Hospitality is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK today, projecting a higher acceleration rate than any other sector. By 2027, its economic contribution is estimated to reach £29 billion, generating close to 500,000 new jobs.
With competition set to become fiercer over the next few years, hotels are looking for new and creative ways to position their brand. It is high time discerning marketers stepped up in their game.
Now is the best window to explore innovative print marketing tools; an avenue that can potentially contribute to a delightful guest experience while subtly selling your brand name.
Here are some of the best high-impact yet understated print marketing tools for your hotel.
Creative Hotel Business Cards
While business cards are not the most innovative print tool today, how creatively you present them makes all the difference. As opposed to boring rectangular designs and bland graphics, incorporate interesting shapes and elements, including interactive additions that can keep your guests engaged. For example, consider creating pull-out card sets with clever copy that will get potential guests to stop and read. Other interesting ways to elevate a basic business card include incorporating different shapes, textures, magnets, and typography. To make it more engaging, add a QR code that directly links to your hotel’s contact page or personal social media page.
Don’t forget to align your business card with your brand image to maximise the impact of the tool. The more unique and premium you make your business card look, the more likely it will induce people to save it.
Branded Key Card Holders
A subliminal way to market your brand while serving a utility is through branded key card holders. Instead of providing regular plain key card holders, leverage the tool to instil the hotel’s brand image in your guest’s subconscious.
There are a plethora of options in marketing when it comes to types of holders, including sleeve type, pocket type, and fold type key card holders. Choose a style that best fits your hotel’s brand image.
This is one of the most impactful ways to make your brand stand out, as it utilises a simple tool that guests will see and use every day during their stay. By branding the key card holder with your logo, graphics, and colours, you get to inject your brand’s identity into the guest experience. Augment the tool with exceptional hospitality to make your customers associate a pleasant stay with your brand for far-reaching results.
To offer a premium experience to guests, ensure to make your card holder look and feel premium as well. For this, partner only with a high-quality printing company.
Printed Key Card Holders is one such reliable service provider that offers a range of customisable designs in fold type key card holders and many others. They also have various materials and finishes in key card holders to suit different hotels’ preferences.
Hotel Stationery
Stationery items such as pens, pencils, notepads, envelopes, calendars, and paper are another set of utility objects that guests will likely see and use more often. Consider offering branded versions of some of these accessories along with the room key card or as part of a welcome package, especially if you run a business hotel and most of your guests stay over for business trips. This would once again, not only serve them with a useful accessory but also subliminally sell your brand name.
Ensure that the branded accessory looks and feels high-quality so that it would lead your customers to save them. You can also go one step further and provide vintage items if your hotel has a history or a vintage theme, provided your marketing team has the budget.
Products and Merchandise
The age-old technique of providing branded products for guests to use during their stay at the hotel remains an excellent and powerful way to market your brand. To level up your strategy, try to offer a take-home package containing some more of the same products as a token of gratitude when your guests check out.
Doing this not only makes customers take your brand name home but will also force them to remember the experience each time they use the product.
For example, a shower gel, a body moisturiser, or a hand soap are things that will likely last for at least a week. Their unique scent will act as a powerful reminder of the pleasant experience your guest had at your hotel. Coupled with precise and impactful branding, products like these can become game-changers for your business.
Luxury Postcards
Considering that signed postcards are still a crowd favorite when it comes to personalised greetings, leveraging them to market your hotel would be a great way to nurture relationships. Create premium quality postcards with striking pictures of a signature suite room, your garden, or a view from one of your rooms, and brand the colours to fit your identity. Include contact details at the back of the card, your logo and brand name on the front, and finish by adding a personalised signature to indicate that it is addressed with love by the CEO or director of the hotel. Ensure that you use premium paper stock for a refined look and feel.
Send out holiday cards or seasonal greeting cards to existing as well as potential guests to make them feel valued, while potentially creating a space for your brand in their drawing room.
Wrapping Up
In the ever-growing hospitality industry of the UK, the key to standing out and making an impact lies in offering memorable experiences to guests. This includes during as well as after their stay. As a refreshing change from digital marketing tools, thoughtfully made print tools such as fold type key card holders, creative business cards, luxury postcards, and stationery can act as a powerful means to get your brand noticed. Use this list of innovative ideas for inspiration the next time you consider a change-up in your marketing strategy and ensure you partner with a high-quality printing company.
To create premium printed key card holders and other assets for your hotel or retail brand, contact Printed Key Card Holders in the UK.
Author Bio :
Nimesh Kerai is the Printing Head at Printed Key Card Holders in London, where he ensures the delivery of high-quality custom key card holders and printed accessories. His expertise in advanced printing technology and dedication to eco-friendly practices have elevated the company’s status as a top provider in the UK. Nimesh is passionate about innovative design and shares his knowledge through insightful blogs, enhancing both his and the company’s reputation for excellence in personalised printing solutions.
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