Question

Topic: Customer Behavior

Led Signs

Posted by Anonymous on 5/13/2009 at 4:43 PM ET 250 Points
I have a franchise hotel, on a busy juction, and 11 other hotels. I want to put LED sign up so that I can stand out from the croud. Is this a good idea?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 5/13/2009 at 7:10 PM Accepted
    Might be. The only way you'll really know is to try it.

    What were you thinking of putting on the sign? What is it going to say/do? That "content" will probably be the biggest determinant of success.

    The thing is, who are you trying to attract? Do people decide on which hotel to stay at based on signage? What percentage of your current customers have advance reservations? Do they find you mostly by signage as they drive by?

    Lots of questions.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/13/2009 at 9:39 PM Accepted
    Dear Sureensysltd.

    It could work, but perhaps $40K would be better spent on direct mail, or on ads in magazines that target your specific niche. Won't an LED sign just attract passing traffic? If that's your bread and butter, then fine. But a busy junction where? Near an airport, or a convention centre? If it's the latter, why not partner with the organizations arranging major conventions? Travel agents, major corporations, or trade organizations?

    Hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE USA
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/14/2009 at 7:42 AM Accepted
    As Gary mentions, unless you get a lot of last minute walk-up traffic, a sign won't really help (especially with the message you have in mind).

    Instead, why not consider joining Priceline.com or Hotwire.com to sell excess inventory? Or, team up with a local car rental, restaurant, or spa to offer unique packages tailored to your frequent traveler?
  • Posted on 5/14/2009 at 9:02 AM Accepted
    Hi

    Your suggestion for a message is all wrong. You are right, fear of loss is a useful sales tactic but you must never underestimate your customers, who have been sold to plenty of times and know a lot of our tricks. Your message sounds, frankly like a lie and aggressive and will alienate potential customers rather than bring your ceiling 20% in.

    In response to your original question, it is difficult to know whether an LED sign is right for your establishment as it depends on the look of your building and your type of clientelle. Normally an LED sign for a hotel serves the purpose of drawing attention to it if it is a) difficult to see b) surrounded by competitors hotels or c) would be missed by fast moving traffic.

    If you think it would be useful to draw attention to yourself, then you really only need to say 'Hotel'.

    As my fellow marketers above have suggested, you might be better looking at alternative forms of marketing to fill your hotel. (Particularly with $40K). As Jay Hamilton-Roth mentions above, try the websites that offer bargain hotel rooms - I'm in England and we have lastminute.com, I'm sorry I don't know the leading American ones.

    Where are you? Are there any local sports venues, theatres, conference centres, airports, train stations? Identify the main reasons out of town folks come to your area and buddy up with THOSE providers. Don't bother sending them letters and flyers, ring them up, ask to speak to the person in charge of customer relations and go take them out for a coffee/lunch. Offer them a flat rate fee at your hotel, with a small 'finders fee' for each booking they send in your direction. You'll soon find they are sending your hotel details out with their tickets/flyers/brochures.

    Know any cab companies? Do the same with them - offer the cabbies a $10 fee for each booked guest they send to you. These guys are often asked for hotels.

    Network, network, network. Make friends, drink a lot of coffee and eat a lot of lunches if you have to. Always think in return of what you can do for their businesses and suggest it. This is you scratch my back marketing and it really works. Those cabbies send guests to you? You make sure you carry their cards in your lobby. The Theatre has flyers for your hotel? Make sure you carry flyers for their shows in your lobby.

    etc etc,

    Best of luck

    Charlotte
  • Posted on 5/14/2009 at 3:38 PM Member
    Hmmm. Thanks for the location info.

    The thing is, we don't want to sound like we are desperate for custom - firstly your not, and secondly if you were most people will immediately think there is something wrong or unpleasant about your establishment. So we need to be a little bit subtle. Give off an aura of healthy business (which you have, I realise we are talking about that difficult last 20% occupancy)

    I suppose the most traditional thing would be to simply advertise 'Vacancies'. I tend to shy away from the dull, but let's face it - it does work. I know if I was tired and looking for a hotel, I'd head to you first.

    If you really want to give them an offer in order to stop them shopping around, what can you throw in? Let's go value added here, rather than giving percentages off - statistics show customers prefer it. How about:

    "Complimentary breakfast"
    "Complimentary welcome drink"

    How about dinner free on the second night? Or how about the second night half price?

    You say that none of the other hotels have a sign (which makes me think a sign would be a good idea by the way). As a consumer do you know what I want to know first and foremost with almost every service and product? What it's going to cost me. And often, the first person to tell me that, in black and white will get my business because I can't be bothered messing about. So my final suggestion would be simply (so long as you are competative) Vacancies - rooms from$(price of a shoebox). I really think that simple approach will have the best effect.

    Best of luck

    Charlotte
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/14/2009 at 7:52 PM Member
    Dear Sureensysltd,

    OK. Good additional information. Passing traffic and all that. Splendid. I can see it now: a long drive, the driver's nodding off and needing rest, eh?

    All right.

    Consider engaging driver's interest along the highways leading to your hotel for at least a mile in every direction. This will depend on local sign ordnance, but check first, then look at old Burma Shave signs (you'll find background here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma-Shave).

    The Burma Shave signs didn't just sell selling shaving cream, they sold road safety, humor, family values, and a good deal more.

    Could you do the same?

    Nothing fancy. Simple rectangular signs about 5 feet wide and 4 feet high with plain text. But they must all read in sequence, gain attention, and HOLD attention before directing weary souls toward your welcoming doors.

    It might work, it might not. But either way, it'd be more effective and cheaper than a huge, static, LED sign.

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA


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