Over 50 percent of marketers look to social media as a key way to build brand awareness, create conversation, and gain consumer insights. The Ritz London, a long-time leader and innovator in guest relations, is stepping into this dynamic terrain of communication and engagement. The legendary luxury hotel has selected TravelCLICK’s new Social Media Optimization (SMO) service to help grow awareness and community, increase web traffic and search rankings, and deliver more connections with guests worldwide.
TravelCLICK’s SMO service offering takes the mystery out of social networking by providing a personalized strategy that targets the most appropriate sites–based on the hotel’s target guest demographics. TravelCLICK’s award-winning digital marketing team will work with The Ritz London to build the right social network presence, leveraging user-generated content across all media, from blogs to guest review sites and rich digital viral content such as video and targeted promotions, to deliver fresh, relevant content. Facebook will be used for providing news about special events and promotions, offering London travel tips, and engaging fans and guests. Twitter will serve as a conduit for last-minute promotions, customer relations, and guest feedback.
Recent global news events, such as contested elections and celebrity passings, reflect more than ever the power of social sites as real-time virtual news bureaus. The ability for consumers–on a tremendous scale–to engage businesses directly in very public two-way conversations is rapidly redefining traditional customer relations and marketing communication models. Hotels that leverage this opportunity will benefit from the unfiltered feedback and insight from guests.
“Our partnership with TravelCLICK has already enabled us to increase our guest base and drive substantial revenue for our property,” said Ruth Jones, Director of Marketing for The Ritz London. “Their proven expertise in hotel Internet marketing has enabled us to focus on the heart of our business, our guests. And now, with SMO, we can begin our next evolution of customer engagement. Social sites are a perfect forum for feedback on our brand as well as ideas for improving the guest experience–and that is what The Ritz is all about.”
Currently, The Ritz London uses TravelCLICK’s distribution solution, including the iHotelier® Central Reservations System with the award-winning iStay® web booking engine, to increase online bookings. The hotel also uses TravelCLICK’s pay-per-click (PPC) advertising solution as part of a profitable Internet marketing strategy.
In May 2009, its PPC advertising campaign alone accounted for a sizeable portion of visitors to the Ritz London website and corresponding online bookings. Keywords achieved high click-through rates and helped bring a highly profitable return on advertising spend.
“In being at the forefront of online marketing, The Ritz London is reinforcing its position as an industry innovator,” said Jan Tissera, President of TravelCLICK International. “It is uniquely adapting its long- established legacy of glamour and sophistication to the new, hip world of Internet trends. With SMO, the hotel has a new venue for adding credibility to its brand promise, validating and personalizing the guest experience, and driving even greater awareness.”
About The Ritz London (www.theritzlondon.com):
Opened by renowned hotelier Cesar Ritz in 1906, The Ritz still today retains all the excitement and glamour synonymous with this legendary hotel. The 137 guestrooms combine Louis XV1 style interiors with modern-day technology, while fine dining facilities include the magnificent Ritz Restaurant, the opulent Palm Court for afternoon tea, and the stylish Rivoli Bar. William Kent House, the 18th century mansion house recently opened at The Ritz, features a spectacular choice of banquet rooms and suites.
About TravelCLICK, Inc. (www.travelclick.net)
TravelCLICK, the leader in hotel ecommerce solutions, provides a continuous flow of high-value online bookings to hotels worldwide. A uniquely comprehensive one-stop solution, TravelCLICK offers market intelligence, distribution, electronic marketing, and media solutions delivered with personal attention and local market expertise. With revenue optimization experts in every global market, we help our clients make better business decisions, generate greater demand from the right mix of channels, convert more shoppers to high-value guests, and increase revenue and profitability. Serving the hospitality industry since 1999, TravelCLICK has more than 14,000 customers in 140 countries with offices in Barcelona, Baltimore, Chicago, Dubai, Houston, Phoenix, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Tokyo.
Contact:
TravelCLICK, Inc
Katrina Pruitt-Andrews, Director of Marketing
Phone: +1 410 257 9154
Email: kpandrews(at)travelclick.net
300 North Martingale
Suite 500
Schaumburg, IL 60173
USA
http://www.travelclick.net/?utm_id=506
