Dorchester Collection - Research Paper Example

Dorchester Collection: Company Overview and Media Relations Strategy al Affiliation Introduction Dorchester Collection is a portfolio management company that manages luxury hotels in the United States of America and Europe. The luxury hotel operator is owned by Brunei Investment Agency (BIA). Currently, Dorchester Collection owns and manages ten five star luxury hotels. They include the Dorchester, Hotel Eden, Coworth Park, Le Richemond and 45 Park Lane. The other hotels include Beverly Hills Hotel, Principe di Savoia, Plaza Athenee, Hotel Bel Air and Hotel Meurice (Dorchester Collection, 2015). Dorchester Collection has been able to apply its unrivaled experience in the ownership and the operation of various hotels and enterprises in the world making it one of the most successful companies. According to Dorchester Collection (2015), the organization has the passion for innovation and excellence, and this has enabled it to honor the individuality, effectiveness and the heritage of the brands which it manages. It has ensured success not only through acquisition of new entities, but also the management of other enterprises and hotels on behalf of third party owners. The hotels managed by Dorchester Collection are known all over the world. The group has become an icon of ultimate management and excellence. Dorchester’s target market is basically in the hospitability industry. It targets the five star and luxury hotel users. The members in this market segment visit the luxury hotels for accommodation and to use the various other supplementary services which are offered to support the core product. To communicate with the target market, Dorchester employs a combination of direct sales and internet based approaches. Dorchester deals directly with the luxury hotel service users because majority of these people prefer personal sale so that they are able to determine the value and need to visit the hotels which are managed and operated by Dorchester. With the advent of the web as a communication tool, Dorchester has incorporated it in its operations. The group relies on various internet based communication platforms for interaction with the service users. The services user are for example allowed to explore and book the services provided in the hotel and also make the payment before reservations can be done through the company website. It is a practice that has not only allowed it to reach out to a wider market audience but has also given the service users the flexibility they require when looking for the hotel services in their various geographical locations. The hospitality sector where Dorchester operates in is one of the most competitive sectors in the world (Argenti, 2002). It faces competition from other multinational hotels such as Hilton Group as well as other independently owned and franchised groups. Despite the intense competition, the company has always managed to remain among the top luxury hotel management and operating groups in the world. Analysis of the Company Brand and Attributes Dorchester is one of the most recognized brands in the hospitality industry. The company has the mission of providing its clients with the best available and excellent services in the sector. It does this by coming up with innovative products are services and ensuring that all its operations are in line with its business goals and objectives. In coming up with the Dorchester Collection brand and values, the five famous hotels that were earlier being managed by the Brunei Investment Agency were brought together and their common values and attributes identified and synchronized. It is on this basis that the Dorchester Collection entered the market as a new management company that gets into third party contrasts with various hotel owners. The company has set its direction and operations towards the development of a collection of the finest hotels in the world. It aims to have traditional, contemporary and highly individualized luxury hotels under its management so that it can provide the clients with a value for their moment. The core values of the company are prestige and feeling at home when using Dorchester Collection products. The values reflect the company’s commitment to ensuring that the guests get exceptional services. Despite the fact that guests are aware that each of the Principe di Savoia Collection properties are different, they usually approaches the fact that they belong to the same family due to the shared mission and vision. Coombs (2004) points out that the brand of each and every business determines its image and position in the market. A company that is able to develop a strong brand will be able to attain an influential position in a competitive market. It is for this reason that businesses are always striving to develop and maintain a strong brand and to boost their image. Dorchester has relied on its strong brand to be able to compete with the other luxury hotels in the market. It has aligned the values and the objectives in each of the properties which it manages with the overall objective of the group and BIA so that it is possible to develop a string brand. In the luxury hotel sector, it continues to attract more elite service users and also ensure repeat use of its products due to its ability to have a positive image and strong brand based on its core values of prestige and feeling at home. In the current business environment corporate responsibility influences not only the operations and the profitability of a business but also the perception that the public will have about an enterprise (Coombs & Holladay, 2006). The public perception of the business will in the long run determine its position and its ability to attract clients and customers to use the products and services which are being offered. Dorchester Collection recognizes the responsibility that it has in providing the best services while at the same time demonstrating responsible behavior. In CSR initiatives and policies not only targets the public, but also the guest, its members the staff and the natural environment. It has made CSR part of its performance strategies. In order to succeed in its corporate responsibility initiates, it has a CSR team that coordinates and champions its actions in the workplace the market, the natural environment and in the society at large. The group comprises of members from across the hotels. It