Relationship between the customer decision journey & the

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.