The Boutique is a hotel, wine bar and restaurant based in Leeds.

1. Marketing Strategy
Hotel – Wine Bar – Restaurant

2. Business Overview
The Boutique is a hotel, wine bar and restaurant based in the city centre of Leeds. The wine bar and
restaurant are based in the same building as the hotel but operate separately so non-hotel guests can
use these services. The business is not part of a franchise, which suggests that it is unique and not based
in any other city. The property has 30 rooms available for guests and the rooms are spacious, which
keeps noise to a minimum.
Marketing Overview
Current trends suggest that the hotel business is heading for a downturn mainly due to lack of feedback
from guests. With surveys being the sole method of feedback the results have not been viable. However
many hotels are beginning to collect feedback from social media and other online websites with the
addition of open-ended comments in online based surveys.
However the downside of this is the fact that many fake reviews are flooding the internet which ruin the
reputation of the hotel and decreases the amount of guests booking. According to a survey, 90% of
online shoppers trust recommendations from people they know whereas 70% trust the opinions of
unknown users. If The Boutique can understand the needs of the target market and keep up to date
with reviews posted on social media sites and other websites then there is a good chance the business
can be a success.
Target Market
The hotel is targeted at those clients who want a luxurious and convenient city centre place of stay
whilst in Leeds. This could be clients who are visiting the city and surrounding areas or business and
professional persons and bodies in the city on their business related activities and need a place where
not only can they stay and work but can also entertain their clients. With the addition of the restaurant
and the wine bar The Boutique is ideal for such clientele as they have access to a restaurant and wine
bar under the same roof so they can entertain their clients without having to venture outside the hotel.
Strategy
The Boutique will provide its guest with a hotel stay that will be both comfortable and convenient. While
the local sites consist of shopping outlets and night clubs the guest will have no problem travelling to the
attractions in Leeds. Part of the strategy is to provide the guest with a smooth arrangement where the
restaurant and wine bar are available at their convenience. This will be achieved by providing hotel
guests with discounts and offers which will make them not want to visit any other restaurant or wine
bar in the city centre. With direct marketing The Boutique aims to network with companies and
professional bodies based in the UK to offer them the available services as a package so clients have a
hassle-free stay at the hotel whilst on business trips.
Objectives
The key objectives for The Boutique are:
 To attract more hotel guests on the weekend than weekdays.
 To attract couples and families to the restaurant.
 To attract a younger crowd to the wine bar.
 Create good relations with UK based companies.

3. Promotion
The following methods will be used to promote the business:
 Billboard advertising
This is one of the most common ways to reach a wider audience. There are numerous options available
in terms of the type of billboards such as traditional, scrolling, backlit and portrait. The billboards can be
published on a regional level. Preferably for this business it would be deemed useful to publish the
billboards on the motorway as the target clientele are likely to spend long periods travelling on
motorways on a daily basis. Billboard advertising has the potential to attract a wider volume of clients.
Billboard Advertising Price
3 month £675
6 month £1,200
12 month £2,100
Motorway Billboard Advertising Price
3 month £2,100
6 month £3,900
12 month £7,400
Plan of action: Billboard advertisements will be displayed in the Leeds area and the M62 a month before
the opening of The Boutique. The billboards will be advertised for a maximum of 3 months as this will
create awareness both locally and in residing towns and cities.
 Bus shelter advertising

4. This type of advertising will reach an audience that uses public transport to travel in and out of the city
on a daily basis. Advertising in bus shelters is an effective way to reach a professional audience as many
people who work in the city use public transport due to the high costs of parking. It costs £120 per panel
on a weekly basis and due to there being 70,000 bus stops in the UK, The Boutique can place the
advertisements in the Leeds bus station and bus stops in the city centre.
Plan of action: Poster advertisements will be displayed locally at bus stops and in Leeds bus station as
part of the promotional campaign. The posters will be advertised for a maximum of 3 weeks as this will
create awareness locally and by people who travel to Leeds using public transport.
 Advertising on Leeds Radio
The best media for local advertising is radio because the majority of people listen to the radio whilst
driving in to the city in order to stay up to date with current news and traffic information. Using radio
will help target professional clientele who travel between the times of rush hour which makes it likely
that they will listen to the radio during this time. The cost of advertising on the radio is estimated at
£250 with additional costs depending on the length and development of the advertisement.

