by Michael G. Frenkel
February, 2001
The industry is in tough times.
Travelers are not traveling. Hotels are having a difficult time selling
rooms, and that means owners and brands are suffering. When revenues dry
up, so do marketing budgets.
That, in turn, makes it harder to sell rooms.
The cycle persists . . . and worsens.
Enter the stepchild of the marketing process, public relations.
Why �stepchild?� Because for years, public relations has got the rump
of the marketing budget, sandwiched somewhere between advertising, promotions
and event marketing. The rationale is as follows: PR is less quantifiable
than other forms of marketing, such as advertising or direct mail; therefore,
it is a less measurable investment. Put the marketing dollars where they
stand the best chance of selling room nights. And that is not PR � or so
says conventional wisdom.
But conventional wisdom has it wrong. For those who use it effectively,
public relations can actually increase occupancy and ADR, in addition to
doing other things it does well (building brand or property awareness,
enhancing image and communicating with key publics).
�Selling� Your Assets
Here is an example of effective hotel public relations at work. In the
tense and tragic days immediately following 9-11, more than one hotel searched
for creative ways to reassure travelers and offer packages that fit the
spirit of the times, without seeming opportunistic or insensitive.
The Lenox Hotel and The Copley Square Hotel, owned by Boston�s Saunders
Hotel Group, seized the moment. A �Celebrate the Spirit of Historic Boston�
package was introduced, offering driving-distance guests the opportunity
to visit one of America�s most historic cities. The package included two
nights at one of the hotels, dinner at the Union Oyster House, the oldest
restaurant in America, and admittance to historic museums, the Freedom
Trail and other patriotic venues.
The package was not advertised. Instead, it was encapsulated into a
catchy press release which was pitched to the media and appeared in major
newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The response was tremendous. Calls came in from throughout the east
coast - including one tour operator who was dismayed to find that there
were no rooms available under the package. . . . all had sold out!
Of course, �selling through PR� is not just about packages. And it�s
not limited to press releases.
They key is looking at your property or brand as whole, keying into
those �unique selling propositions� that distinguish your hotel � or city,
or venue or destination � from any competitor anywhere, and then translating
your competitive advantage into compelling copy and news - worthy communications.
A PR firm can help you craft such communications, but you can also do
it yourself. Some of the most original, creative and effective PR work
originates in-house.
In a time of limited resources and angst about everything from international
terrorism to domestic economic trends, appropriately framed and clearly
targeted PR communications can be the best friend a travel provider ever
had.
The marketing �stepchild� has grown up. And savvy hotel professionals
everywhere are realizing that public relations not only tells � it sells.
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M FRENKEL COMMUNICATIONS (MFC) provides
strategic communications and public relations for
companies in travel and hospitality, real estate, retail
and consumer brands, and the not-for-profit arenas. We have counseled
Fortune 500 companies and start-ups, and built some of the world�s most
prestigious and well-known brands, with one goal: differentiating our client�s
business from the competition, in today�s noisy, crowded marketplace �
to achieve competitive advantage in your market. |
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