The Marketing Stratigies And Public Relations Of Hilton Marketing Essay

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Hilton worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging
sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended -stay suites and mid
priced hotels. For 90 years, Hilton worldwide has been offering business and leisure
travellers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company
is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences
across its global brands. Its brands care comprised of its more than 3,300 hotels in
77 countries and include Waldorf Astoria hotels and resorts, Conrad hotels and
resorts, Hilton double tree, Embassy suite hotels, Hilton garden Inn, Hampton Inn
and suites, Homewood suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand vacations. The company
also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors. Hilton Hotel's
properties are renowned for their convenient and strategic locations within major
countries throughout the world. Also synonymous with the brand are the high level
of personal service guest receive, and the extensive range of comprehensive business
facilities available in luxurious settings. This hotel is built in 1963 as a showcase for
international guests; this stunning New York City hotel has warmly welcomed
families visiting the world's fair, representatives attending political conventions and
certain "Fab Faur" from England, coming to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show.
With a multilingual staff of professionals, a wide choice of elegantly appointed
accommodations, this extraordinary NYC hotel looks forward to continuing its legacy
of service and guest satisfaction.

MARKETING
The marketing function is the study of market forces and factors and the
development of a company's position to optimize its benefit from them. It is all about
getting the right product. There is a difference between sales and marketing,
marketing people deal with markets that contain many potential customers, and they
talk to them as a group. Whereas profit or service to the customer at the right place at
the right time. Marketing is much more than just advertising or PR. It's a way of
doing things that starts with a potential customer and ends up with a profit. In the
middle are competitors who are after the same customers and same profits. In the

business as a marketing person, it's necessary to use some proven tools and
techniques to attack the competition and gain the customers. Marketing is the
process where a company satisfies customer needs with a product and service at a
price that generates a salespeople deal with a few customers and talk to them one at a
time.
According to me Marketing is a body of knowledge concerned with the relationship
of a business to the marketplace. This market place is made up of customers,
potential customers, competitors, suppliers, distribution channels, communication
media and government regulations. It is a key of discipline that enables the
producers of goods and services to interpret customer wants, needs and desires - and
match, or exceed them, in delivery to their target consumers. Marketing is also a
mixture of all the activities of advertising promotion, publicity, deciding the look and
feel of the product, how it will be sold and send to the consumer etc .All of these are
the different parts of the marketing, they are not marketing.
According to Philip Kotler (2006), Marketing is the social process by which
individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and
exchanging products and value with others."
Eric Davies and Barry Davies (2 edition), Institute of Management, Successful
Marketing in a week, "Marketing is the identification and profitable satisfaction of
customers' needs'".
The Charted Institute of Marketing, "Marketing is the management process
responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements
profitably."
We define marketing management as the analysis, planning, implementation and
controls of programs designed to create, build and maintain beneficial exchange with
target buyers for the purpose of achieving organizational objectives.
According to Bennett (1995), "The process of planning and executing the conception,
pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges
that satisfy individual and organisational goals.
According to handouts The American Marketing Association defines marketing as,
"The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and
distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual
and organisational goals."

Facets of Marketing: Marketing has two sides first is philosophy, an attitude, a

perspective or a management orientation that stress customer satisfaction. Second
marketing is a set of emotions used to implement this philosophy. This is the
marketing process.
In hospitality marketing, the product is the experience of the guests. This experience
has both a goods component (like food) and an interactive component, which we call
service. In practice, hospitality employees become part of the product (experience).
Another way every employee is part of the guests' experience, because the typical
hospitality organisation is highly personal and interactive.

APPROACHES TO MARKETING
Product orientation: Product orientation means focuses on the internal capabilities
of the hotel rather than on the desires and needs of the marketplace. The benefits
offered by a product or service can include:
Convenience and accessibility.
Good after-sales technical support and advice.
Comfort and ease of use.
Accountability- the knowledge that if things go wrong, the manufacturer will put
them right.
Courtesy and helpfulness of staff.
Attractive, appropriate and efficient design and packaging.
Peace of mind- the knowledge that you can trust the hotel, that your needs are
understood and the good or service you have purchased will not let you down.
Sales orientation: A sales orientation is based on the ideas that people buy more
goods and services. In marketing a product is important to establish a unique selling
proposition which sets business, brand or product ahead of the competition. Creating
a unique selling proposition is particularly important in providing services. Unique
selling propositions are usually set out in advertising. Therefore, the focus of a sales
orientation is still the product, or what an operation has to offer.

