How to stand out in the hospitality sector

Whether you’re a hotel, café, restaurant, pub or bar, trying to attract customers in a crowded industry can be tough. Especially when competing against some big franchises with deep pockets. How do you go about it? In this blog we’ll look at a few ways you can give yourself an edge using social media, augmented reality (AR) and gamification that anyone can access just by using their phone.

Show customers a new side to your business

Create interesting content that customers don’t normally see. Let’s say you’re a high-end restaurant. You could create a video to share on social media that takes the audience into the kitchen or food prep area and lets them see just how your fabulous culinary dishes take shape. A simple idea, it could be your establishment’s own take on MasterChef or Bake Off!

Take people behind the scenes

If you’re a bar, why not take your followers to a local brewery and dive into the process involved in making their favourite pints? You could also do a cocktail-making video series to show the skill and finesse that goes into every drink.

Everyone’s dazzled by the exciting rides in a theme park, but a video showing customers what actually makes the rides perform such amazing technical feats would open up a whole new perspective on the thrills. Seeing a close-up of how the technicians control those amazing manoeuvres, simply edited with shots of flashing lights and screaming faces, would create a memorable brand experience. 

Whatever area of hospitality you work in, find a person willing to be on camera and try to shine a light on their day-to-day work. It’s authentic, and it’s different. The goal here isn’t bookings and sales, which is why it’s often overlooked. But to get people talking and sharing, increasing your online exposure and referrals.

And then there’s Augmented Reality (AR)

What’s the difference between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)? Well AR uses a real-world setting, whereas VR is completely virtual. AR users can control their presence in the real world, but VR users are actually controlled by the system, which requires a headset device. But the big advantage of AR is that it can be accessed with a smartphone. This means you could use AR to bring your offering to your customers at home or in the workplace.  

Examples of how you can use AR in hospitality

• Beer mat merchandise that shows a virtual branded beer
• Preview dishes from the menu (great for showing off portion sizes and managing expectations)
• See nutritional information
• Food-themed games (find various ingredients for different recipes – like PokemonGO)
• AR decoration – create points of interest in your hospitality venue that reveal secrets or promotions when scanned

Hospitality Marketing Gamification

Gamification? This is the introduction of game elements into your hospitality marketing, making it more fun for customers to engage with your brand via an app and be more memorable. Build game elements into your marketing such as scoring points, levelling up, or earning virtual currency, and you give your audience the chance to win something while helping to build brand awareness.

Or it could be as simple as a pub quiz created entirely on an online platform. You can also feature leaderboards to add a competitive element and create extra incentives with prizes and giveaways. Marketing Games are fun and drive results. They engage and entertain your customers, collect behavioural data, generate new leads and build a unique experience that makes you stand out from the competition.

Tech aside

What this is all ultimately about is creating unique and memorable customer experiences. Tech is a new and modern way to grab the younger generations, but the best thing you can do for your customers is to have an accessible and easy-to-use website, make booking a pain-free experience, and ensure your menus are up-to-date and both user and mobile-friendly.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how we can dish up a new website, brand identity or marketing campaign for your hospitality business, get in touch with our team at Harrison Carloss, who are ready to serve up some magic.