Sixth Paper in Series Examines How Hospitality Companies are Successfully Leveraging Location-Based Marketing
With the increasing popularity of GPS-aware mobile devices such as smart phones and iPads, the mobile landscape is where more and more customers are residing. Taking note of this emerging trend, The HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Special Interest Group, in partnership with TIG Global, has released a new white paper titled, A Travel Professional’s Guide to Leveraging Location-Based Marketing.
The paper explores the numerous methods hospitality businesses are practicing in hopes of reaching potential customers based on their physical locations. Strategies for leveraging location are outlined by various topics including proximity marketing, mobile couponing, QR Codes and augmented reality.
“Location–based marketing is a new phenomenon that will ultimately be commonplace in the travel and hospitality industries,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CAE, president and CEO of HSMAI. A Travel Professional’s Guide to Leveraging Location-Based Marketing serves as a great foundation for industry leaders looking to be on the forefront of this new wave and teaches them how to add a new dimension for reaching customers in regards to their exact real time location.”
In addition to showcasing essential strategies for successful location-based marketing, the paper also highlights several websites that specialize in the practice. Case studies from sites such as Foursquare.com, Gowalla.com and brightkite.com offer examples of flourishing location-based marketing applications.
“At TIG Global, we know how important it is to establish a relationship with your customers,” said Brian Fitzgerald, director of search and social media at TIG Global. “Location-based marketing is a relatively inexpensive method of communicating with a captive audience in a personal way. It is changing the face of loyalty marketing and has the power to significantly increase revenues for those who use it strategically.”
A Travel Professional’s Guide to Leveraging Location-Based Marketing is the sixth white paper in a series sponsored by TIG Global, a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc., and published by the HSMAI Foundation. Copies of the white paper are available at www.travelinternetmarketing.org.
A corresponding webinar on location-based marketing will be held on Tuesday, November 9th. The interactive format will be led by a group of hospitality industry experts and allow for audience feedback and questions. Visit www.hsmaiuniversity.org to register for the webinar.
About HSMAI and HSMAI Foundation
HSMAI is the hospitality industry source for knowledge, community, and recognition for leaders committed to professional development, sales growth, revenue optimization, marketing, and branding. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings®. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Established in 1983 to serve as the research and educational arm of HSMAI, the HSMAI Foundation's mission is to expand and enhance the educational opportunities available to hospitality sales and marketing executives and to increase the amount of in-depth research conducted on behalf of the profession. For more information on HSMAI or the Foundation, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit www.hsmai.org.
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