Archive for the ‘PR’ Category
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Happy New Year! I am starting out this year with a much more positive feeling than 2010, and hopefully many industries are feeling optimistic as we enter 2011. Last year, we explored specific trends for boutique hotels and now it’s time to build on new ones.
- Social Media expand outreach. The one thing predicted last year is that social media will play a big role in hotels as the networks grow. And that’s what happened. Thankfully, plenty of hotels (chains, boutique, independently owned, B&Bs, etc.) have Facebook and Twitter pages now and are engaging more and more. Now that hotels are comfortable with the social media monster, their challenge will be how to learn to use this tool efficiently to reach guests, enhance branding by communicating the right message, and most of all learn to manage reputation effectively. Read my tips on social media in hospitality for this year.
- Clarify your message. At this point in the economy, you know where your hotel stands and it’s important to start thinking where you want to be once the uptick starts. What type of hotel will you be once occupancy picks up? Who will you market to? Has your audience changed and where do you see travelers booking 2-3 years from now? It’s never too early to ask these questions based on your 2011 budgets and the answers will help you create a solid message for your outreach efforts
- Continue to build value. That’s probably the takeaway from this post… value is something that guests will keep looking for when traveling, especially as more people are starting to consider leisure trips. Building value around the rack rate makes a lot of sense. Avoiding price wars is a big challenge for hotels, so it’s important to leverage what you already have, i.e., exceptional breakfast experience that you can comp, gift baskets at turndown, complimentary valet or laundry - anything that you think will add more to the guest experience. If you can personalize the value to make the guest happier, that’s even better.
- Stay focused and prioritize. As always, when budgets are tight, it’s important to prioritize. This will not change in 2011, especially as hotels continue with upkeep and updating properties. Getting through this year successfully, will be an indicator for future success, in my opinion.
- Marketing and PR. As 2010 showed us (i.e., BP Oil Spill - we will never forget!) having a strong team to handle your marketing and public relations is not a luxury. It’s a must have if you are serious about effective reputation management. PR is tremendously cost effective, and while its an ongoing process, it’s one worth investing into - especially when you find the right person to execute your campaign. With social media, traditional PR and the online environment, marketing communications can help you add real value to the guest experience.
All the best for 2011!
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Tags: boutique hotel trends 2011, hospitality pr 2011, hospitality trends 2011, hotels 2011, pr trends for hotels 2011, social media PR, social media tips for 2011
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Many thanks to Spin Sucks, a very informative blog on all things PR, Marketing and Social Media, who invited me to write a blog post as a guest.
I was about to write a post on Social Media Tips for 2011 for the hospitality industry, so it was a very good opportunity to share thoughts with others.
If you like to take a look at the blog post and comment, I would be very interested in your input! Happy New Year everyone!
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Tags: hospitality 2011 social media, hospitality pr and marketing, pr and hotels, social media PR, social media tips 2011
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Saturday, December 18th, 2010
Fabulous article by Joe Sharkey in the New York Times earlier this week about how the Waldorf-Astoria had to walk guests, who had confirmed room reservations because a VIP guest arrived from abroad in an emergency.
While walking guests to nearby hotels is a nothing new, especially during peak times when rooms oversell to ensure the highest occupancy rate, it can backfire. In the case of the Waldorf-Astoria, the guests who were bumped were looking forward to staying at that particular hotel as part their NYC experience… and the hotel very simply chose not deliver on that promise.
The article as it was written gives me the impression that the hotel did not handle these guests correctly, and decided who to ”walk” based on what they booked in rate. While that’s probably the best approach in terms of revenue, oddly enough the Waldorf-Astoria did not consider guest loyalty when bumping travelers, something that a hotel of such high caliber would normally consider (unless that’s not true… thoughts anyone??)
Meanwhile, as the hotel believed it can earn more money by walking guests who had apparently booked at a discounted rate to accommodate last minute high-rate travelers, this article in the NY Times most certainly backfired that approach… Guests expect to be treated the same when they check-in whether or not they pay #150 or $400 or $800. In such tough economic times, luxury hotels should keep in mind that while they may afford to walk lower paying guests to earn more revenue for the night, I am not sure they can afford such bad PR.
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Tags: bad hotel pr, hotel rates, luxury hotels, travel nyc, waldorf-astoria new york times article, walking guests
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
Colleagues and I have been talking about this topic a lot in the past couple of years. With Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn to keep alive, along with maintaining relationships with bloggers and tracking the online news environment, how do we measure PR in terms of value in this era?
Like most elements of the integrated marketing communications process, PR should have a strategy that’s initially agreed upon. While PR is a continues process that must allow for changes, tweaks and much flexibility, the ultimate goal should remain in tact. For example, if a PR campaign is employed to handle a crisis on Facebook and Twitter, the goal could be to successfully contain the viral posts with the purpose of diffusing the situation in such a way where brand reputation is restored as quickly as possible.
