A3

Assignment Objective(s):

By the end of this project, students should be able to:

1. Apply marketing theories and concepts to a specific hospitality or tourism enterprise.

2. Use strategic marketing planning terms, concepts and methods.

3. Demonstrate analytical, research and observational skills.

4. Justify marketing-related decisions using data and logic.

5. Express ideas in writing citing sources appropriately for a business document.

Supports CLO 1 – 5 by challenging students to formulate a comprehensive marketing plan for a hospitality or tourism business.

Assignment Description:

This is part 3 of an 3-part marketing planning project. Please use the same hospitality or tourism business that you used in Assignment 2.

Format and Submission Requirements for Planning Assignments 3: Submit is a discrete 5 to 10 page document that includes the following information:

1. The number and title of the planning assignment

2. A brief description of the chosen business and its location

3. The names of the individual or team member working on the assignment.

4. All requested elements of the specific assignment.

Due Date: Assignment #3 is due at the end of Week 8 submitted to the assignment link on D2L. Detailed assignment instructions can be found on the following pages. Please follow the assignment directions carefully so that all required elements of the assignment are included.

Grading Rubric. Each Assignment has an individual grading rubric. See rubric attached to each assignment.

A: Communications Strategy:

The communications strategy is concerned with saying the right thing to the right audience at the right time to persuade them to choose your offerings. Research shows that hospitality and tourism customers go through specific stages (Dream, Plan, Book, Experience, Share, Loyalty Loop) when making a purchasing decision. These messages and feelings should be consistent with the value proposition. In addition, you should identify areas of frustration or misunderstanding that could interfere with the process, known as “derailers.” This assignment focuses on aligning the messages, media and product strategies (touchpoints) and derailers along the “Customer Decision Journey.” Read more about this at: https://hbr.org/2015/11/competing-on-customer-journeys.

Instructions: Create a communication strategy for at least 3 target markets identified in Assignments #2 and #6 for a 6-month period. Make sure your messages address emotional and spiritual benefits and do NOT just focus on features. Touchpoints may include print media, broadcast media, collateral material, PR, personal selling, sales promotions, social media, email marketing as identified in Assignment #6. See the chart at the bottom of this assignment for some prompts for filling in the chart.

Target Market #1: ______________________________________

	Dream	Plan	Book	Experience	Share	Loyalty Loop
Messages/Feelings
Touchpoints
Derailers

Target Market #2: ______________________________________

	Dream	Plan	Book	Experience	Share	Loyalty Loop
Messages/Feelings
Touchpoints
Derailers

Target Market #3: ______________________________________

	Dream	Plan	Book	Experience	Share	Loyalty Loop
Messages/Feelings
Touchpoints
Derailers

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

The table below includes examples of items to include on your map. This is NOT exhaustive – add ideas of your own!

MESSAGE(S)/FEELING(S)	TOUCHPOINTS	DERAILERS
In each box for each stage, list the message/ feelings you want to evoke in the shopper to motivate them to the next stage.	In each box for each stage, list the marketing touchpoint that you would use to communicate with the shopper to move them to the next stage.	In each box for each stage, list the gaps or barriers that could cause the shopper to lose interest and pursue other options.
Fun Convenient Easy Great deal Good Value Special Connected New Experience Memories Educational Important Exciting Relaxing Worry-free Authentic Low-risk Luxury Friendship Achievement Satisfaction Reconnect	Online ads Blog posts Email Marketing Social Media Postings Diversify Listings Improve OTA listings Google Alerts to monitor for comments Optimize website Improve the lobby Align staff behavior with brand promise Promote your social media in the hotel Invite guests to share on social media Provide information on local sights and entertainment Offline (printed, TV, billboard ads) Reward creative user-generated content Select the right key words Provide discounts and vouchers	Limited visibility on search engines Hard to navigate website Unfriendly Got Lost No social media presence No “book now” button Bad reviews No follow up emails Fails to live up to promise Frustration Disappointment Extra expenses Surprises Unanswered questions Outdated décor Construction No social responsibility