Hospitality and Restaurant Marketing
The Hospitality and Restaurant Marketing program trains students to architect memorable guest experiences through data-driven brand storytelling and precision revenue management. The curriculum begins with foundational market analysis techniques, where learners conduct competitive audits using geographic information systems (GIS) to map catchment areas and identify under-served consumer segments. Participants master menu engineering strategies that balance psychological pricing principles with visual design fundamentals, creating profit-optimized offerings that subtly guide customer choices while maintaining perceived value.
Digital marketing modules emphasize omnichannel campaign development, teaching students to synchronize social media engagement tactics with email marketing automation workflows. Through hands-on workshops with restaurant-specific CRM platforms, learners design loyalty programs that leverage purchase history data to personalize rewards while maintaining GDPR-compliant guest databases. The program incorporates real-time review management simulations, where students practice responding to online feedback across platforms like Google Business Profile and TripAdvisor while maintaining brand voice consistency.
Experiential marketing forms a core thread, with students designing pop-up dining concepts that integrate Instagram presentation elements with localized cultural themes. The curriculum explores partnership marketing through collaborative projects with local tourism boards, requiring learners to negotiate co-branded package deals that drive incremental covers during off-peak periods. Participants gain certification in hotel revenue management systems, learning to manipulate dynamic pricing algorithms that respond to concert schedules, convention traffic, and weather pattern fluctuations.
Sustainability-focused marketing initiatives receive special emphasis, challenging students to communicate eco-friendly practices like zero-waste kitchen operations or hyperlocal sourcing without compromising luxury positioning. Through crisis communication drills, learners develop contingency plans for managing brand reputation during food safety incidents or supply chain disruptions, balancing transparency with damage control protocols.
The capstone project tasks students with launching a virtual restaurant brand from concept to first 90-day operations. Participants must present fully integrated marketing plans covering guerrilla marketing tactics for soft launches, influencer partnership strategies, and data-analytics-supported menu refinement processes. Graduates leave equipped with the ManageFirst® Hospitality & Restaurant Marketing credential.