HSMAI MAr ketI ng r evI ew / / / INspIrINg MarketINg

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aviano sansberlingFUTURA

in Hospitality Sales & Marketing

In 2012, for the ninth year, 25 creative thinkers, innovators and top achievers were chosen by HSMAI as the “Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing.” Picked by their peers, this outstanding group of sales and marketing executives define success. Eager to hear from them on the state of the industry and how they are flourishing in these challenging times, we asked them about the changes, opportunities and challenges that the hospitality and travel industry now faces, how best to market to consumers in a complicated landscape, and what traits it takes to be successful today.

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[Taryn Schneider]

HErE’S wHAT MAny of THEM HAd To SAy.

Most Extraordinary Minds

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douglas CarrExecutive Director Distribution, fAIrMonT rAfflES HoTElS InTErnATIonAl

Michael BennettVice President, eCommerce & Communications,wHITE lodgIng

Alisa l. BaileyPresident & CEO of the CHArlESTon ConvEnTIon & vISITorS BurEAu (formerly President & CEO, Virginia Tourism Corporation)

Four out of five adults in the U.S. are daily Internet users, mak-ing it an essential part of their daily lives, notes Sarah Travis, head of travel for Google. “The web today isn’t just an opportunity for businesses to compliment what they are currently do-ing, but an opportunity to holistically transform busi-ness. Digital isn’t a separate initiative or something you turn on and off, it’s a core component of everything you do, something that’s always on, just like consum-ers are.

“Consumers today have virtually unlimited choice in content online, and the

choice is only growing,” adds Travis. “As a marketer, it’s important not only to be thinking about how to produce compelling content for consumers to engage with your brand, but also how to engage with people as they consume content that is relevant to what you do. When cable TV was in-troduced, television market-ers had the opportunity to get closer to their consumer through more targeted media. Today, instead of doing that across a couple hundred channels, market-ers have the opportunity to do that online across hundreds of thousands of targeted media platforms, getting much, much closer

to their relevant audience. And if they get in front of that right audience, with the right message, their audi-ence will help tell their story through the amazing social media technology that has transformed the way we communicate and share.”

“One of the greatest chang-es in the hospitality sales and marketing landscape today is consumer behavior and buying patterns and how it has evolved with the advent of technology and ecommerce,” asserts Agnelo A. Fernandes, vice president of sales & marketing, Ter-ranea Resort/Destination Hotels & Resorts. “Keep-ing up with ever-shifting

trends and target audiences is a great challenge as our potential guests come from all over the globe and from all walks of life.”

He adds: “The opportunity lies in hospitality executives staying true to their brand and adopting a service-first culture where the guest ex-perience takes precedence over everything else. It is also critical that hospitality brands clearly define their value proposition and differ-entiate themselves from the sea of sameness. In doing so, hospitality brands will have to constantly align or realign their brand promise with guest expectations and service delivery. The experi-

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rolando AedoExecutive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, grEATEr MIAMI ConvEnTIon & vISITorS BurEAu

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HSMAI Marketing Review / / / December 2012 inspiring marketing 3

ence begins from their first website visit and eventually the booking experience, or from the first voice greeting of the reservations depart-ment to beyond the farewell greeting. It then carries past their stay and how the brand continues to dialogue with the guest. And what’s even more imperative is that the hotel manages its reputa-tion through social media channels, OTAs, GDS and other third party providers with the right visuals and messaging. Doing so builds loyalty and word of mouth marketing; dropping the ball requires time and resources to counter their voice on social media channels. If the hospitality team under-stands that their brand is now jointly owned by the consumer, and that they can also dictate your brand’s des-tiny, they tend to experience the joy of success.”

“The landscape seems to change almost weekly, if

not daily, just given the very nature of the electronic world in which we live today,” notes Douglas Carr, executive director distri-bution, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. “Key

players are growing and evolving, such as Expedia’s introduction of Expedia Travellers Preference to the North American market and Orbitz becoming a key distribution channel for not only American Express divisions but also 10+ major airlines websites. And the online space seems to be

presenting new opportuni-ties to potential customers on a very frequent basis, for example the evolution of travel related products that Google has added over the last five years.

“Other opportunities lie in how we can now reach customers — it’s not just about an ad in a directory or magazine,” adds to Carr. “We can now detail our marketing communications through so many different ways that just trying to stay on top of the options is a full time job. This is where

industry related confer-ences can truly help, such as HEDNA, HSMAI confer-ences and EyeForTravel.”

