Why Every Hospitality Business Needs a Point of View
How Curiosity Becomes a Powerful Guest Engagement Tool
Walk into 10 wineries, or 10 restaurants, or 10 distilleries or micro-breweries and what do you notice?
Even though the food, drinks and buildings may be different, the experiences somehow feel very similar.
I have noticed that a lot of hospitality businesses try to compete or differentiate themselves by improving on what everyone else is already doing.
So a better menu, a bigger patio, a renovated wine cellar or tasting room, or another special event that goes out by e-mail blast.
Those investments in their guest spaces and approaches do matter, but they’re table stakes and rarely enough to make a business uniquely memorable.
So how can a business truly stand out and become more memorable? What creates a sense of lasting differentiation? It’s something that sounds easy, but takes a little effort to actually implement and sustain: a unique and memorable point of view for your brand.
A Point Of View isn’t A Marketing Slogan
Over the years I have seen again and again how many businesses confuse branding with messaging.
A slogan isn’t a point of view or a value proposition. And neither is a mission statement. They support your brand’s POV, but they don’t define it. A genuine point of view answers a much deeper question.
What is it about us and our brand that shapes every single guest experience we create?
Being able to articulate this as a unique value proposition (UVP) allows you to provide a very clear answer to the brand differentiation question. And in turn, that’s what should be influencing your programming.
Your UVP shapes your educational appraoch, menus, events, partnership and even the conversations that guests have with your staff when they’re visiting.
Guests are Looking for Meaning they Can Relate to
Today’s travellers and day trippers have no shortage of choices for where to go and spend their money. A quick phone search is all it takes.
They can very easily visit any winery, brewery, distillery or local restaurant in the area.
But they’re not just searching for another place to eat or drink. They’re searching for experiences that feel authentic and memorable. And delivering on that expectation requires more than excellent products and newly-renovated spaces.
It requires creating an intriguing, compelling and engaging reason to come.
The Most Successful Experiences Teach Something
There are a ton of ways you can go about creating an onsite experience. But education has become one of the most overlooked opportunities in hospitality.
People really enjoy learning. Not through dry lectures, but through interactive discussions that include an element of discovery. Or topics that are very much in context with what you do and how they use your products.
A guest who learns why different types of smoke change the perception of a wine is a guest who will have a sharable story. Or how your terroir relates to what they’re grilling at home, or why your local traditions developed the way they did.
Anything like this will spark an imagination and core memory that ensures that guest leaves with something far more valuable than a meal: they leave with a story and a very positive imprinted impression of your brand.
A Point Of View Creates Consistency
One of the greatest advantages of having a clearly defined perspective (aka a unique value proposition) is that decisions become easier.
New events align naturally. Partnerships make sense. Content becomes more focused and easier to produce and marketing becomes far more authentic (and authentic is what sells).
Everything begins reinforcing the same idea instead of competing for attention or appearing scattered or not engaging.
Guests notice when there’s consistency, even if they can’t explain why.
The Strongest Brands Always Stand for Something
The hospitality businesses that are consistently the most memorable names are rarely the ones that try to appeal to everyone.
They have a distinct and unique perspective. One that shapes every interaction and is different than the winery or restaurant next door.
They’re the ones that encourage conversation and that give guests a reason to return.
Products may attract first-time visitors, but it’s a compelling point of view (and well-crafted engaging interactions) that will bring them back.
In an increasingly competitive hospitality landscape, that may be the most valuable asset any organization can develop.
About Mike Belobradic
Mike Belobradic is a marketing strategist, writer and speaker who explores how strategy, storytelling and customer experience help organizations create memorable brands and guest experiences. His work draws on more than 30 years of leadership in marketing, digital strategy, hospitality and tourism.