The rise of e-commerce based on Internet platform has expanded the industry competition from offline to online, and Internet marketing has become an increasingly important marketing channel. As an important social and economic service industry, the hotel industry has also entered the era of network marketing.
With the rapid development of China's economy and the information technology revolution represented by "internet plus", network marketing has become the development trend of hotel marketing in China. How to deeply understand and apply network marketing and use modern information technology to improve the marketing level of hotels is an important issue for the development of China hotel industry. This paper takes the marketing strategy of Ibis Hotel as the research object, points out the existing problems of the hotel's network marketing strategy through in-depth analysis and demonstration, and puts forward targeted improvement countermeasures.
Keywords: internet plus; Ibis Hotel; market strategy
With the sustained growth of China's economy and the rapid progress of Internet technology, "internet plus" has become a national strategy in recent years. Using information technology to deeply integrate the Internet with traditional industries and create a new development ecology will become the main direction of China's development and innovation in the future. In this context, the fast-growing hotel industry in China also faces new opportunities and challenges. The popularity of the Internet provides more channels and methods for the management of the hotel industry. The rise of e-commerce based on Internet platform has expanded the industry competition from offline to online, and Internet marketing has become an increasingly important marketing channel. As an important social and economic service industry, the hotel industry has also entered the era of network marketing. Applying the most advanced network technology, expanding marketing channels and strengthening marketing effects have become an important part of the marketing strategies of major brand hotels.
Ibis 1 Hotel Overview and Marketing Strategy Analysis.
Ibis Hotel Overview 1. 1
Ibis Hotel Chain is a budget hotel owned by Accor Hotels Group of France, and it is the fourth largest hotel chain in the world. Adhering to the concept of providing environmental protection, international quality and cost-effective service for tourists, the hotel has been widely favored by young customers since it entered China in 2004, and has established a good brand image and reputation, and entered a stage of rapid development. At present, Ibis has gradually expanded in the national market, with more than 14 stores in seven cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Ibis hotel is gradually strengthening management, improving the level of operation and construction, improving the capital operation ability, and striving to show stronger competitiveness in the future.
1.2 Current Situation of Marketing Strategy of Ibis Hotel
1.2. 1 Highlight the cost-effective price strategy.
First of all, Ibis Hotel has a unique room pricing strategy, which fully considers the psychological laws of customers. Flexible pricing in different periods and different standard rooms. For example, Ibis hotels generally have special rooms, which are flexibly arranged according to the time period and provide customers with a cost-effective consumption experience through technical arrangements. Secondly, the price of Ibis Hotel is also adjusted according to whether it participates in promotional activities in different regions, and the price is adjusted flexibly, and then pricing and price adjustment information is released through the Internet marketing platform to highlight the cost-effective advantage.
1.2.2 Focus on developing the channel strategy of online sales.
Ibis hotel mainly adopts the combination of online sales and offline sales in marketing channels. Online channels are mainly through Ibis official website and third-party service platforms, such as Zhu Hua Hotel Exchange, Ctrip and Qunar.com. These platforms have their own mobile apps, and Ibis Hotel has opened up new marketing channels based on these platforms, which has greatly improved the sales performance of the hotel.
1.2.3 Diversified promotion strategies
Ibis hotel relies on major online marketing platforms for promotion strategy. Ibis official website and its APP, a third-party service platform, have adopted various promotion methods, the most common of which is giving away hotel coupons. For example, on Ctrip, every customer who books and pays the room rate will get an electronic coupon with a certain denomination, generally ranging from 30 to 50 yuan. E-vouchers can be used for most hotel reservations on Ctrip. Secondly, on some group buying websites, Ibis Hotel also issued group buying coupons, so consumers can buy and enjoy the price concessions brought by group buying coupons. In addition, Ibis also pays attention to promotional activities in certain time periods, such as launching discounted rooms in the off-season of tourism.
2 Ibis hotel marketing strategy problems
2. 1 The product concept and function are not outstanding enough.
Ibis Hotel, as a foreign brand, has its cultural concept rooted in modern European and American society. In order to stand out from the competition of many domestic budget hotels, it is more important to cultivate consumers' loyalty by using the brand culture concept besides accurately matching the target customer market through unique product design, but this is not prominent enough in hotel product construction. Hotel product information provided by the official websites of Ibis, Ctrip and Qunar. Com and other third-party platforms are limited, limited to the room infrastructure, prices, photos, it is difficult to convey its unique cultural concept to customers. On the other hand, there is a vacancy in the advertising investment of the third-party service platform, which has a negative impact on its product image building and further market expansion.
2.2 In the same type of hotels, the price competitiveness is not obvious.
Ibis pursues the strategy of reasonable price and further subdivides it at the level of reasonable price, which shows that Ibis has made accurate research on the target customer market. However, compared with 7-day, Home Inns and Pudding hotels, this pricing strategy does not show sufficient competitive advantage. Generally, the implementation of price strategy should consider three factors: cost, competitors and customers. Cost is the basis of price setting, competitors are the important basis for price adjustment, and customers are the ultimate support for price realization. Although the current price strategy of Ibis Hotel has been refined and flexible, compared with other hotels, it still does not show enough competitiveness.
2.3 network marketing channel construction is not enough
2.3. 1 is not perfect in search engine construction.
