We all know that hospitality marketing and PR are changing radically due to a confluence of factors, including the never ending growth of mobile devices and snowballing use of the social web.
But what marketing and branding expert Porter Gale told attendees at HSMAI’s digital marketing strategies conference made me really stop and think.
What consumers are thinking and feeling at your resorts is your marketing, said Gale, a former marketing executive for Virgin America. One of my favorite quotes from her Feb. 25 talk in New York:
“The consumer is Tweeting 24/7 about what is happening with your brand. The power has shifted from the boardroom to the living room. The guest has more control,” she said, noting that 97% of people have a cell phone within three feet of them. “Mobile and iPad growth is hockey sticking. It’s not going to stop. And that is your marketing.”
The day I see one of my own Tweets, Instagram photos, Facebook posts or FourSquare comments in a marketing campaign, I might say otherwise – but for now, I’m thinking this makes a lot of sense.
Readers: Are you a believer yet?
