"Every successful politician practices positioning." – Al Ries and Jack Trout (Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind)
One of Hilton’s new campaign ads is brilliant in its approach to maintaining relevance in the market. With the rise of STRs (short-term rentals), people are choosing this option for the privacy and amenities it offers. This shift could potentially cut into the profits of hotels, forcing them to find ways to stay competitive.
The issue with STRs is that they are often someone’s actual home, not a house specifically designed as a STR. This means that you’re staying in someone’s personal space, someone’s bed, someone’s sheets, someone’s towels, someone’s kitchen, someone’s bathroom, and so on.
Quick personal story interjection: I am reluctant to use STRs for this very reason. Unless the property is specifically designed as an STR, I’m reluctant. I stayed in a STR once, and while the experience wasn’t bad, it did feel awkward. The host stayed upstairs, and was great, but the proximity was unsettling for me personally. It wasn’t a bad experience—it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
Now back to Hilton. Hilton leaned into every negative thought already circulating in the minds of people considering an STR. Additionally, they also alluded to the horror stories shared online about STR experiences.
While Hilton didn’t explicitly say, “don’t stay in a STR,” the commercial and the statement, “It matters where you stay,” spoke very loudly. It planted a seed of doubt about STRs without needing to say anything directly.
“You look for the solution to your problem inside the prospect’s mind.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout (Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind)
Hilton identified the “problem” with STRs (whether it’s entirely real or partly perceived) and ran with it.
Hilton’s marketing campaign is something to keep in mind as you plan your own marketing strategy. It’s very difficult to change the minds of the general public. But what you can do is take what they’re already thinking and use it to your advantage.
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Written by me, proofread by A.I., finalized by me.
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