Marketing and Brand Positioning Strategies in the Hotel Sector: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Due to the strong incentive of tourism in Brazil, whether for leisure or business purposes, the competitive environment in the hotel industry is highly strained. Offers of superior value to clients and competition for reduced prices is directly related to the hotel industry. Thus, marketing strategies, based on marketing segmentation, target market definition and positioning and branding strategies are vitally important to differentiate the service offered by hotels. The central objective of the present study is to investigate the actions of strategic marketing and positioning in the case of the Araucária Plaza Hotel (five-star category), established in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. The case study was used as a research method to prepare the present article (semi-structured in-depth interview and documental analysis). The results indicate: (a) The hotel is strategically positioned as a luxury hotel in the minds of the customers’, seeking to offer superior value and service, (b) The brand is strategically linked to luxury and sophistication, (c) The hotel has an efficient marketing information system; (d) means of advertisement: media, outdoor, direct mail, e-mail marketing, partnerships with taxi firms and magazine companies related to tourism (i.e. travel agents package holiday magazines).DOI: 10.5585/remark.v9i3.2187