Marketing orientation: Marketing is based on the ideas how the product comes out in
the market. The right place is profitable for the product. It focuses on customer
wants and needs and integrating all the organisation's activities, including
production, to satisfy these wants. Achieving long-term goals for the organisation by
satisfying customer wants and needs legally and responsibly.
Societal Marketing Orientation: The Societal Marketing Orientation is the newest
marketing concept. This concept holds that the organisation should determine the
needs, wants and interests of target markets and deliver the desired satisfaction more
effectively and efficiently that competitors in a way that maintains or improves the
consumer's and society's well being, whether the marketing concept is adequate in
the age of environmental problems, resources shortage, rapid population growth,
worldwide inflation and neglected social services. The pure marketing concept
ignores possible conflicts between short run consumer wants and long run societal
needs. Like a Hotel, Hotel chains have established no-smoking floors and no
smoking sections in their restaurants. Fast-food restaurants that practice the societal
marketing concept pursues more environmentally sound packaging and produce
foods with more nutritional value. Resort developers must consider the impact on
the environment not only of their initial construction but also of the disposal of waste
products and their use of water.

MARKETING PLAN
Marketing plan is designed to implement the strategies chosen at the corporate and
strategic business unit levels. Writing a marketing plan of the hotel allows you to
examine the hotel environment in conjunction with the inner working of the
business. The marketing plan allows the marketing manager to enter the market
place with an awareness of possibilities and problems. The development of a
marketing plan every year is also important because good strategies are equal to
success. It is noted that the long term effect of a marketing plan is hard to measure
with precision. Ronald McDonald and Santa Claus have such things as long term
effects.

Elements of Marketing Plan

Current Situation: It's important to assess market trends and the competition. These
days, most forward thinking marketing people also involve salespeople to help their
understanding. This is because sales people have an intimate knowledge of individual
customers and competitors.

Marketing Objectives: This is to help potential customers understand what your

business does. It includes brochures, presentations and website. Salespeople should
use these to describe the business and explain the benefits of your products to
individual customers. There are all important goals to determine which ones you
want to achieve first, second and so on and which are most easily and effectively
executed.
Swot Analysis: The total evaluation of a hotel's strengths, weakness, opportunities
and threats is called SWOT analysis. The best marketing people know exactly what
they are good at, and what they are not so good at their strengths and weaknesses, it
comes in internal analysis of hotel. In strategic planning opportunities and threats
come in external analysis of the hotel.
Competitor Analysis: Every business has competitors and its good for combined
spend on promotion and advertising increases the size and growth of the market. It
must understand that who is competitors, things like location, business size, website,
product information and their target customer groups. Must spend time working out
their strengths and weaknesses. Monitor their website every month and keep an eye
open for them in a press. Try and work out what they are trying to achieve and where
they are going. Try and guess how much they depend on a particular product or
market.
Market Research: "Marketing people have come to rely too much on research, and
they use it as a drunkard uses a lamppost for support, rather than for illumination."
David Ogilvy
It's important to know about existing and potential customers and need to establish
basic information about them.
Advertising and promotions assessment
Market tracking
Customer satisfaction
Market segmentation
Target Markets: It depicts which markets are most worthwhile and important for
organisation.

Marketing Tools: It's important to develop a sort of shopping list of the promotional
tools organisation use and what budget organisation will devote to customers.
Monitoring: Organisation will need to decide how it is going to monitor its
performance. Monitoring is an important phase of the marketing process.

