Scaling Up Strategies for Hotel Vendors and Suppliers
In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving hospitality industry, a hotel vendor hoping to stand out from the competition is more critical than ever, but not a Mission Impossible.
Hotel vendors and suppliers play a vital role in the success of hotels. Still, with a saturated market and discerning consumers, traditional marketing strategies might not cut it to capture the attention of your prospective customers.
In this blog post, Lure Agency’s Cory Falter chatted with Nick Horgan, Chief Commercial Officer of Amaze Insights, about why hotel vendors and suppliers should embrace unconventional marketing approaches to survive and thrive in the dynamic world of hospitality. (And, yes, Tom Cruise may need to be a part of your strategy!)
Amaze Insights is a hospitality analytics company that has seen incredible growth in a short time. In just eight months, the company has signed significant partnerships with some of the largest hotel brands in the world. They achieved rapid success by thinking outside the box.
Hotel Vendor Marketing Tips
Build Partnerships with Industry Leaders
Building partnerships is nothing new. After all, we’re in the relationship business. However, if you’re bootstrapping your way to success, it's not just about shaking hands and exchanging business cards. It's about crafting collaborations that pack a punch. These partnerships aren't just about who you know; they’re also about how you grow together.
Amaze Insights was founded by two industry veterans with deep experience in hospitality analytics. This gave the company a solid foundation to build on and helped attract the attention of major hotel brands.
Nick says, "These partnerships have helped us to gain credibility and visibility in the market, and they have also given us access to a valuable network of contacts."
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Cut Through the Noise
Let’s face it: we’re inundated with sanitized advertisements, emails, and promotional content. You go to a trade show, and every booth is nearly identical.
Hotel vendors and suppliers can no longer “play it safe” to stand out.
Cory recommends doing something other than standing behind the booth doing the same ole’ schtick.
He says, “At your next trade show, come out with something - apparel actors, things like that - to create a buzz and awareness and people talking about that. ‘Wow, did you see X, Y, Z, Amaze Insights, did this thing? It was incredible.’”
In fact, Amaze Insights hired a Tom Cruise impersonator at a recent event in Southern California. Folks were coming up for photos all day. They were able to cut through the noise with outside-the-box thinking and generate a buzz to be remembered. Nick says this tactic was incredibly successful.
By taking risks and exploring innovative strategies, you can more easily capture the attention of your target audience.
Whether through captivating visuals, interactive experiences (like photos with Tom Cruise), or thought-provoking campaigns, embracing the unconventional can help your brand stand out and make a lasting impact.
Connect on an Emotional Level
Traditional marketing often focuses on the features and benefits of products or services. But, to truly attract customers, you must first resonate with them.
People buy from people they know, like, and trust. So, even if your product or service isn’t traditionally “sexy,” you’ll still need to find a way to establish an emotional connection. “Risky” marketing tactics can help.
Risky marketing approaches allow you to tap into emotions, create stories, and showcase the human side of your brand.
This connection can lead to greater brand loyalty, as consumers are more likely to remember and support businesses that evoke feelings and experiences.
Personally Engage
Nick says we’re a part of the “attention economy,” so you must be willing to put yourself out there, especially if you're part of a startup or a scale-up.
He says, “It is incredibly important just to be your authentic self and be out there to engage with colleagues and prospects.”
Nick authentically loves to build others up and congratulate them on their wins.
He goes on to say, “That's who I am. I love to see other people succeed. I truly do. It fills me up and brings me joy. So when I see things on LinkedIn and other people's success, I celebrate it along with them.”
Cory adds, “LinkedIn is absolutely the biggest networking opportunity out there.”
As a hospitality vendor or supplier, personally engaging through LinkedIn will allow you to forge meaningful connections and establish yourself as a valuable presence within the industry.
In a sector driven by relationships and personal interactions, your authenticity and active participation can set you apart from the crowd.
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Build the Right Team
If a large company makes a bad hire, the impact can be absorbed. But every team member is crucial in a startup or a growing hospitality business. They are the gears that keep the well-oiled machine running. When it comes to building your team, there's no room for missteps.
Nick says, “If you are a small startup or a scale-up company, you have to be unbelievably careful about the type of people you bring into the organization because you're in the stage where you're building the brand. And then also understanding what your force multipliers are. So that's where I look at people like you who are really well connected in the industry.”
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Embrace Innovation and Adaptability
Innovation isn't just a buzzword; it's a lifeline in the hospitality marketing landscape.
To unleash your inner maverick, you must continuously seek new ways to captivate your audience. Amaze Insights thrived by pushing boundaries and embracing technology. The hospitality industry is evolving, incorporating AI, VR, and data analytics. Integrating these tools can help you gain insights into customer preferences, enabling you to precisely tailor your strategies.
Remaining adaptable is equally crucial. The market can shift overnight, and your ability to pivot can determine your success. Amaze Insights' rapid growth attests to the importance of staying flexible. Be open to experimenting, learning from failures, and adapting your strategies based on real-time feedback.
Ignite and Nurture Creativity
Creativity is the fuel that drives unconventional marketing. Cultivate an environment where creative thinking is encouraged and celebrated. Foster brainstorming sessions that bring diverse perspectives to the table. Encourage your team to explore uncharted territories and bring forth ideas challenging the status quo.
Remember, creativity isn't limited to marketing campaigns; it extends to how you approach. challenges and seize opportunities. Look beyond the obvious, draw inspiration from unexpected sources, and let your imagination guide your strategies.
In conclusion, as you navigate the dynamic waters of hospitality marketing, it's clear that embracing your inner maverick is essential for success. Drawing insights from Amaze Insights' journey, you can build partnerships, captivate audiences, forge emotional connections, personally engage through platforms like LinkedIn, assemble the right team, innovate fearlessly, measure with precision, and infuse every facet of your approach with creativity.
Remember, as a hotel vendor, the path to success in hospitality marketing involves a blend of strategic partnerships, attention-grabbing initiatives, emotional resonance, data-driven insights, and a commitment to continuous innovation.
Are you ready to cruise to success?
