hotel management

Chapter 21 Hotel Marketing Management (1)
The first (section) concept of hotel marketing

A correct understanding of the connotation of hotel marketing activities is the prerequisite for hotels to carry out effective marketing activities.When it comes to hotel marketing, it reminds people that people think that marketing is marketing, that is, communicating information and selling services and products to guests. For example, hotels design promotional materials for food (festival) themed activities and distribute them everywhere; advertise in newspapers; Use the Internet to convey this information to the public; use the "rebate" method of "buy 100 get 30" to stimulate public purchases, etc.In fact, this understanding is very one-sided.

When guests purchase hotel products or services, they are neither passive nor random, but because the hotel's products or services can enable them to obtain certain utility, make them feel satisfied, and obtain real use value.Otherwise, no one will use his own money to buy some products or services that are of no use to him.The various effects contained in products or services are the key to inducing and prompting guests to make purchases.Hotel marketing activities are a series of planned and organized activities carried out by hotel operators in order to satisfy guests and achieve hotel business goals on the premise of guest satisfaction.It is not simply equivalent to sales promotion, but an activity that runs through the whole process of hotel development.It requires the hotel to study the needs of the target guests before providing products or services, then design or adjust the hotel's business content according to the needs of the guests, and then let the guests know and attract them to buy or use the hotel through a series of promotional activities. Based on the purchase or use of hotel products by guests, the hotel obtains income and profits and realizes the original business goals.Of course, in this process, the hotel must also pay attention to collecting feedback information from the guests, and redesign or adjust the hotel's business content according to the satisfaction of the guests after use, so as to maximize the effectiveness of the hotel's products or services.Therefore, from this point of view, marketing is the sum of all activities before the hotel products are sold to guests.The marketing activities are based on the existing products of the hotel as the starting point of the activity, to study how to use advertising, public relations, physical display and other means to increase sales, and to achieve the hotel's goals on the basis of increasing sales.It can be seen that sales promotion is only a part of marketing activities.In terms of connotation, marketing is much richer than sales promotion, and the relationship between the two can be expressed in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1 Relationship between Sales and Marketing

The starting point of promotion and marketing activities The existing products or services The way guests need to use the overall application of marketing mix strategies such as advertising, public relations, and physical display:
Price
Product
Promotion

Place (marketing channel)

PublicImage (public image)
Public::Relations(public

relation)

Public:: Power (public rights) the basis for achieving goals Increase sales and improve guest satisfaction

The success or failure of hotel marketing activities depends on the "suitability" of marketing activities. Therefore, some scholars have defined marketing as follows: hotel marketing is at the right time, at the right place, at the right price, through the right channel, using the right Promotion strategies to sell the right products and services to the right guests.This definition emphasizes that hotel marketing must seek the suitability and pertinence of time, place, price, promotion means, marketing channels, objects, products and services.

The second (section) the development process of the hotel marketing concept

The formation of marketing concepts in the world hotel industry has gone through several stages: production concept-product concept-selling concept-marketing concept-communication marketing concept-social marketing concept.

[-]. Production concept

This marketing concept is very old.The premise of its existence is that the productivity is low, the economy and technology are backward, the product is single, the output is not large, the product cannot meet the needs of the society, and the entire market belongs to the "seller" stage.The products produced by hotel companies do not worry about sales, hotel companies only consider production, "sell as much as they produce".This makes the hotel or business operation centered on production, without considering customers or consumers, and does not adopt any promotional means, which is a typical "sales based on production".For example: in the late 20s, the country had just opened, and overseas tourists flocked in. However, the reception capacity of hotels in our country was limited, and we were in a seller's market. We only expanded the hotel to improve the reception capacity of the hotel, and the hotel was still guided by the concept of production.

[-]. Product concept

This business concept is also very old, parallel to the production concept.This kind of business thinking attaches great importance to products, thinking that as long as the product is good, high-quality, low-priced, and unique, it will definitely be sold, and there is no need to consider sales promotion and other activities.If the production concept emphasizes products and is "winning by quantity", then the product concept is "winning by quality".This kind of concept obviously makes similar products in the market compete, and they want to gain advantages with their own high-quality and unique products, which is a little more advanced than the production concept.However, if you always only focus on your own products and fail to see changes in market dynamics, you will maintain existing products and not carry out new developments, and you will eventually get yourself into trouble.Goods are just durable and authentic, they don't last forever.Hotel management only cares about the cleanliness of guest rooms and the quality of food and beverages. It will eventually fail if it does not study the development and changes of the market and the changing needs of guests.

[-]. Sales concept
When entrepreneurs consider not only production and quality, but also whether the produced products can be sold, the concept of selling comes into being.The guiding ideology of this concept is: "Sell whatever you produce." Based on this concept, operators began to study marketing strategies hard, paying attention to market research and the selection of sales channels and the use of sales skills.But this still falls within the realm of old business thinking.Hotels that pursue the sales promotion concept attach the most importance to sales links (sections), focus on the promotion of hotel products, and pay attention to price means, but still do not start from the perspective of consumers and market demand, but only want to stimulate consumers through the stimulation generated by sales promotion. desire to buy.

