Search the Internet for a boutique public relations firm that says they handle boutique hotels and you will find results that take up countless pages. So how do you figure out which agency has what it takes to handle PR for your boutique property?
Five Tips to Finding The Right Boutique PR Firm for Your Boutique Hotel:
1. Look for an agency that has ample boutique PR experience globally, and expect to see results.
2. Creativity counts. So many PR campaigns for boutique hotels have been executed since the first boutique hotel – Morgans, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell’s New York City property that pioneered the boutique experience – that it is a challenge to find a new angle. A PR agency that will produce the best results is one that comes up with new ideas that distinguish your property from all the rest.
3. Trend-spotting. An agency that handles many travel and hospitality clients should have a handle on current trends and should be ahead of the curve on new ones. Several ways to determine your agency’s trend-spotting talents is to see if they blog regularly.
Blogging is an indication that they have something insightful to say, and they are on top of what’s happening in your industry. Another way is to look at their media relationships. They should have solid relationships with the top writers, editors, and bloggers who cover the industry, to provide the communication channels you need to get the word out.
4. Relationships. Look at how the agency has created marketing relationships with products that will help maximize your PR budget. Bringing in partners in fields such as design, food, fashion, spirits, and other related categories help you reach a wider audience and stretch your PR dollars to reach media in areas beyond hospitality.
5. Responsiveness. As a boutique property it is expected that your guest experience will be highly personalized. You should be able to respond to individual needs at a much higher level than a chain property and your ability to do so will be documented today on social media and sites that track traveler reactions.
A hospitality and travel PR firm with a solid background in handling boutique properties globally will track those responses and help you respond to them, and will also have the ability to handle crisis communications, when the occasional bad experience threatens to go viral.
Your agency’s crisis management should be able to step in, make sure that problem gets resolved quickly, and will also do a good job of getting the word out about how your boutique hotel was sensitive and responsive to the guest’s needs.