SWOT Analysis
HHC, like all major hotel corporations, is continuing to recover from the events of
Sep.11th. This tragic human event also delivered a financially devastating blow to the
travel industry as a whole and to the hotel industry in particular. In order to fully
recover and thrive in the coming years, HHC must assess its overall all strengths and
weaknesses as it moves forward through the new millennium. The following SWOT
Analysis sheds some light on some of the pitfalls and opportunities that await the
Hilton Hotels Corporation.

Strengths
Strengths are the positive aspects and distinctive attributes; It provides a significant
market advantage. Strength is essential part and power of the hotel.
Brand Recognition: Hilton has a good reputation and their name is well known.
Hilton is a leader in the hotel industry. It's good to make their product, their
packaging and their tangibles look different to those of their competitors, it is
essential to make them support their brand values.
Demand-Supply gap: Hotel remains proper gap in demand and supply products. It
gives good results to the hotel and get promotion.
Diversification of products: Hilton is more than hotels. They also generate revenue
from gaming and entertainment. By being involved more than one industry. Hilton
has a benefit of drawing from one part of its business if another part becomes less
lucrative. Gaming and entertainment (as well as hotels) serve different customer's
needs. While this diversity does not automatically insure success, it does help the
company to balance out its profits across three areas of the business.
Hilton Hotel Corporation (HHC) is a well established organization and industry
leader in the hotel, hospitality and gaming industry

HHC is well diversified across the industry with hotels in the high end, business and
mid-priced classes in their product mix
Brand recognition
HHC also possesses solid integration features such as owning the companies that
manufacture its furniture and has invested in online reservation travel enterprises
Hotel facilities: 'Hilton Hotel' has a full service spa, a health club, an outdoor-pool, a
steam room, a sauna, wireless and wired high speed internet access is available in
public areas. The luxury properly features two restaurants for surcharge, guest
receive, transportation including an airport shuttle and an area shuttle. Guest
parking is complimentary. Event facilities consist of a ball room and
conference/meeting rooms. The staff can arrange concierge services, wedding
services, event catering. Guest Rooms features coffee/ tea makers and
complimentary bottle water. Bathroom offers separate bathtubs and showers with
handheld showerheads, phones, scales. All guest rooms are non-smoking. There are
no room charges for children 12 years old and younger who occupy the same room as
their parents or guardians, using existing bedding. The following fees and deposits
are charge by property at time service, check -in check-out. In last, laundry facility,
massage-spa treatment room and wheelchair are also available.
Hilton Hotels are known for a high level of comfort and prestige. The Port of San
Diego and Hilton are planning to develop a 1200-room hotel on the waterfront
adjacent to the San Diego Convention Canter. The prestigious Hilton Malta promises
the best in accommodation and a high standard of service for which Hilton hotels are
renowned. For business or pleasure the Homewood suites by Hilton hotels are
designed with all the comforts of home in mind. The Hotels are the "Official Hotel
Group of UK Athletics and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Athletics Team."
Hilton Hotels are now building computer files on customer preferences using a
system called On Q, pronounced "on cue". The Hotels are known across the globe
and offer a choice of 2700 quality hotels in the UK, Europe, Asia, America, Africa and
Australia.
Hotel chain: Hilton Hotel develops many countries. This is the deluxe hotel in the
Newyork city. Hotel chain is vital part of the strengths of the hotel. Hilton hotel is
worldwide.
Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction with a purchase depends upon the
product's performance relative to a buyer's expectations. A customer might

experience various degrees of satisfaction. If the product's performance falls short of

expectations, the customer is dissatisfied. If performance matches expectations, the
customer is satisfied. If performance exceeds expectations, the customer is highly
satisfied or delighted.
Expectations are based on customer's past buying experiences. Hotel strengths with
customer satisfaction as table setting, better offers, easy switch suppliers, location
and good management team etc.

Weaknesses
HHC may be two narrowly focused making it vulnerable to a downturn in the global
economy and other world-wide catastrophes that could limit global travel such as the
bird-flu and a significant terrorist strike
HHC may be vulnerable to workers' strikes and crack down on undocumented
workers in the U.S. Most of its holdings are in the U.S.

