Text12 Advertising in Hotel Business

Advertising is usually defined as a paid form of non personal presentation of ideas, goods or services, a way of publicly praising the goods in order to persuade public to buy or use them. The four main functions of advertising are to inform the customers, to persuade them to buy the goods, to remind about the goods, and to reinforce those customers who have already used the goods.

The main aim of advertising in hotel business is to inform about the hotel, its facilities and amenities, and about the level of service it provides. It is a well-known fact that advertising activities lead to increase sales and guests number. Some hotels spend up to 35% of their budget for advertising.

TV advertising is the most effective form of advertising, but a very expensive one. Standard 30-second spots show the beautiful views of a hotel, ideal images and ways of life and values of those who like to travel: strong, successful and curious men and women, who are ready to get new impressions and to enjoy new experience. TV viewers are persuaded to identify themselves with what they see and what they will consume.

The hotels have their own Internet-sites. They place information materials, colourful photos and video presentations. The audience of the Internet-site is wide.

The hotels publish brochures and distribute them among tour operators, travel agents, and corporate clients. Articles, photos, advertisements and other information materials are published in newspapers and magazines. Billboards installed along the highways, at the airports and railway stations can be useful as well. Free leaflets and flyers are designed for the hotel guests.

Direct mail, email, SMS messaging, and social network groups organising are new forms of advertising. Some hotels think of using web-cameras installed on the roof of the hotel or in the hall. Real time Internet broadcasting can be interesting for the prospective hotel guests. The hotel guests and the hotel personnel can answer the questions of the Internet users during the web-conferences.

The form of advertising often depends on the type of guests being served: the «upstairs guests» or the «downstairs guests». The upstairs guests are interested primarily in the rooms but not in additional services. They are willing to trade off for lower prices. The downstairs guests are interested in services and offerings in addition to their rooms. They want lounges, food service, spas, fitness centers, parking space, business facilities, and so on. They are willing to pay more. Hotel facilities are often outsourced, but advertising should be organised by the hotel both for upstairs and downstairs guests.

To make an advertising campaign effective it is necessary to put clear objectives for advertising, to calculate the expenditures for advertising very thoroughly, to create a message of memorable impact, to choose appropriate media and to decidehow the result of the advertising campaign should be evaluated.

Answer the Questions:

1. What is advertising?

2. What are the four main functions of hotel advertising?

3. What is the main aim of advertising in hotel business?

4. What are the most pervasive forms of advertising?

5. What images and values of those who travel does advertising on TV promote?

6. What information must be given in a printed advertisement?

7. Is advertising on mobile phone a new business?

8. Can billboards be effective for advertising in tourism?

9. How can one make an advertising campaign effective?

10. Advertising acts as a great drive-wheel for trade, doesn’t it?