I’d like to preface by saying that I have yet to read the original memoir Eat, Pray, Love. I haven’t got much to say about the premise or written works of Elizabeth Gilbert, but what I am interested in are the marketing and publicity strategies behind the film. I think that the marketing team behind Eat, Pray, Love deserves a job well done for their promotional support surrounding the film, not only because they’ve created a massive buzz across all media platforms (online, print, television, you name it), but because they’ve also encouraged consumers to spend more money, period.

Not only will the major film conglomerate behind the movie cash in, but other industries like the food and travel industries will also reap the benefits.

Within the last two weeks I’ve noticed a plethora of promotions surrounding the movie – especially involving companies who service the film’s target demographic of females 30-50 years old. For example, the Home Shopping Network (HSN) teamed up to launch a program devoting 72 hours of air time to Eat, Pray, Love. Throughout the allotted time frame the network will not only promote the film but also incorporate more than 400 of their products across multiple categories that are somehow related to the movie. Brilliant right? Everyone’s a winner—the studio, HSN, and even the home shopper.

Today, I saw another promotion tied to Eat, Pray, Love—this time online.  The contest, living on Self.com, plugs the film and ties it back to a chance to win a free trip to Italy to “reconnect with the pleasure of food” just as Julia Roberts does in the movie. I thought the contest was cleverly done. Not only does the studio reach their target audience online at self.com, but they also encourage one lucky winner to travel to Italy and spend more money while they’re there.  Well done marketing team, well done.

All in all, I’m a huge fan of Eat, Pray, Love. Not necessarily of the book or movie (although I do love Julia Roberts), but more of the fabulous marketing and publicity surrounding it. I appreciate the efforts to submerge our pop culture with the idea to live your life to the fullest –and spend more money while you’re at it. Hey, when it comes down to it, our economy could use a little nudge. Just my two cents. 

I just had the opportunity to do some travel in Italy, and although I was there primarily for the pasta and wine, I am still a marketer at heart – and that’s hard to shake off, even on vacation.  What struck me about Italy was the lack of advertising and branding messages everywhere – we are so used to being hit with them from all angles in the States. But I can’t tell you how many times we met some nice Italian local who said “I know a guy who know a guy, and he can get you…”

Clearly, word of mouth marketing – the original form of advertising – is alive and well.  Perhaps this kind of communication was born in Roman times, and has smartly persisted throughout the ages as Italy and the rest of the world have modernized.

Nowhere was I accosted by brand-mania.  Althought there were occasional ads in the areas where we traveled, there were no roadside billboards, no digital signs in the airports, no poster ads above the urinals.  Yet both locals and visitors were clearly conducting business, referring customers to various locations, and communicating the benefits of particular products and brands.  All by talking.  Animatedly.

One great example was presented in a restaurant along the coast, where the simplest way to advertise the daily specials were to just show us.  Luigi, the owner and proprietor of the restaurant, brought around a platter of fresh caught fish to each table.  He told us what kind each one was, how it would be prepared, what kind of wine would be best served alongside. Very effective.  And delicious, I might add.

In another town, shops marketed their handmade local specialties by putting a few in baskets outside on the street.  As we walked by, we saw something that interested us and the shopkeeper picked up on that interest, nicely told us about the products we were eyeballing, and we were drawn inside the store to buy.

The concierge at our hotels became preeminently important people.  They deftly directed us to fabulous restaurants, wine and cheese shops where we could find the best of Tuscany, and where to get the best deal on gasoline.  Their word became fact for us, and we followed every recommendation.  No tourist magazines, no bus side ads, no peel downs or page take overs. Just one-on-one recommendations.

And when in doubt, we just asked someone along the way.

There’s something to learn here about the simplicity of direct communication. Maybe those Ancient Romans weren’t famous only for their aqueducts and gladiators…. perhaps they are also the original social networkers.

Since we last spoke about Foursquare, the location-based social networking site has grown up a bit. With an audience of over 1.9 million people, and an average of 12,900 new users per day, Foursquare is becoming a social media site to be reckoned with. Many companies have been using the platform as a rewards programs for a while now, including our very own Del Mar Racetrack who will be launching their program starting Opening Day. What we are seeing more of lately is that companies are getting more creative with their approach, especially in the hospitality industry.

