TOP 10 MARKETING TIPS FOR HOTEL BRANDS
According to Sinha, the Brexit drama will continue to unfold. On an international level, the world is already “very vulnerable and people are being cautious with spending.” He said that the inventory of hotel rooms (both existing and in the pipeline) is bigger than ever before. “Europeans are wary of spending, whereas the Chinese phenomenon will continue. On the other hand, India and Africa will be on everyone’s agenda, the continued regional conflict in Syria is cause for concern, and oil prices will continue to impact investment flow,” he concluded. Therefore, the industry must be ready and willing to take a number of smart steps to ensure it meets or exceeds the goals it has budgeted for.
1. Get more involved in your brand’s digital engagement initiatives:
Don't just leave it to your agency or media planners. You need to evaluate your target audience profiling, pre-target new guests, and generate more revenue for your online brand presence.
2. Rethink your channel marketing strategy:
As hyperfragmentation will negatively impact your ability to manage agile and dynamic pricing tactics. Keep it simple.
3. Marketers needs to monitor rate parity:
To ensure revenue optimization efforts are not being wasted. Remember, your highest yielding channels will always be direct on your brand’s online presence.
4. Think about ‘Recency’, ‘Frequency’, and ‘Spend’:
While defining your retention strategy, dig deep into your customer relationship management (CRM) platform to reward the loyalists. Data mining and analytics are invaluable tools to innovate and create customized rewards and incentives to drive incremental revenue.
5. Focus on India, Africa, China, and Asia:
As latent demand is exponentially higher in these markets. Your traditional feeder markets will need maintenance too but the real rewards lie in city-specific initiatives in these countries.
6. Build on your partnerships:
This will drive brand affinity and broaden relevance. Act beyond the current paradigm and build relationships with totally new segments.
7. Get more social:
Define your engagement strategy with digital influencers and social media activists. What they say about you is always going to be more impactful than what you say about yourself.
8. Stay true to your brand philosophy:
Don't try to please every segment of the market. You can be different things to different people but not everything to everybody.
9. Great design is always good for business:
Do not compromise on standards to save your marketing dollars, it will ultimately cost you more to recover.
10. Maintain consistency and momentum:
The year 2017 will continue to challenge the way we operate. Those who think of original and innovative new ideas to generate revenue and protect average daily rates (ADRS) will be the winners.
The year 2017 will be an interesting one for hoteliers in the Middle East. Founder & CEO of Insignia Worldwide Group, highlights the need for smart and adequate marketing strategies as we move forward
Insignia Worldwide Group is the parent company that owns and operates Insignia, a branding, design and communications agency; Traverger, a digital engagement agency; and Circadian, a boutique interior design studio. Incorporated in 2003, IWG provides a unique, specialist, and integrated solution for hospitality and travel brands seeking strategy, branding, design, communication, digital engagement, and marketing services. IWG works with over 180 hotels across 20 countries and has authored or contributed towards building some of the world’s most revered brands.