New and Social Media
The Four Seasons is finding itself entering a new age in luxury hotel marketing, one that places a heavy emphasis on new and social media. The company has done a remarkable job in keeping an open line of communication with its customers through social media. Using social media outlets keeps the guests feeling like their needs are a priority and are easy to voice, mediums such as Twitter allow guests to access concierge services and go on virtual wine tastings, geo- tagging platforms allow people to unlock certain gifts or upgrades, Facebook is used for customer service and YouTube serves to showcasing beautiful and illustrious properties.
Social Media Marketing manager, Felicia Yukich, released the statement, “At Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, we believe the winners in this new digital age will be the brands that let their fans define and syndicate it. We’ve always been a consumer- centric culture, so the shift adopting the way guests and clients lead communications for the Four Seasons has been rapid,”.
Social media now makes up more than half of the company’s marketing efforts and encourages loyalty among customers and proactive feedback. Four Seasons continues to leverage social media channels to deepen relationships with existing guests and attract potential guests.
One popular and widely used medium of social networking that the Four Seasons incorporates into its media marketing strategy is Facebook. Through Facebook, the company has been able to increase guest rewards such as prizes for the best travel photo and exclusive promotions for dining. Facebook is a high traffic area that allows the Four Seasons to achieve a target audience with precision to provide the accurate information and exclusive offers.
Alongside Facebook, Four Seasons also accesses mediums such as Twitter. Twitter allows guests to access features such as concierge services with the comfort and ease from his or her hotel room. Four Seasons also participates in Twitter chats that include the hashtags, “#luxchat, #FriFotos, and #TTOT”.
Furthermore, the Four Seasons also posts extremely curated content on its YouTube channel. These videos range from world- class surfing videos to the best sights to explore while staying at a Four Seasons Resort and Spa. This allows viewers to get a action packed account of what its like to stay at one of the many luxurious destinations.
Forms of new media that Four Seasons accesses include its own magazine and iPhone application. Four Seasons Magazine brings its guests travel news, global culture and gourmet cuisine while staying up to date with compelling and exhilarating photos. As for the iPhone application, this allows guests to find our more about locations, surroundings, suit types, floor plans, reservations and concierges and services.
The Four Seasons is also one of the first luxury hotels to utilize geo- tagging location services. For example, when a guests checks into a hotel, certain offers or promotions come across his or her smartphone that are relative to the location he or she is in. For example, if a guest checks in to a California location then he or she can receive a “best of” trip recommendations. This software proves highly effective and intuitive.
In a market that is ever adapting, the Four Seasons does an impeccable job staying relevant through its social media tools. Four Seasons addresses its public, makes communication easy and open and then responds to the feedback it gets. Ultimately, the Four Seasons strives for content that is engaging and informative at the same time.