We used to measure PR in column inches back in the glory days of print. While print is still quite valuable, the online world has opened too many doors for PR pros to ignore as potential opportunities. Aside from calculating online impressions and advertising value, social media PR should also be measured accordingly. Post quality, frequency, and participation also matters. With social media, however, it’s about quality of fans and followers, and not so much the quantity. Again, that depends on your client’s goals and what you decide is the best strategy.
Another key measurement that many colleagues overlook is the wish list. If you and the client come up with a specific list of potential placements, or specific goals achieved on social media, then that should be the ultimate reward for a successful campaign. Or, if you’re handling a crisis, perhaps how quickly your strategy turns things around can be the measurement.
In the end, it’s how you and the client communicate on what PR will mean and how it will be defined in the short and long term. Good measurement and effective results come only after a solid strategy has been put in place along with the proper time to be executed. And in my opinion, equivalent advertising value is not a fair measurement tool for a well placed article that offers third party endorsement of the outlet its featured in!
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Tags: client PR strategy, how to measure pr results, imc, measuring pr, public relations measurement, social media
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
With Thanksgiving around the corner, aside from few deadlines, not much is going on this week in terms of media. Most topics have been decided on, and reporters - like the rest of us - are looking to shut down for some turkey and family time.
The days before major holidays like Thanksgiving are perfect “catch-up” days, as I like to call them. PR pros take the time to review checklists, update media lists, catch up on old pitches, follow-up, and even spending some time to write their own blog posts!
With 2010 so near a close, it’s amazing to be part of a field that’s ever changing and evolving continuously. I’m planning my post on predictions for 2011, and how PR will play a big role in hotels, travel, and many other industries. I’ll be using some of downtime this week for planning that outline also.
Meanwhile, I am thankful for a 2010 that will end on a very positive note. Thankful for being my own boss for nearly six years. Thankful for smart and genuine colleagues, who are a pleasure to work with as we rejoice in each other’s successes and pull through tough times . Thankful for the ability to appreciate the simplest of things. Most of all I’m thankful for a four year old who already loves writing and looking forward to doing homework!
Happy Thanksgiving
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Tags: hotel pr, pr checklist, pr downtime, pr predictions 2011, productive pr, thankful, thanksgiving 2010
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
I was thrilled to see that Hotel Chocolat made it in the New York Times twice this month! The luxurious boutique property in St. Lucia opening in early 2011 is a wonderful example of how hotel themes are newsworthy in a social media crazed environment.
View from the Rabot Estate in St. Lucia
This particular hotel is opening on its own cacao plantation, the Rabot Estate, and will offer cacao themed amenities, from restaurant, to spa treatments and other delectable experiences for the guest.
Many hotels have the option to create sharp editorial angles. The problem is that sometimes finding the right one takes strategic thinking, or requires the experience of a true hotel PR professional. Regardless, it’s a reminder that even though the hotel business has not fully rebounded, there is value in press - and its investment properties should make as we enter 2011. Standing out and branding your property has never mattered more, and its a cost-effective communications process that can yield unbelievable results.
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Posted in PR | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
About eight years ago we saw a few small hotel bloggers make their debut online, talking about properties, where to stay, amenities to rave about, room categories to avoid and so forth. A great example of a hotel blog that started hyperlocal in Boston and grew enormously in the past decade is friend Mark Johnson’s HotelChatter.
Between then and today, there are myriads of bloggers on the internet writing up anything from favorite hotel roundups, and top 10 destinations, to exposing bed bug infested hotels and other popular topics relating to the travel industry. As PR people we already know there are some bloggers that have impeccable ethics, and others not so much. It’s up to us to decide who to pitch to.
Without assigning blame to anyone, how do you pitch bloggers in the new decade? Earlier on, it was easy because bloggers did not have the prestige they have today. These days, bloggers are well respected writers, often times editors of high-end publications that are no longer in business. Many senior level writers have left magazines and newspapers to start their own blog and online presense.
The travel/hotel blog boom is still going strong. Pitching bloggers is getting harder. Crafting a clever angle is more important than ever. Establishing relationships with the bloggers takes more time now than it used to. It’s all online too, you have to follow them on Twitter, comment of their FB posts and show interest in their content. It’s a new process that PR people have to embrace when pitching bloggers for hospitality clients (and all clients, for that matter).
One thing is relatively unique for writers and bloggers in the travel and hospitality industry: they don’t leave it! So, happy pitching!
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Tags: bed bugs, bloggers and pr people, hospitality social media, hotel pr, hotels and bloggers, how to pitch bloggers, Media Relations, pitching in 2010, travel bloggers, travel pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 25th, 2010
On a very recent jaunt up to Boston, I met with colleague Ann Manion, the Principal of Hotel Advantage. Ann is a true hospitality professional, who has set out to help hotels realize the important role the Internet plays when it comes to online reputation management.
Hardly anyone fills out those traditional feedback forms when staying in a hotel anymore. The past decade has marked the popularity of the ever fickle TripAdvisor index, that has gotten GMs and hoteliers around the world glued to their computer screens and/or smartphones just to keep tabs on the property’s weekly rating.
