Powerful Partnerships: Communication, Community, and Resources
By Robert O'Halloran
What is a partnership? As an observation, a marriage could be considered a partnership; however, it is more than an action entity, but rather a noun. A partnership is a way of thinking, a collaboration, or maybe a joint ownership agreement, or a cooperative that is in place that brings together people, organizations, and or communities to leverage each other’s strengths.
From where I sit, partnerships are those entities or agreements that benefit our school and university. Our school also provides some value to the partnerships, regarding workforce, interns, and perhaps expertise. If one considers partnerships and being associated with partners or partnerships between and with organizations, diverse terminology can be identified, meaning, or implying the same. Words and meanings associated with partnerships might include assistance, association, business, company, cooperation, cooperative, corporation, firm, friendship, interest, sharing, society, tie up, union, and perhaps affiliation, band, body, brotherhood, cahoots, or in-cahoots is the old phrase, cartel, clique, club, combine, companionship, conglomerate, conjunction, connection, crew, faction, fraternity, gang, mob, party, ring, sisterhood, and sorority to list a few other terms.
The business terms that imply or infer a collective effort are perhaps the most familiar to many. For example, in the hospitality industry, many are members of trade associations with a common need or cause. Many of us are members of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and or the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the affiliated state organizations, and in my case, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA).
Internally, businesses are a collective of partnerships and areas of expertise with a common goal. The functional areas of a hotel will include operations, marketing, engineering, technology, accounting, and sometimes more, all bringing their areas of expertise to deliver an efficient and profitable operation. Additional related business terms that could imply partnerships are heard in the news, such as cartels, combines, conglomerates, and corporations.
Why Partnerships?
Too often, in my opinion, our organizations become siloed and disconnected. A partnership environment can allow functional areas to be more collaborative with a common goal. Some prominent examples are convention and visitor bureaus and/or organizations like Visit NC, that offer, seek out, and collaborate with multiple tourism partners to try and leverage their marketing efforts and target markets. I recently came from a National Tourism Week event, and part of the event included annual awards that they described as “Good Partner Awards.” Recipients of the awards were people and or organizations that included public sector infrastructure, individuals whose public sector positions impact tourism, and others that included profit-making businesses as part of the infrastructure of hospitality businesses (hotels), so vital to the success of tourism economic impact.
Additionally, we can utilize partnerships to identify our strengths and match our areas of challenge with a partner’s expertise to meet common goals. For example, partnership marketing is one of the best ways to reach new audiences, build business relationships, and boost revenue. This effort creates a strategic collaboration between two parties, typically two businesses or a business and a public figure. Partner marketing aims to reach mutually beneficial marketing goals such as growing an audience on a new platform, growing brand awareness in a specific demographic, attracting new customers, or strengthening customer loyalty. The why in creating partnerships often comes down to accessing new customers.
Therefore, a strong partner can share their strengths, and you as a partner can share yours. Good partnerships are also cost-effective and often mitigate risk. For example, think of partnership scenarios that could leverage your social media presence. A partner’s skills in the social media arena might be much stronger than your own, and you, as a hotel, can offer a strong brand preference. Collectively, you reduce risk and pursue new opportunities. A well-planned partnership can build a guest and customer base, create additional brand trust, and offer new revenue opportunities.
Additionally, distribution partnerships give your brand access to the distribution channels that another organization or company has already built, to get your product or service in front of more people. An example of distribution partnerships is tourism marketing, which combines public and private entities. As previously noted, state marketing organizations work with, travel with, and distribute statewide and company data when visiting conferences and/or travel sales events.
These efforts are also considered referrals, noting that one organization or business consistently recommends a product to its existing markets. To continue the tourism marketing exemplar, a regional and or state destination marketing organization, in my case the Visit Greenville and or Visit NC is selling a region and or a state and will consistently recommend attractions, lodging, resorts, events, beaches, national parks and forests etc. to their potential visitors with the goal of more visitors to the region, extend length of stay, and enhance expenditures in hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail stores etc. and therefore enhancing the economic impact of the region or state.
On the Visit Greenville site, some of the headings on their website include Things to do, Places to Stay, Events, and Restaurants. Then they suggest resources for weddings, sports, meetings, and some signature events and attractions in the area. Their business is referrals. It is noted that the 2024 tourism data indicates that North Carolina is the fifth most visited state in the USA.
Additionally, other partner channels could include loyalty programs, the Marriott Bonvoy program, for example, provides tiered benefits and raises qualifying customers through several levels, from simple member status to Ambassador Elite. Most lodging brands offer these loyalty programs and partner with other vendors to earn points. Another version of a partnership is a joint venture, as another way business partners share their skills and resources to create a mutually beneficial project and enter a new market more quickly.
