Marketing Trends Hoteliers Should Take Advantage of in 2017

Where are we headed?

It’s a common but tough-to-answer question this time of year. In the hotel marketing world we’re headed for a year that will be defined by a few major trends. Here are the marketing trends we think will have the biggest impact in 2017:

Mobile

According to statcounter.com mobile and tablet internet usage surpassed desktop usage for the first time ever in 2016. Mobile is no longer an important piece of digital marketing… it’s the most important piece!

How to take advantage of this trend: 

1.  Make sure all your digital content is optimized and formatted for mobile devices before thinking about how it looks on a desktop platform.

2. Use texting services to reach guests. Mobile has surpasses desktop because people have their mobile devices on them all the time. That makes texting a surefire way to get your target audiences attention. You can using texting to tell guests when they can check in, what time happy hour is starting or alert them to another time sensitive special.

Print 

The Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Pulizzi thinks that print might be on the rebound in 2017. After a long and seemingly inevitable decline, there’s evidence, like the fact that Airbnb recently released a printed magazine, that print might become a more prominent marketing tool in the upcoming year.

printing press marketing trends

How to take advantage of this trend: 

1) Decide what makes the most sense to promote through print media. Many of our clients at McConnell Marketing use printed pieces to promote their high-end  services like suites or spas.

2) Create a printed piece too interesting to throw away. We did some die-cut maps for Ritz Carlton (shown below) that were the outline of a famous icon on one side with a local area map on the other. These pieces ended up being an eye-catching but useful way to promote the hotel.

Ritz Map Printed Marketing Example

 

Live Video Streaming

In November of 2016 Instagram integrated live video into its app. It’s just one of many social media sites that offers a live video service and for good reason, Facebook users spend 3 times as long watching live videos as they do watching the non-live versions. Live video is definitely on the upswing in 2017.

live streaming video marketing

How to take advantage of this trend: 

Add live video to your content marketing mix. For hoteliers this can be as simple as regularly scheduled property tour videos. “Thinking about staying with us? Tune in Thursday for a live tour” the real value of this type of video is that the audience has the ability to type questions while watching, so you can give answers to your potential guests questions in real time.

Interactive Content

According to Forbes, interactive content will be a big trend in marketing this year. Quizzes, clickable graphics, and anything that requires input from the audience falls under this category.

Interactive Markeitng

How to take advantage of this trend: 

One example Forbes pointed to was a quiz entitled “Which City should you live in” by Buzz-feed. Your hotel could create a similar quiz using categories such as, “what meeting space should you book?”, “what local restaurant should you try?” etc. These types of tools provide valuable information to guests in a unique and fun way.

Email Marketing 

The Content Marketing Institute has long advocated for the importance of email marketing as a key for success. In Joe Pulizzi’s book Content Inc.  he says email subscribers should be the number 1 metric for measuring content marketing success.

Followers and subscribers on social media are nice, but they are out ultimately out of your control. Facebook can change their algorithm without notice or Twitter can change which content it allows to be posted. Email is the most sustainable content channel in the long term.

How to take advantage of this trend:  

Make sure you’re capturing email addresses at check-in or during online booking if possible. For non-guests, you’ll have to offer some type of incentive for them to offer up their email address, here are some ideas.

1) Create a PDF ebook with info on local attractions, bars, restaurants etc. Ex: “Get a free PDF guide to New York when you sign up for our email list.”

2) Offer ongoing value. Ex: “Sign up to get monthly emails with the top events happening in Pittsburgh.”

3) Do a contest or give away. Ex: “Sign up for a chance to win two free nights at our hotel!”

Once the emails are captured you can continue to deliver valuable content to your guests’ inbox which will keep your hotel at the top of their mind the next time they plan to book a trip or recommend a place to stay.

What marketing trends do you think will have the biggest impact in 2017? Let us know in our comments section below. 

Holiday Help: Welcoming International Guests

Happy Holidays from McConnell Marketing

Waiting for a guy in a red suit to deliver presents,  displaying a pine tree in your living room and kissing beneath a plant hanging from the ceiling… out of context our holiday traditions can be down right weird.

Keep that in mind when dealing with international guests. They’re away from home, in a different culture and not enjoying the holiday rituals they are used to.

Since there really is no place like home for the holidays here are some tips to helping international guests feel more at home this holiday season.

 

Get the Greeting Right

Sure, your pronunciation might be wrong, but if you’ve ever traveled abroad you know it’s the thought that counts when trying to greet someone in their foreign tongue, not the execution.

Holiday Greetings

Here are some holiday greetings from around the globe, with links to videos on how to pronounce them.

Merry Christmas

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

German: Frohe Weihnachten

U.K. British: Happy Christmas

Italian: Buon Natale

French: Joyeux Noel

Happy New Year

Spanish: Feliz año nuevo 

German: Frohes neues Jahr

Italian:  felice anno nuovo

French: bonne année

Chinese: kuai le xiin nian 

Japanese: Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.

