08 Fall

L E A B O N N I N

MBA 2A 2011

Digital Marketing

Final Exam

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-of-

mouth. 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

The hotel appears

first on Google’s

first page.

Good visibility

3rd party

websites

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.

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.

Pay Per

Click

advertising

on Google

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