Dave Serino Blogs

Events and Attractions Selling Rooms

A few weeks ago, I did some work with a well-branded hotel located in a not so well-branded destination.  The challenge posed to me was the return on the organization’s online marketing investment.  Low clicks, low conversions, non-existent ROI.  Was it the creative, the offer, the content?  Maybe, it was all three.

The primary message delivered in the initial ad was a great weekend rate,  at a very nice hotel in a not so great destination.  Now, let’s not take the destination to task. The more we dug, the more we found fun and exciting things to see and do.   And, one lesson that I have learned from my past experience, travelers will venture into new and uncertain places where unique opportunities await.    So, we started with making some changes in the ad content.  We decided that the best option would be to theme the offer  around specific activities available in the city that were fresh and exciting - then we introduced the pricing.

Next, we spruced up the landing page, incorporating photos of the event/attraction with like-people enjoying these activities.  We also added links on the page that were directed to the event/attraction web site.    After all the selling was complete on the landing page, we presented the offer and call to action.   To date, we are seeing a 31% increase from the initial campaign in click throughs from the ads to the landing page.  The organization has also seen an increase in click throughs from the landing page to the reservations engine.  All of this was a result of changing the primary focus of the message from the hotel specific rate to a promotion that was centered on an event/attraction.

Another interesting case study – with very similar methodology – is noted here.   Enter Grandlife – a  New York City guide for creative locals and guests of the Soho Grand and Tribeca Grand Hotels.   A web site and monthly e-newsletter done by the hotels, but promoting the destination – first!  What a concept!  This is unique in many ways:

• It breaks the hotel/resort industry mentality that people are traveling to the hotel first – destination second.  We all know it is common sense and there are only a few places where you travel to stay at a hotel, but as you saw in my earlier example, it is a reality.
• It is real progressive thinking – especially for being a unique, boutique hotel in top-tier destination.  The Soho and Tribeca Grand are two of those few hotels on a list of hip Manhattan must stays, but they are not resting on their laurels. They are using an effective strategy to stay top of mind with the consumer.
• Fresh, monthly content utilized in more places than one.  Not only are they distributing this content via an e-newsletter, but with the GrandLife site they are also providing the search engine bots with new, keyword dense content that fits very well into the algorithms and raises page rankings.

The results are better-educated consumers who are more familiar with the travel product and additional avenues to reach new consumers.   As a hotel, this may be an approach to consider for future marketing and sales promotions.  It works well alone, in partnership with sister hotels in the same destination or in co-operation with the local DMO web site.

Social Networking Site #1,269

Last week, Hyatt Hotels announced the debut of their social networking site – Yatt’it.  The blurb in Travel Weekly’s Technology e-Newsletter said Hyatt figured out a way to “increase the credibility of user-generated raves and rants, and decrease the prevalence of fake postings.”  Okay, glad to know there is a new sheriff in town.

The site only allows concierges and member of the Hyatt’s Gold Passport program to post reviews.  Officials at Hyatt are doing this to “ensure that the content is coming from road warriors.”  Now, isn’t that who does most of the posting anyway?  And, If you are defining road warriors as “business travels” or “card carriers”, than let’s just say it.  But IMO, anyone who travels frequently can be classified as a road warrior.  This is a very selective process which will most likely hinder the site’s future success.

Now, before I’m accused of being a “Hyatt Basher”, let me say that I’m a card carrying Gold Passport member myself. I even stayed in a Hyatt in late January and I’ll be visiting another one this week at TravelCom in Chicago.  To me, Hyatt conveys the image of an older and expansive convention hotel in a major metropolitan market.   Maybe the reason for a flashy new web portal with a quirky name?

That old image of Hyatt is evolving.  Especially with the launch of brands like Hyatt Place - a retro-type lodging property designed to meet current travel and technology trends.   

But, creating a social networking site for a chain like Hyatt wouldn’t be listed in my 2008 marketing goals. 

Social network site postings are driven by passion and excitement, along with the need for users to tell a story.  That story is usually told to a community of others with similar interests.  What will drive other travelers to only tell their story to members of Yatt’it, rather than larger flourishing communities like Trip Advisor or IgoUgo?  I’m not sure being Gold Passport member is a big enough incentive to drive users to the site and keep them engaged. 

One effect that makes social networks exciting is how quickly they can grow and how the potential of the network increases with the growth of content.

I would have to presume that Marriot Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guests, Hilton Honors and Holiday Inn’s Priority Club would each have a much larger number of active members then Gold Passport.  So while Yatt’it beigns to grow, the larger social networks – and even sites like Sheraton’s Share Your Story - will be growing at a much quicker pace, making them more attractive users.

It will be interesting to see how things develop and if this was one of those “everyone else is doing it” decisions.  We’ll keep you posted as it progresses.

Welcome to the party Hyatt! And, we hope you enjoy your stay!

"That Happens All the Time"

I just returned to the cold and snowy Midwest from beautiful Orange County, California. I had a brief, but excellent stay. My accommodations were at a full service, upscale hotel property. (Thank you M, A and T for the hook up!)

The hotel had a friendly staff;  clean, spacious rooms; convenient location and a cool running trail about a quarter mile away from the entrance. The hotel also offered a courtesy shuttle  to the airport. When I inquired about the return trip to John Wayne International, the front desk clerk informed me that the hotel shuttles run every hour-on-the-hour, starting at 6:00 a.m, each day. He then kindly offered to schedule me on a return trip. Prior to my response, I paused briefly, to mentally calculate the commute time with my departure time.  Then I realized it probably wasn’t going to get me there early enough to pass through security and reach my gate.  Before I could say a word, he responded with, “Let me guess, your flight leaves at 6:45?”. I nodded in agreement . And his reply, “You know, that happens all the time.”

Sounds like an operational opportunity to me.