MKTG1053 Services Marketing

Final Assessment Piece Semester 2, 2025

This is your final assessment piece. It is available for download from 9 am, Monday, 20th October 2025 (AEDT). There are three (3) questions in this Final Assessment Piece. Each question has two parts, and ALL parts of EVERY question are compulsory. This Final Assessment Piece is worth 30% of the total marks for this course.

Task: You are required to complete ONE TOTAL written document of 1000 words (+- 10%) to answer questions 1a, 2a and 3a. Penalties will be applied at a rate of 10% per 100 words outside 900-1100 words.

You are also required to complete ONE TOTAL CREATIVE Infographic/Poster to answer questions 1b, 2b and 3b. This MUST be saved as A3 size.

ACADEMIC ARTICLES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THIS ASSESSMENT PIECE, AND ANY INFORMATION FROM THEM WILL BE MARKED DOWN.

DEFINITIONS ARE ALSO NOT ALLOWED IN THIS ASSESSMENT PIECE, AND THEY WILL ALSO BE MARKED DOWN

Due date: This Final Assessment Piece is due no later than Sunday, 2^nd November, at 11.59 pm (AEDT) unless you have an approved extension.

Submission: It must be submitted via the Submit button on the Assignment section on Canvas under Assessment Task 3: Final Assessment Piece.

Please do not wait until the last moment to upload your submissions to avoid technical difficulties. Ensure you have submitted the correct document, which can be checked on your submission page. You will be penalised 10% per day late if you submit the incorrect document or submit it more than 20 minutes late. Additional information on Penalties can be found on Canvas.

You are responsible for submitting your final assessment on time. If circumstances prevent you from submitting, you will need to apply for an extension. If you need to apply for an extension of up to 7 Days, you must complete the application on Canvas in the Assessment 3 section and attach the required documents. This short extension must be completed by Thursday, 30th October, at 11.59 pm (AEDT). Please read the list of required supporting documents, as the application cannot be approved without these. If you need to apply for an extension longer than 7 days, or after Thursday, 30th October, at 11.59 pm (AEDT), please follow the Special Consideration procedure: complete the application form and send it directly to them with your documentation attached.

Title Page: Please develop a Title Page showing your full name, RMIT student number, and the total word count (this differs from Turnitin due to the elements listed outside the word count). Please put this page at the front of your Word document. It has no bearing on Turnitin and is also not included in the word count.

Important: To complete this assessment piece, you must complete in-depth secondary research. Where stated, in-text citations are required.

Your word count does not include the Title Page, the Reference List, or the Infographic/Poster. It also does not include tables, diagrams, graphs, figures, photos or mockups.

If you encounter any technical issues during submission, please take a screenshot and email it to your course coordinator at [email protected]. Then, keep trying to submit it. When your screenshot is emailed, you will not be penalised for submitting it late. Keep trying to submit it until it goes through; it won't take more than a couple of hours at the most. Please do NOT email your work to either your local lecturer or Dr Kathleen Adams.

Please note that this assessment task is to be completed individually, without consultation or discussion with others. Any student who breaches this requirement through media or consultation will be investigated for academic misconduct.

Your tutor and course coordinator can only help you understand the wording of the question (s) or the submission details. They cannot help you with how to complete this assessment or what you should include. None of the teaching team can read any drafts or give advice.

Case study: InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s prestigious Collins Street, InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto is housed within two adjoining heritage-listed buildings, both constructed in the 1890s. The buildings survived decades of redevelopment pressure thanks to heritage and conservation programs by the City of Melbourne and the National Trust of Australia.

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) assumed management of the property and commenced an extensive A$50 million restoration and refurbishment, reopening in 2008 under the InterContinental brand. The redevelopment integrated the two heritage façades into a single five-star property, preserving original brickwork, turrets, bluestone laneways, and Gothic detailing, while introducing contemporary interiors, a dramatic glass atrium, and modern infrastructure. The design bridged Melbourne’s Victorian heritage with cutting-edge luxury, resulting in a hotel that feels both historic and modern. Today, InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto features 253 guest rooms and suites, 13 meeting and event spaces, a Club InterContinental Lounge, multiple dining venues, and state-of-the-art facilities for business and leisure travellers. In early 2025, IHG announced that the property would transition to the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand — a move designed to position it at the upper-luxury tier of IHG’s portfolio while retaining the distinctive heritage character of the Collins Street site.

