Comparison of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Activities of Chain Hotels Specific to Social Media

Abstract

The study aims to compare the integrated marketing communication activities of leading national and international hotel chain brands in the hospitality industry by examining their social media activities. Accordingly, Türkiye's largest national (n=6) and international (n=6) hotel chains were selected as the research area, taking into account their number of rooms and geographical spread. In this study, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts were analyzed. First of all, the accounts used by hotel businesses and their usage characteristics were investigated. The contents of these social media accounts were then analyzed. According to the findings, international hotels conduct more effective Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) activities on social media compared to national hotels. National hotels, on the other hand, mostly do not prefer YouTube channel but are active on other social media channels. In general, product or service promotion, information/news sharing and special day content are the most preferred content. Product or service promotion is the most frequently shared content. Based on the results, hotel businesses should use social media channels in an up-to-date manner for the activity of IMC activities. This is important for MIMC conditions. At the same time, businesses should provide content criteria holistically.