THE MARKETING CONTRIBUTION INDEX (MHI) AS A TOOL FOR EVIDENCE-BASED ALLOCATION OF HOTEL MARKETING RESOURCES

The paper presents the Marketing Contribution Index (MHI) proposed in the dissertation as a  managerial instrument for allocating hotel marketing resources according to their estimated contribution  to brand equity rather than according to residual or purely subjective budgeting principles. The index is  derived directly from the structural coefficients of the MS-HBE model. After tracing the indirect paths  from four strategy types to hotel brand equity, the normalized weights are 0.32 for service-quality strategy,  0.23 for digital marketing, 0.23 for experiential marketing, and 0.22 for relationship marketing. The index is designed to be applied in a four-step cycle: measure the current state, calculate the index, identify the largest growth reserve, and remeasure results after intervention. Scenario calculations in the dissertation estimate MHI growth of 21-24 percent under the baseline scenario and 34-36 percent under the intensive scenario. The paper discusses how MHI can connect marketing analytics, service operations, and budget planning while avoiding the common mistake of evaluating marketing only by visibility or advertising expenditure.