Case study for AccorHotels. Business and Marketing.

Case Study 2 (10%) – Due in Tutorial 3 (Week 4) 
 AccorHotels and the Digital Transformation: Enriching Experiences through Content Strategies along the Customer Journey 
 The Case Study Please copy the entire link into a new browser window to get access to the case study. 
 https://hbsp.harvard.edu/tu/f59e3ccd  
 Students are expected to (a) upload typed responses to each case study (approximately 1,000 words) to Turnitin prior to Tutorial 2l and (b) bring typed answers to the tutorial as during the tutorial, students may be called upon to answer questions, lead discussion and debate case related issues. 
 Learning Objective The case focuses on AccorHotels’ ambitious digital transformation, aiming to put the customer back at the center of its strategy and operations. Responding to a powerful wave of digital disruptions in the hospitality ecosystem, from the emergence of review websites, online travel agents and active forums to the rise of new competitors such as Airbnb, the transformation entailed: 1. designing and implementing an innovative content marketing strategy (including online content creation or co-creation, curation and dissemination) 2. incorporating e-reputation as a core business objective, and 3. creating and/or adapting organizational structures – from management to operations – to support this new dynamic and maximize value creation.  
The case starts in Fall 2015, when Olivier Arnoux, SVP Customer Satisfaction at AccorHotels, and his team, are asked to devise an ambitious plan to address the new challenges facing major players in the hotel industry brought about by digital disruptions. It follows the decisionmaking process step by step, from 1. understanding the nature and impact of online content in the customer journey, to 2. building a strategic plan to integrate online insights into AccorHotels’ core business objectives (in particular the importance of e-reputation), 3. redefining where and how value is created and creating incentive structures aligned with the new objectives. Participants have multiple opportunities to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonists so as to understand the logic behind the decisions taken.  
What is novel is the systematic articulation of how digital and social media impact the customer journey, as well as the integration of online content into marketing strategy (i.e., content marketing) and organizational design (i.e., team structure, incentive system), underlining how embracing the digital revolution entails breaking traditional silos between functions such as marketing, strategy, finance and human resources.  
Assignment Questions  
Industry Challenges 1. What are the different types of online content in the hoteling industry (i.e., the main reasons why people post content, as well as the purposes the posts serve in guiding customers)? Where do reviews come from (i.e., which source?) 
 Consumer Journey  2. What are the different types of online content affecting the consumer journey? 3. What kinds of motives drive people to create online content? 2  
4. What does the typical consumer journey look like in the hoteling industry? 5. How can each type of online content affect value creation on the consumer journey?  
Managing online content 6. How can Accor collect information about what the customer is saying about AccorHotels? Should it continue to rely on client cards either filled in at the front desk or feedback cards in the room? 7. How should hotels co-create online content with consumers (request formulation, incentive type) and how should they curate this online content? Where and when should hotels disseminate content online? What digital capabilities does such an approach entail? 8. Suppose a consumer posted a negative review on the AccorHotels’ Facebook page or Instagram. Would you respond to it, and if so, how? 9. 40% of hotel’s booking come from Booking.com, which charges 20% to 30% commission on a rom rate. Ideally, AccorHotels aims to have reviews everywhere (OTAs, metasearches, review sites, etc.), but prefers when consumers book on their website rather than on OTAs. How could AccorHotels drive its consumers from Booking.com to the hotel’s website? 
 Learning materials for completing assigned Case Studies 
 Please copy the following links into a new browser window to get access to the learning materials for completing the assigned case studies. 
 Chapter 1: What is the Case Method? What's in It for You? https://hbsp.harvard.edu/tu/3487cfc6 Chapter 2: What is a Case? 
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/tu/904c8fbb Chapter 3: The Skills You Need to Read and Analyze a Case https://hbsp.harvard.edu/tu/932b1b69 Chapter 7: How to Prepare and Discuss Cases https://hbsp.harvard.edu/tu/d4524610