INTRODUCTION
According to data collected by the STR Census Database, 43 percent of hotels change affiliations at least once. Whether you just changed to another hotel group or purchased a hotel, rebranding is no small feat, but with a clear strategy and a commitment to evolving client needs, the results can be beneficial.
As stated in a previous blog post, hotels must portray to guests that the changes will benefit them (vs. to your owners or shareholders). The secondary goals include increases in occupancy and profit, stronger brand recognition, stronger guest loyalty and a better reputation.
Here is the ultimate checklist guide to managing all the to-dos that come with rebranding your hotel.
SOCIAL MEDIA CHECKLIST
- Check to see if your desired social media handle is available across all channels
- Write a new ‘about’ section for each platform, keeping in mind character limit, including 155 for Facebook and 160 for Twitter
- Change profile and cover photos to recently upgraded hotel amenities or new logo
- Update review sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Business with new classifications (B&B to hotel), pictures and amenities
- Monitor and respond (within 24 hours) to all reviews (good and bad) and create a template or guideline of how to respond
- Post teaser photos and videos or use the “stories” feature on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to give your followers a sneak peek of a new logo, room design or overall brand
- If switching social media accounts, leave messages on your old accounts so your followers can find you. In addition, pin your message to the top of the page on Facebook and Twitter.
- Once the brand is launched, engage in conversations with followers on a frequent basis with posts such as before/after photos to help guests connect the old and new brands more easily
PUBLIC RELATIONS CHECKLIST
- Due to long lead times of some publications, send the press release of your grand reopening at least one month in advance
- Brainstorm 2-3 talking points and use them in your media training with your designated hotel spokesperson, usually the hotel general manager and/or guest services manager
- Contact the business reporters from local, regional and industry-related publications
- Take photos of the lobby, rooms and any other areas that were upgraded
- Create a fact sheet that includes information such as costs, timeline, name of the architect, etc.
- Take photos and video of the grand reopening event and share them with the media
- Use tools such as Google Alerts to track any mentions of your hotel
ADVERTISING & MARKETING CHECKLIST
- For traditional advertising such as TV or radio, contact ad reps to start reserving media time at least 6-8 weeks in advance
- Begin advertising on social media about four weeks in advance
- Target your audience based on location, interests (e.g. traveling) or age
- Run 2-3 different versions of social media ads to see which one performs the best
- Create new signage and all branded elements including in-room cards, restaurant menus, gift bags and tradeshow materials at least two months in advance
- Distribute the fact sheet to hotel staff to help them answer questions
- After the change, do transitional advertising (old brand to new brand) for six months to a year