The hospitality industry has realized that traditional advertising strategies are no longer enough to engage guests. Instead, new approaches are being developed that focus on emotional guest communication. By using storytelling in marketing, hotels can build lasting relationships with their guests and attract new potential guests.
The changes in hotel approaches raise whether these new strategies should be maintained in the future. To find answers, we look at communication strategies before and after the introduction of these emotional approaches.
The changes in hotel approaches raise whether these new strategies should be maintained in the future. To find answers, we look at communication strategies before and after the introduction of these emotional approaches.
Advertising Communicates Information
Traditionally, hotels have used advertising to communicate information about their offerings and attract guests. They have used a variety of channels, including social networks and search engine ads. The focus has been on highlighting the hotel's strengths, such as its refreshing pool, fabulous views or gourmet restaurant. Facts like the square footage of the spa or the number of stars were highlighted. However, this information alone is no longer enough to inspire guests. Hotels have shifted their focus to emotional communication. Instead of emphasizing the hotel's unique selling points, the focus is now on the guests and their needs.Communication Transports Emotions
A guest-centric approach to communication makes it possible to put yourself in the guest's shoes and deliver targeted content. On the other hand, emotions can be consciously evoked to strengthen the brand in the guest's mind.FOCUS ON THE GUEST
In order to stand out from the competition, a clear positioning in the market is necessary. Hotels achieve this by sharpening their own profile and developing special product and service features. From family resort to wellness temple, from biker hotel to yoga retreat, the possibilities are endless. The clearer the orientation, the easier and more specific the communication.But hoteliers need to understand that positioning also means saying no. No to all guests who do not fit the defined target group. This takes courage at first, but it is essential for long-term success and sustainable guest satisfaction. The more homogeneous the target group, the better the offer can be tailored to the needs of these potential guests. The aim is not to find the right target group for the existing service offer, but to develop the routistic product on the basis of the target group's wishes.
One concept for characterizing the desired guests is the definition of so-called personas, which promote storytelling in marketing. These are fictional or real, exemplary versions of the ideal guest that are analyzed in detail. What are the guest's characteristics? How does he or she behave during the booking process and on site? What are their preferences and expectations for a hotel vacation? This approach ensures a shift in marketing from product promotion to guest-centric communication.
DIFFERENTIATION THROUGH EMOTION
In an industry with increasing competition and rising guest expectations due to growing travel experiences, it is difficult to stand out from the crowd of hotels. Objective quality improvement through product optimization reaches its limits in a saturated market. At a certain point, the size of the spa area, the number of restaurants or the furnishings of the rooms are no longer in proportion to the guest's willingness to pay. For this reason, psychological, or emotional, differentiation is becoming increasingly important. By communicating emotions linked to the hotel's services, experiential values are created which, individually designed, awaken the potential guest's need to stay.STORYTELLING ALONG THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Another reason for emotional appeal is that information and content that is associated with a certain feeling is more likely to be remembered. This strengthens the brand's presence with the guest. Storytelling in marketing is ideal for this purpose because it integrates non-emotional content into a story and conveys it in a simplified and easy-to-remember form. For example, when a guest is offered the opportunity to up-sell spa treatments in a pre-stay mailing, a compelling story can significantly increase the likelihood of a booking. If the hotel offers one free massage for every ten sold as part of a partnership with a local charity and communicates this, the guest will be convinced that by booking they are not only doing something good for themselves, but also for others.The method is particularly effective when applied to the customer journey. This represents the entire process a guest goes through when booking a trip.
- Inspiration
- Favoring
- Booking
- Experience/stay
- Loyalty and Referral
Depending on the stage the guest is in, the messages and channels to reach them will vary. There are three key aspects to consider:
- Relevance: The information conveyed must be interesting to the (potential) guest and tailored to his or her needs.
- Value: The image and quality of the hotel are important to the (potential) guest. They expect added value.
- Personalization: If the message and its content imply what the (potential) guest is looking for and are tailored to him, the likelihood of a response increases.
To develop the right story, it is important to understand how stories work. The American mythologist Joseph Campbell recognized in the middle of the last century that successful stories always have the same structure in the form of a hero's journey. This goes hand in hand with the concept of the customer journey and can be perfectly applied to the guest journey, as shown in the graphic below. With this knowledge, hoteliers have the opportunity to holistically align and systematically develop marketing in tourism. The guest feels "picked up" in his situation and experiences the communication with the hotel in a new intensity.
