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2020/2021

e-Marketing for Tourism

Code: 104965 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500894 Tourism OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Vera Butkouskaya
Email:
Vera.Butkouskaya@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Objectives and Contextualisation

In this course, we examine how organizations working in the tourism and hospitality sector capitalize on digital marketing and social media building consumer-to-consumer interactions to support their marketing efforts and leverage customer trust. We view these issues under the conditions of digital transformation from a strategic and a practical perspective, rather than a technical or platform perspective. We will study how to create engaging content for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as how to identify influencers, deliver content to a targeted audience, manage customer-created content and measure the success of the company’s efforts.

The course is practical oriented. It reviews theoretical materials based on Case studies and hands-on exercises.

This course will equip learners with the skills they need to promote their company’s products or services, or their own personal brand using social media. Additionally, learners will gain an understanding of how they can use social media to manage the e-reputation and measure the effectiveness of those efforts.

On completing this subject, students will be capable: 

1.to use  social media to listen to consumers and understand their behavior online

2.to develop content that attracts and retains consumers’ attention;

3.to develop a social media strategy that engages and converts customers;

4.to influence the company’s e-reputation positively by applying social media listening and managing customer-generated content;

5.to develop KPI and use web analytics metrics to measure the effectiveness of a company’s web activities;

6.to leverage social media effectiveness;

7.to apply social media strategies successfully in tourism and hospitality companies.

 

Competences

  • Adapt to ongoing technological changes.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Have a business vision, pinpoint the customer's needs and pre-empt possible changes in the environment.
  • Self-assess the knowledge acquired.
  • Use ICT tools (reservations software, travel agency and hotel management packages, etc.) in tourism management, planning and products.
  • Use communication techniques at all levels.
  • Work in a team.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Adapt to ongoing technological changes.
  2. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  3. Have a business vision, pinpoint the customer's needs and pre-empt possible changes in the environment.
  4. Identify information systems and use commercialisation software in tourism.
  5. Self-assess the knowledge acquired.
  6. Use communication techniques at all levels.
  7. Work in a team.

Content

Topic 1: Digital transformation and the online customer journey.

Understand how digital transformation influences the way the tourism and hospitality industry works today. Review the roles of new big players in the market, such as online travel agencies (OTA), review sites, and, social media sites, affecting the stages of the online customer journey. Learn how to use them to listen to customers and understand better their decision-making process.

Topic  2: Creating Engaging Content. 

Describe the role of storytelling in a digital landscape. Understand the basic concepts of using the content marketing strategy for the goals of tourism and hospitality companies. Learn how to create social media content that attracts and retains consumers’ attention and motivates engagement and sharing.

Case study 1*. AccorHotels Enriching Experience through content marketing strategies along the customer journey. 

Topic 3: A Strategic Perspective on Social Media Marketing 

Describe the role of social media in marketing strategy and assess the tradeoffs in using social media relative to traditional communication methods. Review organizational approaches to managing social media and developing social media policy.  Learn how to set social media marketing objectives that are linked to business objectives. Describe the ways to engage customers, motivate them for sharing and convert into action. Explore customer retention techniques.

Case study 2*. The Pepsi Refresh Project: A Thirst for Change

Topic 4: Social Media Listening, Co-Creation, and E-reputation. 

Introduce approaches to social media listening and how it can be integrated into decision making. Learn how social media is used to facilitate open innovation and co-creation. How customer-generated content should be managed. Discuss how to manage online reviews. How to motivate customers to leave positive reviews. Describe strategies for managing negative reviews. Specifically, put attention on how trust and e-reputation are created and distributed, and, how it effects on tourism and hospitality industry. 

Case study 3*. Domino's Pizza

Topic 5: Assessing Social Media ROI through Web Analytics tools.

Introduction to a framework for assessing the effectiveness and return on investment of social media activities. Describe tools and metrics for measuring the success of social media efforts. Explore the role of Web analytics in linking these metrics to the bottom line. Understand how the results may be applied to future improvements. 

