Tag Archive for: Marketing

4 Unique Hotel Marketing Ideas You’ll Wish You’d Thought Of

 

awaken your inner unique snowflake!

Think like a snowflake!

Have you implemented a truly unique marketing idea recently? 

If you haven’t, we can’t blame you.

Coming up with original ideas is hard work, let alone coming up with original ideas that are actually effective.

Seth Godin, sales and marketing guru, has called marketing “a contest for people’s attention” In today’s world of information overload that description is truer than ever!

If you want to win people’s attention  you have to differentiate yourself and think outside the box.

Here are 4 one-of-a kind marketing ideas guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing!

1. Drone Videos

As drones become more commonplace people are finding more and more interesting uses for them.

Atlanta based Barnes Creative Studios uses drones with high definition cameras to capture the ins and outs (literally) of luxury resorts.

The results are nothing short of magical!  Be sure to watch their video below in fullscreen.

2. Extreme Sponsorship 

What’s better than free publicity? Publicity that you get paid for!

That’s exactly what the Pestana Rio Atlantica got when it temporarily rebranded itself as the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana.

In honor of the World Cup, the Brazilian hotel changed its name, let Budweiser put logos and images everywhere and hosted events for the beverage maker’s Rise as One campaign.

Even though the move was intended to promote Budweiser, We have to imagine that the Pestana Rio Atlantica will experience a pretty big boost in business following the stunt.

3. A  Practical Travel Blog

The problem with a lot of business blogs is that they are too inwardly focused. They spend a lot of  time talking about the company itself and too little time thinking about what their audience wants to hear.

Broughton’s Innformer blog reverses that formula.

Instead of posts about their member hotels, the Innformer’s posts are exlusivlely about letting  travelers know what the best attractions and events are at their travel destinations.

Headed to Chicago? Check out this article about the best outdoor venues to eat and drink. Taking a trip to Santa Monica, check out this upcoming concert! The Innformer is a perfect example of Content Marketing done right!

4. A Yoga Mat Love Story

Speaking of great Content Marketers, Kimpton is another brand that absolutely GETS IT.

Everyone loves a good story. It’s human nature. And telling a good narrative can be an extremely effective piece of any marketing campaign.

Yes, their short youtube video, a love story between a guest and her complimentary yoga mat,  is silly, corny and over the top,  but it’s also cute and fun. Overall the story does a great job disguising an advertisement of hotel features as entertainment!

This is by no means Kimpton’s only attempt at video content,  one of their properties, the Hotel Monaco released a hotel workout video that takes viewers through a short workout that can be completed in  the comfort of their hotel room. We liked it so much we even decided to make our own! 

 

Does your hotel need a fresh, creative marketing idea? We can help! Learn more at mcconnellmarketing.com

Get the most out of your marketing partner with these 6 simple tips.

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Like ballroom dancing and bridge, in order to be successful in marketing you need to learn how to work with your partner.

In over 20 years of experience we’ve dealt with all kinds of clients, and we’ve noticed some habits that result in the most productive relationships.  Here are 6 ways to get more out of your marketing partner!

6. Tell us what you want

Like most things in business communication is key. It sounds too simple but just telling us what you want right off the bat can make a world of difference.

Focus on being direct and open with your marketing partner. Explain exactly what you have in mind. The sooner we understand the whole picture of what you’re trying to do the sooner we can get to work on it!

5. Share your budget

Firms aren’t going to rip you off if you share your budget with them. (If you think you’re getting ripped off, it’s probably time to find a new partner anyway).

Don’t be afraid to show your hand and let your partner know exactly what limitations they have. When both parties have the same information, things can progress more quickly then if you leave your marketing partner in the dark.

4. Use the right communication tool

In today’s world there are so many ways to get a hold of someone deciding how to do it can be overwhelming!

Here’s a quick rule of thumb for picking the best method of communication. 

Phone: For when you need to talk things through. Maybe you need to discuss a concept you’re unsure of or simply need more consulting.

Email: For detailed items and things you need to keep a paper trail for.

3. Remember the golden rule

Treat your marketing partner the way you would want to be treated.

Sometimes it’s best to  try and see things from the other guys point of view.  Remember that your project probably isn’t the only one they’ve got on their plate.  We all have bad days. Just remember that your marketing partner will make mistakes and not be perfect 100% of the time, just like you!

2. Let us have an opinion

Why did you hire a marketing firm in the first place?Take advantage of our expertise and experience by listening to our opinion. That doesn’t mean that we should have the final say in all aspects of a project (see number 6), but remember that we’ve done this before!

1. Go ahead, challenge us

Marketing folks thrive for challenges and don’t mind a tough deadline. If you have a project that seems unreasonable or there isn’t enough time don’t be afraid to bring it up. Your marketing partner might welcome the challenge. But, don’t take fake a hard deadline to get your project prioritized for no reason (see number 3).

Do you need a marketing partner? Connect with us on LinkedIn and learn about our hospitality marketing solutions. 

3 Ways Hotel Marketers can get better at Mobile

Getting Better at mobile

How often do you check your phone? A few times an hour? A few time a minute?