One of the first to do this was Joe Sorge, owner of AJ Bombers restaurant in Milwaukee. Taking it one step further, Joe created a whole event to engage customers through the use of Foursquare, and ultimately increased sales by 110 percent in one night. The idea behind the event was to allow customers to earn Foursquare’s coveted “I’m On A Boat!” Badge—which was made possible by displaying boats in his restaurant for all to see. Being that the restaurant was probably one of the only places to actually be on a boat in Milwaukee, AJ Bombers was the place to be for those in pursuit of the special badge. All in all, it was a big night for AJ Bombers due to Joe’s clever use of Foursquare and online engagement with customers.

In addition to using Foursquare to perform the ultimate PR stunt, it is also useful for customer service and target research. The website now provides marketing tools for businesses to grow their online network. In fact, The New York Times recently published an article highlighting all of these resources. The new analytics program provides access to a range of real-time information and statistics about customers like who they are, when they checked in, gender ratio, and additional interests. The focus is on current customers, those who have actually visited the store and like the brand. Ultimately, these are the most important customers, and your biggest fans. This information can mean big things for the hospitality industry, especially when customer service is one of the most valuable ways to improve sales.

Going back to the most basic implementation of Foursquare, incentive programs are one of the easiest ways for hotels to engage their customers online. Offering a ten percent discount at the spa or a free drink during happy hour at the lobby bar is probably going to entice a guest who is familiar with your property and already enjoys your brand. Some properties listed on Hotelchatter.com that are actively engaged in Foursquare loyalty programs are Wynn Las Vegas, The Encore Las Vegas, Hotel Lucia, Hotel DeLuxe, and the list goes on. If you weren’t signed up for Foursquare before, you may change your mind once you realize how easy it is for you to find great deals for travel and everything else in the world of leisure.

Ultimately, the hospitality industry is getting the hang of this thing we call social media, and even kicking it up a notch. Although Foursquare isn’t quite ready to compete in the big league with Twitter and Facebook, the site holds its own because of its unique online opportunities for consumer and business owners alike.

Flights and hotels go hand in hand; one part of a trip is getting to a destination, and the other half is figuring out where to stay. For those of us that do PR in the hospitality industry, realizing this simple notion is the basis for many story angles to pitch media. A few of these include coming up with creative hotel packages to help clients boost PR and sales, and tying hotel or travel clients into current events to maximize marketing opportunities.

Earlier this week, the Golden Nugget saw a great opportunity. On the heels of Southwest Airlines’ announcement of its $39 birthday special, the hotel came out with a $39 room rate good for the same dates as Southwest’s deal. Clever?

Let’s look at the flipside, too – perhaps a less tactful approach.

In the same week Southwest celebrated its 39th birthday with a sale on rates, Spirit Air launched its “Check Out the Oil on our Beaches” advertising campaign, offering a discount on airfare to destinations in the Gulf of Mexico. Hmm, I don’t think anyone finds the oil spill funny. Perhaps this is a lesson learned for Spirit?

Companies are finding more and more uses for social media, and while we’ve covered how to implement customer service strategies, and even how to use social media to find brand ambassadors, we haven’t written about companies that utilize social media tools as an added component to seek out the perfect employee…until now.

A couple of months ago, our client, gaytravel.com came to us looking to increase awareness of its newly launched website – with an idea already in mind – to integrate social media into a larger strategy to find America’s First Gay Travel Guru. Specializing in providing the LGBT community with expert recommendations on gay-friendly destinations, gaytravel.com is hoping to enlist the help of a Social media-savvy, culture-seeking Rock Star to travel the U.S. for six months sharing photos, videos, blogs and tweets.

So what does a job search through social media look like?

From April 30 – August 1, gaytravel.com will conduct a search for a travel enthusiast to city-hop, mingle, and report on the hottest gay destinations in North America.  Interested applicants will write travel reviews, post photos, videos, tweets, and use word-of-mouth to demonstrate why they are the perfect candidate for the job.  gaytravel.com will also use its own social community, Meet; public voting; and a questionnaire and job application to select its Gay Travel Guru.

What does this lucky Gay Travel Guru do once they get the job?

• Spend six months traveling across North America
• Share his/her experiences through blog posts, video, photos, tweets, and updates to Facebook and gaytravel.com

And what are the benefits aside from the job itself?

• $30,000 salary during 6-month employment period
• $200 stipend per trip
• Full compensation for hotel stay, transportation, and airfare

For full details on how to apply, check out gaytravel.com/guru.  And you can expect a full case study upon completion of the job search.

