Next week, the HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference) kicks off in Austin.
We’ll be there.
This will be our first time.
It must be a huge show because hundreds of vendors have spammed me with email and snail mail to get me to visit their booths. With all the hoopla, cocktail party invites, marketing and such, this is going to be big.
But, one mail piece really made me think about marketing to the hotel world.
On the postcard, the following claims were made:
-Add incremental revenue streams
-Enhance your guests’ experience
-Increase operating efficiency and productivity
-Help reduce overall operating costs
These are almost the very same things that we have said about our product since we solidified the concept. Since these are the driving value propositions in the hotel industry, it’s not uncommon to hear them from multiple sources.
But, the part of this that troubles me is the fact that these statements were made by Brother, a company that sells label makers, printers and fax machines.
Holy Crap!
If every peanut butter maker, horseshoe-er, mail carrier and window washer is using these value propositions to try to sell to hotels, I’m going to guess that most hotel execs are almost tone deaf or snow blind to those words. In fact, when a vendor says that they provide incremental revenue streams, the hotel suits must go running for the hills.
I mean, they want incremental revenue, but if one more manufacturer or maid carts tells them that they will add incremental revenue streams, they’re going to start splattering on the pavement below their lovely corner office windows.
Just for the record, Brother makes fine products. I haven’t ever owned one, but they sell a bunch and some people like them.
But, to market to this group of hotel decision-makers, we’re going to have to show value rather than just talk about it. That’s the only way were going to make a splash.
And, thank goodness for the great people that have allowed us to connect, drive us to the right guys and advised us along the way.
That will end up being much more important than all of the hyperbole on trade show postcards.
(Ask us about our research about the connection between fax machines and enhancing guest experience. In brief, there isn’t one…)
