How hotel marketers are harnessing big data to grow the brand

Knowing how to harness this data can unlock vital insights for any hospitality industry marketer. Among these insights:

Competition analysis

Consumer feedback is all over the internet, and this data presents a wealth of opportunity for hotels in terms of competition analysis. Social media, review sites, forums and travel publications are all rich with information that can offer a brand important insight into competitors and consumer responses to their products or services.

For example, hotels use chatter monitoring analytics software to identify in real time what consumers are saying about competitors, as well as their own brand. By doing so, a hotel brand can identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. They will know quickly when competitors release popular new packages or products, and can respond with similar offerings.

Targeted marketing

One of the most valuable applications of Big Data for hotels is in targeted marketing that is based on a consumer’s preferences and behaviour online. Big data allows digital marketing to go beyond ensuring the right product is advertised to the right person; hotels can gain a detailed understanding of the customer’s path to booking and other vital metrics such as booking abandonment, timing and brand loyalty.

This allows marketers to develop more specific segments that can be targeted with unique promotions or product offerings at exactly the right moment in their booking journey. 

“Put simply, big data allows hotel marketers to ensure that offers reach the right person, in the right location and at the right time,” the university says.

Improved products and guest experiences

In an Airbnb world, hotels must offer variety, flexibility and personalisation. According to research, over 70% of hotel guests report having a more positive experience at hotels that use personalisation techniques.

Big data plays a crucial role in improving guest experience through personalisation. By collecting data on consumer preferences, booking history, feedback and monitoring brand chatter online, hotels can keep informed about guest demands, improve their products and services, and build personalised customer profiles over time. These profiles allow a hotel to anticipate a customer’s needs.

For example, InterContinental Hotels Group has been using big data collected via bookings, its own website, and its app to offer personalised packages and deals to guests for over five years. 

Marriott is also known as a leader in this field, using a seamlessly integrated app and customer recognition platform that ensures all of the company’s global staff can see every customer request, profile and preference at any time. This data-driven continuous interaction between the customer and brand has generated loyalty and improved service.