Sensory Marketing And Its Impact On Customer Satisfaction And Customer Loyalty In The Hotel Sector: The Case Of Luxury Hotels In Viet Nam

Abstract

In the modern world, the fiercely competitive environment of the hotel industry forces hotel enterprises to stimulate new innovations and strategies to differentiate themselves from other competitors. Among various marketing campaigns launched, sensory marketing appears to be an outstanding strategy for seizing the hearts, minds, as well as wallets of customers by applying every human senses, including sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste, in the customers’ experiences. This study aims to examine the impact of sensory marketing on customer loyalty, especially in terms of repurchase behaviors, word of mouth, and brand switch in the hospitality industry based on imposing five elements of sensory marketing in 5-star hotels in Vietnam. Previous study in this hotel market share has been conducted and has verified that sensory marketing can influence customer loyalty. However, Vietnam’s luxury hotel tier has not yet been examined. In this research, quantitative approach is the method used with an online survey of 270 luxury hotel guests to examine the impact of sensory marketing in the Vietnam hotel industry. The findings of this study can be applied to renovate and reinforce the current marketing strategies of luxury hotels in Vietnam as well as in the world in order to capture a larger market share.