Two people show us around a hotel and its neighborhood. One of them is a photographer with a big following on Instagram, the other one a “normal girl” but with quite a distinctive look. The photographer teaches the girl some photography tricks while they take shots together around the property. We see the beautiful hotel rooms, the lobby, a delicious milkshake and the quaint sights and landscapes of York (where the hotel is located). We learn that each room has a different theme, that the hotel has a beautiful staircase and that it learns you something about the surrounding area.
Undercover commercial
All of this, under the name of Hotel Indigo. Yep. This is not a random movie, it was not set-up by the photographer nor by the normal girl. It’s a commercial covered in an infomercial, a fun video, a well-edited super short report. It’s entertaining, the story is clear and the length perfect. The clip is well produced and edited. It feels professional. And while it communicates all these nice things about the hotel, it doesn’t try to sell it to you.
Don’t sell your hotel
That’s the interesting lesson that I wanted to share with you today. Your hotel videos don’t have to sell your hotel. You don’t, or maybe even better: you shouldn’t be putting the spotlight on your features. A video showing off the property is good to have somewhere on your website but if you can create videos that have a feel to them, that’s way better. You want your videos to communicate what kind of people visit your property, what kind of vibe your brand stands for. That’s what interests people, what engages them. That’s what motivates them to book a room at your place and not your competition’s.
Especially with millennials. A study from the Harris Group reported that 72% of millennials would rather choose an experience over a material item. This is important: you want to show them that your hotel provides an experience. Focus on that. Not on the materials, not on the pretty curtains or the big shower. It’s all about the memories that you create for them. Make sure these memories are unique and fit your brand’s message. The core of your hotel, of what you stand for. Then you’re bound to win.
“Tell them about the experience you offer, not about your pretty curtains or big shower.”
Take-away:
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Focus on your brand message and find a creative translation to put this into a video
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You might create a series of short videos. A consistent stream of videos focused on your hotel’s vibe or experience will strengthen the message.
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You don’t need to go big-scale, you can use micro-influencers.
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Put some effort in production and edit. Hire someone if necessary (get in touch with me). This will highly increase the value of your video.
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Focus on the experience you provide, not on the features of your hotel. Show the features through the story, make them background-assets.
Your thoughts
What do you think of this video? Do you like it? Leave your thoughts below! I’d love to hear from you.
> I regularly share an inspirational commercial or promotional video from the hospitality business. If you want to stay updated, make sure to become part of the Tremento Tribe.
This video was created by Eyes & Ears for Hotel Indigo.