Opportunities
HHC should offer an array of distinctive and specialized services to the high end
guests and high rollers such as
Wedding planning & hosting
Spas that specialize in personal services
Personal trainers
HHC should look to expand into or acquire a cruise line
A cruise ship is little more than a hotel that floats this would essentially match what
it currently does with its leased properties
Gaming activities would escape regulation, etc.
Take advantage of emerging markets, especially with business class and mid-priced
markets

Threats

HHC must be careful not overextend its efforts to mix entertainment and gaming
Also the extension of credit and other side effects of gaming can slowly but surely
nibble away profits
September 11th was a major blow to the hotel industry. A similar event could result
in another down turn.
The hotel has many competitors like the Oberai Towers, the Marine Plaza, The
Orchid, Le Meridian etc.
Relationship Marketing: Relationship Marketing involves using methods and tactics
to develop long term relationship with customers in order to retain them. An
organisation must exceed customer satisfaction to develop a healthy relationship
with customers. Traditional transactional marketing involved the organisation
focusing all of its marketing efforts on attracting the customer for one off sales.
Company must put into place tactics to attract customers. To attract customers
promoting the product and brand, offering good quality products, services and
competitive prices. Attracted customers to be retained with organisation. Methods
used to retain customers include Loyalty cards, a good customer service, product
variety and quality.
(Handout)

Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategies are the means by which marketing objectives will be achieved
and are generally concerned with the seven elements of the marketing mix. It deals
with pricing, selling, and distributing a product .Using a market development
strategy, a company or business unit can capture a larger share of an existing market
for current products through market saturation and market penetration or develop
new markets for current products. What a company wants to accomplish, in terms of
such things as market share and volume, is a marketing objective. How the company
intends to go about achieving its objectives is strategy. Strategy is the overall route to
the achievement of specific objectives and should describe the means by which
objectives are to be reached, the time programme and the allocation of resources.
There is clear distinction between strategy, and detailed implementation, or tactics.

The following headlines indicate the general content of strategy statements in the
area of marketing which emerge from marketing literature:Policies and procedures relating to the products to be offered, such as number,
quality, design, branding, packaging, positioning and labelling, etc.
Pricing levels to be adopted, margins and discount policies
Advertising, sales promotion, direct mail, call centres and the internet, along with
The mix of these, the creative approach, the type of media, type of displays, the
amount to spend, etc.
What emphasis is to be placed on personal selling, the sales approach. Sales training,
etc.
The distributive channels to be used and the relative importance of each
Service levels, etc., in relation to different segments.
Marketing Mix
In marketing, one such conceptual framework that is particularly useful in helping
practitioners structure their thinking about marketing problems is called 'marketing
mix'. To devise a product or service which will be seen as different in the eyes of
prospective customers, to the point where they will prefer it to all competing
substitutes, is obviously the ultimate objective of the marketer. Marketing
professionals and specialist use many tactics to attract and retain their customers.
These activities comprise of different concepts, the most important one being the
marketing mix. There are two concepts for marketing mix: 4P and 7P. It is essential
to balance the 4Ps or the 7Ps of the marketing mix. The concept of 4Ps has been long
used for the product industry while the latter has emerged as a successful proposition
for the services industry.
According to John O' Shaughnessey (1984), "Product, price, promotion and
distribution are factors that, within limits, are capable of being influenced or
controlled."
Marketing strategy can be viewed as reflecting a marketing mix of these four
elements .The marketing mix is at the core of marketing. The marketing mix consists
of the key decisions where marketing managers should exhibit their greatest

expertise and professionalism. It has become common to summarize the elements of

the marketing mix in the 4P's- product, price, promotion and place.
The seven P's of marketing mix can be discussed as:

Product
Expand the line
Change performance, quality or features
Consolidate the line
Standardize design
Positioning
Change the mix
Branding.

Price
Change price, terms or conditions
Skimming policies
Penetration policies

Promotion
Change advertising or promotion
Change the mix between direct mail, call centres, the internet
Change selling.

Place
Change delivery or distribution
Change service

Change channels
Change the degree of forward or backward integration.

