J. Dana Clark

The 100-percent, unconditional, money-back guarantee

The consensus of a panel of 20 marketing and sales managers with major hotel chains based in North Carolina is that most companies are not ready to implement a 100-percent service guarantee. To date, a handful of national chains offer such a guarantee: Comfort Inn, Howard Johnson, Promuss brands (e.g., Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns), and Sleep Inns. On further questioning, the panel members suggested that the core lodging elements and practices needed to ensure the success of the guarantee policy are service standards and employee training. In addition, properties must maintain strong housekeeping and maintenance practices and make continual quality inspections. On the other hand, the panel discounted the age of the property and its FF&E as a critical factor in the successful implementation of a satisfaction guarantee.

Buying centers: Who chooses convention sites?

Abstract A study of how associations choose meeting sites finds several decision patterns. Destination marketers should attempt to discern how the decision is made.

Branding Smaller Destinations with Limited Budgets: The Example of Athens, Georgia

Branding has emerged as a major factor when marketing a destination. This factor is very important for smaller destinations which must usually work within the restriction of a limited budget. This article presents many ideas on how smaller destinations can develop a brand while keeping costs down, and includes a detailed, 17-point branding process that can be used by smaller destinations.

Formulating strategic direction for a gated residential community

Purpose – Over the past two decades, a growing number of Americans have decided to live in gated residential communities. Academic research and case studies tend to focus on explaining this growth phenomenon from a range of perspectives, yet surprisingly little has been written about the preservation and growth of existing gated communities. In response to this gap in the literature, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of strategic planning as a means of addressing issues that pertain to sustaining and growing gated residential communities.Design/methodology/approach – This paper applies principles of strategic management to the process of planning for residential preservation and growth. The residential context is a golf‐focused gated community located in the mountains of western North Carolina. It uses focus groups as a qualitative means of identifying important strategic issues. These issues serve as the basis for designing a survey for community residents. The survey results provide qua...

Traveling with the Family Dog: Targeting an Emerging Segment

More Americans currently consider their dogs as part of their families and are more frequently including them in their travel plans. This study examines this phenomenon and the implications for the marketers of travel-related products and services. Empirical findings show that while over half of those surveyed report traveling with their dogs, many are unaware of the increasing dog-friendliness of the hospitality industry. Also, those traveling with their dogs are more likely to be risk takers, perceive that traveling with dogs is more convenient, and are more likely to see dogs as members of the family.

ormulating Strategic Marketing Direction for a Second-Tier Convention Center: The Hickory (North Carolina) Metro Convention Center

ABSTRACT A strategic marketing study was done to provide insight on how to market the Hickory Metro Convention Center. A panel of experts provided their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Hickory convention product. They then offered points on the opportunities and threats the Hickory Center could encounter in the general environments. Five target markets were identified by the panel using the nominal group technique. A variety of suggestions were made by the panel for improving the Hickory convention product.

Developing marketing strategies for a travel destination in the USA using the nominal group technique

This paper demonstrates the application of nominal grouping as a cost-effective qualitative alternative for developing marketing strategies. The nominal group technique was used to generate strategic directions for the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, a popular travel destination in the USA. Using a nominal group composed of industry experts, a SWOT analysis produced a list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Next, potential market segments were identified and prioritised. Five marketing strategies emerged to reach the specified market segments. The study illustrates that the nominal group technique offers a cost and time-efficient qualitative alternative in making strategic decisions.