Cape Town - Keep an eye out for a series of exciting videos from Protea Hotels by Marriott, which showcase travel and the excitement that goes with planning it - and you might even learn a new travel tip, or two.
Nicholas Barenblatt, the Group Marketing Manager of Protea Hotels by Marriott and African Pride Hotels, explains: “Our previous promo venture involved the input of bloggers who wrote about their favourite spots and activities in their cities – Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town – for the summer period.
“The blogs were uploaded to the Protea Hotels website as part of our on-going content marketing campaigns. Based on the response to them, we know that people enjoyed hearing from influencers worth listening to, and they liked the fun elements of the blogs.”
The first video reflects the process of planning a holiday through the story of one young man who initiates the idea of taking a weekend break with friends.
Excitement of planning a holiday – people discussing, sharing ideas. Using social media and online tools, he communicates with friends, does the necessary research, gathers opinions from peers and fellow travellers and makes his bookings.
According to Barenblatt: “The story accurately reflects what we do in our daily lives – the use of apps and various sites to talk to one another on a one-on-one or on a group basis, for recommendations about accommodation. In social media, destination hashtags on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are useful.” The videos also reflect the shift towards people making their own reservations online via service providers’ websites, instead of using the more conventional booking services that hotels traditionally relied on.
“We take seriously what research shows us about how our target audiences want to be spoken to. It’s clear that video, coupled with social media, is a particularly powerful tool.
“So, our video campaign ties in with this. We’ll be maximising the impact by promoting the videos and engaging with the audience via social media. So watch out for the videos over the next few months. We’re excited to see the reaction to them,” Barenblatt concludes.
Adapted from a press release for IOL