Corporate agents make up a large proportion of revenue for hotels that offer conference services. MTD proposed and created the Agents’ Lounge for Four Pillars Hotels, an exclusive online hub that has elevated Four Pillars considerably in the hotel market, kept them front of mind and enabled them to build valuable relationships with agents, which in turn has increased sales.

Background

Maintaining a close relationship with corporate agents is essential in securing a steady stream of business bookings. Yet Four Pillars Hotels have heavy competition from rival hotels and conference centres, many of which are larger and have bigger marketing budgets. We needed a truly innovative solution to secure them competitive advantage.

Solution

MTD delivered the Agents’ Lounge, an online hub specifically for agents, which provided a platform for ongoing communication. The microsite featured rewards, news, offers and competitions. We devised an integrated launch strategy, which included targeted direct mail, support material for the sales reps and promotional items to maintain awareness. This is supported by regular e-marketing and tactical awareness pieces.

Results

Feedback from the target market was very positive, with agents being impressed and excited that Four Pillars offer such an innovative scheme. Approximately a third of the market has signed up to the Agents’ Lounge and this figure is steadily rising. The scheme has generated a 35:1 return on investment and Four Pillars have acquired data for valuable contacts that larger hotel chains would envy.