Give your product the backing it deserves

Merlin Marketing and PR offers advice to hoteliers

August 22nd, 2006

One of Wales' leading full service media agencies has spoken of the need for hoteliers to make the most of their product by investing in marketing campaigns that capitalise on the assets of the business.

 

Established in 1985, Cardiff Bay based Merlin Marketing and Public Relations is a fully integrated communications company. The company incorporates Public Relations, Marketing, Video Production, Interactive Media, Event Management, Graphic Design and Advertising. The different divisions are able to compliment each other in order to provide a comprehensive marketing and public relations service to clients in the hospitality field.

 

However, Daniel Tyte of Merlin Marketing and Public Relations believes the hospitality industry does not always make best use of the services companies like Merlin can offer:

 

"In Wales we have some fantastic hotels that bring a unique offering to the marketplace. Whether this is a breathtaking location, a historic past or unbeatable golf facilities, many of Wales' hotels can offer guests a distinctive experience that isn't available in the rest of the UK.

 

"Unfortunately, too many hoteliers aren't telling the world about their product. A marketing budget proportionate to the hotel's turnover, if executed by experienced professionals with passion for the product, can provide real return on investment and help the hotel achieve its specific goals of say more midweek bookings or a longer wedding season."

 

Stradey Park Hotel, a unique Edwardian mansion hotel based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, is one hospitality provider who has been proactive in investing in a strategic marketing and PR campaign. Merlin works with the hotel on a marketing and PR campaign to effectively promote the unique service and product it has to offer through key channels including the local, business and trade media. The main vehicle for the campaign is the rejuvenation and development of the brand identity to compliment the completion of the hotel's refurbishments.

 

Angela Saunders, Director, Stradey Park Hotel said:

"We had undergone some extensive refurbishment at the Stradey Park Hotel and felt we needed to project this new image to refresh the brand and attract new customers as well as informing our existing client base.

 

"We were aware that we would have to engage the services of people such as graphic designers, marketers and PR professionals so decided to work with a consultancy that could integrate all of these services together to achieve maximum results for us.

 

"We've discovered this has brought a unity in thinking across the different disciplines and that staff in each department have understood our need to maintain the historic element of our brand while reflecting the contemporary evolutions that are taking place.

 

'We are confident this approach will achieve our aims of improving upon residential bookings and occupancy levels, restaurant bookings, and my personal ambition of making Stradey Park Hotel the number one hotel for prestigious events in West Wales.'

For information on the hotel, or to make a reservation please visit www.stradeyparkhotel.com