12.5: A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

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As professionals, we must strive to leave our work behind with a positive impact. Sustainability, accessibility, diversity & inclusion and technology are all evolving areas that hold great importance in our field. Even as hospitality marketers and business professionals, it is our ethical duty to impact those around us for a great big beautiful tomorrow. I urge you to bring your passions into your workplace, striving to better the corporations you work for and lead by example.

Sustainability

Marketing and sustainable initiatives can work hand-in-hand with the current strategy of the hospitality company you are working for. Brainstorm some ways that your organization and marketing team can integrate sustainable initiatives throughout your campaigns. According to The Travel Care Code, a resource for all travelers and hospitality professionals looking to broaden their understanding of sustainability. This set of “Care Codes” can act not only as a list of initiatives for you to follow as a professional but for your team to implement through strategies within the workplace. Look for subtle ways to implement sustainable tactics and initiatives that will prompt guests to help to build a great big beautiful tomorrow.

Learn About Your Destination
Don’t Leave Your Good Habits at Home
Be a Fuel Efficient Traveler
Make Informed Decisions
Be a Good Guest
Support Local
Dispose of Waste Properly
Protect Your Natural Surroundings
Make Your Travel Zero Emissions
Bring Your Experiences Home

Accessibility

Accessibility in the hospitality space doesn’t simply equate to physical accessibility but, in the world of marketing, means digital accessibility as well. Throughout all marketing campaigns, strategies, and initiatives, you and your team should be cognisant of digital accessibility for those who may need to use the resource. How do you know if your website or marketing materials are digitally accessible? Answer these questions to find out:

Is your website or campaign easy to navigate? (Alt Text for images, Subtitles/Closed Captioning on videos, etc.)
Is your website or campaign easy to understand for a wide range of users? (This includes those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.)

Diversity & Inclusion

It seems as though 2020 has brought a roar behind the fight for diversity and inclusion, although this fight is not new to our world. As an ally for those who face prejudice of any kind, work as a leader of diversity and inclusion within your team and within the organization as a whole. Don’t let your seniority in the organization shy you away from fighting for the changes you would like to see. With appropriate research and data, presenting valid information to seniors in your company can help to bring diversity and inclusion into your workplace. As a future leader in diversity and inclusion, remember these notes:

Inclusive Thinkers: Strive to be and lead inclusive thinkers both in your organization and around your personal life. Lead by example while still educating yourself on the circumstances happening around you, both personally and professionally.
Representation in Advertising: As marketing campaigns roll out, make sure that all individuals are represented within the advertisements. Reaching a broader audience will make your target consumers understand that the company that is advertising is welcoming of all.
Identifying untapped target markets: Like with any marketing initiative, brainstorm untapped target markets and how your team can positively target those markets. Like stated above, all individuals want to be represented when they see an advertisement from their favorite hotel or amusement park; remember to leverage that initiative while practicing the diversity and inclusion that is being advertised.
When you are striving to find a job or transition companies, keep diversity and inclusion in mind. Learning about the diversity and inclusion of a hospitality organization will open a door into what the dynamic of that company is like.

Technology

Marketing and Technology go together like glue and paper, peanut butter and jelly, two peas in a pod - they are two forces that will be forever intertwined. Gone are the days where marketing strategies were subject to only paper-print ads in your local paper. Just as the job market for marketing roles expands (i.e. digital marketing analyst, streaming services marketing, marketing strategist, social media marketer, etc), so does the level of platforms, advertising opportunities, editing platforms and hard-skills that you must keep up with as a marketer.

Platforms are ever-changing: Social media platforms (i.e. Instagram and Facebook) are ever-changing. These platforms are changing on a minute-by-minute basis with things you as a consumer may not recognize. Stay up-to-date by being a personal user of the applications but also read business articles about the organizations and how it may affect your marketing strategy in your current or future role. + These are great talking points during interviews. Companies like to know that you, as a marketing professional, are staying up-to-date on what’s happening in your industry.
Hard-Skills are needed: Your learning doesn’t stop after your degree. Prepare to be a student for the rest of your career and stay up-to-date on hard skills through platforms like Lynda Learning or even free resources like Google Digital Garage, Twitter Flight School, Google Certifications and more free social-media platform driven resources.
Be Ahead of the Trend: A way to succeed in marketing is to always be either ahead of the trends or one of the first to participate in a trend. For example, TikTok made its big break in 2020 as a leading social media app in the United States and even world-wide. Many hospitality companies have leveraged the app and short binge-worthy videos through travel inspiration, humor, or education.