Nelson College London

Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management

Assessment Brief
Unit Number and Title Unit 15: Hospitality Marketing Essentials

Unit Code T/616/1801

Unit Level 4

Academic Term September - December 2018

Unit Tutor Daniel Tom-Joe

Issue Date WC 24/09/2018

Submission Date 04/12/2018

Introduction

This unit is designed to introduce students to the principles of marketing, enabling them to develop a basic
marketing plan and to employ elements of the marketing mix to achieve results. While they will learn the
underpinning theories and frameworks, they will also be able to relate these to real-world examples, including
products/services that they encounter in their own daily lives.
Hospitality organisations such as Hilton, Accor, McDonalds, Costa Coffee and small local businesses all have at least
one thing in common: they all use marketing to influence us to engage with their products and/or services.
Whether it is becoming a loyal customer buying a product and service or donating to a charity, organisations use a
range of marketing techniques and tools to inform and influence us.
The knowledge, understanding and skill sets that students will gain on successfully completing this unit will
enhance their career opportunities; whether setting up their own business or being employed by an organisation.

Submission Format:
The assessment comprises of an essay to be written covering several broad topics as the main requirements of the
assignment. Relevant areas for discussion have also been identified under each broad topic. The beginning of each
section should outline a general introduction to the broad topic with the objective of providing a contextual
background to the areas of discussion to follow.
Relevant references and academic quotes and the use of case study or examples are required as evidence of
broader reading and research.
Reasonable consideration will be given in the case of failure to submit the assignments on time due to any medical
reasons. (Provided sufficient medical proof is made available at the time of exemption)
Late submissions are not allowed and will be penalised.
There is no word limit for this assignment; however, we would expect to you complete the assignment within
approximately 3000 words excluding references, diagrams and tables.
Referencing should be provided in Harvard Style referencing.
The assignments should be completed in Font Type: Time New Roman/Arial with Size 12 and 1.5 spacing between
lines.

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Aim of the unit:
The aim of this assignment is to measure the outcome of students’ learning in terms of knowledge acquired,
understanding developed and skills or abilities gained in relation to achieve the learning outcomes. This assignment
will measure learners’ outcome levels.
The assessment comprises of an essay to be written covering several broad topics as the main requirements of the
assignment. Relevant areas for discussion have also been identified under each broad topic. The beginning of each
section should outline a general introduction to the broad topic with the objective of providing a contextual
background to the areas of discussion to follow.
Relevant references and academic quotes and the use of case study or examples are required as evidence of
broader reading and research.

Scenario
The hospitality industry consists of companies within the food services, accommodations, recreation, and
entertainment sectors. It is a several billion pound industry that mostly depends on the availability of leisure time
and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of
multiple groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers,
bartenders, etc.), management, marketing, and human resources.
The hospitality industry is growing fast, but it's also changing. Some people say that you have only to look at the
USA to see where the British hospitality industry is going: fast food and lots of it, theme parks and themed
restaurants, so many eating places that dining out becomes as common as dining in, and an emphasis on customer
service.
There are now more than 3.5 million people employed in hospitality in the UK, and by 2020 that is expected to
reach 6 million. And it's an industry that's changing fast, as anyone with an eye on the news will have noticed.
In 2018, there are about 13 new 4-star hotels scheduled for opening , with some 2000 rooms between them. Who
would have thought a few years ago that we'd be ordering take-away Pizza from petrol forecourts, for example? Or
having coffee and breakfast in a pub?
Or paying to cook our own food in a restaurant? These are just some of the offers coming on-stream, and there are
undoubtedly more interesting ones to follow.
That is the good news. The bad news is that the hospitality industry still has problems, above all with its image. But
the over-riding message from recruiters is that the low pay and long hours for which hotels and restaurants are
famous are becoming a thing of the past. The sheer growth of the industry has meant that employers are putting
together far more attractive recruitment packages to attract the right staff. For potential managers the prospects
can be tremendous.
We must acknowledge that Brexit will have some form of impact on the hospitality sector. Whether this will be
positive or negative remains to be seen. What can be stated for certain is that the hospitality sector is highly reliant
on labour from European Union countries and indeed from many other countries across the world. The UK
hospitality workforce has more than 24% of workers born outside the country, of which 45% are from Europe and
55% from the rest of the world

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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit a student will be able to:
1. Explain the role of marketing and how it interrelates with other functional units in a hospitality organisation
2. Compare ways in which hospitality organisations use elements of the marketing mix (7Ps) to achieve overall
business objectives
3. Develop a basic marketing plan to meet marketing objectives for a hospitality organisation.