[-]. Marketing concepts
This concept is different from the above ones. The above concept starts from the self, from the production and products of the enterprise, to attract and find customers.The concept of marketing is to start from the market, organize production and sell products according to the requirements and wishes of customers in the target market, and occupy the market position from the long-term goal.From "sell what you produce" to "produce what the market needs".This concept is centered on "customer first".Consumer demand is the only chance for enterprises to survive and develop.

After entering the 20s, my country's hotel construction developed blindly, and there was a situation of oversupply. We bid farewell to the situation of waiting in the store for customers to come to our door. In marketing, we must implement a business strategy centered on consumer demand. According to the trend of customer demand in the market, formulate an overall marketing plan, make hotel products, prices, promotions and channels all suitable for marketing concepts, and continuously improve products.

[-]. Communication Marketing Concept
The characteristics of this concept are: in addition to the advantages of the concept and method of marketing, it is a complex social behavior for people's purchase behavior, which will be affected by many factors. It emphasizes making customers understand and love through various methods , Prefer, trust, buy and be loyal to and promote the products of your own hotel.This requires attention to using every opportunity to establish the image of your own hotel, carry out public relations promotion, and regard the sales of hotel products as a broad social behavior that is accepted by customers.

Six, social marketing concept
The content of this concept is: business operations must not only meet the needs of consumers, but also conform to the long-term interests of society, emphasizing the unity of corporate profits, consumer needs, and social interests.

After the 20s, the activity of "protecting consumers' interests" rose in western countries. "Protectionism" believes that pure marketing meets the immediate needs of the market, but ignores the long-term interests of society.Focusing only on immediate needs leads to unlimited mining of resources, environmental pollution, and waste of materials, which affects the long-term development of society.It is against this background that people put forward the concept of social marketing.This marketing concept is the inevitable result of the development of social economy, culture and social movement, and it guides market operations.

The application of the concept of social marketing in the hotel market began after the 20s. People proposed that the development of the hotel industry should not only consider the immediate interests of consumers, but must conform to the long-term interests of social development.For example, the blind development of the hotel industry has disrupted people's normal life and caused huge economic and psychological pressure on people. For example, the use of protected animals as ingredients in hotel dishes has caused widespread confusion among people.It shows that the hotel industry that only implements marketing is also difficult to maintain.

The third (section) concept and content of hotel marketing management
[-]. The concept of hotel marketing management

Hotel marketing management - refers to the systematic analysis, execution and control of the ideal business items, markets and marketing activities determined by the hotel, so as to create and maintain a good conversion relationship with the target market and achieve the overall hotel business objectives.

[-]. The content of hotel marketing management

Effective hotel marketing management should include wise marketing analysis, formulation of marketing plan, combination and execution of marketing activities, and control management.

1. Work content in hotel marketing analysis

Analysis of hotel marketing environment, consumer psychology and purchase behavior analysis, hotel customer source and customer market analysis, hotel product analysis, hotel competition situation analysis and research, etc.

2. The work content of the hotel marketing plan

Formulation of overall hotel marketing plan, formulation of hotel marketing goals, sales forecast, assessment of business trends, adjustment of marketing plans, etc.

3. The work content of hotel marketing mix and execution
Design and implement the hotel marketing mix (ie 4P) according to the marketing plan.It includes the design of hotel products, the formulation of prices and policies, the establishment and adjustment of marketing channels, and the specific planning and development of promotional activities.

4. Work content in hotel marketing control

According to the established hotel marketing goals and policies, analyze, compare and evaluate the hotel's marketing activities during the implementation process (involving after the marketing activities are over), so as to take timely measures to adjust the hotel's marketing activities and improve the efficiency of hotel marketing management .The content of the hotel marketing control work refers to the analysis and comparison of various marketing activities, the performance evaluation of the marketing department and its personnel, and the evaluation and adjustment of marketing organizations.

Fourth (Section) Hotel Market and Marketing Environment [-]. Hotel Market

The hotel market refers to any person or organization that has potential interest, potential demand, and possible purchase of hotel products.According to the current hotel marketing concept, hotel managers should not only see the actual buyers, but also notice that through effective promotional activities, potential buyers can be transformed into actual buyers.

[-]. Hotel marketing environment
([-]) Concept

The hotel marketing environment refers to the hotel ecosystem composed of various external and internal factors that promote or affect the hotel's marketing management capabilities. It is divided into two parts, namely the hotel's external environment and internal environment.

([-]) Purpose

The hotel marketing environment is the premise and condition for the survival and development of the hotel.The development of hotel marketing environment can not only bring market opportunities to hotels, but also cause serious threats to hotels.Therefore, the purpose of analyzing the hotel marketing environment includes recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of the hotel, seizing the marketing opportunities of the hotel and analyzing the marketing threats faced by the hotel.

1. Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of the hotel
Through the analysis of the internal environment of the hotel, we can clearly recognize the advantages and disadvantages of the hotel, such as the unique introduction of hotel architecture, first-class service quality, pioneering and innovative thinking of hotel decision-makers, etc., are the advantages of the hotel; Poor quality and so on become the disadvantage of the hotel.

2. Seize the hotel marketing opportunities and analyze the marketing threats faced by the hotel
The marketing opportunities that hotels often encounter fall into the following four categories.

(1) Market Penetration Opportunities - The hotel uses existing products to enter the existing market, on the condition that the hotel can conduct market penetration by increasing the consumption of existing guests, retaining old customers and striving for new customers.

(2) Develop market opportunities - hotels use existing products to break into new ones and change the market.

(3) New product development opportunities - The hotel seeks unsatisfied guests in the existing market and develops new products to satisfy them.

(4) Diversified business opportunities.

The changes in the hotel marketing environment are not all beneficial to the hotel, and the changes in some factors make the hotel face a severe situation.These changes in the marketing environment factors that are not conducive to hotel management are called hotel marketing threats.For example, there are new competitors emerging around the hotel and they are quite competitive.

Fifth (section) How to analyze the hotel market environment

Market operating environment analysis, also known as hotel community analysis, is a key component of hotel marketing analysis.Social changes, lifestyles, values, macroeconomic environment and technological development level have a huge impact on hotel management.They affect customers' demand for hotel products, determine the scale and level of hotel operations, and drive and restrict the speed and direction of hotel product development.Therefore, the hotel must study the above-mentioned uncontrollable factors in depth, and make marketing decisions that match the environment.For example, the current international anti-smoking campaign is becoming more and more popular. Guests hope that there will be non-smoking areas in public places. Many customers usually require non-smoking areas when they check into hotels, and they also hope that there are non-smoking areas for restaurant seats.If the hotel makes full use of this opportunity and opens up non-smoking floors and non-smoking areas, it will be very beneficial to attract these customers.Another example is in our country, due to economic development, more and more foreign investors come to China to do business, which creates a large demand for high-standard apartments and office buildings; And it's getting better and better.Due to the improvement of living standards, TVs, sanitary equipment and communication facilities in each room of the hotel are also becoming more and more popular, and new service items are also constantly being introduced.Only by tracking the impact of environmental factors on hotel demand and operation at any time can the hotel keep up with the pace of the times and maintain appropriate advancement and advancement.

The analysis of the hotel market operating environment should pay attention to the following aspects.First, local economic development status and trends.Hotel marketers should pay attention to collecting and analyzing macroeconomic indicators, such as gross national product, unemployment rate, price index, etc.In addition, it is also necessary to understand the number of local industrial and commercial enterprises and their operating conditions.Second, local tourism features and traditional activities.Hotel marketing personnel should investigate what historical sites and scenic spots are there, what special traditional activities and customs are there, and what sports and entertainment facilities can attract customers to stay in the hotel.Third, investigate the hotel industry in the region to understand the overall size of the hotel, the increase and decrease in the number of tourists, the average occupancy rate and average room price of the local hotel industry, and predict the development trend.Fourth, the traffic conditions and accessibility of the area.Whether there is a highway in the location of the hotel, what is the traffic condition of the railway and air, and whether the infrastructure such as communication, post and telecommunications is perfect.Finally, hotel marketers must also understand changes in other factors that affect hotel operations, such as political, social, and cultural changes, and analyze the possible impact on the hotel industry.

The ways to obtain data on hotel market operation and community analysis include:

(1) Read important product reporting magazines;

(2) Participate in important expositions and conferences;

(3) Pay attention to important local political and economic documents;
(4) Discussion with experts in the economic circle;
(5) To keep in touch with local product and economic developers;

(6) Participate in local business associations and service clubs;
(7) Talk to customers;

(8) Maintain close contact with tourism and other product organizations.

Since the content of the marketing environment involves a wide range of areas, and the amount of data and information is large and complicated, for the sake of simplicity, the marketing environment analysis table (that is, the community analysis table) can be used to provide basic guidelines for hotels to conduct this analysis.

Sixth (Section) How to conduct hotel competition analysis

Competition is one of the important factors in the hotel business environment.With the increasing development of the hotel industry, the competition in the hotel industry is becoming increasingly fierce, and the competition situation is becoming increasingly severe. Different competition situations will have different effects on hotel marketing.In the hotel's business activities, each hotel operator must frequently and continuously analyze the number and scale of competitors, the supply of competitors, and the means of competition, so as to come up with effective competitive strategies and strive to gain an advantage in the competition .

When marketers conduct competitive analysis, the general steps are as follows.

[-]. Determine the main competitors of the hotel

In the process of competition analysis, it is first necessary to clarify who are the current and potential competitors of the hotel.Only in this way can the competition analysis work of the hotel be targeted and the competitive strategy formulated can be effective.There are many ways to determine a hotel's competitors, either according to the target market, or according to the hotel's star rating or grade.The so-called competitors refer to those hotels with close geographical location, offering similar or identical products and services in content and grade, and facing the same customer source market.

[-]. Conduct competition analysis

(End of this chapter)