 

Know When “The Holidays” Are 

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“The Holidays” can include a handful of special days that don’t always fall on the same date each year. Here are a few of this year’s key dates you may have missed:

December 24th through January 1st: Hanukkah (An 8 day Jewish celebration in remembrance of an ancient miracle)

December 26th: Boxing Day (observed in the U.K. and other commonwealth countries, is a non-religious holiday that involves shopping and gift giving)

December 26th through January 1st: Kwanzaa (a celebration of African heritage first started in 1966)

January 28th: Chinese New Year (Also known as Spring Festival, it’s a celebration of the beginning of the lunisolar Chinese calendar.)

 

Offer A Multicultural Menu

Open MenuNothing makes people feel at home more than familiar food. You’re never going to be able to replicate a guest’s favorite home cooked meal but you can at least offer them a taste of nostalgia with some of these traditional holiday items

Latke – These simple potato cakes are a Hanukkah staple.  

Oysters – in France 70% of all Oysters are eaten during the week between Christmas and New Years.

Long Noodles – in Japan eating long noodles is a common tradition on New Year’s Eve. Specifically “Toshikoshki soba” or year-crossing noodle.” On a different note KFC has become a very popular Christmas dish in Japan since the 1970s, maybe leave that item off the menu though.

Gluhwein – is a German Christmas beverage made with red wine, sugar and spices served hot, otherwise known as a hot spiced mulled wine.

Bacalao – is a dried and salted codfish that is a major holiday staple in Mexico and other Latin countries. There are plenty of variations on the recipe, but most include peppers, onions and garlic.

 

If you have any more holiday tips from around the world, please let us know in our comments section below! Lastly, we want to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season from everyone here at McConnell Marketing!

Today’s article was brought to you by the Starbucks Christmas blend, which has become a seasonal tradition here at the office.

Until next week, stay well and Happy Holidays!

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The Art of Minimalism

An average person looks at their phone 85 times per day. Researchers also found smartphone use is typically confined to short bursts, lasting 30 seconds or less. Is your content being seen? Is your design interface standing out?

User interfaces for mobile apps and websites are now shifting toward a flat, simple, minimal design solution. Minimalism is a key component to good design, as it follows the “less is more” principle. The art of minimalism can be achieved in some of these design techniques mentioned below.

Color

Simplifying your color scheme is a great place to start. Using a monochromatic technique can benefit the overall aesthetic. Monochromatic hues are more pleasant to the eye and therefore easier to look at.

Minimalism-MonochromaticAnother creative use of color is the spotlight technique. Using one bright color in a pallet of neutral colors creates contrast and draws attention to important information. An example can be seen below.

Minimalism-Spotlight

Whitespace

Whitespace has become a common occurrence in minimal design. Francine Jay, the developer of MissMinimalist.com and author of The Joy of Less once said, “The problem: we put more value on our stuff than our space.” Though her quote focuses on all aspects of living, it can certainly be applied to design.

Minimalism-Whitespace

Whitespace helps elements within the design stand out. It creates an inviting, clean space which allows the user to easily digest information quickly. Whitespace is a perfect example of everything minimalism stands for using a “less is more” technique.

Typography

Typography plays a vital role when communicating your brand message. You can never go wrong with Helvetica, which is used in countless applications, print ads and company logos. A few other easy-reading fonts include Hind, Arial and San Francisco. Don’t be afraid to play with weight, style, size and color to highlight your most important information. Typography if used correctly can be powerful and influential.

Minimalism-Typography

Minimalism is taking over and it is beneficial to know the basics. Using these techniques can improve the look of your website, newsletter and more. Do you need help with a minimal design? We’d love to help you. Thanks for reading, and be sure to stop back next week for a new blog!

Today’s blog writing rendezvous was powered by Dunkin’ Donuts. The new Crème Brûlée Swirl is delicious, and highly recommended.

Until next week, stay well.

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The Secret To Great Promotional Items

McConnell Marketing Promotional Items

Big meeting. Pen runs out of ink. “I need a pen for this meeting. What am I going to do?”

You frantically dig through your bag hoping to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. Then……. voila! A Hilton pen from your last trip to Dallas, your saving grace.

In the following seconds you reflect on that trip. You remember how much you enjoyed it and how you’d love to go back. You remember the great hospitality you received at the Hilton Garden Inn and the wheels begin turning to plan your next getaway. Ok, time to focus. Back to the meeting.

That right there is why you give your guests promotional items. A nice pen is always my favorite, but items that represent your brand and tell a story can also resonate deeply with your clientele.

Here’s a look at three of the more interesting promotional items we’ve produced for clients and the stories behind them. Hopefully they will inspire you to think creatively about your next promotional item order.

 

Aloft Phoenix-Airport – Bottle Opener Magnet

The Aloft Phoenix-Airport has a tremendous bar. The W XYZ bar offers small plates, craft beer and signature cocktails. Patrons can shoot a game of pool while listening to a DJ spin the best tunes. Aloft needed an item that represented this exciting, unique atmosphere. We produced a pool ball bottle-opener for them, blending the themes of pool and craft beer into a practical giveaway. Guests will undoubtedly think of the great time they had at the W XYZ bar the next time they open a beer.