In the internet age, it is an important marketing strategy to establish the address link of the merchant's own website on the search engine. If the content related to the enterprise can be ranked in the front of the search results, or there are positive keyword tips in the search box, it will have a very positive significance for attracting customers to understand in depth and expanding the visibility of the hotel. At present, although Ibis has invested in search links, due to the inherent disadvantages of foreign brands in the domestic market, the current investment is far from enough to effectively root Ibis' good cultural concept and brand image in the minds of China consumers.
2.3.2 Mobile Internet marketing channel construction is not perfect.
Mobile Internet is a network system with smart phone as the main carrier and integrating portability, personalization and various' applications'. In terms of mobile Internet marketing, Ibis Hotel is still in a relatively backward state. At present, it mainly relies on the promotion of Zhu Hua hotel communication APP, and lacks the construction of mobile phone application. Although the hotel has opened the official WeChat public platform, the maintenance work is not in place, which leads to the low frequency of publishing hotel news and preferential information on the public platform, which can not effectively play the advantages of social networks and effectively use the mobile Internet for marketing activities.
2.4 the promotion is not strong enough, and the form needs to be innovated.
Although Ibis Hotel has adopted a diversified online promotion method closely integrated with its platform, overall, the profit margin of the hotel's current pricing strategy is not high, and the changeable price space is not large enough. Therefore, its promotion is far from enough compared with competitors. In addition, the online channel of Ibis Hotel relies too much on the third-party platform, and the promotion form needs to be innovated. At present, the passive promotion activities carried out by hotels account for most of all the promotion activities, and the promotion effect is not ideal depending on the organization of third-party service platforms such as China Hotel Exchange, Ctrip and E Long.
3 Ibis Hotel Marketing Strategy Improvement Countermeasures
3. 1 Highlight the concept and characteristics of products in Internet marketing.
Ibis Hotel should closely combine the development characteristics of the Internet and effectively convey the cultural concept and characteristics of the hotel. Hotels can start from two aspects. First, the construction of offline hotel rooms and the improvement of hotel services, offline product entities are the basis of online publicity. The rooms of Ibis Hotel should reflect the differentiation and characteristics of Ibis. The second is the richness and details of online publicity. In official website, third-party platforms, mobile device app and other publicity channels, we should enrich the introduction of products, and convey the concept and characteristics of products more effectively through more detailed picture display.
3.2 Adopt a competitive price strategy
Ibis hotel should consider the influence of many factors and comprehensively use the following three pricing strategies to improve the price competitiveness of the hotel: first, cost pricing, which is a shrinking pricing strategy, mainly based on the cost of room construction and operation; The second is market pricing, which is based on the general price of hotels of the same type in the market. Market pricing is the pricing strategy adopted by most hotels at present, which mainly considers the factors of competitors and belongs to a passive pricing strategy. Thirdly, demand pricing is an active pricing strategy based on brand positioning, which successfully combines the psychological needs of target customers with the brand positioning of products, and sets prices that meet customers' expectations for hotel grades and service experience. Ibis hotel can refer to the prices of domestic influential brands, highlight the differentiated competitive advantage, and have richer and more distinctive services at the same price; The same service level, the price is lower. Through product construction, brand building, relying on a good brand image, increase customer loyalty, and finally meet the requirements of demand pricing.
3.3 Improve the construction of online marketing channels
3.3. 1 Optimize search engines, make rational use of the rules of current cooperative search engines, and improve the ranking of official website and important cooperative websites by increasing investment and technical design. Ibis hotels can choose to establish cooperative relations with search engine operators with high level and standardized operation in the industry, which can not only promote the top brands and official website, but also establish keyword search and register keywords, such as Ibis, International Quality and Environmental Protection Hotel. It can also register words related to activities according to the recent marketing promotion plan, and effectively promote Ibis through keyword strategies.
3.3.2 Establish and improve mobile Internet marketing channels. At present, social networks such as WeChat and Weibo are increasingly influential among hotel customers. Ibis Hotel should improve the construction of WeChat platform, make it an important marketing platform and highlight the core advantages of the hotel. The public platform should be operated by special personnel, update push information in time, establish customer information feedback channels, strengthen user experience and strengthen interaction. Ibis can also try to develop its own brand-specific APP. It is a higher-level marketing platform, which is conducive to the timely push of information, the construction of brand image and the promotion of popularity. Mobile Internet marketing is an important choice for hotels.
3.4 Increase the promotion efforts and enrich the promotion forms.
The product promotion of Ibis Hotel should be combined with the promotion of price and channel. We can strengthen the price reduction and promotion. First, it can enrich the forms of price reduction. In addition to the hotel vouchers, coupons and group purchase vouchers mentioned above, you can also add mature forms such as point system and membership discount. The latter two forms have not been displayed on official website or third-party service platforms. The application of these two forms can be strengthened after the construction of official website and the establishment of Ibis independent APP. Through the application of points, membership and other forms that are closely integrated with the brand and easy to cultivate brand loyalty, we will build a long-term mechanism to enhance sales promotion and expand the coverage and publicity effect of sales promotion.
4 conclusion
For the hotel industry, the use of online marketing is a great development and progress. Under the background of "internet plus", hoteliers can accurately grasp customers' needs, expand marketing coverage and enrich marketing methods and strategies. Network marketing is increasingly becoming the mainstream marketing model. The hotel industry in China should actively explore and upgrade the network marketing strategy, and provide help for enterprises to achieve longer-term development.
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