These days, the hospitality industry is learning the hard way, that there is more to being successful than providing good places to stay and nice food and drinks. You have to take into account the atmosphere, interior design, social media and PR. The industry is highly competitive nowadays because let’s be honest: there are so many options out there. So many different resorts and hotels, so much diversity, and so many experiences for people to try.
As a hospitality publicist for over a decade, I know the difference between those properties that spend on all the “non-operational stuff” and the ones that don’t. As a professional storyteller, I understand the importance of remaining relevant to the public. Even top-rated hotels and restaurants with reputations for top quality food, need to build awareness around the people behind them and the initiatives they wish to promote, all without draining their low marketing budget with unsuccessful campaigns.
The overall impression of a property has a great impact on the number of reservations and the end revenue. Studies have even discovered that a strong online presence, whether that’s reviews, listings, and social media, produces an uplift in sales. Not only that, but consumers are likely to spend more on a brand with a good reputation.
Part of my job is writing press releases, speaking notes, media advisories, web content, key messages, media kits, biographies, social media strategies, and story ideas, as well as identifying key media and influencers who can help a hotel attract the right audience, as well as coordinating press reviews and fam trips. It takes more than a decade to hone these contacts and with the media landscape changing monthly, it’s an ongoing daily effort to get your restaurant front of mind. This is priceless.
It eats at me as a publicist that most of the places that are in dire need of awareness are the hardest to work with and the ones with the smallest budgets. The industry, like most of today’s businesses, is deeply impacted by reputation. The better the reputation, the more chances of making it big in this competitive industry.
Operators and marketers in the industry have always clashed and may not always see eye-to-eye. But operators who think their business doesn’t require a “reputation” budget shouldn’t be in this business, or any business at all.