explores the various innovative ideas which will ensure that the services offered and the operations at the hotel can be termed as responsible ones. Just like any other business, Dorchester is constantly developing systems that it can use to manage the CRS initiatives and undertakings. Breakenridge (2012) notes that one of the key aspects of CSR management is the sharing of information about the undertakings and the operations of the company with the involved stakeholders. This is a practice which is evident at Dorchester Collection. It shares information on its performance on regular basis so that it can give the involve parties the chance to evaluate and appraise it. There are several projects that Dorchester has engaged in as part of its corporate social responsibility. One of the plans is lessening of energy use. To achieve reduced energy consumption, the hotels have installed low energy bulbs and new refrigeration systems that consumes one third of the power used by the other common refrigeration systems. In order to save on water, it has installed various sensors which detect leakages. Its carbon emission to the environment has also been reduced and it culminated into the group winning the Green 500 Initiative in the year 2009. Every enterprise has role to play in supporting the wider community and the company has not been left behind. It offers time, skills and expertise in charitable projects such as fund raising for cancer treatment. Media Relations According to Cutlip (2004) media strategy and media relation is a key component of the initiatives which businesses engage in to obtain publicity. Heitmueller (2012) points out that media relations are used to not only deliver content to the target markets and audiences but to also ensure that a business relates well and effectively with it clients and other businesses. It entails more than the delivery channels. Its other comments include the identification of the needs of the audiences, how the audience will receive the message delivered and the defining characteristics of the media that a business is using to deliver the content. Cutlip (2005) notes that the sole intention of delivering the content and information via the chosen media is to influence the behavior of the target audience or population. In line with this, Dorchester Collection has come up with an effective media relation strategy which has been effective and instrumental in ensuring that it remains above most of the other players in the market. The media relation approaches have allowed it to communicate constantly with the customers and any other relevant stakeholder in different settings and situations. The media relations approach that is used at Dorchester Collection is focused on travel, fashion and lifestyle. These are the three areas that define the values of the business. Its strategy incorporates the use of press releases, strategic partnerships, social media, events and communication through various magazines and publications. The press releases are one of the major components of media relations at the company. They are written and posted in the company websites so that the visitors of the websites can access the material. Dorchester Collection has used this tool when launching new products or CSR initiatives. It is also used to provide information on any changes within the company as well any other news and occurrence which needs to be shared with the general public. The press releases used by Dorchester as a media relation approach has several pros and cons. A key strength of this tactic is that it gives the business the attention which it requires from the clients by putting the brand in the public eye. Heitmueller (2012) notes that the other main strongpoint of this approach is that it are less expensive compared to other forms of dissemination of information to the public. Despite these strengths, it is also worth pointing out that the releases require the consolidation of information into a single piece in a small amount of space and may often lead to the exclusion of very important information. Moreover, it is not easy to integrate feedback form the releases one they have been posted to the website. Dorchester also engages in a variety of events as part of its media relations strategy. A very good example is the involvement of the company with various New York Fashion events. The grand finales of most of these events are normally held in the Dorchester Collection hotels. When such events take place in the facilities, they allow the business to publicize itself as they offer photo and broadcast opportunities. Most of these events are later on published in major fashion and travel magazines around the world allowing the company to receive even more public awareness. In some instances, the group publishes various travel and fashion stories in different major magazines such as the New York Times so that it is able to reach out to the target audience in the market. According to Heitmueller (2012), social media is fast becoming one of the most effective and the most commonly used media relations platforms. Social, media can be effectively used to reach out to a larger audience base within a short period of time. Facebook, Tweeter and other networking sites are now being used as major PR tools. The Dorchester social media strategy is not only a tool for publicity but also a reflection of the standard of services offered. It has placed a lot of emphasis and on social media with the communication team being mandated with the task of monitoring the activities in the social media platforms. The company has more than ten thousand Tweeter followers. As part of its media relation approach, the communication team at Dorchester is always required to respond to various comments on TripAdvisor within four hours. It is an approach that has been effective in guaranteeing that the communication between the hotels, the public and potential service users is ensured for the benefit of the business. According to Coombs (2004), knowing the audience is one of the key aspects of any communicative initiatives which have been started by a business. Dorchester defines its audiences based on the demographic breakdowns and the dining trends. It looks into the characteristics of the target audience and decides on the most effective approach to be used to communicate with them. Moreover, it puts a lot of emphasis on understanding the demographic