“Some of the greatest changes include the con-stantly emerging technol-ogy, which allows us to communicate with our customers and each other in so many new ways,” offers Tammy Lucas, managing di-rector, marketing programs, Best Western International, Inc. However, as exciting as that is, we must not lose touch of the basic elements of creating real and mean-ingful relationships with our customers and earning trust by investing time.”

There are entirely new professional job classes that call for unique skill sets that simply do not exist in the hospitality industry and especially at the property level, acknowledges Jason Price, executive vice presi-dent, HeBS digital. “From

Janelle CornettRegional Director of Revenue Management, TPg HoSPITAlITy (formerly Corporate Director of Revenue Management, Coastal Hotel Group) Sal Dickinson: Founder & Chief Execu-tive, FloridaVacationAuction.com

Matthew ClydeChief Strategist & President, IdEAS CollIdE MArkETIng CoMMunICATIonS

Judy Christa-CatheyVice President, Global Brand Marketing, HAMPTon & HIlTon gArdEn Inn, HIlTon worldwIdE

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“one of the greatest changes in the landscape today is

consumer behavior and buying patterns and how it has evolved with the advent of technology

and ecommerceAgnelo A. FernAndes ”

Sal dickinsonFounder & Chief Executive,,florIdAvACATIonAuCTIon.CoM

HSMAI Marketing Review / / / December 2012 inspiring marketing 4

social media strategists to web analytics experts to e-marketers and e-distri-bution managers, the high turnover and high degree of burn-out that faces this industry is not surprising. The pace of change due to the web is relentless, and the pressure for hotels to sell more through their di-rect online channel, protect its brand, stay competitive and hold bargaining power against the OTAs is enough to compel any hotels sales and marketing manager to change careers and become a yoga instructor. It’s excit-ing, but these changes cre-ate challenges and opportu-nities for the hotel sales and marketing manager.”

“As the digital landscape grows, so does the sales and marketing landscape, enabling the hospitality industry to connect with consumers on many more levels than ever before,” states Matthew Clyde, chief

strategist & president, Ideas Collide Marketing Com-munications. “Opportuni-ties surrounding loyalty programs are increasing via social integration. As con-sumers use loyalty points and move up in recognition, hotels and travel companies have opportunities to make these purchases and recog-nitions a social experience to build that relationship and experience between the consumer and the brand.” He states: “This is the age of the empowered consumer. Individuals’ voices are great-ly amplified via social media and Internet channels. If a brand accepts this change in the traditional landscape to empowered consumers, they can have greater suc-cess than those reluctant to immerse themselves in the changes. Everything is faster, and brands, in return, must act quickly to keep up with consumers.”

Kathy Snyder Egan, presi-dent and chief operating officer, Beaver Hollow Conference Center, says the industry is becoming much more focused on understanding the buying behavior of the customer and the things that influence that process. She also notes that there is now the ability for the smaller independent properties to reach a much broader audience and be more competitive than ever before. Alisa L. Bailey, who transi-tioned from supervision of the Virginia Is For Lovers brand to president & CEO of the Charleston Conven-tion & Visitors Bureau, which is heavily involved in courting meetings and conventions, says the past year has been an eye-opener. “The greatest changes I see are the challenges in the government meetings market, the opportunities for unique off-the-beaten-

path events and sporting competitions, and changes and expansion of commu-nication touch points with both meeting planners and leisure travelers. While it may seem cliché, partner-ships and pooling resources remain the best games in town. Branding a destina-tion really does ‘take a village,’ and differentiating a destination through a brand with meeting planners needs buy-in from all in-dustry partners, so internal communication is critical to a destination’s success. “The advent of social media for hospitality marketers makes it essential to stay rel-evant,” explains Dan Rowe, president and CEO, Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Many voices can reflect on the destination and garnishing those communications can build loyal customers. Those loyal customers share their stories with others and that

Chantal figueroaDeputy Commissioner, uSvI dEPArTMEnT of TourISM

wendy ferrillManaging Director, Worldwide Sales, BEST wESTErn InTErnATIonAl

Agnelo A. fernandesVice President of Sales & Marketing, TErrAnEA rESorT/ dESTInATIon HoTElS & rESorTS

