'What looks good sells faster, so social media is here to stay'

One reason I love my job is because I get to learn something new every day, which gives me a reason to wake up and go to work. The hospitality industry is dynamic and continuously evolving, therefore, being in-charge of the Marketing and Communications at the hotel, I’m always looking for opportunities to advertise and promote our property, be it Food & Beverages, Rooms, Spa, or more.

The industry is customer-oriented, therefore, customer satisfaction is important to make one's business profitable. This industry depends on public perception, image projection and acceptance, which makes the role of Marketing Communications (Marcom) extremely crucial. As Candee Wolf, the Marketing Communications expert notes, “The best Marcom professionals are those who can think like the customer.”

Indeed, Marketing and Communications is the core department of a hotel, which in turn supports many other departments, hence it is critical to be organised and proactive. The market situation too represents a challenge, therefore creativity plays a big role in marketing professionals being able to transform those challenges into opportunities and being ahead of the game.

If one's Brand is still ahead of the game in the face of cut-throat competition, it only proves you have been extremely adaptable to change. There being so many new hotels in the same niche as ours, the pressure to perform and excel can be overwhelming, so the only way out is to stay updated and do everything to keep the customers inclined towards your Brand and keep them coming back.

WORK STRATEGY

I follow certain key principles as my work strategy: To be always organised and time-sensitive; to maintain clear and open communication within my team; to avoid assuming anything, as assumption is the mother of chaos; to do a thorough market research; to ensure quality over quantity; to listen more and talk less, as one's Team usually has great ideas and last but not the least, to accept changes, because "change is the only constant". Hospitality is about people and I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with a strong team that is not only skilled but also professional.

Some things I'm proud of are: A 360-degree marketing campaign for a 22-year old legendary flagship property of RHG; leading the marketing initiative for year 2019-20 for strengthening the Brand; building recognition in the PR industry by creating one-to-one relationships; developing, directing and implementing media relations in support of sales objectives by working closely with media marketing teams; and facilitating the release of publications and newsletters for internal as well as external communications.

FUTURE TRENDS

Technology has a way of surprising you. Just when you become adept at the latest trends in your industry, it throws something completely unpredictable yet fascinating at you. Therefore, I believe in being in-tune with digital marketing to make the most of all that it offers. Talking of digital marketing, social media is here to stay. It's going to take over everything soon and all work aesthetics will revolve around it. Already, our working style has changed a lot since social media platforms entered our lives. What looks good, does sell faster. I have been able to attract more people to listen to me and my ideas through social media. It has not only made things convenient for me but also added to my creative skills. 

WOMEN, DON'T WAIT, HUSTLE!

The toughest challenge for a woman in any industry is to maintain the right balance between one's work and family. One's time and devotion get diverted, but all that a woman needs is a little support to handle things well. I have always conquered whatever I was initially reluctant to pursue and I think that’s how we grow. So, my message to young women in this industry is: Whenever there’s a moment of self-doubt, when you say to yourself, "Wow, I’m not really sure if I can do this!", you should push through those moments because that’s when you get your breakthrough. It's okay to be an amateur, and not everything you do has to be good, but success comes to those who do not wait, but hustle.