The prevalent digital area is shaped by technological innovations that allow constant communication from all around the world between organizations and customers and between customers and this development has shaped communication structures and practices of organizations. This research project connects theoretical communication constructs and current communication practices examined in four luxury hotel organizations in Switzerland. The theoretical basis of the study is the marketing communication triangle that connects internal, external and interactive communication factors. Synthesizing to the theoretical construct in depth interviews were conducted to discover the role of social media in internal, external and interactive communication processes.
The study results reveal that social media communication is on the way to get an integral part of the marketing communication strategy in the examined hotel organizations. By considering the current usage of traditional and new communication tools strategies are defined that assist the luxury hotel organizations to create a communication structure that incudes communication preferences of the organization the employees and the guests and still enables a consistent message delivery.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 RESEARCH OVERVIEW
1.1.1 Communication principles in the service industry
1.1.2 Social media in the hotel industry
1.1.3 Tourism industry in Switzerland
1.1.4 Luxury hotel business
1.1.5 The research aim
1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND RESEARCH QUESTION
1.3 IMPORTANCE OF THIS RESEARCH
1.4 SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 MARKETING COMMUNICATION
2.2.1 Communication processes
2.2.2 Marketing communication mix
2.2.3 Integrated marketing communication
2.2.4 The service marketing triangle
2.2.5 Implementation of IMC
2.3 WORD-OF-MOUTH COMMUNICATION
2.3.1 Historical background and definition of WOM
2.3.2 The formation and consequences of WOM
2.3.3 The significance of WOM
2.3.4 eWOM
2.4 THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
2.4.1 The developmental history of Social Media
2.4.2 Social Media utilization in corporations
2.4.3 Social Media as marketing communication tool
2.4.4 Why it cannot be left behind
2.4.5 Hotels utilizing Social Media
2.4.6 Luxury Hotels and Social Media marketing
2.3.7 Social media as integrated part
2.5 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 METHODOLOGY SELECTION
3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND RESEARCH FIELD
3.3.1 Hotel A
3.3.2 Hotel B
3.3.3 Hotel C
3.3.4 Hotel D
3.4 SAMPLING
3.5 DATA GATHERING
3.6 ANALYSIS STRATEGY
3.7 ETHICAL CONCERNS
3.8 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
3.9 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 4 – PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS
4.3 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS
4.4 INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION TOOLS
4.5 IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS COMMUNICATION TOOL
4.6 INFORMATION EMPLOYEES CAN GAIN ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
4.7 INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION CAN GAIN ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS
4.8 ONLINE INFORMATION IMPACT ON PURCHASING DECISION
4.9 EFFECTS OF EWOM
4.10 CONSISTENCY OF INFORMATION
4.11 DEVELOPED STRATEGIES
4.12 GUEST INTERVIEWS
4.13 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 5 - ANALYSIS OF DATA
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 CURRENT COMMUNICATION PRACTICES
5.3 THE RELEVANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
5.4 eWOM IN LUXURY HOTELS
5.5 CONSISTENCY AND STRATEGY
5.6 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 6 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 RESULTS IN RELATION TO THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
6.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR HOTEL ORGANIZATIONS
6.4 WEAKNESSES OF THE RESEARCH AND FUTURE RESEARCH
6.5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
Research Objectives and Themes
This research project investigates how luxury hotels in Switzerland utilize social media and online platforms to manage their marketing communication processes. The study aims to determine how these digital tools can be integrated with traditional communication strategies to ensure consistent messaging across internal, external, and interactive channels, ultimately supporting the development of innovative marketing strategies.
- Role of social media in the marketing communication mix of luxury hotels.
- Impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on customer purchasing decisions.
- Challenges in maintaining message consistency across online and offline channels.
- Communication preferences of employees and guests in the luxury hotel sector.
- Strategies for leveraging online feedback for service quality improvement.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1.2 Social media in the hotel industry
Technological developments have shaped the strategic and operative management of several industries, including the hotel industry. Not only can hotel properties and rooms be viewed and booked online but also platforms have been created that allow customers to share their service experience and to get directly in touch with the hotel management (Safko, 2012). The possibilities of posting electronic world-of-mouth are growing and in 2012 close to 1.5 billion individuals were using social networks worldwide (EMarketer, 2013). The challenge for service organizations is that all the messages that are delivered to customers are consistent (Wilson et al, 2008). A recent study outlines reasons why online marketing is important for hotel organizations and draws the conclusion that it is important especially for winning new guests because nothing tends to work better in the tourism business than word of mouth recommendations. As such the Internet provides an additional platform to present positive recommendations that are shared on international grounds.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the research context, focusing on the impact of technological innovations on communication in the Swiss luxury hotel industry and defines the core research objectives.
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter provides a theoretical foundation by reviewing marketing communication frameworks, the service marketing triangle, word-of-mouth (WOM) phenomena, and the emergence of social media.
CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter outlines the qualitative research approach, specifically the use of in-depth interviews across four Swiss luxury hotels to gather primary data.
CHAPTER 4 – PRESENTATION OF RESULTS: This chapter presents the empirical findings from the interview sessions, categorized by internal, external, and interactive communication tools, as well as the perceived impacts of social media.
CHAPTER 5 - ANALYSIS OF DATA: This chapter analyzes the collected data, exploring the relevance of social media, the influence of eWOM, and the strategies for maintaining communication consistency.
CHAPTER 6 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: This chapter synthesizes the findings to provide managerial recommendations for integrating social media into a consistent marketing communication strategy and suggests areas for future research.
Keywords
Social Media, Luxury Hotels, Marketing Communication, Switzerland, Integrated Marketing Communication, Service Marketing Triangle, eWOM, Word-of-Mouth, Customer Relations, Communication Consistency, Digital Strategy, Qualitative Research, Hotel Management, Service Quality, Brand Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation examines how Swiss luxury hotels manage their marketing communication processes in the digital age, specifically focusing on the integration of social media tools to ensure consistent message delivery.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the service marketing triangle, the role of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), strategies for internal and external digital communication, and the alignment of social media activities with corporate branding.
What is the primary research question?
The research seeks to identify communication strategies that enable consistent messaging via traditional and digital channels and how these can be optimized to improve customer relationships and operational outcomes in the luxury sector.
What methodology was applied in this research?
The author conducted a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with managers, employees, and guests across four representative luxury hotels in Switzerland.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical review of marketing communication, the presentation of results from the interviews, and a detailed analysis of how these hotels currently handle online versus offline communication.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Central keywords include Social Media, Luxury Hotels, Marketing Communication, eWOM, Integrated Marketing Communication, and Service Quality.
How is the "service marketing triangle" applied in this study?
The study uses the service marketing triangle as a framework to analyze the interactions between the organization, employees, and customers, highlighting how social media impacts each of these relationships.
How do luxury hotels in this study handle online reviews?
The findings indicate that hotels vary in their approach, ranging from monitoring to actively responding to reviews, with many recognizing these as critical tools for gathering feedback and managing the hotel's public image.
- Quote paper
- Bettina Fuesselberger (Author), 2014, Social media usage in Swiss luxury hotels, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/539142