Case study 4*. Google Analytics for decision making. 

Topic  6: Leveraging Networks 

Learn how to leverage online networks and communities' effectiveness. Discuss how to identify influencers and their role in distributing content. Analyze the effectiveness of owned, earned, and paid media in leveraging network effectiveness.

Case study 5*. Hotel e-reputation management and leverage of network effectiveness.

* Case studies can be a matter of change.

Methodology

The course runs based on three teaching-learning methodologies:

1. The methodology of the theoretical part of the course:

Classroom-based classes with an explanation regarding the different agenda items. Self-study of the theoretical materials. Theoretical classes will be audiovisual (powerpoint presentations, video viewing to support the theory, etc.).

2. The methodology of the practical part of the course:

Preparation and class-based presentation of case studies related to theoretical explanations or practical cases. Some exercises and cases will be conducted by students in out-class hours. These exercises and cases are based on the analysis of activities of the companies in the tourism sector. Drafting a Project on the role of HR in companies in the tourism sector, and presenting it in class (conducting by students in groups in out-class hours). 

3.The methodology of the outclass learning part of the course (Campus Virtual):

The Campus Virtual platform will be used to share information and alternative media in the classroom between students and the teacher. Campus Virtual will contain the profile of the course, the additional theoretical material in digital form, cases and exercises, links to websites, etc.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Public presentation of the Project 4 0.16 2, 6, 7
Resolution of Practical cases 30 1.2 2, 3, 7
Theoretical classes 30 1.2 1, 4, 3
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 24 0.96
Type: Autonomous      
Project Development 15 0.6 2, 3
Resolutions of practical cases 15 0.6 3, 7
Study 15 0.6 2, 5

Assessment

  1. Continuous evaluation:

a) Practical activities (20%): The realization and exhibition-discussion of the exercises and individual cases in team, face-to-face and on-line throughout the course, which will be delivered within the pre-determined period.

b) Project (30%): The realization of an individual or team Project on the role of HR in companies in the tourism sector. Project work must be delivered on the established date and publicly exposed in class. 

c) Periodical control (50%): The realization of an examination that will include both the theoretical subject exposed in the lectures and aspects related to the practical part of the subject.

To approve the subject it is necessary to obtain a score above 5 (five) on average in each of the three parts of evaluation (separately) to calculate the final grade for the course. Otherwise, he/she should go to the final exam.

2. Instead of continuous evaluations (1a, 1b, and 1c) shown above, students have the option to directly take the final exam. The grade of the final exam will be 100% of the final grade.

Students with a grade between 3.5 and 4.9 in the final exam will have the chance to retake the exam, according to the calendar of the academic activities, which is reported in students’ guide or in the web of the school. If these students pass the retake exam, their final grade will be 5.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Examen Theoretical 50% 4 0.16 2, 4, 3
Practical activities 20% 10 0.4 4, 5, 3, 7
Project 30% 3 0.12 1, 2, 4, 6, 3, 7

Bibliography

Basic Bibliography (not obligatory)

 

  • Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach, 2E. Barker, Barker, Bormann and Neher, 2017 South-Western, Cengage Learning, ISBN-13: 978-1305502758

  • You may also purchase a digital edition of this text:!!https://www.cengagebrain.com/

  • Pulizzi, J. (2014). Epic content marketing: How to tell a different story, break through the clutter, and win more customers by marketing less (p. 5). McGraw-Hill Education.

  • Sigala, M., Christou, E., & Gretzel, U. (Eds.). (2012). Social media in travel, tourism and hospitality: Theory, practice and cases. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..

Additional reading:

  • The New Rules of Marketing & PR, 5th Edition. David Meerman Scott. Digital copy available online via the GGU Library. http://library.ggu.edu/search~S0/X?SEARCH=(Websites such as www.mashable.com and http://www.socialmediatoday.com/

Case studies and other support material in digital format and links to web resources will be provided on Campus Virtual.