5. Plan of action: The Radio advertisements will be created after the business has been open because the
advertisements need to consist of offers and deals which will attract the attention of listeners. These
advertisements will only be advertised on a seasonal basis e.g. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Easter.
 Google+ Trend and page
Google is a large company which has many services so creating a trend and page on Google+ could result
in The Boutique appearing in more search results on the Google search engine. A large number of
businesses and services use Google+ as a social networking tool which means it’s a useful tool to
network with companies on a global level. Due to Leeds being the new base for digital media companies,
there is a high chance that blue chip companies would open offices in Leeds to save costs. Rockstar is an
example of a global games company opening a studio in the Leeds area called Rockstar Leeds.
A Google+ trend is a series of posts which mentions a word that is mentioned in other posts made by
other members on the website. For example, #TedMovie is a trend which advertises the release of the
film Ted. The Boutique could adopt a similar campaign to generate more revenue.

6. Plan of action: Create a Google+ page where offers and news updates will be available for the Google
community. The 3 websites will place social media campaigns which promote the start of the trend
#TheBoutiqueWeekend and increase the number of +1s to the page with an added incentive which will
benefit a random user. By doing this the website will appear in search results at a higher ranking.
 Twitter Trend and news feed
Twitter is a popular social network for celebrities and businesses. It is one of the most popular social
networking websites due to the high number of users. The Boutique could use Twitter to post offers and
promotions for the use and benefit of its followers. Like Google+ trends, Twitter can also start trends
which have a similar concept but unlike Google+, there is a limit of 140 words you post in each tweet.
#TheBoutique would be the best trendsetter in creating awareness of the business.

7. Plan of action: Create a Twitter feed where offers and news updates will be displayed. The 3 websites
will place social media campaigns which promote the start of the trend #TheBoutiqueWeekend and
increase the number of tweets mentioning the business which will result in a higher level of popularity.
 Facebook page and launch event
Facebook is the most used social networking website by people and by creating a page for The Boutique
it would reach a wider audience and like Twitter, it would benefit the users as they could be kept up to
date with offers and promotions. The users that like the page are in for a chance to be personally invited
to the VIP Launch Party of The Boutique.

8. Plan of action: Create a Facebook page which will display company information, latest news and offers.
Alongside the page an event listing will be placed for the launch of the business. The 3 websites will
place social media campaigns which will promote the Facebook page and insist the user to like the page.
The more likes the page receives, the higher the chance of the business becoming popular in the
Facebook community. The people who like the page will be shortlisted to be invited to the event.
 LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is a large professional network which consists of companies and professional users who are in
employment or searching for employment. It’s a useful network for organizations and businesses to
network with other organisations and businesses that they work closely but are not in direct
competition with. The Boutique could benefit from having a profile on LinkedIn as it would help the
hotel network closely with target clients based in Leeds and in and around the UK who deal with clients
based in Leeds. It could also be a useful tool to find potential employees thereby saving the cost
associated with recruitment as it would be easier views the CV’s of users and identify potential
candidates.
Plan of action: The Linkedin page will be used as a tool to network with other businesses and through
this the business can create new contacts and offer services on a more personal level.

