Cornell School of Hotel Administration on Hospitality: Cutting Edge Thinking and Practice, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.

Singh, N, 2014, 24 Best Heritage Hotels In Gujrat, view 14 January, 2015 from: https://www.tourmyindia.com/blog/24-best-heritage-hotels-gujarat/

SocialTables, 2014, 4 Marketing Tactics Hotel Event Managers Need To Succeed, view 14 January, 2014 from: https://blog.socialtables.com/2014/05/20/4-marketing-tactics-hotel-event-managers-need-succeed/

Exhibit 1: Focus Group

1 What do you think about the Hotel Industry and its importance in your country?

2 Do you think that your company faced challenges, while creating positioning strategy in the global environment, if yes then explain the elements those created challenges for company?

3 Do you think that effective market segmentation strategy provides greater employee satisfaction?

4 What factors are considered by your company, while developing effective marketing segmentation strategy?

The response from the questionnaire would be used for the completion of MBA dissertation project. The questions are related to strategy marketing plan and their effectiveness to achieve growth in hotel industry for Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.

Name:

Gender:

Department:

Q.1 Are the strategy marketing plan of your organization effective to reduce issues and problems at workplace?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

Q.2 What are the major benefit of enhancing the Hotel industry in the worldwide?

• Revenue generation
• Job creation
• Reduce poor economic condition
• All of above
• Other (Please Specify)