MBA 2A
Digital Marketing Final Exam
LEA BONNIN
2011
PART 1 Read the entire article linked below – then choose one Resolution that you think would have the most positive impact on a hotel's internet success Why do you feel this particular resolution is most important – for what types of hotels? It was difficult to choose only one resolution among all the proposed resolutions. I hesitated between two resolutions which are: regularly post new content and give users a reason to visit your page. I finally thought that it would more beneficial for a hotel to give users to visit your page. Regularly post new content is also very important, but you can post content that may not be relevant or interesting. I believe this resolution is the most important as it enables a hotel to keep in touch and interact with its fans on Facebook, and inform them about the latest news in the hotel (new hotel amenity, restaurant, special offers, …), special events in the hotel or in city, etc. The hotel needs to post interesting and engaging posts to stay attractive and therefore competitive on the market. It needs to be creative when posting new content. Through its Facebook page, a hotel can really share with its fans, and I believe giving users a reason to visit your page is important as it is a free promotion tool. It is both a marketing and communications tool. Another important aspect of posting interesting and non-boring content is the word-ofmouth. Indeed, word-of-mouth on Facebook is very effective and efficient. Therefore, it can lead to the visit of new people, potential fans and hotel guests. I believe this resolution applies to all hotels. Somehow, I hardly recommend it to small independent hotels, with lower budgets although it can suit to any promotional budget. It is a free tool that all hotels should use. Independent hotels have more trouble having an international renown compared to branded hotels, as they do not have an equal marketing budget.
What additional actions would give that resolution even greater impact? A hotel should post regularly interesting content that would attract its fans, and potential customers. It should share all information relative to the hotel, but also visuals such as pictures and videos. A hotel should also tell its fans what the hotel has been doing, if the hotel’s employees participate to fairs and events, if it has partnerships with other business or brands, if it sponsors special events. This will enable some fans who participate to the same event to come and meet up with the employees. The hotel should then give its impression on the fair, event, etc. Just like a famous star would details its agenda on Twitter, a hotel should inform its fans on its planning. I would also suggest that a hotel creates a Smartphone application, in order to be visible and reachable everywhere, not only on a computer.
Research 3 examples of hotels (or other businesses) that are successfully executing this Resolution online Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
This hotel is successfully executing this resolution of giving a reason to users to visit its Facebook page as it regularly post content about the latest news in the hotel. The hotel’s florist is very famous in this field, Jeff Leatham, and the hotel has received many awards for its floral decoration. Therefore it has implemented a monthly trend for flowers, and it talks about it. We can also see on the hotel’s Facebook page: articles related to the hotel upcoming events at the hotel picture and videos the hotel replies to comments posted by the hotel fans the hotel has a partnership with the luxury brand Baccarat to create a package for customers for Valentine’s day gives information on the hotel group Four Seasons it invites its Facebook fans to follow the hotel on Twitter
The Leading Hotels of the World
We can see on Leading Hotels of the World’s Facebook page: articles related to the hotel upcoming events at the hotel picture and videos the hotel replies to comments posted by the hotel fans gives information on the hotel group affiliated hotels (rewards, …) it invites its Facebook fans to follow the hotel on Foursquare it invites its fans to give them details about their travel behaviours
Hermès
We can see on Hermès’ Facebook page: picture and videos the hotel replies to comments posted by the hotel fans gives information on the brand’s products it launches an international design contest Hermès game
The three websites post interesting content regularly in order to attract their fans, future fans and potential clients. Two of them ask the followers to participate actively by responding to questions or contests. They also attract the users thanks to their pictures and videos. They all interact with their fans. I believe these three companies have a good use of their Facebook page. They all post interesting content regularly. They also talk about their latest news.
PART 2 From the article, what role does technology play in a hotel's internet strategy success? If you are an independent, limited budget hotel (or business) what steps would you take to compete effectively online? Technology plays an important role in a hotel / business. If it is well used, it can be a successful marketing and communication tool. Internet is an important tool for a hotel as it represents the hotel’s interface towards guests and future guests. Nowadays people do not use brochures anymore; they directly visit the hotel’s website. A hotel website is also important as guests can book directly online; the hotel can post special offers. A hotel should be visible on the internet in order to be easily reachable and bookable. A hotel should be present everywhere on the internet: social media websites, blogs, etc. This presence enables the hotel to enlarge its clientele, attract new niches, and promote it internationally. The main objective for a hotel is to be visible on the first page of google when we google the hotel’s name. The next step is to be accessible. There are different steps an independent, limited budget hotel needs to take to compete effectively online: The hotel should be visible on the internet. It should create accounts on social media websites, and create a blog to post the latest news on the hotel. Once the accounts are created, the hotel should post regularly creative, interesting and engaged content. The hotel should share its expertise on its pages. It should also share picture and videos. It should then add the social media buttons on its website. The hotel website should be interactive (ex: guest reviews, …). The hotel should work with 3rd party websites, and OTAs, but should apply the rate parity. The hotel should appear on the first page in Google. In order to do that, it should use correctly its own website with the correct headlines and create links to the website. The hotel should answer to posts, negative reviews and feedbacks from guests. Once these steps are completed, the hotel should also create Smartphone applications in order to be reachable everywhere.