9.  Email advertising aimed at companies
Businesses receive a high volume of emails on a daily basis. The majority of those emails may be from
their own clients but a proportion will be from organizations seeking the custom of that business. The
Boutique could promote the hotel by sending targeted emails to companies who have dealings with
clients in and around the Leeds areas. The aim of the emails would be to entice the business into using
The Boutique and its facilities and would provide succinct information on the facilities, the deals
available and pricing so that a personal assistant or the client can see that this is an ideal place to stay in
Leeds. The Boutique will send an email on a monthly basis to UK based companies promoting the
services we provide businesses and offer deals which will benefit both the client and the business.
 Email advertising aimed at customers
Email advertising aimed at customers to use the services provided by The Boutique would include the
option for them to sign up to email alerts. Having an email list is crucial for this to work because without
this it is difficult to send emails aimed at customers. In order to retrieve emails from customers we
would need them to complete feedback cards or short surveys after using the services. By doing this it

10. will help The Boutique improve their services and it would give them the option to promote the business
further. Another alternative is to collaborate with local businesses that could provide The Boutique with
their email list which would make it easier to contact users on a weekly or monthly basis with offers and
promotions. The Boutique will send an email on a weekly basis to generate interests within the email
subscribers and offer deals which will benefit both the customers and the business.
 Sponsor local events, festivals and charities and promote the business at the same time
The Boutique is a unique and niche hotel based in the centre of Leeds. Sponsoring local events, festivals
and charities is an effective way of raising the profile of and promoting the hotel. These events can often
arise on a monthly basis. It would be useful to identify the events which would provide The Boutique
with the greatest opportunity to target its client market. Such events offer an opportunity to network
with local organizations and those affiliated with them who may be locally or nationally based thereby
offering the chance to target a wider market. The Boutique can set up a stand at the event to promote
their services. In terms of cost it would come to a maximum of £10-£15 for an A2 sized poster.
By providing marketing literature, marketing goods such as post its, pens, key rings, writing pads plus
other stationary materials and food/drinks The Boutique can create a ‘feel good’ factor with such
organizations and persons. Such events can attract the clientele targeted by The Boutique and generate
new custom. The Boutique will approach Barnados because they are a well-known charity and they are
involved in charity events which will give the business a better chance of promoting themselves. Also,

11. Kirkless Local TV a web channel will be approached as they use digital media to promote cultural issues
and charities. The Boutique will do an interview for Kirkless Local TV as part of promoting the business
and talking about important cultural issues which will improve the company image.
 Distribution of brochures and flyers
The classic way of advertising to a smaller market is by distributing brochures and flyers because print
advertising usually attracts more attention than email and web advertising. If the Boutique printed a
reasonable set of brochures and flyers then it would approximately cost them £15 for 1000 copies. If the
leaflets and flyers were distributed by post to organizations and business using Leeds regularly then it
could generate new custom. Furthermore distributing flyers in Leeds city centre on a weekend could
attract potential customers as people from other towns and cities travel to Leeds on the weekend for
social outings and shopping. The Boutique intends to employ young people to distribute the brochures
and flyers in Leeds City Centre. The flyer design will also be printed in the metro newspaper and be
available on their website due to the newspaper being free media. A large number of people travel by
public transport so by printing in the Metro newspaper we will be reaching a large volume of people
who travel by bus and train.

12.  Promotional Offers
The main point of interest for a customer is the website so for this reason The Boutique has dedicated a
page where offers will be displayed. All the website offers will be branded in the same style and will be
well contrasted to suit the image of the business. The adverts are compatible with both the website and
the iPad application.

14. References
Directional Media (2013) Billboard advertising [online] Available at:
http://directionalmedia.co.uk/products/rate-card [Accessed 11 March 2013]
Instant Print (2013) Flyers and Leaflets printing [online] Available at:
http://www.instantprint.co.uk/flyers-leaflets/a6?gclid=CPbA9fGC-LUCFcrHtAodAX4AQg [Accessed 11
March 2013]
Marketing Minefield (2013) Radio Advertising [online] Available at:
http://www.marketingminefield.co.uk/radio-advertising-costs/ [Accessed 12 March 2013]
Outdoor Advertising LTD (2013) Bus Stop Advertising [online] Available at:
http://www.outdooradvertisingltd.co.uk/pages/bus-stop-advertising.php [Accessed 12 March 2013]