Market Research Report: Bridging the Gap Between Hotel Marketing Material and Guest Expectations

https://guestradar.com/2023/06/03/market-research-report-bridging-the-gap-between-hotel-marketing-material-and-guest-expectations/

In the evolving landscape of hospitality marketing, there is a crucial yet often overlooked and mismanaged element: aligning marketing materials with the guest experience. Our recent survey found that a staggering 65% of vacation planners struggle with selecting a hotel or resort due to marketing materials that they deem confusing or even misleading.

Guest Experience vs. Expectation

Among these travelers, almost 68% reported that their experience exceeded what they anticipated based on the marketing materials. On the contrary, 24% found the experience entirely different from their expectations, highlighting a glaring disparity between marketing portrayals and the reality of the guest experience.

A Gap in Trust and Quality Assurance

When confronted with ambiguous or unrealistic marketing, high-budget travelers are more inclined to opt for well-known hotel brands to be assured of quality and trust.

Misrepresentations in Imagery and Videos

Over 73% of respondents voiced that pictures and videos shared on hotel websites, Online Travel Agents (OTAs), and social media often misrepresent the actual resort experience. This trend is especially pronounced among independently managed properties, creating a substantial gap between projected and actual experiences.

The Often Counterproductive Role of Senior Management

Insights from focus group research involving 20 hotel marketing professionals from the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Seychelles revealed that senior hotel management often dictates brand messaging that does not align with guest expectations. Under such pressure, hotel marketers are challenged to produce marketing communications that resonate with potential guests, leading to common misalignments seen today.

Independent Hotels: Missing the Mark

Our findings also highlighted that independent hotels, in particular, struggle to accurately depict the resort experience in their marketing materials. This disconnect is a significant missed opportunity, as guests often find the actual experiences far exceed what was communicated.

Appreciation for Simplicity in Marketing Language

Interestingly, our research also reveals a striking preference among travelers for simple, straightforward marketing language. Over 85% of respondents expressed appreciation for marketing materials that used clear, understandable language as opposed to an overly promotional, luxurious choice of words. This preference for simplicity is further substantiated by website conversion data.

Hotels that employ simple language on their websites exhibit superior performance metrics. Specifically, these websites tend to have higher engagement rates, higher user retention rates, and a significant uplift in conversion rates — over 70% higher compared to those that use complex language. This finding is particularly noteworthy given the diverse linguistic backgrounds of international travelers; clear, straightforward language can be easily understood by both native and non-native English speakers alike.

In conclusion, in addition to aligning the visual aspects of marketing materials with the guest experience, hotels must also carefully consider their choice of language. A clear, easily understandable language can foster a greater connection with potential guests, leading to enhanced engagement, retention, and higher booking conversions rate.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Addressing this gap requires a strategic and considered approach. Hotels, particularly independent ones, must invest in understanding their guests’ expectations better — potentially through guest surveys, interviews, and data analytics tools such as GuestRadar.

Senior hotel management needs to collaborate more closely with their marketing teams, ensuring that the brand messaging aligns more accurately with the experiences that guests will genuinely encounter.

In summary, marketing materials that accurately and truthfully reflect the guest experience can significantly influence the hotel selection process. By addressing this disconnect, hotels stand to attract a fitting guest demographic, leading to increased bookings and heightened guest satisfaction.