Kagehitokiri

recap in sources thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17212433-post42.html

Shangri-La

What would you define as really great high-end hotel marketing?

I absolutely hate how misleading the FS website can be in regards to it's photos.

The Park Hyatt runs with the "Luxury is Personal" campaign, but with a YouTube video like this, I find it very boring and long:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ-eZHLI8ZM

You really feel the RC overall has gone down that much?

vuittonsofstyle

I really like Aman's anti-marketing stance. They are, very discreetly, on Facebook now, but no ads at all, ever.

At the high end, word of mouth is the best publicity. Most high-end hotel marketing/advertising is like calling an aftershave 'Status'. True 'luxury' is understated and very discreet, not idiot smiling people pretending to enjoy the luxury lifestyle - like O&O, FS et al.

Kagehitokiri

moved

Shangri-La

I'm guessing it is easier to sell an Aman resort when they're much smaller compared to the other luxury properties.

We had the thread about the FS Maui when they had Modern Family filming.

nba1017

An author by the name of Bruce Chatwin wrote a book called Utz. The main character, Utz, is a Czech who lived through Nazism and Communism in Czechoslovakia. At one point he finds himself at a spa in Vichy, and remarks that "luxury is only truly luxurious under adverse conditions."

This line has stuck with me, and I"m often reminded of it when traveling. Luxury has nothing to do with 'things.' It's a state of mind and its hallmarks are discretion and intimacy. True luxury doesn't consist of admiring a hotel suite, but being able to use that suite as an experience to relax and sooth the mind and body when they're confronted with difficulties.

luxury

I find this an interesting topic for discussion. I guess the key for me is that I have never equated "marketing" with "reality" -- I am also reminded of Einstein's quote, paraphrased, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one."

vuittonsofstyle

This is a brilliant perception of what luxury means, especially in difficult locations. Thank you for sharing it.

MikeFromTokyo

I just noticed a particularly bad picture that is now on the FS home page, which is of one of these 'lifestyle' couples sitting outdoors in front of a fire pit at the Seattle property. Idiot smiling would certainly be a perfect description of this photograph!

It is similar to this picutre: http://www.fourseasons.com/seattle/p...-hotel-SEW_094

I wonder if images like these actually appeal to anyone?

hannisen

I agree, not a very appealing picture at all. I wonder sometimes how decisions like that get made in companies with a reputation such as Four Seasons.

Kagehitokiri

is it possible to market service/experience?

these kinds of threads relate to the business of luxury.

hannisen

I believe that you can market service and experience, but it's harder to market a service or experience that is true luxury.

There are, however, better and worse attempts. That photo they feature now is something I personally would put in the worse pile, it's just too generic. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree though.

mike_la_jolla

OMG -- What an awful picture. And note the next one in the series has a couple sitting on the roof during sunset in Seattle. I don't see any rain and I don't see the couple in thick jackets. I suspect a photoshop job.

I have a little to add to this. Advertising for luxury brands is not targeted to those of us that actually can afford it. It is targeted to those that someday will be able to afford it. It is an attempt to create the dream. Reality is not a constraint. This is why advertisers are most interested in the twenty-somethings. Few people in their twenties can afford a suite at the FS in Seattle. But through clever advertising, you can influence what is desirable to them in the future. I drive the brand of exotic car I dreamed about when I was 14. Actually attaining the goal of getting an exotic car was quite a letdown. The journey getting to the goal was more interesting. It turns out that exotic cars are not very comfortable, scrape the pavement everywhere here in La Jolla, don't have functional trunks, and are illegal to drive out of first gear. Frankly FS, as good as it is, is not that much better than Marriott. The Plaza in NY makes Comfort Inn look good.

Off topic, but relevant. If your drink some sort of cola: Coke, Pepsi, RC, generic, mixture of list, etc. You can't pick out your favorite brand in a blind test. If you are a smoker, not only can you not pick out your favorite brand of cigarette in a smoke filled room, you cannot even tell if your cigarette is lit. Alcohol is just as bad. you can't pick out your favorite brand of beer; you most assuredly cannot identify your favorite brand of vodka. The point is how you perceive your chosen brand, not how well it tastes or performs.

It is always amusing to see luxury hotel advertisements depicting hoards of young beautiful couples frolicking in the bars, restaurants, lobbies. Nothing could be further from reality. Most often, the only person in the bar/restaurant is fat, old, surly, and bald: me.

francophile

Really off topic (sorry, luxury) -

It's not just luxury hotel advertisements. I was a bit perturbed by the advertisement for the new CX business class.

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...wbusinessclass

All the passenger models were in their late 20's. Really, I've flown CX in J many times as well as F a few times. The J cabin demographics consist mostly of business travelers in their 30s to 50s as well as the following (with some very bad stereotyping) -

Young Asian adults who don't appear to have a job nor do they need one. They live off their very wealthy parents and travel for fun. They can often be spotted carrying LV or Prada bags with very conspicuous logos (the bigger, the better)

Casually dressed westerners en route to their holiday destinations, very likely using air miles

Elderly couples traveling courtesy of their children because they want their parents to travel in comfort

Kagehitokiri

advertising works with the masses, as well as simply informing people new to money or a certain area.
there is such a thing as quality.

pre crisis the japanese bought 50% of luxury goods.

different people value different things a different amount.

young business >
premium travelers
spenders who earn miles

getting out of luxury, there are also things that can impact "average" demograhics. like alaska for silversea/regent, and "exotic" cruise destinations with limited supply. i was actually even surprised on the seabourn crossing i did.

there are also things like sales and other forms of discounting. one thing i know nothing about is airfare consolidators. using corporate rates on leisure travel. other partner/employee rates.