Hotel Plaza Athénée, Paris
3rd party websites
The hotel appears first on Google’s first page. Good visibility
Links to Social Media websites Facebook and Twitter, and Youtube
Video on youtube : partnership between Hotel Plaza Athénée and Disneyland Paris
The Roger Smith Hotel, New York
3rd party websites
The hotel appears first on Google’s first page. Good visibility
Links to Social Media websites Facebook and Twitter
It is easy to contact them, either by email or by phone
PART 3 From the Build Your Own Brand video series – what are they KEY elements to online branding, according to Loic LeMeur? Through his small videos, Loic LeMeur gives us advice on how to make the most out of social networks. According to him, the key elements to online branding are:
Have accounts on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, FlickR, Formspring, Foursquare, … This will enable you to be visible everywhere on internet. Use the same name for every account in order for your fans and followers to find you more easily. Share information regularly (text, video, picture, interviews, links to other blogs, etc) Share information about your passion, what you love, not to become boring. Try and help your fans and followers with the content you post. Tell your fans and followers where you are, in order for them to meet with you are travelling. Organize meet-ups with your fans and followers. Respond to users’ comments, feedbacks, reviews, in order to interact with your fans and followers. Create a relationship with them. Ask them for their opinion on certain subject. Customizing your Twitter page to feature a branded background. Listen to what your fans and followers have to say, and read other blogs and posts on the same subject. Write as if you were talking to friends.
WORLDHOTELS
Direct links to social media websites Facebook and Twitter, and RSS Feeds link
Le Bristol, Paris
Direct links to social media websites Facebook and Twitter, and RSS Feeds link
Response from Hotel Le Bristol to a Facebook fan
PART 4 From the Build Your Own Brand video series – choose any 2 online tools that were mentioned
Link to Seesmic Link to Marriott Hotels Blog
Describe how a hotel could use these tools to effectively engage their customers Seesmic was created by Loic LeMeur. It is a very useful tool that gathers all the information of each of your social media platforms. Therefore it enables its users to manage all the information on their Facebook and Twitter accounts at the same time and anywhere. A hotel can use this tool to effectively engage their customers as they can easily share new information, pictures and videos on their social network accounts more easily and rapidly. Loic LeMeur advised that a user should add more or less the same information on each account, and keep the same name account to be found more easily. Through this process, the hotel will interact more often and easily with its community. A blog is also as much important as an account on a social media website. A hotel should create a blog to effectively engage its customers as it can share more information there than on its Facebook and/or Twitter page. Indeed, the hotel can create a blog to its image, share articles and information on what the hotel is involved in. For example its actions to become eco-friendly, what are its plans for the future. On a blog, a hotel can engage its community by making the blog interactive through questions and contests. Blog visitors can then easily leave comments on the hotel blog. It is important for a hotel to add the links to its Facebook and Twitter page, Youtube, but also to its blog.
What actions would be needed to put the tools in place, in a hotel? The hotel should hire a professional in charge of its marketing online. In order to implement Seesmic to its digital marketing tools, the hotel should create an account on Facebook and Twitter, and also a blog. The person should then start adding interesting and relevant information on each platform in order to share it with its community and attract new users. He/She should collect comments, feedback and reviews and analyse and answer to them. He/She should add all links to the hotel website. Once everything is set up, he/she should post content everyday, or at least regularly.
What problems would the use of the selected tools solve? I believe Seesmic would solve the time issue in a hotel. Indeed, I associate it to hotel channel managers who are in charge of spreading the chosen rate through all OTAs the hotel has a contract with. In the same way, the digital marketing professional can create the
information he/she wants to share and spread it out through Seesmic to its Facebook and Twitter account without having to go on each account and doing the same operations again. Seesmic is a time saver and everything can be managed through it. A hotel blog can solve the problem of wanting to share information, but it would not look nice on the hotel website. For example, if we take the example of Buddha Bar Hotels. The hotels offer an additional service than accommodation or F&B; customers have the possibility of buying the Buddha Bar CDs, and participate to special events taking place in the bar. Through the blog, the hotel can share information on the latest CD (and users can leave comments on it); the upcoming events, etc. Through a blog, a hotel can reach customers and interact with them more easily. It will also enable the hotel to measure its reputation online.
What problems would the selected tools create? Although both these tools can be very useful and beneficial for a hotel, it can also face a few problems. Through the blog, the hotel could share too much information and therefore become boring, non-interesting and non-engaging. This would not attract users anymore. Too much information kills the information! This could lead to negative feedbacks and reviews, and diminish the hotel’s reputation. With Seesmic, the hotel could face the problem of not adapting properly the information it wants to share. On Twitter you can post a content of maximum 140 characters. On Facebook, you do not get this restriction. The professional would still need to adapt each page individually to personalize it and make it more attractive.
Why did you selected these specific tools I selected these tools as I believe they would be very beneficial and useful for a hotel. Nowadays a hotel needs to have a well established e-marketing strategy to be attractive and competitive, and I believe these tools are part of an efficient and effective marketing strategy. A hotel needs to share information to stay in touch with its community and keep the relationship going. Sharing information with its guests is the best strategy to adopt, and I believe there is no better way than share it through a blog and social networks. Seesmic is a tool to help you share this information.
PART 5 Select 5 of of the following terms. Define in your own words – include a screenshot example of each term Location based services A location based service is a tool accessible through mobile devices, especially smartphones, which use the geographical position of the user. It can be an information and entertainment service. Ex: Foursquare
Foursquare analyses where you are thanks to your mobile device
Rate Parity The rate parity is essential in the hotel market. It consists in applying the same room rate on the hotel website and OTAs and 3rd parties. A customer should find the same room rate on whatever booking website he/she visits.
The rate parity is respected as the best available rate is the same on both sites.
PPC – Pay Per Click Pay Per Click is an internet advertising model that works on search engines like Google. The company / advertiser pay Google only when its link is being clicked.
Pay Per Click advertising on Google
White Label White label can apply either for a product or service. This product or service is produces by a producer that other companies rebrand and take the benefit out of it. The marketers rebrand the product or service and make it appear as if it was their own production.
Tweets Tweets are the posts that users post on their Twitter accounts. It can have a maximum of 140 characters. Tweets are publically visible or restricted to the user’s followers.
Tweets