World renowned marketer Philip Kotler refers to Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts in latest book
Philip Kotler, who is world renowned for his contributions to marketing and business and having earned him the well-deserved title ‘The Father of Modern Marketing,’ in his latest book, ‘Asian Competitors, Marketing for Competitiveness in the Age of Digital Consumers’(World Scientific: 2009) has reportedly included a 10-page reference to Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts on the brand’s effective use of social media and its various creative digital initiatives that have led to the brand winning the hearts of digital travellers in the forever-connected, mobile-first world of today.
According to media reports, Kotler has explained the importance of a genuine commitment to authenticity amidst the many unoriginal experiences offered by many companies today.
He has emphasised the need for companies to remain sincere, authentic, true to themselves and most importantly, socially and environmentally responsible, all of which should work towards the organisations’ visions, missions and core values.
In a chapter on ‘Customer-centric Perspective: Connecting with Digital Consumers’, Kotler has reportedly referred to Cinnamon as a dynamic brand offering “unique experiences that the target audiences earned during the events promoting Sri Lanka and Cinnamon Hotels are expected to be spread through the word of mouth, as well as online reviews and recommendations.” These events included the Cinnamon Travel Blogger Conference Asia (TBC Asia), Cinnamon Immersive Video, a specialised Online Travel Agent Training Module, and ‘Treasure Hunt’ which was a familiarisation drive planned for travel agents.
The local media has stated that the article has provided an overview of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and its strengths as well as a brief history of Cinnamon Hotels and resorts since its inception in 2004.
Kotler has referred to Cinnamon as a pioneer in sustainable tourism prior to delving into how it has optimised its penetration in the upscale segment.
Kotler has reportedly observed how Cinnamon improved the rate of its bookings through online travel agents, and through its own website, and the brand’s attention on digital marketing as evidenced by the various creative digital initiatives Cinnamon has led, in recent times and has also noted Cinnamon’s forward-thinking nature as the brand is keenly eyeing the fast growing markets of China and India.
Elaborating on the Cinnamon Travel Blogger Conference Asia (TBC Asia) that took place earlier in the year, Kotler has noted his recognition of travel bloggers as a major influence on the tourism and hospitality industry by dint of sharing their journeys and experiences with aspiring travellers.
Kotler has further noted that Cinnamon’s usage of innovative videos at the World Travel Mart in London, launch of a specialised online travel agent training module in 2015 which linked over 97,000 travel agents as well as its e-learning library offering 200 educational programs were all features that had actively targeted tech-savvy travellers and online travel agents.
Kotler has cited that the aforementioned initiatives, the brand’s targeting of tech-savvy traveller and online agents from different countries, its strategic vying for attention both online and offline as well as the unique curated experiences it offers, as Cinnamons recipes for success. The book has reiterated that “in addition to building hotels and resorts at picturesque locations and with excellent facilities, Cinnamon realises the importance of providing an experience that suits customers’ needs.”
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon being used as a case study by the global marketing stalwart is a significant achievement to the respective local company as well as the country’s tourism industry on the whole. Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities have taken many initiatives to promote and boost the country’s tourism industry. Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is on a continuous growth path resulting in a steady growth of tourist arrivals to the country. Sri Lanka has also been listed as a must visit destination by globally renowned travel publications. All these have resulted in the expansion of business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore explore business opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/06022020/Z_6 |