Introduction

The pivotal purpose behind presenting this report is to analyze the marketing strategy of Marriott International, Inc. A marketing strategy focuses on the overall business strategy of a firm to attract future consumers and make them clients of their products or services. For accomplishing the purpose of analyzing the marketing strategy of a specific firm, the report will entail through analysis of Marriott International, Inc. The report will be divided into several parts. The first part will contain the marketing strategy used by Marriott International, Inc. The second part will be comprised of the promotional strategy implemented by the company. The last part will cover the advertising campaigns of Marriott International, Inc.

Company background

Marriott International Inc. has a broad spectrum of hotels and connected accommodation services, operating in American international hospitality corporation. The firm was founded in 1927 in Bethesda, Maryland, the United States by J. Willard Marriott. Marriott International has established itself in 131 nations with about 7, 000 hotels offering around one million guest rooms to discuss its presence. It includes 30 companies divided by comfort and convenience and is one of the most prestigious organizations in the hospitality sector (Spechler, 2017). Marriott International is a public enterprise listed in the United States on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

Marketing Strategy of Marriott International, Inc

Marketing Mix analyses the 7Ps of a brand/company i.e., product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, people, and process and describes the company’s marketing strategy (Sharma 2021). The marketing strategy of Marriott suggests that the brand has grown using several marketing methods, such as product/service innovation, marketing investment, and customer experience, and so on. Marketing strategy supports company objectives and targets, and the 7Ps marketing mix is a broad-based framework for the creation of strategies.

Product – Marriott is one of the world’s greatest luxury hotel chains. For Marriott, the primary product is hotel services in their marketing mix. The services are divided into three sections: core, actual and extended services, which include various services, such as hotels, hotel management, resorts, accommodation, etc. Marriott is always focused on client requirements and ways their requirements could be satisfied (Bhasin, 2019). The Ritz-Carlton hotels, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Bulgari, Le MERIDIEN, Westin hotels, Gaylord hotels, courtyard hotels, four points, spring hill suites, etc. are further subcategorized among the product hotels. Each brand has its unique style and concept, making it identifiable as compared to others.

Place – In almost 120 countries across the world, Marriott has established itself, and its hotels are also situated in different locations in the respective cities, such as near airports and roads, near key markets, and so on. Marriott has the benefit of having specific hotel locations for attracting different customer segments. Marriott has also developed a mixed channel strategy for the expansion of its properties that include both direct and third-party channels (Kwok, Tang, & Yu, 2020). This improves the pace at which the inventory across each infrastructure is maintained and costs are reduced.

Price – The main reason is for the appropriate product to be delivered at the correct pricing. In preserving value with the quality framework, Marriott decides the price of its hotels, and the price strategy is also maintained in such a manner that Marriott’s revenues are maximized without losing its brand name. Prices of hotels can vary with consumer demand as well as concerning maintenance and advertising costs (Toma, & Grădinaru, 2018). The pricing of Marriott’s items likewise follow a competitive strategy that also varies with the changes in situation and conduct.

Physical evidence – The most important physical evidence for the firm is the building and resorts. Services are primarily intangible, but Marriott provides its customers a fantastic atmosphere with a lasting physical experience that motivates them to return back to the properties (Toma & Grădinaru, 2018). The Marriott brand’s other tangible items are towels, books, soaps, etc.

People – Marriott recognizes how important it is to serve its guests, which is the brand’s fundamental people strategy. To offer all services, employees who provide the services are extremely important for gaining customers’ confidence, which is why their personnel in Marriott are continuously trained and motivated to perform the exceptional services that meet customers’ expectations (Toma & Grădinaru, 2018).

Process – Marriott has several business procedures in place to guarantee high-quality client service, fast booking, and a pleasurable stay. Marriott always works with a clear procedure to keep the clients satisfied. It is extremely easy to look at, evaluate, operate, and use it in a fairly versed way from online reservations to check-in and check-out.

Promotion Strategy and advertising campaign

Because of its strong brand presence, Marriott enjoys a leadership position in the respective industry. It provides its customers unique incentives to stay loyal. As a part of its loyalty program for regular customers, the Marriott Rewards program, Marriott provides free products, vacations, gifting, bonus, room upgrades, and amenities (Dunleavy et al., 2018). The digital advertising and promotion of its products is among its core business processes. Because Marriott is global brand, they have built a website that displays all of their items in great details and enables customers to book rooms through a simple process. It promotes various advertisements, videos, and campaigns on many websites on social media. By developing alternative promotional systems and by bringing new consumers to market, Marriott is also trying to keep its current clients (Dunleavy et al., 2018). The firm has started high-impact advertising efforts to boost its brand recognition and accumulate more customers. It has been recognized for its services and distinctive features with numerous awards.

Having a significant market share, Marriott has maintained a strong presence throughout major places in the Asia Pacific, Europe as well as the Middle East, apart from being one of the leading U.S. hospitality brands (Bhargav, 2017). The focus on customer care and quality of service has led to greater advertising and a significant competitive edge. Marriott relies, however, largely on digital platforms, including its website, application, and social media, to promote deals. In addition, the firm has employed numerous loyalty incentive schemes. The website and app are its major promotional sources through which visitors may book rooms and find more about the newest offers.

The Marriott Bonvoy Travel program has over 3.7 million Facebook followers. Marriott’s complimentary program is designed to enhance the travel experience of its visitors (Bhargav, 2017). The Silver Elite, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite are different tiers of this program. Visitors enjoy many advantages directly for program registration, such as free internet, etc. After merging the preceding award programs, this award program was launched in 2019.

Besides, Marriott employs promotional co-branding. The business has multi-year agreements with JP Morgan Chase and American Express on US problems relating to its Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program co-brand credit cards. Moreover, CSR and sustainability are also emphasized to maintain a solid public image. They also utilize their social media profiles to deal with client issues from different parts of the world. The firm has also received numerous awards for its good practices and general efforts to preserve a solid image of its employees (Bhargav, 2017).

Conclusion

Marriott International is one of the world’s most renowned hotels which, due to innovative marketing strategies, are always in the news. The Marriott International network is, of course, also at the top of the list with over 7000 hotels in over 100 countries and territories. Marriott International was, however, also a leader in the internet travel marketing business for the last three years. The company has performed well in incorporating digital marketing into the well-cured approach of turning their brand into a preferred choice for those searching for luxury travel, from a large worldwide network to the proprietary technology platform.

References

Bhargav, S. (2017). A study on marketing mix of hospitality industry. International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering, 7(9), 253-265.
Bhasin, H. (2019). Marketing Mix Of Marriott – Marriott Marketing Mix. Retrieved July 3, 2021, from https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-mix-marriott/
Dunleavy, L., Walshe, C., Oriani, A., & Preston, N. (2018). Using the ‘Social Marketing Mix Framework’to explore recruitment barriers and facilitators in palliative care randomised controlled trials? A narrative synthesis review. Palliative medicine, 32(5), 990-1009.
Kwok, L., Tang, Y., & Yu, B. (2020).The 7 Ps marketing mix of home-sharing services: Mining travelers’ online reviews on Airbnb. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90, 102616.
Sharma, A. (2021). The Art of Marketing Hotels: Strategy of Marriott – A Case Study. Retrieved at: https://iide.co/case-studies/marketing-strategy-marriott-international/
Spechler, J. W. (2017). Marriott International, Inc. In Reasonable Accommodation (pp. 173-185). UK: Routledge.
Toma, S. G., & Grădinaru, C. (2018). The marketing mix in a luxury hotel chain. The Journal Contemporary Economy, 3(2).