What enables one hotel resort to thrive while another wanes in the background even when both are in the same vicinity? Much has to do with the efforts in target marketing and the precision of the advertising campaign. While advertising to individuals might draw in some potential business, the most effective method that produces a much larger draw from the market are campaigns targeted at groups.
Targeting Groups
The hospitality market is divided into many groups of consumers with varied needs, wants, backgrounds, incomes and buying habits. That said targeting groups that seek ideal venues to satisfy those particular needs is the key. While there are a number of groups that can sustain a hotel/resort each season, there are a few that are dependable year round. The following is a quick list of seasonal groups typically targeted by a hotel/resorts marketing team.
• Family Reunion Groups
• Corporate Vacation Groups
• Wedding Party
• Club Members
• Sports Teams
Promote Local Attractions
Local attractions in the immediate vicinity of the resort have much to do with the decision to book one hotel/resort over another. That means the potential guest will see both the lodging facility and surrounding area as their “destination”. Nearby attractions are a high priority to these groups and this should be a prime consideration when designing marketing materials. Therefore the key to successfully marketing your hospitality venue has much to do with promoting these hot spots in your materials.
Promoting Group Events
While some hotels and resorts focus on cosmetics and quality services others go a step further, choosing to specialize in key niches of the market in order to establish a competitive edge. Doing so can only improve market penetration and draw in more seasonal clientele. Still, how a marketing team accomplish this? Let’s focus on the growing interest in family reunion event planning and see how presenting more personalized marketing materials can draw in more and ever larger groups. We can then see how other niche segments of the market can be penetrated.
Family Reunion Event Planning
Often family reunion event planners/coordinators or committees must consider narrowing down a list of possible locations to host the event. This has much to do with the theme and activities selected Reunion planners will often take the time to do research regarding possible locations and visit these. How can your marketing materials draw in more of these visitors? Design materials that lend assistance to the decision making process of family reunion planners and committees. The material should focus on listing a variety of reunion themes and associated activities. The material should allow the reader to determine the facilities most compatible to the themes and activities selected.
Make Use Of Event Planning Guide Books
One hospitality marketing department saw the target marketing potential in a particular family reunion planning guide. While a number of popular guides exist, this one contained several personalized keepsake features.
A book ownership signature page, an event details page, a journal, recipe record and genealogy research form. The Book helps the planner/committee go through every step of planning the family reunion narrowing down possible locations according to the themes and activities selected. All that was needed was a slight modification that would present facilities, amenities and nearby attractions ideal for that particular groups needs. This was accomplished by simply slipping in a brochure between the pages of the book. The hotel/resort manager chose to add a personally signed letter attached to the first page of the guide book. Additional content can highlight amenities that fit the profile and demographics of attendees such as the following:
• Park Venues
• Museum visitations
• Festivals and other outdoor events
• Boating Tours
• Fishing
• Dinner Theater Shows
• Symphony Orchestra Shows
• Jazz Concerts
Promoting “Keepsake Event Planning” Marketing Materials
The resort hospitality team may give away the guide as a gift to clients who visit and choose to rate/review the facility. The event planning guide can be compiled in eBook or PDF form, ordered at online bookstores or made available at local retail bookstores. The guide can be designed for the individual planner/coordinator or the event planning committee. Such a personalized keepsake gift given to a group touring the facility can do much to win the clients business as well as build gratitude, confidence and resultant customer loyalty.