Partnerships between for-profit and nonprofit organizations are often a win-win. Their shared goals and values can be the glue that binds a long-standing relationship within a community. Other examples include Nonprofit Partnerships. When brands join forces with nonprofit organizations, it’s not just business; it’s a mission. These partnerships often focus on social causes, leveraging the strengths of each party to make a significant impact. It provides another strong way for the corporation to show its social responsibility, engage with communities in the deepest efforts, and build a brand that stands for something more.
Plan for Partners
Before establishing a partnership, your business should establish goals and objectives when considering partnerships. Your partners will have their objectives, and a partnership should highlight that objectives should be shared. Additionally, planning for partners also includes how to measure partnership successes and what you, as a lodging property, need to make partnerships viable. Also, one can note that the tourism industry is an assemblage of the businesses and organizations associated with tourism.
The old term, umbrella of tourism, is inclusive of the lodging and the food service sectors (the infrastructure of hospitality), and other sectors include natural attractions like national parks, national forests, state parks, and forests, etc. (which do not operate based on a typical business and profit model. Some sectors typically included are accommodation, transportation, attractions (private and public), events and conferences, food and beverage, travel agency, adventure tourism, recreation, tour operators, rural tourism, ecotourism, and entertainment.
Select the Right Partners
Partnering with other businesses provides access to a pool of resources and expertise. Whether it’s leveraging their technology, knowledge, or distribution channels, partnerships enable companies to complement each other’s strengths. An initial recommendation is to scan your location or destination for potential partners. Think about the Chamber of Commerce’s business directory as a source. Potential partners can also be identified with a quick Google search or by scrolling social media to find like-minded business owners. Opportunities to identify potential partners can also occur at networking events, such as trade shows and conventions.
Choose partners who will treat the partnership as a team effort. Finding companies with similar goals and marketing strategies can help you narrow down which type of partnership best suits your shared ambitions. It is also noted that the right partner doesn’t have to work in the same industry. Still, their goals and expertise should complement yours, which, for a hotel, might lead to another service sector.
It is also recommended that you document your goals and expectations. A written document is a useful guide as a partnership grows. For example, responsibilities of each partner, time limits for meeting goals, and how to handle roadblocks are good to note. The key to this process is having measurable goals, and you must note these goals and your benchmarks, plus the metrics that best demonstrate success. Experts also note that shared goals should mesh well with your internal business goals and revenue expectations. The ubiquity of marketing partnerships across industries is a testament to their value. They’re great for businesses to reach new audiences and optimize their marketing ROI.
Standards set for increasing brand awareness, and reaching an audience segment, website and social media traffic, increasing website conversions, and ultimately attracting new customers and clients is a successful partnership. Some examples of mutually beneficial partnership opportunities might include hosting a joint education program and or online seminar, exchanging content, conducting a research study together, and sharing research findings.
Plan for a partnership life cycle, a comprehensive framework covering activities to forge, deepen, and optimize partner relationships. Its structured phases can ensure long-term partnerships involve collaborative relationships between brands or individuals to achieve mutual objectives. Partnerships can significantly increase revenue without expanding team size or budget. They also enhance brand awareness, improve customer retention, capture higher market share, and boost conversion rates by leveraging authentic relationships.
A decision regarding partners and creating your mix can reach audiences at every funnel stage, presenting sales opportunities. Think through partnerships strategically, noting awareness, consideration, decision, and retention. Consider these action steps:
- Define your ideal partner. The perfect partner should complement your business, reach the same audience, and share similar values.
- Research potential partners. Know your partners.
- Craft an irresistible partnership program. Ensure the benefits are clear—increased visibility, shared resources, or access to a wider customer base.
- Reach out and build relationships. Share your vision for the partnership and highlight the mutual benefits. Don’t forget to use different communication channels—emails, phone calls, and even social media can be great for making that initial contact.
- Negotiate and build trust. Be open, listen to your partners’ needs, and find a middle ground for both parties.
Effective partner tracking gives brands a granular view of their partner interaction. This allows for a data-driven approach to performance appraisal and incentivization, ensuring you can measure each partner’s contributions against tangible outcomes. Step by step, identify key performance metrics, share performance reports, and review and re-evaluate them.
Partner Target Markets & Benchmarks
The key to a good partnership is defining your target audience s. Selecting a target market is the culmination of diverse research efforts focused on what you do and who your guests and customers are. While choosing partners with a similar audience is common, selecting a partner with a different audience could also be beneficial to exposing the company’s products to individuals who aren’t familiar with them. As an example, Spotify + Starbucks presents a case study in partnership marketing, as shared here. “Using music to set the mood, they partnered with Starbucks to further its reputation as a high-end coffee shop. To create a "music ecosystem," Starbucks and Spotify joined in an unusual co-branding partnership, with the former gaining access to the latter’s extensive music library.
