1. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE CUSTOMER DECISION
JOURNEY & THE HOTEL’S
DIGITAL IQ
MBA2B

2. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CUSTOMER
DECISION JOURNEY & THE HOTEL’S DIGITAL
IQ
• TODAY 63% OF TRAVELERS CHECK ONLINE REVIEWS BEFORE BOOKING, AND
57% USE THEIR MOBILE DEVICE TO CHECK TRAVEL INFORMATION ->
CUSTOMERS CHECK DIFFERENT SITES AND USE DIFFERENT DEVICES TO
BOOK: TABLETS, SMARTPHONES AND COMPUTERS.
• IT MEANS HOTELS MUST NOW DIVERSIFY THEIR DIGITAL MARKETING AND
DEVELOP THEIR VISIBILITY -> DEVELOP THEIR E-REPUTATION WITH OFFERING
COMPREHESIVE WEBSITES, CREATE APPLICATIONS FOR PHONES AND
TABLETS TO ANSWER NEW CUSTOMER NEEDS.

3. 1) HOW DOES YOUR HOTEL COMPANY
ADDRESS COMPLEX CUSTOMER DECISION
JOURNEYS
• THE WESTIN IS NUMBER 2 IN DIGITAL IQ INDEX BEHIND INTERCONTINENTAL. IN
2013 THANKS TO VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE (E.G: ADVERTISING
FILMS), INTERACTIVE WEBSITE, STRONG PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
(FACEBOOK, TWITTER, FOURSQUARE), APPLICATIONS FOR TABLETS AND
SMARTPHONES+ CUSTOMER DIRECT REVIEWS ON THE WEBSITE (NO NEED TO
GO TO THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES)

4. 2) WHAT KEY DIGITAL MARKETING
INITIATIVES MAKE YOUR COMPANY STAND
OUT – IMPRESS + ENGAGE?
• IN 2012, CREATION OF A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATION: « WHAT’S POPULAR
RIGHT NOW »
• IN AUGUST 2013 THE WESTIN HOTELS LAUNCHED DIGITAL DESTINATION
GUIDES (GUIDES TO SITES AND LOCAL FAVORITES WITHIN WESTIN HOTELS
REACH). THE WESTIN CHOSES TO PARTNER WITH AFAR TO DEVELOP WESTIN
FINDS

6. 3) WHAT AREAS SHOULD YOUR HOTEL
COMPANY IMPROVE?
• IMPROVE VISIBILITY ON ORGANIC SEARCH AND PAID SEARCH (E.G:PURCHASE
MORE KEYWORDS ON GOOGLE)
• DEVELOP CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: CREATE MORE FILMS ABOUT THE
WESTIN, DEVELOP THE GLOBAL BRAND IMAGE (CF. W PARTNERSHIP WITH
INTEL, WESTIN SHOULD THINK OF A PARTNER TO WORK WITH TO TRY COBRANDING)
• DEVELOP APPLICATIONS FOR TABLETS AND MOBILE DEVICES -> NOT JUST
CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND CONCIERGE SERVICES BUT M-COMMERCE AS WELL
WHICH TODAY ARE STILL UNDERUSED
• INCREASE ERGONOMY OF EXISTING APPLICATIONS

7. 4) IF OTAS ARE USING SIMILAR
STRATEGIES + TOOLS, HOW SHOULD
HOTELS COMPETE DIFFERENTLY?
• CREATE CUSTOMER LOYALTY THROUGH MEMBERSHIP CARDS/ MEMBERSHIP
CLUBS WITH ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES NOT AVAILABLE WITH OTAS -> EXTRA
DISCOUNTS, FREEBIES (FREE BREAKFAST, FREE WELCOME OR FAREWELL
DRINK ETC)

8. 5) WHERE DOES 'SHARING' FIT INTO THE
DECISION PROCESS? HOW CAN HOTELS
'PROVOKE' SHARING?
• CONSUMERS SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS ON A HOTEL AFTER THEIR
STAY, THEREFORE ONLY AFTER THE DECISION PROCESS.
• HOWEVER IN A WAY, THE CONSUMER IS INFLUENCED BY PREVIOUS FEEDBACKS OF
A HOTEL (CF. TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS ; WORD OF MOUTH). SHARING IS PART OF THE
ASSIST INTERACTION IN THE DECISION PROCESS.
• HOTELS CAN ‘PROVOKE’ SHARING, INVITING GUESTS TO LIKE THEIR FACEBOOK
PAGE, AND OFFER FREEBIES TO GUESTS WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE ON
INSTAGRAM AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA.
• THE WESTIN HAS A « STAY CONNECTED » SECTION ON THEIR PAGE TO QUICKLY
RATE AND REVIEW THE HOTEL

9. 6) WHAT WAS YOUR KEY CONCLUSION FROM
THIS EXERCISE?
• THE WESTIN HAS A GOOD REACTIVITY TO DIGITAL EVOLUTIONS.
• HOTELS NEED TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH DIGITAL MARKETING.
• THROUGH THIS EXERCISE WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE
MARKETING FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE BRAND.