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neal feganExecutive Director of Revenue Management, fAIrMonT rAfflES HoTElS InTErnATIonAl

HSMAI Marketing Review / / / December 2012 inspiring marketing 5

is where the music happens.”Social media is evolving in so many directions — not only has there been an increase in the number of social media outlets avail-able, but the average con-sumer is spending more and more time on those sites, offers Hunter H. McIntosh, executive vice president and director of marketing and development, The Boat Company. “What started out as watching for com-ments on TripAdvisor has evolved into managing multiple outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn groups and watch-ing the klout score of your followers. It can sometimes be difficult to link direct sales to these sites; how-ever, the right social media campaign can help with visibility and make people remember you. The op-portunity is there to create sales and awareness without spending thousands on tra-ditional marketing avenues,

and more importantly, it can lead to direct sales and eliminate paying expensive commissions.” David West, vice presi-dent of marketing & sales, Pocono Mountains Visitors

Bureau, observes: “Technol-ogy is changing how people consume travel information. For example, in one month we had 250,000 visitors to our website and just over 20,000 visits were done via the iPad, so your site has to be mobile and tablet friend-ly. Social media is finding

its identity with regards to travel — the sharing of pic-tures and stories and stay-ing connected to a property or destination. Sources of travel information have a wide depth and breadth: the access to information

using three or four different review sites, social media, official sites and third party booking sites will all be used and sometimes simultane-ously. Relationship market-ing has never been more important with both cor-porate partners and media vendors. Spots and dots will

no longer be the norm as we move into more win/win situations as the destina-tions needs are evolving.” For Carr, mobile is the biggest opportunity. “There re-ally aren’t any hotels or hotel companies doing mobile really well. For the most part the industry is viewing mo-bile as simply taking their tra-ditional websites and making them mobile friendly rather than truly taking advantage of the consumer mindset and expectation of what mobile is about — which is contex-tual and immediate. We in the industry still insist that mobile users go through the regular ‘shopping routine’ to look for a hotel when all we really need to do is tap into the technology within the mobile device and deliver options that are in context to what we know about the consumer.” John Frazier, executive vice president, Quinn & Co, sees

Tammy lucasManaging Director, Marketing Programs, BEST wESTErn InTErnATIonAl

dan kowalewskiVice President Revenue Management Services, wyndHAM HoTEl grouP

david HortonGlobal Head, HIlTon HoTElS & rESorTS

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“ Marketers today have opportunities far greater than

they have had in the past to identify and target consumers

that are more likely to purchase their product or engage

with their brand. SARAH TRAVIS ”

John frazierExecutive Vice President & “Deputy Director Travel Group, QuInn & Co PuBlIC rElATIonS

HSMAI Marketing Review / / / December 2012 inspiring marketing 6

these as exciting and po-tentially challenging times to be in the travel busi-ness. “Conditions are chang-ing at such an accelerated pace that we often won’t see our next opportunity until it is upon us. With both wars shortly in the rearview mirror and hopefully not another on the way, we may soon be promoting peace through tourism. My vision is that global travel will become accessible to ev-eryone and we all have the ability to break bread with new friends in far-flung and wonderful places.”

Marketing to the almighty customer… “Marketers today have op-portunities far greater than they have had in the past to identify and target consum-ers that are more likely to purchase their product or engage with their brand,” explains Google’s Travis.

Consumers are engaging with media and brands on their televisions, mobile devices, tablets and desk-tops. As a marketer, that offers challenge, but it also presents an opportunity to get ahead of competitors and truly engage consumers with a 360-degree experi-ence. And because of the incredible targeting capabili-ties of online media, as well as the measurement tools that immediately show what is yielding the best return on investment, marketers have the opportunity to be smarter than ever about how they spend their money. Just taking mobile technology as an example, while it does complicate the landscape as marketers now need to think about how their customers are engaging with media, it also allows the marketer to target consumers when they are much closer to the point of sale.”

