Intercontinental Hotels is using the market differentiation strategy in segmenting its market into appropriate market divisions based on characteristics of the varying needs and characteristics of the target markets. The company has more than 3500 hotels in over 100 countries with around 535000 guest rooms. It has established a substantial customer base with over 120million customers whose preferences vary based on price and quality expectations. The Intercontinental group is made up of many brands such as the Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Garden Court, Crown Plaza Hotels & Resorts, SunSpree, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Select, Holiday Inn, and Candlewood …show more content…
The three segments have different needs and expectations, and Intercontinental Hotels brands are designed as solutions for all these needs. Market differentiation is done to determine these segments and hence the appropriate brand. As such, the company is able to provide the different markets with variations of the same service and hence give every consumer a sense of integration into the brand. Differentiation allows the services offered in a particular segment to be more attractive to the target customers and also differentiate it from a …show more content…
Market segmentation has been the positioning strategy for Intercontinental Hotels, and it is important that it is done well to consider critical features of each segment adequately. Moreover, market differentiation must promote the difference between the different brands so as to create awareness to each target consumer of the most appropriate brand. For instance, the strategy must inform the market of the difference between the Holiday Inn brand and the Holiday Inn Express brand. This differentiation is important since it will encourage business travelers to opt for Holiday Inn Express while those looking for recreation chose Holiday Inn. Consequently, each consumer will get the best service that is suited to their needs and hence create customer satisfaction in the varying