I recently returned from a business trip to New York City for a marketing agency conference, and was blown away by something I always have taken for granted – the doorman at my hotel.  My experience reaffirmed for me that the doorman is THE most important position in hotel marketing. Sure, he’s dependable and helpful, always ready to grab me a cab or direct me to the nearest Starbucks.  But this guy was phenomenal – and here’s why:

He remembered my name.

The hotel I stayed at was The London NYC, a recently renovated hotel that was formerly the Rhiga Royal Hotel – I used to love staying at the Rhiga because it’s well located in Midtown Manhattan, offers all-suites, and was my virgin hotel experience in New York when I visited NY for our client Tiffany & Co. more than 18 years ago.  Now it’s updated and even more cool and trendy.

And here’s the kicker – I haven’t stayed there for more than 9 or 10 years.  And Michael the doorman remembered me.  AND CALLED ME BY NAME. Impressive customer service.

Stunned by his feat of memory, I realized at that moment how critically important that job really is – and how much the doorman can make a difference in a guest’s hotel stay. In today’s world of instantaneous communication, the roles of customer service and marketing have become synonymous.

What if we all had this same attention to detail, this same freakish memory?  If every business had a “doorman”, how would that man or woman represent the front door of your company? We would all do well to think about this approach a bit more seriously.

One thing I can tell you about this experience. I am instantly made to feel like the London NYC Hotel is the only place I care to stay in New York City.  I will be back there soon.  And Michael the doorman will remember me.

We have talked a bit about hotel marketing before, and another area where hotels can get a public relations boost is by offering unique deals and packages.

Hotel packages are often used to increase sales for a property. The equation is simple. Offer an enticing package that adds value, discounts or ease to the traveler and the traveler will be more inclined to book. Even someone that wasn’t planning a getaway may choose to do so if the package is attractive enough.  Hotels have come up with every type of package imaginable: 3rd night free, 50% off, packages that include dining or spa credits, etc.

But there is also another reason to offer packages, and that is for public relations. Hotels have offered all sorts of wacky packages to get some added media coverage. Do they expect many people to book these packages? Maybe not, but these packages do help build awareness for the property. Packages can get press for being outrageous, tying into pop culture, or popular events or holidays. Hotels have offered everything from a Survivor package, which offered rooms for $19 a night – if you didn’t mind giving up all luxury amenities, including a bed and toilet paper. The package got huge attention from the media. The Tropicana in Atlantic City even offered a Jersey Shore package, tapping into the incredible popularity of the show. Media coverage ensued.

Packages are just another way for a hotel to tell a story about the property, regardless if the property has any news or not. I personally love some of the outlandish hotel packages I come across, but that doesn’t mean I am going to book them anytime soon. I personally like sleeping in a bed when I go to a hotel, and while I watch the Jersey Shore, I don’t really feel the need to reenact it. But, those packages have raised my awareness of the hotels, and I may book there the next time I go on a vacation, at full price.

What other crazy packages have you seen, and have you ever booked one?

Consumers’ vacations might not change, but the way they shop for them certainly will. Over the past several years consumers have utilized third party intermediaries such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity to aid their vacation planning research. Why? It aggregates results providing a simple solution where the consumer is able research various options and compare. Consumers love it, and marketers have learned to work with these tools to benefit their hotel brands. Well, now there is a new trip-planning tool joining the list and hotel marketers should take note.

Say hello to Google Maps price comparison. Currently in testing, this model will allow users to enter location and dates of their vacation in the maps section and receive multiple prices on selected sponsored listings. This will not only allow for the consumer to compare the different online travel agent listings, but also the direct supplier (eg the hotel itself). In the end, this will make it even easier to price shop, and will bring further transparency to the industry. Assuming this gains favorable traction, the next step would be real-time pricing in sponsored Google results. This would revolutionize the way hotels market. Get ready for a second round of price wars online.

What does this mean to marketers? Plan to maintain parity – all your prices should be the same on all your different platforms. Plan to add a line item to your media plan alongside your PPC budget for Google Maps placement. These are sponsored listings so they won’t be free.  If done correctly this tool can help capture additional market share, help drive traffic to the hotel’s websites and help maintain RevPar (aka revenue per room availability). With price battles waging themselves online in the form of last minute deals, weekend getaway sales, and the opt-in to travel discounts, users are able to find deals all over the Internet. At some point during the research process they will consult the search giant, so marketers will need to be prepared for change.