Like it or not, addictive mobile devices have become an important part of our daily lives.

Which is why hotel marketers need a great mobile presence.

Mobile is no longer a side dish; it’s quickly becoming the main course in terms of how people experience the Internet. In an article from hotelmarketing.com CEO of Pegasus Solutions David Millilli says mobile “has become a must for generating revenue.”

Guests aren’t just reading articles and skimming reviews either.  They are using their phones and tablets to actually book rooms. In 2013 booking.com’s mobile site had 260% more online bookings than the previous year. In  2012 bookings through mobile sources accounted for 7% of total online bookings, that number is a twelve fold increase from 2010.

Here are three ways any hotel can improve their online presence.

1. Optimize sites for mobile

If your site isn’t optimized for mobile you’re going to annoy plenty of would-be customers. Though mobile devices can navigate regular pages fine, the overall experience isn’t very good.  Full websites designed to be viewed on large displays simply don’t translate well to a tiny phone screen. Make sure that when viewers see the mobile site it’s an easy to navigate, clean and simple style.

2. Get an app

A lot of major brands have been in the news for developing apps recently. W-Hotels, Marriot, Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton Hotels are just a few of the brands to have custom developed apps. Apps are great for a few reasons. One, custom designed apps are usually a more user-friendly experience than a mobile website. Apps also have the ability to increase brand loyalty, since the user downloads the app and will see it regularly it’s a great branding tactic.

3. Get better at social

Social media is one area that is quickly becoming more and more popular on mobile devices. In fact a 2013 survey by Adobe found that 71% of social media site users used a mobile device to access these sites. More and more users are using their phones and tablets to check their social sites. Being good at social media means being aware of how your users are consuming it.

Are you a master of mobile? Did we leave anything out? Give us your favorite strategies for having a better presence in the online space in our comment section below! 

 

Why Honoring a 100-Year-Old Coupon is Marketing Genius

Marketing Genius

Have you ever thought about the expiration dates on coupons? Are they really necessary? It’s not like someone is going to save a coupon and use it years later right…

 

Right?

Actually, a McConnell Marketing associate’s Grandmother was recently featured on General Mills’ blog by taking advantage of a coupon that was more than a few years past its intended use!

 

The Story

In 1984 Laurine Williams found an interesting piece of her mother’s old book collection, an original 1910 Gold Medal Flour Cookbook. On the last page of the book was a coupon for another free copy of the book, presumably so you could share with a friend. Williams wrote a letter to General Mills asking if she could redeem the coupon pointing out that it had no expiration date. Unfortunately, Williams didn’t send the letter immediately and it ended up lost.

Fast forward to 2012. Williams rediscovered her old letter and decided to send it in; at this point the offer for a free copy of the cookbook was over 100 years old! General Mills honored their original offer and sent Laurine a reprinted edition of the 1910 book. The company had actually begun reprinting the book because of situations like Laurine’s.

There is one significant change to the reprinted version of the book however, the word VOID is very clearly marked over the coupons in the back!

 

Old Coupons and Brand Equity

From a marketing perspective, the way General Mills handled this scenario is interesting.

They could have easily brushed the whole situation under the rug and no one, besides William’s would have noticed. Even then it’s hard to imagine that she would have been too upset with the company for not honoring a century’s old offer.

Really this story isn’t about General Mills honoring a coupon. It’s about the company going the extra-mile for a customer.

By putting in the time and effort to make sure that situations like Williams’ were handled appropriately, General Mills showed that they cared, something that can go a long way for a brand. Establishing trust with a customer base takes a lot of work, but the payoff is worth it. Which is why General Mills did what they did.

 

Word Travels Fast 

Laurine Williams is likely to be a loyal General Mills customer as a result of what happened, but in today’s world of social media and viral information spread she’s not the only one who will have a changed opinion of the brand.

General Mills didn’t just gain one loyal customer; they likely increased trust and brand equity with everyone reading this story!

The takeaway from this for businesses shouldn’t be, “Hmmm that’s a quirky thing that company did”. It should be how can we go the extra mile for a customer, How can we gain trust through care! What is our 100-year-old coupon!?

So think about it. Has a company honored a 100-year-old coupon for you? Has your company done something unexpected for a customer?

Give us your examples in the comments below!

Content Marketing—a Common Marketing Tool in 2013

Original Source: The Wishpond Blog

Content is fire, social media is gasoline. –Jay Baer

Interesting fact: Companies that blog have 55% more traffic to their websites. According to The Wishpond Blog, “Content marketing is fast becoming a regular marketing tool (marketers now spend 25% of their marketing budget on content marketing.”

Take a look at Wishpond’s Infographic—you’ll quickly realize that content marketing has a huge impact on how consumers view and interact with the companies they follow. Other findings include: brands that blog generate 67% more leads per month; 68% of consumers spend time reading content from a brand they are interested in; 90% of consumers find custom content useful.

Check out the full State of Content Marketing 2013 Infographic here:

Infographic_content_marketing

 

Do the brands you follow have good content marketing? How do they use it? Let us know!