LO1 Explain the role of marketing and how it interrelates with other functional units in a hospitality organisation

 Explain the key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function within a selected hospitality
organisation.

Guide: Learners are to Identify and explain 4 key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function in a selected
hospitality organisation, by completing the table below:

Hospitality Organisation :

Brief description of activities of your chosen hospitality organisation, and location:

Roles & Responsibilities How is it executed in the selected Organisation

1.

 Discuss how roles and responsibilities of marketing relate to the wider organisational context
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Guide: Using the sample organisation chart of a typical hotel below:

Draw a similar chart (organisation chart) for your chosen hospitality organisation. This is a group activity/discussion
and participants in the group will have the chance to present the group’s completed work by stating how each
person has contributed to the group’s arrival at the decision by giving examples.
Groups will be given the chance to review other groups based on their outcome (Peer Review) after the group
presentation or discussion in class.

Front Dest services

Room Division
Reservation

Marketing

Purchasing/Accounting
Food and bevarage

Human Resource
Mgt

Figure 1: Sample Chart

 Analyse the roles and responsibilities of marketing in the context of the marketing environment

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Guide: Using diagrams and examples where necessary, identify Three (3) separate Roles and Responsibilities and
state how they are related to each other, and how each one contributes to marketing environment factors (both
internal and external factor or Micro and Macro Factors).

Role Responsibility How do they Relate to each other and to the

Marketing environment
1.

 Analyse the significance of interrelationships between marketing and other functional units within a
selected hospitality organisation

Guide: Students are to analyse the significance of interrelationships between marketing department and two(2)
other departments in a hospitality organisation. e.g. Marketing and Food & Beverage, Marketing and Rooms
Division, etc.

 Critically analyse the key elements of the marketing function and how they interrelate with other functional
units within a selected hospitality organisation.

Guide: Learners are to give their view after considering all the functional units. Decide the importance of all the
relevant positive and negative points before presenting a brief remark or decision. (Four (4) functional units will be
appropriate). You can use diagrams or pictures to illustrate parts of your analysis.

LO2 Compare ways in which hospitality organisations use elements of the marketing mix (7Ps) to achieve overall
business objectives

 Compare the ways in which different hospitality organisations apply the marketing mix to the marketing
planning process to achieve business objectives

Guide: Copy and complete the table below comparing how your chosen organisations use the elements of marketing
mix in their marketing process to achieve their business objectives:

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Element of (7Ps) Company 1 Company 2
E.g. McDonald E.g. Hilton Hotel

McDonald’s has a product mix Offers Services including meeting,

composed mainly of food and
beverage products. They have the
Product
following main product lines:
Hamburgers and sandwiches
Chicken and fish
Salads
Snacks and sides
Beverages
Desserts and shakes
Breakfast/All-day breakfast McCafé
These products are designed with
the customer in mind and there is
constant review of customer
satisfaction through the use of Apps,
adverts, and Special Discounts with
regular variations in product names
and sometimes content.
wedding and banquet facilities and
special event services, restaurants and
lounges, food and beverage services,
swimming pools, gift shops, retail
facilities and other services. Core
product is hotel rooms that customers
stay in for a specific period of
time. Peripheral services can be
explained as additional products and
services as mentioned above.
Hilton is constantly improving on its
facilities, to attract new customers,
with recent introduction of Free mobile
phone to business customers. Service
quality is constantly under review with
staff training and enhancements.

Price

Place

Promotion

People

Physical evidence

Process

 Evaluate different tactics applied by hospitality organisations to demonstrate how business

objectives are achieved

Guide: Identify two (2) of the tactics that hospitality originations can use in marketing to achieve business
objectives. Explain each of the tactics with an example. You can use diagrams/pictures to illustrate your answer.

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LO3 Develop a basic marketing plan to meet marketing objectives for a hospitality organisation

Case Study

Scenario

Title: Travelodge admits price alone cannot boost loyalty as it launches premium rooms

Travelodge is launching premium economy rooms or ‘SuperRooms’ throughout the UK as it looks to push its
services to professionals.

