As the economy leads consumer values to shift, it is vital that hotels find fresh approaches for identifying their guests’ needs and meeting their expectations. Hoteliers have a powerful research tool at their fingertips, one that provides innovative solutions speaking directly to their target market: their own staff.
Beyond the idea of impressing upon staff that they are brand ambassadors, establish cross-department brainstorming sessions for them to share trends in guest requests and comments about the hotel. It is important to include both front and back-of-house personnel, as their observations provide a variety of perspectives and visitors interact differently with them based upon their perceived status and influence.
In an open forum the team can strategize solutions for addressing guests’ concerns, such as suggestions for new amenities, promotions or local partnerships. Providing financial rewards for implemented ideas encourages staff to invest time and creativity while building their ownership in the hotel’s success.
Consider it a form of internal crowdsourcing, a way of gathering marketing ideas from informed yet unconventional sources. Of course at the end of the day there still needs to be decision-makers and reality-checks as to the ideas’ feasibility and benefits, but utilizing a property’s existing in-house research team to generate innovation is a smart, low-cost move for strengthening a hotel brand.
How do you involve your staff in the marketing process?
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