Amid the prevailing focus on the impact of AI on marketing, the HSMAI Marketing Advisory Council of the USA discussed the topic.
How can we integrate better guest experiences into our marketing strategies to stimulate demand and enrich accommodations?
The debate revolved around how to transform spaces into memorable touchpoints.
These experiences foster collaboration between operational and marketing teams, cultivating brand loyalty and market differentiation.
Key Strategies and Ideas:
- Competitive differentiation through unique offerings: In a competitive market, standing out is crucial. Customers seek unique experiences, see travel as more than just a vacation, and expect a journey of personal growth.
Some hotels are gateways to the destination, for example. In this case, employees should act as ambassadors.
It's worth considering the kind of knowledge, curiosity, and new sensations guests will take home after staying at your hotel. - Activate underused spaces: Improving guest experiences by creatively activating underutilized spaces has become a differentiator. There's nothing worse than a boring lobby or a bland experience.
These guest spaces can become vibrant aspects of the guest experience and essential for marketing and storytelling.
One hotel, for example, transformed a blank wall into an Instagram-friendly mural, transforming a neglected space into a powerful marketing asset, driving social media engagement and indirectly promoting the hotel.
Example of the 'instagrammable' wall of the Novotel Morumbi in São Paulo/SP - Marketing and Operations Collaboration: There is an occasional disconnect between marketing/sales teams and operations teams regarding the value of smaller but impactful guest enhancements.
Success stories have highlighted the benefits of collaborative efforts to personalize experiences and provide tailored recommendations to guests. This synergy between marketing and operations is critical to effectively implementing and demonstrating the impact of guest experience initiatives. - Demonstrate ROI for leadership: Addressing the challenge of demonstrating ROI in experiential marketing highlighted the need to recognize its long-term value, not just as an additional expense. One strategy for demonstrating ROI includes leveraging data and analyzing guest feedback to correlate specific improvements with positive comments and repeat purchases. Additionally, creative ideas can generate significant spontaneous media, reducing advertising costs.
However, not all returns are immediately quantifiable, emphasizing the need for a broader understanding of ROI that encompasses brand building and indirect revenue streams.
The importance of innovative guest experience strategies for competitive differentiation is clear. By embracing creativity, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, and addressing the challenges of demonstrating ROI, hotel teams can increase guest satisfaction and strengthen the brand.