AccorHotels and the Digital Transformation Enriching Experiences through Content Strategies along the Customer Journey Case Solution

1. What does the typical Accor customer journey look like? Use the customer journey activity done in class to construct a similar map for Accor.

The customer experience process goes from pre-ordering (including search) to ordering and is repetitive and powerful. Today’s customer journey has fundamentally changed, with numerous web and new content sources, making customers more informed and empowered. In this regard, AccorHotels needs to develop innovative online and offline marketing strategies to add value to the customer experience and differentiate it from its competitors.

Pre-purchase

This phase includes an experience where the customer identifies a need, goal, or incentive from the beginning to consider purchasing to meet that need, goal, or incentive. It involves meeting customer expectations based on experience, online reviews, personal stories, and advertisements. Given the extraordinary potential of using a search engine, consumers visited the websites of travel agencies, airlines, and hotels. 

Purchase

During the purchasing process, all customer connection with the brand and its environment is covered. Selection, ordering, and payment are some of the actions that define it. Once the guests have decided on a destination, they begin the research process. This usually involves asking peers for advice, then analysing the different options in detail and choosing the best one based on reviews, social media photos, and prices. This phase involves finding the best options by spending a lot of time searching for travel information online, reading hotel reviews online, viewing hotel photos on social media, browsing hotel websites and interacting with content, and comparing all options.

Post-purchase 

After the actual purchase, the customer's communication with the brand and its environment is referred to as the third phase. Usage and consumption, post-purchase involvement, and service requests are all part of this phase. This stage encompasses all parts of the customer’s post-purchase experience directly tied to the brand, product, or service. At this point, the product will be the most important factor. The consumer experience is the emphasis of the third phase of research. 

2. Using dataset D1a as a basis for discussion, which online channels generate the most reviews about Accor Hotels? To what extent is this problem and if it is what other channels should Accor focus on when deciding to create or co-create content?

One of the biggest challenges facing today is digital transformation, which is fundamentally changing the AccorHotels environment, market participants, and user behaviour. By definition, disruptive technology significantly changes the way companies operate. Therefore, organizations such as the hospitality industry must change the design of their organizations to meet the challenges of disruptive technology. One of the main effects of digital disruption is a rapid change in how we communicate and find information. This has been reshaping the marketing and customer experience of the hotel business. When it comes to finding accommodation, technological changes have given consumers a wider choice and significantly increased competition. 

To be competitive, companies need to be more agile, “digital”, and more connected. To overcome the negative impact, companies need to re-evaluate existing processes and systems to determine if they have the flexibility to deliver a seamless digital customer experience. Therefore, the organization’s design needs to change to meet the challenge. One-way AccorHotels is tackling the challenge is by transforming its asset-intensive, layered operations into a dynamic, agile, and fast-growing company.