Five Marketing Techniques Hoteliers Can Count On

Hospitality marketing teams have a tough job to do these days.  Pivot, pivot – and pivot again.   As we all know, the familiar world around us has become quite unfamiliar, and, the predictable – unpredictable.  With so many situations up in the air, it often feels like a challenge to just stay sane.

In light of this, here are recent marketing and branding techniques that Hospitality professionals can count on to stay relevant:

Stay True

Express your core values in your original, authentic voice.  Staying true to who you are is what your audience depends on in both good times and bad.  If you speak out of character, audiences may second guess your integrity or purpose – ultimately turning loyal fans into never heard from again contacts.

Be mindful about what you say and how you say it. If you don’t have a brand book or brand guidelines for your operation, work with your internal team or an outside agency to set them up. There is no better time, than now.

Stay Connected

Your audiences, now more than ever, are looking at you with eyes wide open.  They want to dream with you, plan with you, and hear from you. Use your most successful channels of communication and be sure to stay connected. Audiences are frenzied for information.

Here are some frequent questions:

• Are you open?
• When will you open?
• Do you have grab & go?
• Do you have contactless services?
• Is your pool open?

Tell them all about what you’ve got. Use whatever approach is best for your brand – just don’t go dark for long.

Be Honest

Honesty is the best policy.  All eyes are on your brand during this time, but this has both pluses and minuses.  If you have a misstep, it is okay.  After all, it is not always what you do, but how you react and respond.

It is imperative to be honest about your services and what your hospitality experience looks like for guests; don’t over promise and under deliver.

Provide Reassurance

Providing reassurance to your audiences in messaging is crucial during these uncertain times.  Travelers and guests want to know it’s safe to visit you.  They appreciate a look inside, a genuine exploration behind the scenes – and they seek out information about both their potential new experience, as well as the cleaning standards and protocols a property has in place. Ensure audiences can access this information readily.  Don’t make them search long and hard for it.

Pre-Stay Survey Audiences

We all get marketing emails after purchasing something or staying somewhere, for example:

• “Rate your Purchase” or
• “How Was Your Stay? Tell us!”

However, what if you allow your audiences to shape their experience now vs. later?  Provide your key audiences with a survey before they visit your location to gain valuable insights about what matters to them. Let them speak to what their expectations are, what they are cautious of, and what they would like to see. It is with this valuable information that marketing & branding professionals can utilize real data to shape the most effective strategies.

All in all, infusing these five techniques into your marketing and branding strategies will help keep you connected to audiences in this ever changing world.  While just a scratch of the surface, communication is at the helm of each of the above strategies. Think about them and deploy them for a running head start – and an effective result.

About the author

Cara Federici is a consultant with Cayuga Hospitality Consultants and a luxury-lifestyle entrepreneur, brand creator and Chief Executive Officer at her firm, The Madison Melle Agency. She and her team are responsible for ideating and bringing to life some of the most forward-thinking hospitality, real estate, media, and technology brands. With robust creative acumen and extensive design, marketing, technology and leadership expertise, Federici’s proven track record of success is derived from collaborating with a multitude of the world’s most notable names in their respective industries, including Fast Company, Standard Hotels, Palisociety, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and Proper Hospitality. At the forefront of innovation, Federici launched Tech Theory Group in 2020, a high-performance technology advisory firm, designing and delivering best in class managed information technology solutions and infrastructure services. The Madison Melle Agency and Tech Theory Group are published regularly in national and industry press publications and are honored to work with a stunning portfolio of clients who have been featured in Forbes, Travel & Leisure’s It List, Business Insider, New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, Vogue, and more.