Use an extensive range of sources to research the topic area. http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Positioning-Statement http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/20996/Think- systematically-about-customer-benefits http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-industry-overview http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/bring- persona-rethinking-segmentation-new-digital- consumer/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article- 3199337/My-night-billion-dollar-hotel-revolving-beds- chauffeur-driven-Rolls-Royces-Dubai-s-seven-star- Burj-Al-Arab-s-cracked-be.html http://carlton-stmoritz.ch/en/hotel Background Best Western International Incorporated was founded in 1946 and is a worldwide hotel chain that provides accommodation and other services to tourists in over a hundred countries. The brand has its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona (U.S.A) and currently has over 4000 hotels globally. It is the currently world’s largest brand, based on number of rooms. Why Would a Tourist Pick Best Western? Competition in the Tourism sector is strong, with a wide range of brands providing consumers with a range of choices and experiences. So, why would anyone choose to stay with Best Western rather than a competing brand? Assignment Objective and Deliverables Write a 400 word overview of the Tourism sector in which these brands operate. You need to choose one other hotel brand, other than the four given to you (Best Western, Burj Al Arab, Carlton Hotel - St Moritz and Days Inn) and write a brief company overview of the five different brands (400 words). Using a table, identify and describe the market segments reached by these brands, using applicable demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural variables. Table is excluded from the word count. Digital segmentation can be used to segment the market into six distinctive segments. The six segments include Analogs, Wannabes, Mainstreamers, Paranoids, Chameleons and Digital Nomads. Explain in 200 words how Best Western could utilize digital segmentation to aid in their marketing efforts. Using these brands, provide two positioning matrices (perceptual maps) with 200 word explanations for each. One map should use specific product features and benefits as the axes to highlight differential competitive benefits. The other should consist of two determinant attributes of your choice, one on each axis to demonstrate Best Western’s position relative to its competitors. Based on the matrices, provide a 200 word detailed explanation of the competitive advantages of Best Western compared with the competition. Write a 300 word description and explanation of the targeting strategy being utilized by Best Western and recommendations to more effectively target their specific segments. Provide a 100 word positioning statement for the Best Western Brand. Document brief This document is to be written in the style of a business report from you as a marketing consultant hired by Best Western Incorporated to assist them in their marketing objective of strengthening their position in the highly competitive international tourism market over the next three years. Positioning maps need to be computer generated and not hand drawn. You should reference the textbook where appropriate, plus additional secondary research sources, which should be extensive. Your assignment should be structured under the following headings: Executive Summary Introduction Industry Overview (400 words) Company Overview (400 words) Findings Segmentation Table Explanation of how Best Western could utilize digital segmentation (200 words) Perceptual Maps (200 word explanation of each perceptual map, therefore, 400 words in total) Competitive Advantage (200 words) Conclusion and Recommendations (300 words total) Targeting Strategy Recommendations Positioning Statement (100 words)