Hospitality Industry
In 2013, there were 124 Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK. In 2023, there are 188. This represents an increase of 51% over the last ten years, brought about by a number of factors:
Increased Investment in the Hospitality Industry: The UK has seen a significant increase in investment in recent years. This has led to the opening of new restaurants and the renovation of existing restaurants and hotels.
A Growing Food Culture: The UK has a growing food culture, with people becoming more interested in trying new and exciting cuisines. This has led to a demand for high-quality restaurants.
A Diverse Range of Chefs: The UK has a diverse range of chefs from all over the world. Helping to further the expansion of this sector.
Maximising the Potential of Digital
So while this sector has been growing, and indeed there are long waiting lists for reservations due to their notoriety, how can it benefit from stronger digital programmes?
We have worked with some of the most prestigious restaurants and hotels across the world and the key focus for this sector is growth!
This is not exclusively reserved to the Michelin star sector; it has applications across all high-end hospitality.
Growing the Digital and Commercial Offering in Luxury Hospitality
While the bookings might look strong and the covers have a handsome occupancy rate, the limiting factor is always the size of the venue.
We work with luxury hospitality brands to consider how they can build strong relationships with their audiences and grow their digital and commercial offering, not just locally, but globally.
Three of the key ways we’ve achieved this include:
DEVELOPING THE LIFETIME VALUE (LTV) OF THE AUDIENCE
A strong CRM and value exchange programme may not push direct sales, but it nurtures the customer base and re-engages them to develop the lifetime value of the client base.
We know that luxury consumers want to understand the story, history, and pedigree of these exclusive brands. So while they’re not visiting the venue, you can elevate the brand through key content that pushes a value exchange, for example, around a new menu or wine list.
Perhaps you have a celebrity chef coming in for a guest appearance or a story to tell about how a small, family-run restaurant in Paola, southern Italy, inspired your new pasta dish.
With robust analytics integration, each of these initiatives can be used to collect data and further understand your audiences’ preferences.
CREATING PRODUCTS FOR THE ONLINE SECTOR
A number of high-end hospitality brands have recently developed an online product range to further promote the lifestyle their brand is associated with. This includes kitchen knives, cutlery, crockery, and ingredients etc. While other brands have taken this a step further to offer delivery and ‘cook it at home’ services. A lucrative way to drive greater revenue and expand the types of luxury customers the brand engages with.
This type of expansion to the current offering can be pushed at the venue but also online, increasing the value for loyal customers while simultaneously broadening the luxury customer base.
We help luxury hospitality brands realise the potential of the brand equity they’ve developed through traditional means and can help drive this much harder, often to a global audience.
We work with luxury restaurants and hotels to understand the needs of their CRM, analytics, ecommerce, social, and performance media to support these opportunities and help facilitate their expansion.
EXPANDING THE DIGITAL GUEST EXPERIENCE
Luxury hospitality brands have an opportunity to extend the guest experience far beyond the physical stay. From personalised pre-arrival communications and curated recommendations to post-stay content and exclusive experiences, digital touchpoints can build anticipation, deepen engagement and encourage repeat visits.
By connecting CRM, content, social and data, brands can create a more personalised journey around the guest – using what they know about their preferences to deliver relevant experiences before, during and after their stay.
This not only strengthens the relationship with existing customers, but creates more opportunities to drive bookings, upsell experiences and build long-term brand loyalty.
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FAQ's
What makes digital marketing effective for luxury hospitality brands?
Digital marketing allows luxury hospitality brands to build desire, showcase experiences and connect with high-net-worth audiences at every stage of the booking journey.
How can luxury hospitality brands reach high-net-worth audiences?
Through targeted data, sophisticated media strategies and compelling creative, brands can reach affluent audiences across key markets including the UK, Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia.
How can luxury hotels increase direct bookings?
A combination of SEO, paid media, personalised digital experiences and strong content can increase visibility, build consideration and encourage more customers to book directly.