As the Internet makes everything transparent, it is critical for hoteliers to make sure that every touch point serves a consistent message, offers Price. “The online travel consumer is incred-ibly savvy; they are early adopters of all things web and demonstrate a high rate of adoption with mobile devices neatly at their fingertips. They dream, plan and shop online and do so frequently. They participate in the digital dialogue every day through social, mo-bile, tablet and traditional web. A hotel must have a fully integrated, multi-chan-nel marketing strategy and execute creative marketing campaigns that reach every touch point where its mar-ket share is located.” West notes that consumers’ time is extremely precious and the choices for them continue to grow. “For a destination you need to

present to consumers that you are a top choice, look the part and have the mes-sage in front of them when they are willing and able to consume that information. You have to be a credible player and have the sup-porting information and infrastructure (i.e., good reviews, good website, good assets). And you have to understand what the con-sumer’s goals and objectives are and how they change. Consumers appreciate and respond to good advertis-ing, so be good and be in big places. Online is a mixed bag and depends on what you want to achieve. There needs to be accurate track-ing and a retail component which many destinations do not offer.” If you are not wired, you are invisible, offers Bailey. “However, new communi-cation systems bring new challenges on how to best

Jason PriceExecutive Vice President, HEBS dIgITAl

Jorge PesqueraPresident & CEO, PAlM BEACH CounTy ConvEnTIon & vISITorS BurEAu

Michael MenisVice President, Web & Interactive Marketing, InTErConTInEnTAl HoTElS grouP

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Hunter H. McIntoshExecutive Vice President & Director of Marketing and Development, THE BoAT CoMPAny lTd

HSMAI Marketing Review / / / December 2012 inspiring marketing 7

use them. Social media changes daily, and from a DMO perspective, we are keeping an eye on best practices and taking some risks in social media, but doing so with a careful eye on effectiveness. All of the new communication genres should make our lives easier and more cost-effective, but often that is not the case. Knowing when to be first out of the block with a technology and when to wait for changes and refine-ment in that technology is somewhat daunting and calls for cautious aggressive-ness. Good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction with customers is a breath of fresh air. In fact, the best way to deliver on the brand promise is to live the brand through personal relation-ships.” “As customers, we are over-whelmed with the number of vehicles and the amount of communications we receive every day from a va-

riety of businesses,” explains Lucas. “For a marketing team, it is a delicate balance that must be managed ac-cordingly. We must listen to the needs of our customers and follow through on how they wish to be communi-

cated to. The better we do this, the better we perform as a marketing team in creating those relationships with our customers on the level that they want.” “I’m a big believer in the power of social media and a big user,” states Will Sec-combe, chief marketing of-ficer, Visit Florida. “It is the

logical extension of what has always been the single most powerful influencer in destination marketing: the advice of friends and relatives. I remember the ‘light bulb’ going off for me personally about eight years

ago when I saw how How-ard Dean, who at that time was running for the Demo-cratic nomination for Presi-dent, was using blogs to raise awareness and funding for the campaign, and I real-ized how it tapped into the power of the individual over the power of traditional media. So while TV ads and a few print articles can be

thought-starters, ultimately the key tool of destination marketing is enabling and inspiring people to share their own stories. He adds that social media is not growing at the expense of the other things. “Maga-zine advertising is still a workhorse and TV adver-tising still works. What’s changed is that social media is now integrated into everything we do. That said, the media budget for the last campaign we ran, in May/June using Twitter, Facebook, & YouTube, was 100% social.”

For Rowe, social media is important but not the end of the road. “Mobile is critical, and where visitors already in the destination will do their research to make a decision. Serving up a positive mobile experience is important, including offering dining res-ervations, hotel reviews and attraction tips. Just listings won’t cut it.”

david westVice President of Marketing & Sales, PoCono MounTAInS vISITorS BurEAu

kathy Snyder EganPresident & Chief Operating Officer, BEAvEr Hollow ConfErEnCE CEnTEr

will SeccombeChief Marketing Officer, vISIT florIdA

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“Mobile is critical, and where visitors already in

the destination will do their research to make a decision. Serving up a positive mobile

experience is important, just listings won’t cut it.

DAN ROWE ”

Sarah TravisHead of Travel, googlE

dan rowePresident & CEO, PAnAMA CITy BEACH ConvEnTIon & vISITorS BurEAu

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Turn the page for more Tips for Success

Janelle Cornett, RDRM, TPG Hospitality, says that market-ing is more difficult due to multiple channels, but agrees that online is by far the best way to spend your money. “Mobile, while still a small part of the puzzle, will con-tinue to grow and gain share.”

“Seamless integration across all social platforms is key to obtaining a strong audience so that the brand and consumer can con-nect wherever they may be,” says Clyde. “Localization, mobile and social media are especially integral in these strategies so that there is a cohesive approach where messaging is consistent in all places where the con-sumer is engaging with the brand.”