make-up of its customer base. It does this through various market research initiatives it is engaged in so that it can get to know the various influencers within a given market group. With this information, the hotels are always able to keep a good communication relationship with its audiences by means of different communication channels. Crisis Management In any market, an enterprise can be faced with a crisis that has the potential of affecting all key aspects of operation thus impacting not only on the client base but also on revenue. Coombs (2004) defines a crisis as an event which possesses significant threat to the operations of a business with the consequence associated with the event being negative. In most instances, it is related to the safety of the public, finances and reputation. Dorchester Collection, just like any other business in the hospitality industry is susceptible to PR crises. The company has, therefore, put in place a crisis management team and plan which is meant to help in respond to such issues. It has always engaged in activities aimed at anticipating various reputation problems that it has faced so that it can be able to come up with solutions to the problems in time to save the status of the company. Dorchester Collection crisis managements approach appears to be a mix between proactive and reactive strategies. This has been influenced by the nature of events that lead to such instances in the hospitality industry. Some of the events which have always been identified as sources of PR crises include food related illnesses, bad reviews as well as safety concerns. In its proactive approach, the hotel puts in places measures that are meant to limit the occurrence of such events. In the event that they have taken place, it engages its response mechanisms which include the giving of swift and truthful response to the matter which is in question. A very good example was seen in 2009 when the hotel suffered a PR threat as a result of the decision of the Brunei government to pass sharia laws. In response, celebrities who had been angered by the move urged various fashion design labels and event organizers to shun the Dorchester Collection hotels. In line with its policy of confronting crisis head on, Dorchester team responded to the claims by addressing the various issued which had been raised. Despite the fact that the crisis later went on to impact on its client base levels, the response was instrumental in ensuring that some of the major fashion events which it had been hosting were not affected and cancelled. The other key component of the crisis response at Dorchester Collection is addressing the media. In times of crises, the company has put in place policies which dictate the members of the team who will face the media. The statements that are made by the members of the crises management team are then backed up with various press releases posted on the company website as well as responses to the issues in the various social media platforms which are used as PR tools. Media Coverage Campaign Proposal CSR is a very key consideration in the operations of the Dorchester Collection Hotels. It engages in several initiatives which are meant to ensure that it operates responsibly in the market. This proposed campaign is meant to publicize the initiatives which the hotel is to engage in to certify that it realizes its corporate social responsibility. In this initiative, Dorchester Collection is to engage in the collection of funds which are meant to help cancer victims in the area where it operates. As such, the group is to organize and take part in a funds drive by involving the various stakeholders so that it is able to achieve the goal of the process. To publicize the event, various media platforms must be used. The head initiative is the conception of a campaign page in the website of the company. The page will contain information concerning the project and how the general public and other stakeholders can be part of it. This will then be followed by issuing of press releases on the same. The releases should also be posted on the website of the company regularly so that the website users are updated on the progress being made. Another key aspect of the campaign will be the advertising of the event in various hospitality magazines as well as in health care editorials and magazines. This way, the readers will be made away of the project. Finally, it will also be imperative to engage the public through the social media. Dorchester needs to open a page on the social media platforms and also post the links to the event on its official Tweeter and Facebook pages so that a wider audience is reached. Coombs (2004) states that in generating publicity for CSR initiatives, enterprises may be forced to simultaneous use different platforms. In this instance, it will be vital for the various announcements being made through the website, the social media platform and the press releases to be done at ago. The campaign needs to be run for about six months so that a wider group is reached. To appraise the effects of the processes, the team will track and respond to the issues raised by the audience in the various media platforms being used. It is on the basis of the feedback that Dorchester can know if the campaign is successful or not. References Argenti, P. (2002).  Crisis communication: Lessons from 9/11. Harvard Business Review, 80(12), 103-109. Coombs, W. T. (2004).  Structuring crisis discourse knowledge: The West Pharmaceutics case. Public Relations Review, 30, 467-474. Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2006). Communication and attributions in a crisis: An experimental study of crisis communication. Journal of Public Relations Research, 8(4), 279-295. Breakenridge, D. (2012), Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional. New Jersey: FT Press. Cutlip, S. (2004).The Unseen Power: Public Relations: A History. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Cutlip, S. (2005). Public Relations History: from the 17th to the 20th Century. New Jersey: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates. Dorchester Collection. (2015). About Us. Retrieved from http://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/about-us. Heitmueller, L. (2012). Corporate Communication Map: Outline of an interactive Overview of the fundamental Models and Theories of Public Relations. New York: Routledge. Read More