In this course, you learned the foundations of the marketing research process, to distinguish the types of marketing research, available uses of primary and secondary data, to analyze data and patterns, create marketing research plans and understand trends in industry. For this final project, you will need to analyze a hotel chain’s preliminary entry strategy into the U.S. marketplace and prepare a marketing research plan for their team.
Read the Charter Hotel’s case study information noted below. As a consultant for the company, you are tasked with researching the hotel industry, current situation, and provide a marketing research plan that can assist the company with their entry strategy into the U.S. Specifically, they want to know which target audience to focus on including food preferences, technology expectations, amenity offerings and public space configurations. In a paper of at least 2,500 words, be sure to discuss the following, using research and evidence from sources to support your plan:
1. Determine the research problem
A. Provide a case background and business situation
B. Share your research objectives and questions
C. Identify what role your research should play
2. Identify the background information
A. Collect hospitality and hotel market, industry and trend data
B. Identify target audience viability and customer preferences
C. Research hotel technologies and public space information
Use 10 outside and credible sources including refereed journals, trade publications, research studies, and similar secondary sources – APA format. List these on a Works Cited page at the end of the marketing research plan.
3. Select the research design
A. Explain types of research to be used
B. Discuss the research specifications, sampling strategy and data collection methods
i. Develop an exploratory depth interviewer guide with instructions and questions with follow-up recommendations to guide the interview process
ii. Create a consumer survey with at least 10 questions. Use a free online survey site such as SurveyMonkey.com and build your survey then export it to MS Word for submission. It will streamline your work.
C. Address any ethical considerations
4. Evaluate the research design
A. Data collection – Conduct 7 interviews with target customers using the exploratory depth interview guide
i. Describe your fieldwork experience
ii. Discuss any challenges with the collection process
B. Data analysis – Provide a thorough analysis including use of case information
i. Build locations and financial plan
ii. Secondary data sources
iii. Exploratory depth interviews
5. Communicate the results
A. Provide conclusions and recommendations to address the research questions
B. Discuss limitations in the study
C. Identify ideas for future research
Put the exploratory depth interview guide, 7-person interview summary, and consumer survey at the back of the marketing research plan and label this Appendix A after the Works Cited page.
Prompt – Case Study
Charter Hotels is a boutique company which plans to open a new major hotel chain in the U.S. Jerry Smyth, CEO of Charter Hotels, has asked you to prepare a comprehensive marketing research plan that will provide Charter Hotels with the necessary information to be successful in the new venture.
Charter Hotels is committed to innovation, and believes that the key to success in the highly competitive travel industry is to respond to changes in consumer demand. Ms. Smyth wants to understand the consumer mindset related to ideal overnight accommodations, technology needs, and guest expectations. She is committed to responding to consumer preferences by making Charter Hotels something unique with reimagined public spaces and customized services.
Sal Rosfield, Director of Marketing is interested in learning what the business can do to create consumer interest and demand for Charter Hotels in the U.S. He thinks consumers want authenticity and on-demand delivery in their travel experiences. Rosfield also believes there is real opportunity to target travelers who are under 35. Ms. Smyth is skeptical about this target market and thinks that the company should focus more on older business and leisure travelers who have more disposable income. They hope the research will help identify and define a clear target customer.
Greg Houseman, Director of Operations notes that food services are key to building a successful property. He thinks the hotels should have localized menus and use locally-sources food. Jeffrey Sanchez, CFO thinks the expense of localizing food offerings will not be offset by additional revenue and supports a standardized, national menu.
Mr. Sanchez adds that consumer preference can be efficiently built through the creative use of technology to include artificial intelligence, mobile applications and advanced analytics in order to adapt to customer behavior in real time. Although he is not sure how consumers want technology to be used by hotels. Sal Rosfield agrees that integration of technology is essential but notes that consumers have some privacy concerns as well.
One area that all the executives agree on is that the property will be designed to conserve energy and water – to be a ‘green’ property. This is something they know that consumers value and it reduces operating costs.
The executives explain they plan to open 300 hotels under the brand name ‘Charter Hotel.’ The real estate for the new hotels has already been purchased but the hotel design can be changed based on the research.
Each property will have 175 rooms, public spaces, meeting facilities, restaurant, bar, and other amenities such as a business center and fitness room. The design of the public spaces and amenities will be based on consumer preferences discovered in the marketing research.
The hotels will be from three to eight stories depending on specific site requirements and include on-site parking. Parking will be free in suburban locations but there will be a charge for parking at business district and downtown hotel properties. Valet parking service will only be offered at the business district and downtown locations.
Each hotel will have 165 standard rooms (418 square feet each), and 10 larger suites ranging from 600 to 2,100 square feet. Standard rooms will include a bedroom with a king or two queen beds, nightstands, dresser, small desk with chair, upholstered chair and ottoman, sofa, standard closet, and bathroom with tub, shower, sink, and counter. Rooms will be equipped with a TV, phone and other yet to be defined amenities.
Room rates will be localized by market and change based on demand to maximize revenue. The hotels will be designed to incorporate personalization although what and how the customer experience is personalized still needs to be defined. The hotels will be built in the next 12 months and the financial plan for the first year is as follows:
(Financial Plan attached as picture)
Formatting & Sources
Please write your paper in the APA format. As part of your research, you may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least three credible, outside sources and cite them using APA format as well. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in APA (including the lesson title and instructor’s name).
Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question.
Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the Journal of Management. You may use like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network to find articles from these journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.)
Grading Rubric Attached as picture
