Mr. Rosenberger

Sales & Marketing

Key Things You Must Do to Send a Strong Message

By Matthew Rosenberger, Consultant & Publisher, ABC Travel Guides for Kids

Embassy Suites and Build-a-Bear

Consider the partnership that Embassy Suites has with Build-A- Bear. Not only does the hotel chain go out of its way to welcome families, it even has welcome gifts for the family's bear. Upon arrival, each guest receives A cozy bear-sized Embassy Suites robe or pajama pants and t-shirt set, shower kit with shower cap, plush soap and lotion Soft Embassy Suites slippers, a $5 Bear Buck$ gift card to use at a Build-A-Bear Workshop store, and a cool carryall. The package is called The Build-A-Bear Workshop Sleep Over Pack and it is brilliant.

Embassy Suites even developed a Find-a-Bear Id Program to help return lost or left behind bears. Every Build-a-Bear Workshop bear is stuffed with a barcode and receives a birth certificate. The bear is then entered into the Find-a-Bear ID program with the owners contact information. If the furry bear is ever lost the information in the database is used to return the toy to its owner.

This type of promotion combines an activity and brand that kids love 'Build-a-Bear' with a hotel brand that parents recognize as family friendly-Embassy Suites-sending the message loud and clear-"Families Welcome".

Promote a Healthy Kids Menu

Parents want to eat healthy and want their kids to eat healthy. One of the most important elements in choosing a hotel for the family vacation is what dining options are available. In fact, a recent survey of the National Restaurant Association survey of more than 1,600 professional chefs - members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) revealed that healthy kids vegetable/fruit side dishes and meals are among the top 10 trends for 2009.

"Designing the Perfect Family Package" also highlights the importance of replacing milk and cookies with fresh fruit and healthy snack alternatives. I suggest that the hotel make bottled water available for its guests by providing custom labeled refillable water bottles at check-in for their guests. These simple changes will have a huge impact and most importantly keep up with current trends. A marketing plan that includes elements that specifically highlight the hotel's commitment to a healthy kids menu goes a long way in demonstrating the hotel's desire to attract and welcome families.

The Loews Loves Kids program is another example of recognition in the industry that kids voices must be heard when it comes to menus. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona has been serving a healthy creative kids menu for several years. Even before kids order their dinner, the resort serves healthy appetizers, such as celery and carrot sticks, jicama, and fresh tomatoes. The menu includes healthy and fun kid cuisine like pizza and macaroni and cheese, and encourages kids to drink beverages other than sodas. Kids can choose from a list of fun and creative smoothies like the 'Pink Cow,' 'Monkey Business,' 'Tropical Ardor,' the 'Berry, Berry Good,' and the 'Purple Nurple,'. In addition to these fun and healthy drinks, the resort bakes its chicken wings, grinds its own turkey, and offers vegetable quesadillas.

America's largest family of indoor water park resorts, Great Wolf Lodge, has made a commitment to creating healthier menus and snacks for their guests. With 12 properties from coast to coast, and 60% of their guests still in elementary school you can be sure Great Wolf has done its homework to determine what works and what doesn't. At Great Wolf they call it "stealth health". By creating fun menus with fresh flavors with lighter sauces and watching the salt and fat content, families are enjoying their meals on vacation and eating healthier too. It's all under the radar with simple changes like eliminating trans-fat from their cooking oils.

Think Locally

It is so important to break away from the concept of one-size fits all. Consider Home Depot. Up until last year, Home Depot's purchasing system favored national uniformity at the expense of local customer preferences. A 2001 decision to consolidate nine regional purchasing offices into a centralized buying operation to save money was disasterous. Managers found they couldn't tailor merchandise for specific markets and Home Depot lost money by not having the right products in the right quantities in the right stores. In early 2007 new leadership recognized a need for a change. Recognizing that the shift from localization to centralization was not effective Home Depot needed to develop a new plan so that stores that favored charcoal barbecue grills were not overstocked with gas grills; or that too many riding lawn mowers were stocked in areas where plush lawns were uncommon. The purchasing practices implemented in 2001 were costing the company money and driving their customers to their competitors.

This same tricky problem, balancing local demand with national efficiency, is applicable to the hotel industry. By not recognizing location specfic needs and customs and requiring that certain corporate directives be followed customers begin to feel neglected and unwelcome. More and more I am seeing corporate directives that set strict parameters on the creation of family packages. Family packages must be designed locally to fit the attractions and uniqueness of the region. From the Home Depot example I hope that it becomes evident how important it is that on site hotel sales and marketing and revenue managers be given the discretion they need from the home office to assess, and make the best decisions for their locations.

Unique Experiences

We learned during trips to Memphis and San Diego last year about the tremendous buzz a unique brand experience can create. Anybody visiting these cities will quickly learn that creating unique experiences for guests sends a strong welcoming message. The twice a day ritual of the ducks at The Peabody in Memphis makes the hotel an attraction in and of itself. And check the guest register at "the Del" and it will be clear why the Hotel Del Coronado is a National Historic Landmark and must visit attraction while in San Diego. Of course nobody does unique experiences better than the Walt Disney World resorts, but any hotel or resort can do it. Consider the Doubletree in Bethesda where guests might spot Popeye, Donald Trump or Superman roaming the lobby. In Hershey, PA, besides the Hershey Lodge and Hershey Hotel, create unique chocolate-based family packages and experiences for their guests with unique experiences found only at their properties. It is these unique experiences that stick with families and kids and result in both repeat and new guests.

Internet, Internet, Internet

Earlier this year, in my Hotel Business Review article "Using Online Travel Companies (OTCs)" to your Advantage", I urged hotel sales and marketing departments to examine how they were using the internet to attract families to their properties. Today more than 70% of all travelers use the Internet to research and/or book hotels online. In fact the numbers are staggering as to the number of children that now use the internet on a daily basis not only for games but also for research and information. It is imperative that an online presence welcomes families with appropriate content to attract family travel business. Sites must be designed to attract and appeal to children as well as parents.

In the uncertainty of the today's economy with numbers declining across the board, a well designed website and the proper marketing are a must to show families you want them, you need them, and to send a strong message, "Families Welcome".

Five Key Things You Must do to Send a Strong Message: "Families Welcome!":

1. Remember Build-a-Bear and Embassy Suites Example

2. Promote a Healthy Kids Menu

3. Think Locally

4. Create Unique Experiences

5. Internet, Internet, Internet

Matthew G. Rosenberger is a family travel consultant and publisher who works with hotels that want to be recognized as the most family friendly in their region. He is publisher of ABC City Guides for Kids, an all-in-one alphabet book, activity guide and souvenir. The books are customized by hotels and resorts to feature their images, logo and address on the book's front and back covers. Mr. Rosenberger also promotes his selection of family friendly hotels at his website and family travel related assignments through his "We Love Kids" and "TOP FIVE" pick selections. Mr. Rosenberger can be contacted at 215-242-4011 or mgr@kidstravelguides.com Extended Bio...

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