Imagine where this could go next. With adoption rates of Smart phones growing, integration between the above model and Google Goggles could have you planning your stay with a simple snap of a photo. Snap a picture of a street sign and get results on local hotel prices in the area. Might just be the best invention yet for the traveling backpacker.

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has jumped face-first into the world of social media. These days almost every hotel has, at the very least, a Facebook Fan Page and Twitter handle. Many savvy hotels are hosting blogs, have their own YouTube channels and are even using Foursquare to help with their marketing needs. However, despite the massive numbers of properties who have a presence, there is a startlingly small amount who are actually using social media well.

Here are a few of the most common mistakes we see with hotels in social media

Mistake #1 – Only talking about your hotel. Sure, your property has a spa, restaurant, wedding venue, bar, club and a whole bunch of rooms, but that still doesn’t mean that your fans/followers only want to hear about that stuff. Feel free to sprinkle that in from time to time, but if you want to have people actively paying attention to your hotel in the social media world, you have to talk about something other than yourself.

Mistake #2 - Thinking Twitter and Facebook will suffice as your hotel’s full social media strategy. Yes, these two platforms are great, especially for the hospitality industry, but there are so many other places online that people are talking about your brand. It would be remiss to create a social media strategy that didn’t incorporate some of these other places. At the very least, any social media campaign should include the monitoring and responding to consumer generated content about your hotel on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Orbitz etc. Taking it one step further, hotels have a natural opportunity to create a strategy with other popular social media sites. For instance, YouTube can be a great way to capitalize on the visual nature of the property and Foursquare allows hotels to reward their most loyal guests. In short, Facebook and Twitter alone just aren’t going to cut it.

Mistake #3 – Not creating separate strategies per social media platform. Yes, all of your social media campaigns should have one over-arching strategy (likely tying into your overall marketing goals), however, each platform that you are interacting on should serve a different purpose. If you are just planning on re-purposing your content from Facebook to Twitter, than why would a consumer have any incentive to connect with you on both? With so many aspects to each hotel, it is a lot easier to find a separate strategy per page than in so many other industries. This is why it is even more baffling that so many hotels’ only strategy seems to be to talk about promotions.

Mistake #4 – Thinking that number of fans or followers your hotel has is an apt way to measure the success of your social media campaign. When you are a fun/sexy/well-known brand (as many brands in the hospitality industry are), it won’t be challenging for you to pick up fans and followers because so many people have experienced your brand over time. What will be challenging is getting those people to engage with you in any real way. What good is 6,000 fans if they are all ignoring your tweets and not responding to your status updates? Numbers are useless if your content isn’t good. All of these platforms have made changes or apps to make it so that someone who fanned or followed you may never see a single message from your brand.

Mistake #5 – Not being human. Sure you are a property, a brand, an entity. Maybe you are uber luxury or super academic, but at the end of the day, you also have to be human. This means interacting with real people on Twitter, responding to people who comment to you on Facebook, and infusing personality into every tweet/status update/video etc. This, hands down, will help you stand out the most from every other member of the hospitality industry since virtually no one is doing it.

All this is not to say that there aren’t hotels using social media phenomenally. There are. I’d just like to see all hotels using these tools in creative and innovative ways. In fact, I’d like to challenge everyone in the hospitality industry to take a second look at their social media strategy and come up with a way to take their social media campaigns to the next level. If you are a hotel and you aren’t prepared to do so yourself – fear not – there are people who can help. In fact, I may just know of a company that specializes in social media for hotels and the hospitality industry…

In-flight magazines may slowly be heading down the same path as free airline meals and checking your luggage for free.  In its place? Say hello to the cooler, new kid on the block: in-flight Wi-Fi entertainment.

For now, in-flight Wi-Fi offers airline passengers Internet and e-mail access, but according to a recent NY Times article, airlines are looking at using Wi-Fi for enhanced in-flight entertainment.

As a traveler who frequents the 3 1/2 hour flight to Minneapolis, this was great news! In another sense, the decline of in-flight magazines was bad news to me as PR professional for  a creative agency.  Securing a hit in an in-flight magazine is like gold for publicists. Think about their monthly readership.  Millions. Not to mention many are business travelers (think affluent audience), and the fact you have a built-in, dedicated audience for at least half an hour, usually longer.

So with more exciting options like Wi-Fi on airplanes, I think in-flight magazines are destined to lose their prestige, in print form anyway. There may be a chance we’ll be reading our in-flight magazines on a fancy panel on the seatback in front of us. What do you think?