THE MAGAZINE OF THE WORLDWIDE HOTEL INDUSTRY
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein , Editor In Chief 1.312.274.2226 E-mail : jweinstein @ hotelsmag . com
Ann Bagel Storck , Managing Editor 1.312.274.2209 E-mail : astorck @ hotelsmag . com
Nathan Greenhalgh , Associate Editor 1.312.274.2229 E-mail : ngreenhalgh @ hotelsmag . com
Dani Friedland , New Media Editor 1.312.274.2223 E-mail : dfriedland @ mtgmediagroup . com
Queenie Burns , Vice President , Design 1.312.274.2216 E-mail : qburns @ mtgmediagroup . com
Bert Ganzon , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2227 E-mail : bganzon @ mtgmediagroup . com
Steve Vanden Heuvel , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2218 E-mail : svandenheuvel @ mtgmediagroup . com
Bill McDowell , Vice President , Editorial Director 1.312.274.2201 bmcdowell @ mtgmediagroup . com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mary Gostelow , Adam Kirby
PUBLISHING Dan Hogan , Vice President , Publisher 1.312.274.2221 dhogan @ hotelsmag . com
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Hotels Ltd ., Gurgaon , India
Stephen Bartolin Chairman and CEO , The Broadmoor , Colorado Springs , Colorado
Eric Danziger President and CEO , Wyndham Hotel Group , Parsippany , New Jersey
Geoffrey Gelardi Managing Director , The Lanesborough , London
Laurence Geller President and CEO , Strategic Hotels & Resorts , Chicago
Kirk Kinsell President , the Americas , IHG , Atlanta
Alex Kyriakidis President and managing director , Middle East and Africa , Marriott International , Dubai
Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton Worldwide , McLean , Virginia
Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta
Paul Sistare President and CEO , Atlantica Hotels International , São Paulo
Kathleen Taylor President and CEO , Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts , Toronto
Susan Terry Vice President Culinary Operations , Hyatt Hotels North American Operations , Chicago
EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION OFFICES , HOTELS Marketing and Technology Group , 1415 N . Dayton Street Chicago , Illinois 60642 USA 1.312.274.2200 ; fax : 1.312.266.3363 edit @ hotelsmag . com
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BESTIN
SOCIAL MEDIA
This month we want to help you figure out how to better manage your social media marketing strategies by presenting great examples of execution in our inaugural Social Hotel Awards — or , as we like to call them in our office , the SoHos .
We had more than 120 entries and hope to build on that number as we bring the program back in 2013 .
What stuck out to me was that the confident investment in both money and dedicated staff clearly identified the forward thinkers . While there remains some debate about the amount of time and resources that should be dedicated to this emerging marketing platform , after reading about the ROI generated by creative marketers , the argument ended for me . I am all in . In fact , one prominent hotelier told me he is all but abandoning traditional marketing avenues in favor of all things digital . I only expect this trend to continue as it becomes increasingly apparent that all consumers are transitioning to more mobile platforms , which makes social media marketing the perfect fit .
The examples presented starting on page 20 run the gamut of mediums — from Facebook to Foursquare , video to a completely integrated digital campaign . All the winners seem to establish a point of view , as well as a bold and imaginative presence , which serves to make a connection that is so much more personal than ever seen before . Take the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong , which won a SoHo for using its loyal fan base to drive awareness of a new menu item , but equally important , allowed
fans to actually have an impact on what was served at the restaurant . That is thoughtful marketing in the new social world , and how to build community .
There are multiple success stories , so please dig in , and enter next year to show off your style and vision . For more details about each winning entry , watch hotelsmag . com and our daily newsletters , where we will offer more in-depth information about all the best entries .
Also this month , check out the lead story in the Global Update about the evolution of hotel videos ( p . 10 ). It is all about creating an emotional connection with consumers , as well as an ethos about your brand or independent property . Well-executed videos can go viral and give independents a new way to market against the industry ’ s giants .
This feature includes a link to videos , which are live links in our digital edition . I urge you to watch some of these videos to get an idea what is new , fresh and compelling . Trust me , you won ’ t see panoramas of guestrooms , and remember that the investment doesn ’ t have to be a budget crusher . The results can place you in a new light .
Both of these stories illustrate how much marketing has changed in such a short time , and reveal how nimble hotel marketers must be to complete in the digital world .
Editor In Chief www . hotelsmag . com September 2012 HOTELS 7