Essay on CRM: Leading Technology For Global Sales & Customer Relationships

Introduction

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a management approach whose focus is the integration of information technology and marketing. It is globally recognised and implemented for the management and sustenance of an organisation's relationship with clients and sales prospects. It entails the utilisation of technology in the organisation, automation, and harmonisation of the business processes. It is meant for sales operations, in addition to marketing and customer service. One of the global enterprises that have adopted customer relationship management is Hilton. It helps the company in the management of numerous customer-client relationships. The paper examines Hilton's customer relationship management and its role in marketing strategy and communication strategy. Also, it examines Hilton as a customer-centric company.

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The Utilisation of CRM in Hilton's Marketing Strategy

The understanding of consumers and their needs is critical in the improvement of the marketing cycle of an organisation. It is essential for the development of customer relationships which is vital in the development of strategies to satisfy consumer needs (Zamil 2011). The market share is driven by the relationship that exists between consumers and the products. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a vital strategy for the improvement of customer retention and development of customer equity (Zamil 2011). Hilton is a company that has invested in customer relationship management which is critical for its marketing strategy through brand differentiation. It is possible to understand the contribution of CRM in marketing strategy by examining its marketing mix. Hilton has differentiated its products through customer relationship management. For instance, the company can maintain and improve the quality of its products through CRM (Henry 2018). It helps in understanding what the customers want, and there enable effective procurement of quality raw materials from reliable suppliers. Hilton is, therefore, able to deliver on its promise of high-quality products and services. Information collected through CRM aids in the development of products that are easy to use. For instance, Hilton ensures there is product manuals and also a 24/7 customer helpline.

Hilton's CRM is vital in the company's brand differentiation concerning its product prices. Since the company can understand the needs and preferences of the consumers, prices are set in a way that improves brand perceptions in target consumer segments. The company is able to utilise premium pricing, psychological pricing, and bundle pricing. For instance, in the case of premium pricing, CRM helps Hilton create a perception of luxury (Henry 2018). The importance of premium pricing has integrated a sense of value and privilege of the Hilton's brands. CRM also informs on when and where the consumers want their products. The company can, therefore, plan on the placement of its products. It has company-operated stores, licenses stores, E-commerce, and partner agents, among others. The interaction with customers enables the generation of details concerning consumer behaviour and consumer feedback. Therefore, the company can decide on whether to use licensed stores or company-operated stores. These examples help understand the role of consumer relationship management in marketing strategy through brand differentiation.

Hilton as a Customer-Centric Company

Hilton has turned out to be a market leader in the hotel industry. One of the main factors to this success has been its increased focus on its consumers. It is important to understand that in the contemporary hospitality sector, superior customer experiences are critical in the development of customer loyalty and the achievement of competitive advantage (Kandampully et al. 2017). Hilton can be described as consumer-centric, evidenced by its different consumer experience strategies. For instance, the company has focused on exploiting technology to appeal to its consumer targets. It has an app that helps in keeping the consumers connected and able to control their lives (Saunders 2017). The Hilton app helps customers experience digital check-in, keys and maps of the services. They also keep the customer engaged though live chat and personalisation, which enables customers to message the hotel to improve experiences. Since customer value varies among the consumers, personalisation helps the company appeal to the different needs of its customer base.

Hilton seeks to improve customer experience and develop stronger customer relationships. One way the company has accomplished this goal is through the implementation of the Customer Really Matter initiative through customer relationship management. It is described as a way of exploiting technology to improve relationships with the best customers. It was enabled by OnQ CRM, which is a system that consolidates customer data and produces detailed reports (Applegate et al. 2008). The development of the Customer Really Matter initiative sought to solve the issue of knowing and accommodating its customers through the best way possible. The company incorporates customer really matter information to enable the customisation and personalisation, and thereby enhance quality. The company's customer relationship management emphasises on the development of better understanding and relationship with the customers (Applegate et al. 2008). The initiative helps the company in different ways. First, it helps develop better knowledge of the customers since all information about the customers is readily available. Second, it helps in better customer retention, why reminding the employees about appointments and also sending follow up messages. Thirdly, Hilton can anticipate the needs of the customers since there is easy access to the history of the customers, and hence the salespeople can easily anticipate needs. It is therefore essential to underscore Hilton as a customer-centric company.

Role of CRM Strategy on the Communication Strategy

Hilton's customer relationship management has been critical in ensuring the most appropriate message is communicated to the customer. The CRM informs the market communication strategy through the pertinent interactions which the customers. CRM involves the interaction with customers and the collection of appropriate information which is critical in market communication strategy development. For instance, Hilton uses digital marketing through corporate profiles in the different social media platforms. The company's CRM helps in engagement and interaction of the customers, and therefore understand the needs and demands (Henry 2018). The feedback from this interaction is integrated into the communication strategy. CRM has also enabled the company to understand the needs for the development of reward programs. Therefore, the market communication strategy has a loyalty card program for the customers, and it allows them to redeem points, and get product and gifts. It can, therefore, be concluded that the company uses its customer relationship management to influence its market communication strategy effectively.

Conclusion

Hilton has emerged as a market leader in the hotel sector over the years. It has been possible by appealing to its customer base through the provision of quality products and services. The company has managed to gain a competitive advantage through its customer relationship management. The CRM has enabled the company to understand its customer base, and therefore anticipate their needs. The result has been the creation of competitive advantage.

References

Applegate, L. M., Piccoli, G., and Dev, C., 2008. Hilton Hotels: Brand Differentiation through Customer Relationship Management [online]. Hilton Hotels: Brand Differentiation through Customer Relationship Management - Case - Harvard Business School. Available from: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=36237 [Accessed 5 May 2020].

Henry, Z., 8AD. Marketing Mix Of Hilton Hotels Brand Differentiation through Customer Relationship Management [online]. Case48. Available from: https://www.case48.com/case/Hilton-Hotels-Brand-Differentiation-through-Customer-Relationship-Management-Marketing-Mix-14895 [Accessed 5 May 2018].

Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. C., and Jaakkola, E., 2018. Customer experience management in hospitality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30 (1), 21-56.

Saunders, L., 2018. How Hilton is iterating its excellent app to improve customer experience [online]. Econsultancy. Available from: https://econsultancy.com/how-hilton-is-iterating-its-excellent-app-to-improve-customer-experience/ [Accessed 5 May 2020].

Zamil, A. A., 2011. Customer Relationship Management: a strategy to sustain the organization's name and products in the customers' minds [online]. ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220007771_Customer_Relationship_Management_a_strategy_to_sustain_the_organization's_name_and_products_in_the_customers'_minds.