Employees at Starbucks receive a premium Spotify membership as part of the program, allowing them to create playlists (accessible to customers via the Starbucks Mobile App) to play in the store at all hours. Spotify’s artists will benefit from more exposure to the coffeehouse’s patrons through this music ecosystem. This alliance between two powerhouses is win-win since both parties can expand their customer bases without diluting their identities.”
Additionally, partnership points of reference that I can share are from a recent study abroad program (Ireland) that I was on with a colleague and students examining diverse tourism collaborations and results for Ireland and for Dublin City tourism. The brief amount of time we visited with Nollaig Fahy, the Tourism Innovation Manager for the Dublin City Council Culture Company was well worth it. The discussion shared various partnerships and channels that the City of Dublin, a successful tourism destination, had created and or is creating and is managing. Their success is notable and contributions to their success, was a mix of innovation, engagement of the citizenry in the city, specific neighborhoods and embracing a smart tourism framework to build a successful tourism destination.
Smart tourism as shared by the Journal of Smart Tourism, advocates advancing cutting-edge research examining how smart technology transforms the tourism industry, reshapes business models, and influences behavior within business networks and travel services, including innovations in design, products, devices, and processes. To me this exemplifies tourism as a complex business that works to leverage its assets and business skills to build better tourism businesses. I have visited the Dublin City Council Culture Company site and some of their partner links, including IDA Ireland, Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy, 20223-2028, and Failte Ireland and I reference them here for benchmarking opportunities and framing tourism partnership opportunities including investment partners. Working with partnerships is hard work but can be greatly rewarding and have broad positive results.
Going Forward
Data shows partnerships can catapult reach, engagement, and sales, proving it’s not just who you know, but how you join forces that counts. Today, it’s all about creating relationships, not just transactions. Partnerships are about relationships, communication, coordination, and cooperation. Hospitality guests and consumers, in general, are savvy, crave authenticity, and, in many ways, have short attention spans in a world of vast amounts of information at their fingertips. This premise is interesting as partnerships, as has been discussed, have aligned themselves with others to achieve goals. At the same time, the structure of partnerships plays a role in their success, especially when collaboratively defining value. How organizations, be they governments, companies, or partnerships, are structured reflects a connection with underlying values.
I think of partnerships in terms of some key issues that the hospitality industry and the business world are dealing with. A topic like sustainability is very important and connects us with thinking about the world in a greater sense than just ourselves. Many hospitality companies, lodging, and others have connected with sustainability on multiple fronts beyond recycling. This was the adoption of sustainability, partly because guests started deciding where to stay based on a hotel’s sustainability policies and record on the topic. Sustainability has become more and more important.
However, sustainable choices for construction, product purchases, etc., are not always the most economical choices. It is getting better, and businesses need to embrace the premise(s) of sustainability so that businesses engaging in sustainability practices can profit. I share this to propose that business organizations could, and some have, create partnerships with nonprofits as part of their promotions and embrace sustainable practices.
For example, a hotel partnering with the Audubon Society can arguably be a strong partner in promoting sustainable business efforts when aligned with an organization noted for its environmental concern, etc. As a reference, see the sample of examples of hotel organizations partnering with sustainability organizations (typically nonprofits) to support environmental causes generated by AI in response to a question asking about examples of these partnerships.
Examples of Hotel Brands and Their Sustainability Efforts: Green Key-Accor, Beyond Green Sustainable Partners-Preferred Hotels, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance-Radisson Hotels, and many more. Additional sustainability organizations include Greenpeace, the World-Wide Fund for Nature, the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the National Park Foundation, and many more. The suggestion here is to benchmark what leading partnership hospitality companies are doing and be able to assess for yourself if that model aligns with your own.
Finally, higher education hospitality programs at universities are full of partnership opportunities. In our case, we have industry partnerships and affiliations that include recruiting our students for internships and entry-level employment, providing scholarships, and more. Our industry partners’ benefit is a pipeline to new managers and tomorrow’s leadership. University programs get to boast they have 100% employment at graduation; these partnerships are mutually beneficial.
For higher education hospitality programs, there are also partnership opportunities internal to their universities, or there should be. Partnerships could be opportunities for cutting edge content in our curriculum from other academic units, partnerships with the university career centers, and potential partnerships with related service and operations related to our industry such as Healthcare, Retail, Construction, Risk Management, Sports Management and of course the traditional functional business disciplines and specialty programs. Consider the opportunities as a business that hotels and resorts have for internal partnerships with marketing and sales, technology applications, security, and many other departments. The challenge of creating internal partnerships in businesses or universities is that we are often siloed in our colleges and units.
A pro-partnership environment needs to be created and offered for its opportunities of engagement and collective successes. In my opinion, the partnership environment is optimal when the leadership of business organizations or a university endorses and values partnership efforts. As initially noted, partnerships are about communication, the communities we work in and operate within, and the resources needed to make partnerships function effectively and efficiently. Let’s reach out and find and create good partnerships.
Prof. O'Halloran
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