It was evident at the International Hotel Motel Restaurant Show seminar on multi-cultural marketing that today’s hoteliers leading the way on attracting special-interest groups to their properties are speaking the right language when it comes to touching unique communities.
Determining how to make multi-cultural marketing a home run by truly touching the guest was the focus of the conversation among Randy Griffin, Marriott International’s Vice President of Sales Global Sales Organization; Jennifer Lee-Harrison, Choice Hotels International’s Director of Communication, Marketing & Advertising; Scott Seed, Director of Business and Leisure Marketing for Hyatt Hotels; and Kirk Thompson, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Hilton Worldwide.
The experts’ comments indicated that hotels reaching out to guests with diverse needs are going about it in much savvier ways than 1970s marketers went about promoting the Chevy Nova in Spanish-speaking countries (unsuccessfully, as urban legend has it, thanks to the fact that the words “no va” mean “doesn’t go”).
One thing that won’t go is the need to address these groups individually. Though Thompson notes, “I would almost hope the phrase [multi-cultural marketing] goes away and it just becomes about marketing,” multi-cultural marketing is a practice that’s destined to stay for the inherent value of delivering customized messages that speak to the heart of a group. And build brand loyalty.
Griffin comments, “I don’t see that we’ll be able to do away with the term. We seem to be building stronger alliances and stronger cylinders of customer groups because they want to be contacted in a way they feel special.”
Lee-Harrison concurred.
“The emotional connection is understanding the consumer,” she said. “I hear our guests saying, ‘I want you to value the dollars I spend with your brand.’”
On the hotel’s side there are also dollars to consider — dollars spent on reaching this audience who willingly allocates their own money for hotel room nights. As Thompson said, “It all starts with the power of green and understanding the buying power of multi-cultural markets. It’s a lot of zeros.”
Tapping into those zeros becomes an allocation game, figuring out how best to carve up the advertising dollars pie. The good news is that spending and ROI are easily trackable. Thompson advised, “Ask questions to get your salespeople to talk to their groups about.”
Tracking spending isn’t all there is to successfully bringing special interest groups to your hotel. Griffin suggested going beyond typical ad buys.
“Have associations with groups – like the NAACP. And include their logo in your materials,” he said. “Forging these relationships in niche markets gives credibility.”
Griffin added: “However, while the associations are not a promised sale it definitely moves the conversation along.”
According to Seed, “Those partnership are almost more important than tracking advertising and marketing.”
That conversation with the guest is only as good as the ultimate execution. While the messaging must be on target, the stay experience must deliver on what was promised.
“Operations has to be a part of successful marketing,” Griffin concluded. “I could have great marketing outreach, but without great operations it’s muddy. No marketing concept or campaign can be successful without effective operation pull through.”
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Determining how to make multi-cultural marketing a home run by truly touching the guest was the focus of the conversation among Randy Griffin, Marriott International’s Vice President of Sales Global Sales Organization; Jennifer Lee-Harrison, Choice Hotels International’s Director of Communication, Marketing & Advertising; Scott Seed, Director of Business and Leisure Marketing for Hyatt Hotels; and Kirk Thompson, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Hilton Worldwide.
The experts’ comments indicated that hotels reaching out to guests with diverse needs are going about it in much savvier ways than 1970s marketers went about promoting the Chevy Nova in Spanish-speaking countries (unsuccessfully, as urban legend has it, thanks to the fact that the words “no va” mean “doesn’t go”).
One thing that won’t go is the need to address these groups individually. Though Thompson notes, “I would almost hope the phrase [multi-cultural marketing] goes away and it just becomes about marketing,” multi-cultural marketing is a practice that’s destined to stay for the inherent value of delivering customized messages that speak to the heart of a group. And build brand loyalty.
Griffin comments, “I don’t see that we’ll be able to do away with the term. We seem to be building stronger alliances and stronger cylinders of customer groups because they want to be contacted in a way they feel special.”
Lee-Harrison concurred.
“The emotional connection is understanding the consumer,” she said. “I hear our guests saying, ‘I want you to value the dollars I spend with your brand.’”
On the hotel’s side there are also dollars to consider — dollars spent on reaching this audience who willingly allocates their own money for hotel room nights. As Thompson said, “It all starts with the power of green and understanding the buying power of multi-cultural markets. It’s a lot of zeros.”
Tapping into those zeros becomes an allocation game, figuring out how best to carve up the advertising dollars pie. The good news is that spending and ROI are easily trackable. Thompson advised, “Ask questions to get your salespeople to talk to their groups about.”
Tracking spending isn’t all there is to successfully bringing special interest groups to your hotel. Griffin suggested going beyond typical ad buys.
“Have associations with groups – like the NAACP. And include their logo in your materials,” he said. “Forging these relationships in niche markets gives credibility.”
Griffin added: “However, while the associations are not a promised sale it definitely moves the conversation along.”
According to Seed, “Those partnership are almost more important than tracking advertising and marketing.”
That conversation with the guest is only as good as the ultimate execution. While the messaging must be on target, the stay experience must deliver on what was promised.
“Operations has to be a part of successful marketing,” Griffin concluded. “I could have great marketing outreach, but without great operations it’s muddy. No marketing concept or campaign can be successful without effective operation pull through.”