People
People refer to the customers, employees, management and everybody else involve in
it.
Realize reputation of the brand

Process
Methods and process of providing a service
Must be helpful to customers

Physical (Evidence)
Experience of using a product or service
Brochures, Pamphlets
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public relations (PR) is an important marketing tool that until recently was treated as
a marketing stepchild. PR is moving into an explosive growth stage. Advertising costs
continue to rise, while audience reach continues to decline. Advertising clutter
reduces the impact of each ad. Sales promotion costs have also increased as channels
intermediaries demand lower prices, better commissions and deals. The creative use
of new events, publications, social events, community relations and other PR
techniques offers companies a way to distinguish themselves and their products from
their competitors.
A simple definition of public relations is 'the development of and maintenance of
good relationships with different publics'. The publics are the range of different
groups on which an organization is dependent. These include employees, investors,
suppliers, customers, distributors, legislators/regulations/governments, pressure
groups, the community, the media and even competition. Most of these groups have
different interests in any particular organization. Public relations integrate with most
aspects of an organization's activities.

Public relations communication tools

News Generation
One of the most widely used is the generation of news. News is best structured
around a story which can incorporate information about an organization or its
products.

Events
Organizations can also gain people's attention through staging or sponsoring Events.
These can range from simple news conferences and seminars to exhibitions,
competitive activities, anniversary dinners and stunts. All are likely to gain media
coverage and draw attention to the sponsoring organization's name. They can also
aid the achievement of credibility or establish images with which an organization
would like to be associated. Events are also good opportunities to develop
relationship with suppliers, opinion leaders and associates, as well as customers.

Publications
An organization's publications are another method of communication in which
public relations will have an active interest. Sales support material is an obvious
example, which can include brochures, manuals and presentations, usable by all
personnel who have contact with the outside world. Annual reports, other public
interest communiqus, and special publications such as cookery books and children's
stories also provide vehicles for influencing both customers and those who can affect
customers' perceptions. Internal audiences and significant stakeholders are often
addressed by organizational newsletters and magazines.

Support for good causes

Organizational support for good causes is another means of promoting an image and
associating an organization with a certain set of values. This can include charity
donations in return for product coupons, the sponsorship of public service activities
such as festivals, and individual executives' support for local community interests
such as educational establishments, hospitals or crime prevention. All these provide
many opportunities for publicity elsewhere.

Expert opinion

Individuals within an organization can also act as sources of expert opinion for
journalists, public enquiries or other forms of research and investigation. Public
relations managers may seek to promote the expertise in their organization through
the dissemination of contact lists, and by grooming individuals' interviewing and
presentational skills.

Visual identity
Organizations also often seek to establish a visual identity through conformity of
design or logos. While design can make it easier for customers to recognize an
organization's products when they come across one, logos and other identification
marks can be more important for internal markets as a means of signifying change or
commonalty of purpose.

Market Position and Services

Hilton Hotels is one of the market leaders in the hotel and gaming industry in the
United States. Hilton is a well-known and distinguished name in fine hotels across
the United States and worldwide. In 1999, Hilton expanded aggressively by acquiring
the Promus Hotel Corporation, Hampton Inn and Suites, Doubletree Hotels,
Embassy Suites Hotels, and Homewood Suites. Hilton Hotels Corporation has grown
to become the world's most recognized and most successful hotel company (Hilton
Innovation, 2007). With the 2006 acquisition of Hilton International, Hilton Hotels
Corporation became a global force with more than 2,800 hotels in more than 80
countries throughout the world (2007).

Marketing Mix theory on Hilton Hotel

The marketing mix is essentially a conceptual framework that is particularly useful in
helping practitioners structure their thinking about marketing problems is called
'marketing mix'. To devise a product or service this will be seen as different in the
eyes of customers. There are many different approaches to the marketing mix like
7ps.
Product: There is no point in developing a product or service that no one wants to
buy; it becomes first what to offer first. Hilton hotel find out what customers need or
want and then develop the right product-with the right level of quality to meet those
needs now and in the future. Their product is not tangible. Their perfect product
must provide value for the customer. They regularly check customer's satisfaction

about product and their services. They also provide product of best quality to their
customer.