What do you do when a horrific review hits? How does it affect your overall reputation online? With sites like TripAdvisor, Ann suggests responding to poor reviews only and making your response clear and to the point as quickly as possible.
She also suggested something daring: link your TripAdvisor reviews to your website. Yes, let potential guests read the good and the bad and let them decide. The worst you can do is try to hide negative reviews. The Internet is written in digital ink and between Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and citizen journalism on the web, hardly anything is hidden. Linking your reviews to your site makes sense when hotel staff is trained to properly respond to them. How quickly and the manner in which you respond is a huge factor in online reputation.
No one expects to read 100% perfect reviews - that would be fake and unnatural in the world of hotels - especially luxury hotels. But, hoteliers can create a strong message that is built into review sites and social media, indicating their constant preoccupation for providing the best possible experience for the guest. Read the related New York Times article about the topic.
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Tags: boutique hotels and social media, luxury hotels, online reputation management, pr and hotel reputation, social media and hotels, social media reviews, tripadvisor reviews
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
I was at client meeting today and among other things, we touched on the pros and cons of traditional print placements. While traditional is inevitably moving towards the all-digital, all-viral, all-social era, my client and I pondered on why we still love reading print.
Sure, there’s the argument of the tangible “leafing through” a magazine at the airport, on the train or waiting at the doctor’s office. But, there’s more to it, there’s an exclusivity about reading the Sunday paper or your favorite magazine even though you can have 24 access to it online. For example, I know when I sit down to read TIME I will be focusing on reading and digesting that pub’s information only. And I look forward to that.
At the same time, I never read TIME.com because I simply do not wish to be distracted by links and pop ups that interrupt my reading. Knowing that I can instantly search for a million things that I find interesting on the publication’s site is tempting, but not something I seek out when reading certain magazines.
At the same time, I love logging on to www.nytimes.com, but hardly ever read the tangible version of the paper anymore. NYTimes is a rich source of info that’s constantly updated, and that’s what I look for when sharing information on my social networks.
The odd thing is that I do recycle and believe in not wasting paper. However, there are times when I crave those 20-30 minutes of quiet reading time like the old days, when digesting information was more important than skimming it and virally sharing it before moving onto the next link.
I believe that both print and online placements have strengths and weaknesses. Online placements (especially via social media) tend to have a much broader impact in a short period of time. The question is, how much does that info sticks with you in the long run?
On the other hand, we are humans and tend to assign value in tangible things - old clippings, front page collectibles, cutting out recipes (I still do that!) and even saving articles for loved ones. With print pubs, we tend to assign more value in article we spend 15 minutes reading when we would probably just skim its online equivalent, simply because we get far more distracted interacting virtually.
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Tags: interactive marketing, Media Relations, online publications, PR, print placements, print versus online, the future of publishing, the value of print
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Did that capture your attention? Don’t hold your breath too long!
So, it seems the quote I submitted for the heck of it via the HARO last year made Mary Cantando’s cut - apparently after looking through 5,000 submissions, no less- for her in 2011 Woman’s Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar. Mary is the Growth Expert of The Woman’s Advantage, which right away sounded to me like a Tim Robbins equivalent for women aspiring to business success, and according to her site, Mary helps inspire women in business via a line of information products, workbooks and CDs. In any case, her calendar provides advice for women from successful women in a fortune cookie sound-byte for each day of the year. I believe my quote comes up on March 29, ironically a day after my birthday, but don’t ask me what it was - buy the calendar.
Actually, the reason for this blog post is not about about my unbelievably inspiring quote in a business calendar, but rather the PR around it. I received a press release template from Mary Cantando for me to go ahead and issue this release to the media on behalf of my business so that I can spread this wonderful news. The press release was so well organized, it even had the two items that were newsworthy already highlighted for me so that I didn’t have to spend the time figuring it out. I just read the release 10 minutes ago, and I can’t remember what those two items were though, even though I was urged to send this out mid-week (generally true for pitching) and to as many outlets as possible (ahem).
I can’t remember the last time I used a boilerplate press release to issue any piece of news - especially since the popularity of social networks took over publishing. I think I used these releases for AAA Diamond announcements for my hotel clients, etc., some years ago. I know we’re supposed to make news out of every little thing these days, but perhaps this blog post may end up having more PR value than blind-blasting a press release out to 30-40 writers, who couldn’t care less about my quote in a calendar, regardless of how inspiring it may be.
All of this goes back to making news newsworthy. It also makes me feel good as a PR person. Although publishing has changed so much so quickly, maybe PR people can still help in the process of determining what is newsworthy enough to present to the media… and what is not. (Of course, this only applies to really good PR people, for which I don’t mind taking a little bit of credit… ok…I know, yawn…)
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Tags: determining newsworthy stories, editors and press releases, filtering news, good pr practice, news and editors, newsworthy items, pr and news, the woman's advantage
Posted in Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | 1 Comment »