SERENGETI

Christine Nicole Vargas

Overview❏ Rationale

❏ Situation analysis

❏ Objectives

❏ Strategies

❏ Measurements of effectiveness

Rationale❏ Currently, there are only 2 chained-brand luxury hotels

in Serengeti National Park [or any African National Park] - Four Season Lodge Serengeti and Fairmont Mara Safari Club

❏ Millennials and Generation Z consumers drive 85% of global luxury sales growth, 81% expect luxury brands to be aligned with their eco-conscious values

❏ Ecotourism is a hot new travel trend

❏ Target Market: Affluent millennial travelers that are eco-conscious and experiential-oriented❏ By 2020, U.S. Millennials are forecast to spend

about 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars❏ 72% of millennials prefer to spend more money

on experiences than on material things❏ 73% of millennials are willing to pay extra for

sustainable offerings

Situation Analysis

Strength: Marriott Rewards Program - convenient Opportunity: Gain market share of eco-conscious world-wide program that works across all brands millennial travelers in Serengeti National Park

Weakness: Not seen as trendy as the competition Threat: Existing competitors are popular and have “We do not position ourselves as a trendy hotel company” - CEO a strong presence on social media

S O

W T

Cultural Context❏ There has been a broad cultural shift toward

sustainability and environmental protection

❏ Many hotel chains are launching sustainability initiatives, including our own sustainable and responsible operations program

❏ Our new hotel combines sustainability with eco-tourism

❏ More than 40% of survey respondents stated that they have travelled specifically for eco-tourism

Industry Analysis

❏ Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the environmental impacts of the hospitality industry

❏ The industry is shifting towards a more sustainable model, benefiting both the consumer and the environment

❏ Millenials are expected to make up 50% of travellers by 2025

Competitor Analysis

Target Market Persona

Eco-Conscious Wanderlusters

❏ Young Affluent Millennials: 22 - 35 years-old

❏ HENRYs: High Earners Not Rich Yet - Annual incomes from $100,000 - $250,000

❏ Live in large urban centers throughout the United States

❏ Adventure seekers and enjoy traveling in nature

❏ Incorporate eco-friendly habits into their lives

Consumer Analysis

❏ Millennials are leading the way in sustainable tourism, with 41% saying that they are interested in booking an ecotourism trip

❏ 57% of those whose income exceeds $150,000 said they were likely to book an ecotourism trip

❏ There are 15.5 million affluent millennials in the U.S. alone

❏ There is a growing trend in sustainable luxury travel due to millennial demand

Objectives❏ Raise brand awareness of the

Ritz Carlton Serengeti

❏ Attract 15% more Millennial guest

❏ Encourage visitors to share their experience through social media or WOM

❏ We hope to achieve these objectives by December 2019

Influencer Marketing

Both of our competitors the Four Seasons Serengeti and the Fairmont

Mara Safari Club also use instagram influencers to attract millenials

Strategies - Influencers

Invite different travel influencers to stay at the hotel for free, in exchange for their social media posts about their experience at the hotel

Choose both male and female millennial influencers to reach a wider range of millennial audience

Claudia PadgettFollowers: 310 KEngagement rate: 3.65%Travel Influencer

@Erubes1

@Zeebalife

Eric RubensFollowers: 397 KEngagement rate: 3.44%Travel + Photography Influencer

Strategies - Influencers

Strategies - Hotel Official Instagram

❏ Owned media ❏ Instagram stories and posts❏ “Look what we saw on today’s safari!”❏ Geotags❏ Repost interesting guests’ content

Make the resort’s instagram feed look like a travel blogger profile

❏ Make resort Instagram friendly → encourage people to take photos and share with their followers ❏ Instagramable wall in the lobby❏ Professional photographers on site (for a fee)❏ Interaction on social media with guests/followers

Strategy - Paid Search

❏ Millennials are increasingly reliant on online searches to find information regarding purchases

❏ We can purchase important keywords from Google Search, and also add links that leads directly to parts of our website

❏ Effectiveness can be easily tracked

Strategies - Public Relations

❏ Invite travel journalist for an all expenses paid curated trip to visit the resort and tour Serengeti National Park

❏ Pitch Journalist at Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure for feature stories

Strategy - Brand Partnerships

❏ Exclusive partnerships between luxury hotels and car companies are not uncommon

❏ The custom Land Rovers would pick up guests from the airport

❏ Take guests on safari tours

❏ Available for guests to rent for day long excursions in Serengeti National Park

Strategies - VR Experience ❏ Located in pop up stores in high-end

shopping centers in large urban areas such as Fashion Island and The Grove

❏ Combined Land Rover and Ritz Carlton Serengeti VR Experience

❏ 2019 Land Rover Defender on display as part of the VR Experience

❏ Land Rover is a perfect match because of the iconic white Land Rover safari trucks

Strategy - AR Pop Up Experience

While visitors wait in line at the pop up to get in the Land Rover VR experience, we would also

have an AR experience for them where they can get a preview of what they are about to see when

their safari tour. They would carry the ipad to several points around the exhibit to learn about the animals that live in Serengeti National Park.

Measurement of Effectiveness❏ For social media, we will use engagement to

measure the effectiveness of our influencers

❏ For our corporate collaborations and VR experiences, we will measure using the number of customers using the experience/tour

❏ For our AR experiences, we will use downloads or views as a measure

SERENGETI

Thank You

Works Citedhttps://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/05/millennials-are-prioritizing-experiences-over-stuff.html

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/green-generation-millennials-say-sustainability-is-a-shopping-priority.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/#7ab3deaa6c8f

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article101677.html

http://serve360.marriott.com/sustain/

https://newsroom.hyatt.com/2014-08-28-Hyatt-Unveils-New-2020-Environmental-Sustainability-Strategy

http://newsroom.hilton.com/corporate/news/hilton-commits-to-cutting-environmental-footprint-in-half-and-doubling-social-impact-investment

https://blogs.sas.com/content/sascom/2015/01/27/top-10-global-trends-that-will-impact-hospitality-in-2015/

https://press.fourseasons.com/serengeti/hotel-facts/

https://www.fairmont.com/masai-mara-safari/

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2098622/luxury-hotels-go-green-millennials-demand-sustainable

https://luxe.digital/digital-luxury-trends/millennials-buy-sustainable-luxury/

https://www.globaldata.com/global-eco-tourism-takes-off-with-35-of-holiday-makers/

https://www.forbes.com/2009/10/30/simon-cooper-ritz-leadership-ceonetwork-hotels.html#22f369b610b1