The whole world is made up of change ” - Camões said and this is, therefore, the only constant that we effectively have throughout our lives: things change. And if this was true in the time of our great poet, it is even more so today. We live in an era of drastic and accelerated changes that we feel and live through our habits and customs and to which, for better or worse, we have to adapt (and we are adapting) whether in personal or professional terms. This change, which manifests itself above all in the quantity and quality of information we are subjected to on a daily basis - immense, frenetic and impossible to follow, grasp and learn as a whole - affects our way of seeing and living life, and the reality is that Today's consumer no longer behaves in the same way as they did a short 5 years ago, which would be 10 or 20 years ago.

THE MARKET HAS CHANGED

It has changed the way business operates, how the audience is reached, how the dance of seduction is carried out between the product/service and its (potential) consumer. Of course, there will always be some old guard, but the world has become digital, with power at our fingertips, and with that came new opportunities , more competition, and an unavoidable need to refresh the way we try to reach the public. .

I can tell you right now that it will not be enough to advise you to be on social media, to 'squeeze' the information stored in your PMS , to take advantage of channel managers , to pay attention to your social reputation and to act on customer feedback . your audience. Frankly, these days, if you're not already doing all of this, you better - as they say - "lace up your shoes" because you're way behind in the race.  

YOU HAVE TO GET TO WHERE YOUR AUDIENCE IS, WHO THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO

Why? Because word-of-mouth (or word-of-mouth ), despite being the oldest form of promotion in the world, will always continue to be the most efficient. The difference is that this word of mouth has changed.

Consumer 4.0 only decides to spend their money when they are convinced that they are doing it well, choosing the best option according to their needs and motivations - whether because it is fashionable and looks good on social media, or because it responds to principles or aesthetics with which you identify (it's ecological, it's minimal, it's innovative, it's traditional, etc.), either because it suits the company (a romantic getaway, a family vacation, a team building ,...), or because it simply suits you. the recommendation was made to try it. Generation 4.0 researches, compares, evaluates and doesn't need much to reject options, so you need to know how to get into their good graces quickly. It is not enough to advertise, especially because traditional advertising has less and less credibility; advertising will have to be adapted to this new reality and mentality.

IT IS LIKE?

You can do this in several ways, but I recommend that you have your brand's Branding well structured, so that these actions are based on solid values ​​and thus have a higher success rate. I leave you 3 suggestions to consider in the next review of your Marketing Plan:

#1 - Don’t underestimate the power of a good #hashtag

The hashtag was popularized by Twitter and is nothing more or less than a content aggregator: images, videos, opinions... Various publications are being created and when one or more hashtags are associated with them , it is possible to bring together all the content and information generated under this aggregator. This brings several advantages, such as:

• It allows you to get very direct feedback on what people are saying about your hotel/brand, with concrete numbers associated;

• Provides you with content that you can use (with due authorization) to promote your unit/brand;

• Considerably increases your chances of being discovered, shortening the public’s path to you;

• It becomes easier to follow news and trends in your market; 

• The relationship with the public becomes closer, because by expressing this interest in a subject, they will end up following it.

Hashtags can be used to mark events, holidays and celebrations, culture and leisure, interests ; they must be relevant to your market niche (follow the most popular ones so you can associate them with your publications when necessary); They must always be related to the content of the publication, and must be simple and easy to remember. When not taken care of and controlled, the use of hashtags can end up being counterproductive and compromising the credibility of the publication and even the brand.

A good way to make the most of this strategy is by creating a hashtag that represents your brand and that your audience can easily identify. You can also launch it through a contest or movement, which becomes associated with your brand, and generates buzz that will attract people to your social networks, and then to your website, contributing to your global popularity, increasing your online relevance and, consequently, your sales.

#2 - Encourage dreams and experiences with videos

With models as vast and accessible as AirBnB, Homeswapping, Couchsurfing and who knows what more options will continue to appear in this sharing economy in which we live, it is no longer enough to sell accommodation just to sell accommodation. You can continue to do so, but it will not bring you any differentiation or advantage in relation to the market. And without wanting to be pessimistic, your days are likely to be numbered if you continue like this.

“ Marketing is no longer about what you do, but about the stories you are able to tell. ” - says Seth Godin, one of the greatest gurus in modern Marketing, and yes, more than accommodation and beds, it is necessary to sell experiences and dreams. It is necessary to tell stories and seduce people to want to be part of them.

You can do it in many different ways. One of them is video, an increasingly powerful vehicle for getting your message across to your audience. Given the complexity of its composition: image + sound + music + story, if a video is well constructed it can touch the audience in an intense and lasting way. And if it's really good, it could even go viral, which catapults not only your brand, but also the numbers of all your channels and certainly your sales.

However, it is not easy to create a good video that is capable of going viral and that really adds value to your brand, but it is possible. Remember that you must touch people's emotions - the virality of any content is always fueled by emotion - but be careful to choose the right emotions or the strategy could end up backfiring on you.

I invite you to watch, as an example, an action of this kind promoted by the Marriott group, which with a lot of ingenuity, sensitivity and sense of humor managed to showcase the pillars of the brand, its spaces, the service of its units, and in everything the customer can expect:

The initiative was so successful that it already has a second and third sequel!

#3 - Bet on Opinion Makers

Remember what I told you about reaching the audience where they are through who they want to hear? Scott Cook argues that “ a brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is - it is what consumers tell each other ” and the truth is this, especially if we also put ourselves in our role as consumers and analyze any situation like this point of view.

Whether they are bloggers, vloggers or public figures, these people represent loyal and regular audiences on their platforms or social networks (or both), mostly built organically and through a very personal commitment and relationship that generates empathy and serves as a basis for trust. With large numbers of followers, for your audience, that person represents a human filter that tells you what is (and is not) worth trying. They are strong influencers of opinion and action, and essential for catapulting brands.

This strategy is used (and very successfully) in the world of tourism, particularly in the destination promotion component. From the Hospitality point of view, with the #lifestyle topic becoming more in vogue, it makes perfect sense to invest in this aspect. As spokespeople, influencers are able to present your product/service in a more personal, careful way, and above all integrated into a story. They sell the experience and the illusion, which ultimately serve as a trigger for the audience to want to replicate the same in their lives.

There are many strategies you can use in this 4.0 era. Competitiveness may have increased a lot and be fierce, but the options available are also increasing and luckily creativity has no limits! Some will be more difficult to implement than others, but invest in valuable content and you will certainly be able to create strong relationships with your audience. Take advantage of the information you have available, define your strategy based on it, and watch the results blossom!

‍