Marketing Communications and Target Audience in Hospitality Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Nightclub and Hotel Strategies Based on Two Internships
Lorincz, Lili (2025)
2025
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120332007
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120332007
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this thesis is to inspect different marketing communication practices between two hospitality businesses with distinct business models: a nightclub in Helsinki and a hotel in Budapest. The study investigates how target audiences shape communication strategies, focusing on channel selection and brand positioning within the hospitality sector. The scope of the thesis is limited to two internship contexts in which marketing activities were observed directly. The research was approached as a qualitative study, based on field observations and internal marketing materials such as campaigns, social media posts, and customer feedback.
The empirical analysis demonstrates that marketing communication is strongly influenced by the expectations, motivations, and behaviors of each target audience. The nightclub relied on immediacy and trend sensitivity, with interactive digital engagement to attract younger, experience-driven customers. In contrast, the hotel focused on cultural relevance and consistent brand credibility to appeal to international business travelers and leisure guests.
The main distinction is in the role of the customer-generated content. In the nightclub, this content served as an active marketing tool that reinforced a community and a sense of belonging. In the hotel context, customer-generated content functioned primarily as social proof, building trust through ratings and review platforms. The findings indicate that marketing communication must be adapted to fit the needs of short-term, experience-driven environments as well as long-term, reputation-based business models.
The thesis concludes that audience understanding is essential for effective hospitality marketing. Even within the same industry, communication strategies must be shaped by the cultural context, customer expectations, and the experimental nature of the service environment.
The empirical analysis demonstrates that marketing communication is strongly influenced by the expectations, motivations, and behaviors of each target audience. The nightclub relied on immediacy and trend sensitivity, with interactive digital engagement to attract younger, experience-driven customers. In contrast, the hotel focused on cultural relevance and consistent brand credibility to appeal to international business travelers and leisure guests.
The main distinction is in the role of the customer-generated content. In the nightclub, this content served as an active marketing tool that reinforced a community and a sense of belonging. In the hotel context, customer-generated content functioned primarily as social proof, building trust through ratings and review platforms. The findings indicate that marketing communication must be adapted to fit the needs of short-term, experience-driven environments as well as long-term, reputation-based business models.
The thesis concludes that audience understanding is essential for effective hospitality marketing. Even within the same industry, communication strategies must be shaped by the cultural context, customer expectations, and the experimental nature of the service environment.