Hospitality Consumer Behaviour and Insight

The aim of this unit is to enhance student's knowledge and understanding of the consumer decision-making process, from the recognition of needs through research, to the evaluation of alternatives, the purchase and post-purchase evaluation.

In this unit, the theories and frameworks underpinning consumer purchase decisions shall be learnt, and students are expected to be able to apply the theories and frameworks to real-world scenarios and their personal experiences.

An important part of marketing is understanding the processes behind how a consumer makes the decision to purchase a product and/or service.

Students will develop a good understanding and skill set that will enhance their career opportunities: whether setting up in their businesses independently or being employed in a hospitality organisation.

Learning Outcome 1: Examine the factors that influence hospitality consumer behaviour andattitudes
Learning Outcome 2. Demonstrate the ability to map a path to purchase in a hospitality context,including the decision-making process
Learning Outcome 3. Evaluate appropriate forms of research to understand influences on thehospitality consumer decision-making process
Learning Outcome 4. Evaluate how marketers influence the different stages of the hospitalityconsumer decision-making process.

Assignment - Understanding Consumer Behaviour and Different Stages of the Consumer Decision Making in the Hospitality Industry

Assignment Brief: Scenario and Activity:

You have been appointed as a Marketing Analyst in a large hospitality organisation (of your choice).Your line manager has asked you during your probation period to write a report so that he can better understand your knowledge and understanding in the field of consumer behaviour in the hospitality industry.

First, you will have to examine the factors that influence hospitality consumer behaviour and attitudes. In order to do so, you will have to Critically analyse the emerging trends in consumer behaviour and attitudes using specific examples from the hospitality industry to support your arguments. You should include an analysis of how digital technology and cultural, social, personal and psychological factors that influence consumer behaviourwithin a hospitality context are changing and driving these trends.

Following how impressed your line manager is with the first part of the report,you have been asked to further research, identify, and measure opportunities that will enhance conversion, efficiency, and profit, to be presented at the next leadership meeting.

You will firstly map out the path to purchase for customers of the organisation examining each stage of the decision-making process and produce a report to critically evaluate the application of appropriate theories, concepts, models, and factors that influence and impact upon the hospitality decision-making process, including a comparison in both the B2B and B2C sectors and an evaluation of different approaches to market research used for understanding that process.

You should support your work with specific hospitality examples and contexts. you will also need to include issues such as how marketers are influencing each stage and responding to the decision-making process, applying relevant examples from the hospitality sector, and creating a map illustrating the path to the purchasing for a given hospitality service and exploring the importance of this mapping process.