The rooms include more modern ‘residential’ décor in shades of taupe and beige. More seating is available, along
with more USB charging points, more choice of lighting, a full length mirror, ironing board and hairdryer. The rooms
also include a Lavazza ‘A Modo Mio’ fresh capsule coffee machine for workers on the go.

“Our new ‘SuperRooms’ adds an extra choice for customers who are spending more time working in the room, are
staying longer or who just value that little bit more comfort,” says Peter Gowers, Travelodge’s chief executive.

The SuperRooms will be available in five locations from today (15 May) and by autumn there will be 1,000 of the
premium rooms, predominantly in central London, followed by Heathrow, Gatwick and then other regional areas.

Travelodge’s sales and marketing director, Karen Broughton, says the move has come from customer demand, as
she likens it to EasyJet’s move into the premium market a few years back.

“Our story is very similar to EasyJet’s story. At the start people were almost embarrassed about travelling with
EasyJet or it was frowned upon. But on the back of the credit crunch it became quite cool to see who gets the best
deal and it is the same for Travelodge,” Broughton tells Marketing Week.

“People are becoming much savvier with their money now and they want more choice with what they do with it.”

Broughton believes the new offer means Travelodge will get a trickle down from those staying in five-star hotels as
their business customers’ priorities change.

The premium rooms will be advertised through digital, including programmatic and social, as well as being
communicated to current customers through direct marketing.

Although the more premium rooms do not have enough scale for a TV ad of their own yet, Broughton says the
company’s focus on business through its current Travelodge campaign will coincide with the changes.

Source: Rachel Gee (2017), Travelodge admits price alone cannot boost loyalty as it launches premium rooms,
Marketing Week, Available at https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/05/15/travelodge-loyalty-premium-
business/ [Accessed on 22 July 2018]

 Produce a basic marketing plan for a hospitality organisation to meet marketing objectives

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Guide: Using the case study above, produce marketing plan for Travelodge and present this in groups of (1 to 5
persons), using Poster Presentation in class. You are free to choose any other verifiable hospitality origination of
your choice.
Learners can also use a self-made video of how the marketing plan can be done for a chosen hospitality
organisation.

 Produce a detailed, coherent, evidence-based marketing plan that applies the marketing mix to
meet marketing objectives for a hospitality organisation.

Guide: In groups or individually, produce an evidence-based marketing plan considering all the stages and resources
required by Travelodge.

 Design a strategic marketing plan that tactically applies the use of the 7Ps and includes measures
for monitoring and evaluation to achieve overall marketing objectives.

Guide: By using a table or a diagram.

NB: Your strategic plan must cover all the elements of the Marketing Mix

Business Objective Marketing Mix & Strategy Tactics Monitoring & Evaluation

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Grading Criteria

Learning Outcome Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Explain the role of P1 Explain the key roles
marketing and how it and responsibilities of the
interrelates with other marketing function within
functional units in a a selected hospitality
hospitality organisation
organisation
P2 Discuss how roles and
responsibilities of
marketing relate to the
wider organisational
context
M1 Analyse the roles and
responsibilities of D1 Critically analyse the
marketing in the context key elements of the
of the marketing marketing function and
environment how they interrelate with
other functional units
M2 Analyse the within a selected
significance of hospitality organisation
interrelationships
between marketing and
other functional units
within a selected
hospitality organisation

LO2 Compare ways in P3 Compare the ways in M3 Evaluate different

which hospitality which different hospitality tactics applied by
organisations use organisations apply the hospitality organisations LO2 LO3
elements of the marketing marketing mix to the to demonstrate how D2 Design a strategic
mix (7Ps) to achieve marketing planning business objectives are marketing plan that
overall business process to achieve achieve tactically applies the use
objectives business objectives M4 Produce a detailed, of the 7Ps and includes
coherent, evidence-based measures for monitoring
LO3 Develop a basic P4 Produce a basic marketing plan that and evaluation to achieve
marketing plan to meet marketing plan for a applies the marketing mix overall marketing
marketing objectives for a hospitality organisation to meet marketing objectives
hospitality organisation to meet marketing objectives for a
objectives hospitality organisation

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