Hotel promotions in Singapore, Malaysia, & Indonesia

Abstract

This project purports to study the finer details of the promotions strategies of hotels in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In each country, we will attempt to draw the differences between the 3-star and the 5-star hotels.

Promotions, being traditionally one of the four pillars of marketing, seems to be an area not really covered in its full glory in the marketing mix of most hotels. There is extreme emphasis on product, both in the tangible and intangible areas; pricing, where it is seen as a major competitive force, and distribution, the old cliche about the importance of location, location, location requires no repetition. In the three countries studied, promotions seem to be secondary and most of the promotions undertaken were on a reactive basis, though there are more promotional programmes that are now more proactive in nature. Promotions should be an integral part of the marketing mix of any hotel as communications from the service provider to the customer ~ past, present or potential is crucial to ensure success.

We have approached this study from the point of view of the customer as we feel that the customer is of the utmost importance to a business. Indeed, without customers, no business can survive. Hence, the customers are the ultimate determinants of the success of hotels promotional efforts. In addition to the analysis of the current promotional practices, this research also seeks to forecast possible future trends in promotional methods and media in the hospitality industry. Hence, this research could be used as a reference for determing the possibie means with which hotels could reach their target customers more effectively and efficiently in future.