Facebook as a Hotel Branding Tool: Dialogic Based Evaluation
Patrick Owoche
Kibabii University
Abstract
Facebook is gaining prominence as an element of hotel branding channel. At time when the hotel sector is facing various challenges. Key notable challenges are as a result of the connected consumers who are calling the shots in the tourism industry. Hotels are also facing competition from non-traditional service providers like Airbnb, Eatwith among others. Facebook offers hotels with a tool to reach a global audience with limited resources. The aim of this study is to explore the usage of Facebook among the star rated hotels in Kenya. Hotels play an important part in the tourism sector. Forty-one hotel Facebook profiles were analysed. The study used content analysis to examine the usage and impact of Facebook as a branding tool and identifies a framework of best practice for other national tourism organizations to learn from. The study argues that Facebook usage among star rated hotels is still largely experimental and that strategies vary significantly.
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