Insider: Public Relations Success — A Guide to Understanding the Return-on-Investment
By Gini Dietrich, Chief Executive Officer, Arment Dietrich, Inc.
Ms. Gini Dietrich
The business world is ever changing and the landscape of the hotel industry is no exception. There was a time when travelers could choose from a hotel, motel, or bed-and-breakfast. Now, however, there are many options. There are hotels for business travelers and hotels for families. There are hotels for upscale and mid-scale budgets. It is positively overwhelming, and as an hotelier, it is your responsibility to grab the reigns and take control of the success of your property.
That’s where public relations comes into play. PR is an unmatched communication tool that aids a business in distinguishing itself from the pack. But how do you know if you are getting your money’s worth when you allocate budget to engage in public relations efforts?
When an hotelier engages with public relations, whether internally or through work with an outside firm, they often require that the public relations professional provide a distinct, measurable value on the work they do. By assessing the worth and benefit of public relations, the hotelier understands how the work done on the company’s behalf benefits the business and the public relations professional can flex his or her communication muscle and demonstrate success.
Where hoteliers are concerned, public relations efforts can build awareness of a property, introduce new amenities, establish a positive brand image, manage a crisis, and/or set the stage for an increase in sales. A well-executed public relations campaign allows you to reach your target demographic with the messages you want them to hear. The bottom line is, when done correctly, public relations efforts can have a significant effect on the way an hotelier runs the business.
Of course, success hinges on the involvement of the hotelier. He or she must be invested, and involved, in the process throughout the campaign. Sharing your business plan, assisting in the development of key messaging, and aiding in the creation of measurement parameters contributes to success. Working closely with your public relations professional and understanding the metrics also works to help you determine how much budget to allot to public relations efforts.
Typically, public relations professionals, in-house or otherwise, use an analysis of media impressions and apply advertising equivalencies as a measurement of success. However, the rise in acceptance, awareness, and use of social media requires a closer analysis of the public relations ripple in online venues as well.
“Measuring Public Relations Success — A Guide to Understanding the Return-on-Investment” in the Hotel Business Review delves into the how-tos of measuring results when engaging with public relations. Sitting back and watching as public relations efforts elevate your business is only half of it. Engaging in public relations can be a key differentiator for an hotelier, but the first step in success is understanding how to calculate its effect accurately.
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Sincerely,
Gini Dietrich
Chief Executive Officer
Arment Dietrich, Inc.
312 787-7249
www.armentdietrich.com
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