Ritz and other upscale chains turning to tech
The Ritz-Carlton may be famous for its old-fashioned customer service (“My pleasure”), but it’s investing more than half of its US$10 million budget to digital and social media, reports Ad Age and others.
More than half the $10 million budget for the chain’s "Let Us Stay with You" will be allocated to digital and social media.
“It marks the first time that digital efforts have accounted for a majority of the marketing budget, but it won't be the last,” writes Ad Age.
"Digital is a really important place where consumers are exploring their travel options. So being part of that conversation is really important to us," said Clayton Ruebensaal, VP-marketing.
"Let Us Stay with You," is the luxury hotel's first major campaign in nearly two years; the last ran from mid-2005 through 2009, according to Ruebensaal.
During the economic downturn, the focus has been on making deals at lower cost to keep occupancies up, hoteliers say.
But now the Ritz and other upscale chains are starting to get more expansive in their marketing.
"We were all coming closer together in brand tracking. The differentiations were not as precise as they used to be," Ruebensaal said.
"Let Us Stay With You," will be the company's most comprehensive campaign to date, according to news reports.
By David Wilkening
David
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