Price:
Hotel's price is competitive but not cheapest - This business is able to compete with
other larger rivals by adding extra services or details that is offer customers better
value for money. . Their pricing must also provide a profit. It is the only element of
the marketing mix that generates revenue - everything else represents a cost. The
price is used by many buyers as an indicator of quality.

Promotion:
It does not mean communicating just their customers. They ensure their internal
stakeholders are aware of the value and attributes of their products. Hotel
communicating effectively to his staff/ fellow employees so that they can be
knowledgeable and share expertise with their customers. The employees look
regularly at the products that account for the highest percentage of their sales.

Process:
Hotel's process is good because customer does not see how their business runs,
customers will see the work. The process of giving a service and the behavior of those
who deliver are crucial to customer satisfaction. Its process is best. Never customer
waited for their products, they never waste their time. They provide right
information of the product to customers and the staff is helpful to them at every
time. Customers keep happy by staff. There is no value in making the rest of the
company run perfectly if this part is faulty. This 'P' could be great source of
competitive advantage if used wisely.

Physical Evidence:
Hotel provides facilities such as clean, tidy and well-decorated reception area to
reassure. They also delivered financial services product in a formal setting, while a
children's birthday entertainment company adopt a relaxed approach. Although
customer cannot experience the service before purchase but they talk to other people
with experiences of the service. Their views do not come from the company. This
Hotel engages these customers and asks for their feedback, so that they can develop
reference materials. New customers can then see testimonials and are more likely to

purchase with confidence. Physical presence, style, location and decoration of the
hotel grabs attention, interest and, to some, creates the desire to enter and explore.

People:
Anyone who comes into contact with hotel's customers will make an impression and
that can have a profound effect-positive or negative-on customer satisfaction. The
reputation of hotel's brand rests in their people's hands. So they are appropriately
trained, well motivated and have the right attitude. Hotel's all employees who have
contact with their customers are not only properly trained, but also the right kind of
people for the job. Many customers cannot separate the product or service from the
staff member who provides it. This shows the importance of their people. The level of
after sales support and advice provided by a business is one way of adding value to
what they offer and give them an important edge over their competitors. This comes
probably become more important than price for many customers once they start to
use them. They regularly look at the products that account for the highest percentage
of their sales.

Place:
The place where customers buy a product and the means of distributing their product
to that place is appropriate and convenient for the customer. The product is available
in the right the right place, at the right time and in the right quantity, while keeping
storage, inventory and distribution costs to an acceptable level. Delivery performance
is one of the most important criteria when choosing a supplier. Place also means
ways of displaying their product to customer groups. This could be in a shop window,
but it could also be via internet.

CONCLUSION
I therefore, conclude by studying national and regional industry trends, HHC will be
able to take advantage of opportunities that will enable growth while identifying
threats that may affect profitability. Growth in the hotel and hospitality industry will
include a continued focus on gaming, international expansion and using all media to
promote its products to potential customers. One recommended strategy for Hilton
is to emphasize the importance of family in all its hotels, including the gaming and
casino locations. Las Vegas has spent millions to attract families by adding children's
attractions as well as the traditional casinos for the adults. Most of the hotels have at
least a small area dedicated to arcade games. However, some hotels have elaborate

arcades, game areas, and child-care centers intended for those traveling with
children (Hilton Hotels Corporation, 2007). Hilton needs to ensure they are right in
the middle of this demographic of parents traveling with children. While the focus
can still be on the high dollars that are tossed around in the casinos by the parents, it
will be critical that the hotel have the facilities available that will attract parents with
children to stay at the property. Since there is a greater demand and vacation time
has become one of the few times that families are able to spend quality time together,
Hilton must capitalize on this market segment.

Recommendation
Hilton Hotel should have minimum staff at each shift in that matter they are need of
more staff to handle growing customers or guests.
Another hand they are still acking of some amenities and facilities.
They should also pose mission and vision at the front office, the staff also should
maintain personal hygiene especially on the front office.
And they should also talk to customers in a nice and proper way.
In order to overcome this security of things they should see to it that these
recommendations must put into action.