by Georges Panayotis
Customers have become increasingly difficult for hotel marketing managers to comprehend, perceive, satisfy… Good old-fashioned segmentation by income and basic motivations has changed. The 21st-century guest has changed and, as a member of Generation Y or influenced by the different practices of these “millennials”, deserves a new hotel marketing approach that goes beyond the last century’s methods, which get a new digital lift.
Kardex is now CRM. The plastic loyalty card has evolved into a more sophisticated Loyalty Program that attempts to achieve One to One relations and more personalized offers. But like combustion engines, whose conception dates back to the inception of the automobile, it will eventually give way to hybrid or other more sophisticated methods. Hotel marketing of yesteryear must accept that the sophistication of digital tools does not preclude a complete overhaul, and looking ahead in order to move forward on new foundations.
There is a desperate lack of means in brand marketing that has led to the banalization of brands, which may virtually substitute one another, provided the multi-criteria choice is pertinent on the distribution networks. Hoteliers must take on this new battle in order to avoid losing their clientele and, consequently, their business assets. It will be won in stages by solidifying the foundations of the hotel business starting with the brand's promise.
While the brand is a synthesis of commitments that it magnifies through its communications, the least brands can do is keep their promises daily, use quality control tools and heed criticism to ensure perceived quality does not falter. A new relationship, one that is almost affective, needs to be created with guests whose expectations have been identified through the intelligent use of Big Data. This may lead to a second stage in loyalty development thanks to the brand's reassurance. It is easier to understand the quest for a new critical size on behalf of hotel groups that are faced with the need to significantly invest in digital marketing tools.
But it will be far from the goals and the real differentiation necessary that can only be produced by elements of surprise and the discovery of new universes. Modern clientele expect more from their brands and above all to be surprised by them. Operational marketing thus evolves towards conceptual marketing, towards new propositions that are still only needed in the subconscious of the different target groups. It is about capturing trends, anticipating desires, exploring directions that will not be evident until tomorrow, even if it means making mistakes. But the price of distortion makes it necessary to get a lead on bold and intuitive brands. It was feared that the strength of online distributors had reduced hotel groups to the role of partners. But the show's not over until the fat lady sings… and digital mutation has only just begun.
Not all hoteliers will necessarily have access to these sophisticated tools, but this does not mean they cannot join in. It is enough to switch playing fields and focus on destinations that play an essential role in stimulating travel. Whether it is for a major exhibition, a sports event, fashion week or an international trade fair, the destination is key in the decision making process. Competition is long underway between the major cities that would like to stake out their territory on Planet Tourism. They missed out on working in real harmony with local professionals to develop attractive communications, original packages, and permanent animation. It is high time a new dimension in the shared tourism economy were launched by working with local partners, combining their energies, without letting this privilege fall to exchange platforms that create traffic detours without really creating traffic. It can be done by bringing an end to corporatism and the dominating positions of certain national partners as well as the growing awareness that tourism is first and foremost a team effort.
