Several factors indicate that focusing on social media could be the best strategy for event promotion in this case. As previously noted, Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues could benefit from increasing its Internet presence. In the digital age, luxury brands have to rethink their marketing strategies and embrace social media, as they become the main channel of communication, especially for younger audiences (Arrigo, 2018). Research shows that 9 out of 10 Millennials utilize social media as a source of inspiration when planning their travels (Fyall et al., 2019). In light of changing traveler demographics, this event could provide an excellent opportunity to build brand loyalty among young travelers. Promoting environmentally conscious behaviors and sustainability should be an essential part of brand strategy appealing to Generation Y. Therefore, social media represent the most appropriate platform for the promotional campaign, considering the format of the event and general tendencies in hospitality marketing.
During the past decade, Instagram has become the quintessential social media for luxury brands selling their services and goods. Four Season Hotel des Bergues has an Instagram account with slightly less than 25 thousand followers (Four Seasons Hotel Geneva, n.d.). While their audience is relatively large compared to their direct competitors, such as The Ritz Carlton or Mandarin Oriental, it is insufficient for developing a large-scale promotional campaign for the event. Moreover, scholars point out that owned media, as opposed to earned media, is generally ineffective in promoting goods or services (Lee & Youn, 2020). Therefore, the hotel could benefit from focusing on user-generated content.
One of the strategies used by luxury brands on Instagram is so-called influencer marketing. Influencers promote the services or the products of luxury brands among their audiences (Vinerean & Opreana, 2019). This instrument could prove to be a valuable tool in promoting the event and the hotel, in general. Firstly, a significant percentage of the influencers’ following is generated by the target audience of the event, Millennials. Secondly, this strategy would help achieve the goal of creating brand awareness amongst a wider public, as millions of people follow their Instagram accounts.
While social media could provide an excellent opportunity for event promotion, it should be utilized with caution. One of the main issues associated with social media use in luxury marketing is the conflict between the universal accessibility of the former and the elitist philosophy of the latter. According to Lee and Youn (2020), “having a great distance from consumers increases a brand’s perceived luxury value–its aura of high status, superiority, uniqueness, and quality” (p. 2). Exclusiveness is an essential aspect of any luxury brand’s image, and the research shows that a high level of brand-consumer engagement can negatively impact the psychological distance between the brand and the audience (Park et al., 2020). In other words, brands perceived as “overly friendly” on social media might have difficulties positioning themselves as exclusive.
If the hotel proceeds with the influencer marketing option, influencers should be carefully selected to ensure their image fits within Four Seasons’ philosophy. Their target audience can be evaluated based on their other partnerships. Influencers that promote brands with an ideology similar to that of Four Seasons would be an ideal choice. Selecting individuals with the highest numbers of followers is not the optimal strategy, as it can hurt the perceived brand uniqueness (De Veirman et al., 2017). Overall, the Four Seasons’ marketing team should prioritize the quality of the reachable audience over its quantity. To conclude, the key factors to consider when choosing an appropriate influencer are their image, number of followers, and target audience.
Other methods of promoting the event on social media include the production of photo and video content showcasing the experience. Experiential marketing plays a crucial role in luxury brands’ strategies, as it helps them distinguish themselves from the competition (Lee & Youn, 2020). Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues’ marketing team often creates short videos to sell the experience and the brand’s dream (Four Seasons Hotel Geneva, n.d.). It would be reasonable to film a video promoting the activities that will take place during the event, such as paragliding and the cooking class. When producing the video, the marketing team should focus on the details that underline the exclusiveness of the event – the luxurious venue, Rolls Royce cars as a means of transportation, and so forth.
It is also important to indicate in the advertisements that the experience is designed in collaboration with Greenpeace. Kapferer and Michaut-Denizeau (2017) state that while luxury consumers traditionally are not concerned with sustainability, this attitude has recently been slowly evolving towards a more environmentally conscious approach. This tendency might have emerged as a result of previously mentioned changes in the demographics of luxury clients. Therefore, positioning this event as a cause-related marketing activity might benefit the brand’s image.
To conclude, the promotional campaign for the event should prioritize the younger travelers while staying true to the Four Seasons brand’s values. Social media strategy has to involve the use of advanced tools, such as influencer marketing. It would help increase brand awareness and target a wider audience. It is also vital to ensure the campaign’s environmental message is clear, as it would underline the brand’s commitment to the values that are important to the emerging target audience.
References
Arrigo, E. (2018). Social media marketing in luxury brands: A systematic literature review and implications for management research.Management Research Review, 41(6), 657−679. Web.
De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude.International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798−828. Web.
Four Seasons Hotel Geneva [@fsgeneva]. (n.d.). Four Seasons Hotel Geneva. Instagram. Web.
Fyall, A., Legohérel, P., Frochot, I., & Wang, Y. (2019). Marketing for tourism and hospitality: Collaboration, technology and experiences. Routledge.
Kapferer, J.-N., Michaut-Denizeau, A. (2017). Is luxury compatible with sustainability? Luxury consumers’ viewpoint. In J. N. Kapferer et al. (Eds.), Advances in luxury brand management (pp. 123−156). Palgrave Macmillan.
Lee, J. E., & Youn, S.-Y. (2020). Luxury marketing in social media: The role of social distance in a craftsmanship video. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. Web.
Park, M., Im, H., & Kim, H.-Y. (2020). “You are too friendly!” The negative effects of social media marketing on value perceptions of luxury fashion brands. Journal of Business Research, 117, 529−542. Web.
Vinerean, S., & Opreana, A. (2019). Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands on Instagram. Expert Journal of Marketing, 7(2), 144−152.