Aloft Promotional Bottle Opener

 

Mandarin Oriental New York – Bookmarks

Known as one of New York’s best, Mandarin Oriental New York offers guests an inspired Bedside Reading Program. Books, hand-selected by esteemed designer and avid reader Joseph Altuzzara are available to read in each suite. Taking their superior hospitality a step further, they wanted bookmarks for the readers. Below is a look at a few of the designs. One side features a famous quote from Robert Half while the other has a gorgeous shot of Central Park in the winter.

Mandarin Oriental New York Bookmarks

 

St. Regis New York – Cigars

St. Regis and luxury go hand-in-hand. The St. Regis New York, the brand’s flagship property, wanted a fitting way to give back to preferred guests. The solution was a custom cigar box filled with five premium cigars. Cigars are often perceived as a sign of affluence and celebration and therefore fit the St. Regis brand exceptionally well.

St. Regis New York – Cigars

So there you have it. Three promotional items with a few things in common.

1. Brand representation.

2. Memorable and unique.

3. Utility.

Are you looking to create a unique promotional item for your hotel? We’d be happy to help you!  Thanks for reading, and be sure to stop back next week for a new blog!

Today’s article was fueled by local shop Branch Street Coffee Roasters. Their Ethiopian sourced Yirgacheffe coffee is fantastic for writing (with a great pen) about promotional items.

Until next week, stay well.

 

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Say Cheese! How To Make Your Hotel Stand Out With Photography

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You’ve probably been there before. Confidently taking photo after photo thinking you’re a pretty good photographer only to have the final image look like your phone’s camera lens had been coated in Vaseline.

Unfortunately for hotel professionals, bad smartphone photography can not only lead to social media embarrassment, but it can hurt business. An unprofessional photo can influence what potential guests think about your hotel. No, one bad Instagram post won’t tank your occupancy rate, but knowing how to take a professional quality picture with your phone is a must-have skill for the modern hotelier.

So follow these 4 tips to make your smartphone photography a bit more professional.

1. Lighting

Nothing beats natural lighting, period. Obviously lighting conditions won’t always be perfect, but take advantage when they are. Try to use natural daylight whenever  you can, and be sure to take advantage of the golden hour, a time of the day when pretty much whatever photos you take outside will look great!

Indoor photography gets trickier because of the lack of natural lighting. When shooting indoors be aware of lighting and try to only photograph well-lit areas of your hotel. There’s no real short cut to dealing with low-light situations outside of buying professional lighting equipment, so your best bet is to try and avoid it all together.

2. Composition is Key

Composition can make a pen look artsy (especially an awesome Renaissance Hotel pen). The top image is taken at eye-level from a desk. The image on the bottom was taken standing above the subject. Though the image on top isn’t bad, the bottom one simply looks better. Getting images from different vantage points can make your photos stand out from the pack.

photography pumpkin and pen

photography tips

 

The “Rule of Thirds” is another useful composition trick. Those gridlines on your photo screen are there to help. Try lining up the horizon with one of the horizontal lines. As for the vertical lines, match one of them up with the focal point of your photo. In the images below taken at The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta the chandelier is the focal point. On the top image it is centered, and on the bottom  it is matched to the right vertical gridline. It’s not a dramatic change but it does encourage the viewer to spend more time exploring the photo, rather than scanning the center and moving on.

photography using centered photo

chandelier2

 

3. Using Instagram Filters

Instagram now offers over 40 different filter options. It can be overwhelming choosing when to use one and which to use.  To make things easier, you can select the order in which the filters appear in your app and how many are displayed in your editing screen. This can be changed by scrolling to the far right of your filters and clicking “Manage.” Put your favorites at the beginning so they’re easily accessible.

Another useful Instagram trick is adjusting intensity. You can adjust the intensity of a filter on Instagram. After selecting your desired filter, tap it again to change the intensity. Dialing down the filter can do wonders, making them less dramatic and more aesthetically pleasing.

Here’s another look at the pumpkin and pen again. The top image is #NoFilter while the bottom has a dialed back Mayfair filter and the difference is clear.

photography filter 2

photography filter

 

Want to learn a little more about filters? Here’s a fun piece from Huffington Post on the topic.

4. Showcase Your Different and Better 

This might seem obvious, but if you’ve got it… flaunt it! It’s easy to overlook a jaw-dropping chandelier, sleek architecture or newly renovated front desk when you see it every day. Don’t forget to appreciate and show off these visually appealing details of your hotel.

Be sure to post the things that make your location unique, hip or eye-catching. If you show potential guests something that catches their attention they just might have to check it out by checking-in in person.

The image below, taken at Residence Inn Boston Harbor shows off their one-of-a-kind event space; a pier on Tudor Wharf.

unique hotel space photography

 

So there you have it! Here’s hoping these tips help. Thanks for reading, and be sure to stop back every week for a new blog!

Today’s article was brought to you with energy inspired by Starbucks. Grande Americano, two sugars, and a splash of cream. The Holiday cups are out, and marketers love great marketing.

Until next week, stay well.

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