The five-star hotel market in Melbourne’s central business district is highly competitive, characterised by globally recognised brands offering premium accommodation, event facilities, and wellness experiences. InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto is part of a cluster of elite hotels along or near Collins Street, including Grand Hyatt Melbourne, The Westin Melbourne, and Sofitel Melbourne On Collins. While each hotel targets both business and leisure travellers, their brand positioning, amenities, and service philosophies vary, creating opportunities for differentiation.

Compared to these competitors, InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto occupies a distinctive niche that blends heritage authenticity with modern luxury. However, while it matches its competitors in accommodation and dining quality, the InterContinental’s wellness facilities and experiential services are less developed, creating an opportunity to capture both the corporate and local luxury markets.

InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto attracts a diverse clientele; however, it wants to focus on two key customer segments that represent strong growth and differentiation opportunities within Melbourne’s competitive five-star market. The segments they selected were chosen based on their travel motivations, lifestyle. patterns, and alignment with the hotel’s heritage-meets-modern positioning. They have already conducted a detailed segmentation analysis and considered a few other segments before choosing Domestic Corporate and Business Travellers who attend conferences and Luxury Staycationers from Melbourne and its suburbs.

Requested Target Segments — InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto

THE TASK:

The Marketing Manager of The Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto has come to you for advice on how to entice more guests from each of the TWO segments in the above case study. Segment 1 is Domestic Corporate and Business travellers who attend conferences, and segment 2 is Luxury Staycationers and professionals who reside in Melbourne and its suburbs.

QUESTION ONE

1a. Recommend THREE new or enhanced services that you believe might appeal to EACH of the TWO target segments in the case (a total of SIX recommended services). Clearly describe each service and demonstrate how each differentiates the hotel from the competitors discussed in the case. You are required to use in-text citations.

1b. Create a labelled Flower of Service (FoS) diagram that includes all eight petals, showing the current services that InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto provides. Then show how each of the new services you have discussed in 1a. could be added to the FoS for EACH segment (these new services may not change all petals). You are required to use in-text citations and add these to your reference list at the end of the written document.

QUESTION TWO

2a. Recommend prices for EACH of the three services for EACH segment by comparing them with those of other five-star hotels in Melbourne (you could use a table to answer this question). Justify your pricing decisions and explain how your prices will encourage EACH segment to trial these new services. You must go outside the case study to show reliable evidence/citations from current sources to support your pricing recommendations, and you are required to use in-text citations.

2b. For EACH of the two segments, create ONE mock-up of the physical evidence for ONE new service that you are recommending in 1a (a total of two mock-ups is required). In-text citations are not required in this question.

QUESTION THREE

Scenario

A senior executive from Sydney is presenting at a conference at The Intercontinental The Rialto. Their company regularly books the hotel for its facilities and high-quality service. However, when they arrive, the reserved room has been downgraded due to overbooking. The receptionist is polite and offers a complimentary drink voucher and late checkout, promising that the issue will be “reported to reservations.” Later, it was found that the presentation slides sent to the hotel’s “Business Services Printing Desk” had not been delivered to the conference room as promised, so an outdated version had to be used. The following morning, their suit, which was sent for dry cleaning using the “2-hour Express Pressing Service”, was returned wrinkled after five hours with a note reading, “Machine delay – apologies.” Should the guest complain?

3a. Based on the scenario, consider the following outcomes: Who should they complain to? What public or private action can be taken as a result of the situation? You are required to go beyond the details in this scenario, for example, the specific actions available. You are required to provide evidence/in-text citations to support your recommendations.

3b. Create a detailed and respectful mock-up of a review that this guest could lodge on TripAdvisor on return to Sydney. Then, create a service recovery mock-up response from the hotel. In-text citations are not required in this question.