Phil Green, the CEO of Emblem Hotels, was wondering how to differentiate among three different types of accommodations offered under the Emblem flag in order to attract the appropriate type of client for each. Deluxe was meant for business travellers, Express aimed to provide inexpensive accommodation for families on holiday, while Royal provided high quality services for wealthy international travellers. Phil felt the revenues could be increased if clients and potential clients understood these distinctions better. Keen to develop a strategy to eliminate brand confusion, he conducted a customer survey of those who had used each type of facility. Most customers were unaware of the differences. Many complained about the age of the buildings and the poor maintenance. The quality of service was rated poor too. Furthermore, rumour was spreading that a name change was likely and franchise owners were becoming angry. Phil realized he needed to understand how the different classifications would be important to the different customers then he could develop a marketing strategy. He also recognized that unless the franchise owners cooperated his plans would never reach fruition.
For the above case

(a) identify the problem,

(b) develop a conceptual framework,

(c) develop a theoretical framework. Check your answer on the Web page for this chapter.