He further states that, ‘Local searches on mobile devices is quickly becoming something nearly half the population does as a regular occurrence. With the sharp increase of smart/web-capable phones and mobile devices, more consumers are becoming empowered and making decisions on the go after mobile searches. Companies that do not focus on local and mobile digital optimization will be severely affected as this trend continues to grow.”

“Consumer marketing is an ever-changing and evolv-ing target for us,” explains McIntosh. “As a high-end non-profit cruise operator, we target guests looking for true wilderness experiences that want to give back to the areas they are visiting. We have taken to some very unconventional market-ing ideas with great suc-cess, such as seven-minute features on several national television shows. We have worked closely with other nonprofit organizations, donating cabins to their charity fundraisers as a way to introduce our product to the broader audience at their functions. With the goal being to reach the most consumers for the least amount of money, targeting our audience has become an art form, from hosting cocktail parties at country clubs to introduce the prod-uct to its membership, to making donations to char-ity fundraising events.”

And for Frazier, his advice is simply: “Whatever the plat-form, strive to go big. Do it with passion! Don’t be afraid of pushing boundaries.”

Traits for success… In many ways, it’s still about the fundamentals says Carr.

“Understand the customer, specifically the contact person and the company they work for, build strong relationships and have con-viction about the products and services you’re selling. You also need to know about distribution and how customers want to interact with a hotel. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. You don’t need to know all the technicalities, but at a mini-mum, know what is actually possible across all of the dif-ferent market segments.” He adds: “Understand the difference and the balance between price and value. “The lowest price and the best value are truly differ-ent — the ability to talk to the customers’ needs rather than just ‘feature dump’ is critical.”

For Egan, what made one successful 10 years ago still applies today — get out of your chair and make sure you are building relation-ships with your clients. “An-ticipate what they need before they have to ask for it. Know what they do with other suppliers. What is their total spend in your market? Who makes the buying decision? When do they make it? Know what is going on financially with

your business, your cus-tomers and your commu-nity. Make it easier for your customers to do business with you than with your competitors. Spend your time wisely and make sure you are giving attention to customers proportionate to the value of the business they bring. Remember, if you own the relationship with your customers, you will always be valuable to your company.” Cornett acknowledges that being an expert today about everything out there is almost impossible, but sug-gests keeping up with the daily changing Internet, so-cial and mobile world, and taking the time to challenge yourself and find opportuni-ties to keep learning. “To be successful in today’s world, no matter the posi-tion, it is vitally important to focus on the relation-ships you have or want to have with your clients and guests, ensuring that you are being transparent in your approach while meet-ing and surpassing your clients’ or guests’ expecta-tions,” offers Lucas. “Invest-ing in relationships is the best performance car on your road to success.”

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TARYN SCHNEIDER, president of Taryn Schneider Communications, has more than 25 years of hospitality, travel, and tourism experience as a writer, editor, and marketing communications specialist. For the past 15 years, she has worked on behalf of a select group of clients requiring highly specialized communications services, promotions, writing, publishing, and special events. She began her career as a writer and editor for Travel Agent magazine, and spent the next decade working in a diverse range of travel publishing, television producing, and journalistic endeavors. Her articles have appeared in both travel consumer and trade publications. Her email address is taryn@tarynschneider. com.

Terranea resort’s Agnelo fernandes offers these

10 Tips for Success

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Stay motivated and hungry, be the best at prospecting for business.

Put the client first — care about them, find out what motivates the decision by asking the right open-ended questions.

Listen attentively, identify the needs and use a customized approach for each client.

Be responsive, lead the customer through an organized process and follow up like it is their first piece of business.

Promote the FAB: Features, Value, Benefits; make it a business proposition and do not cave in!

Know who your competition is and sell against them — be the solution provider.

Know the final destination and don’t get sidetracked. Ask for the business. The sales process is complete only when, at the end, there is a satisfied guest or client. This creates trust, great relationships and leads to many more business deals.

Believe in your ability and handle rejection — you’ll bounce right back!

Nurture internal relationships, understand revenue management and property operations, and optimize relations with the marketing department.

Infuse all of the above with positive energy, joy in serving, and passion for the art of hospitality. With that, success will come over and over.

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