Accelerate corporate-bookings-02-2012-prospect

Accelerate Your Hotel Bookings with Corporate Travelers:
The Hotelier’s Guide to Merchandising Online for Business Travelers

It’s
no secret that the Web has become
the go-to place for travelers when
finding and booking hotels.

For business travelers – or individuals booking
travel arrangements for others in their organization
– corporate booking channels and corporate self-
booking tools have become the solution of choice
when making reservations.

The ability to reach potential customers through
these channels – and engage them by building a
comprehensive, visually-driven story that attracts
visitors and makes your hotel stand out from the
competition – has become a key component in
online hotel marketing.

In Part One, we’ll look at the value of corporate
channels and why it’s important for you to
leverage them as part of your digital marketing
strategy.

In Part Two, we’ll take a closer look at using an
online merchandising tool like VFM Leonardo’s
VBrochure™ to really reach out, touch and
convert those potential customers.
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Part One: Corporate Channels and Your Hotel

Why Corporate Channels? role. According to Business Travel News, more than 40
Corporate bookings have become a significant revenue percent of survey respondents said they use the Web,
source for many hotels, and corporate booking a desktop or a Web app, to both shop for and book
channels and self-booking tools represent a great a travel for their organization2.
way to tap into this potentially huge market.
Corporate channels are an ideal way to reach these
Even with the economy still in recovery mode, business travelers and turn them into customers. These channels
travel is experiencing continued growth; in the fall of offer a closed market segment, one that
2011, global corporate travel bookings increased 4 travels a lot, and is ready to buy; users simply want to
per cent from the previous year, with North America in find the best hotel for their needs, within the “rules” their
particular seeing a 3.3 percent increase. In addition, employer allows.
average daily rates (ADR) increased almost 3 percent
Fundamentally, the corporate self-booking tools put
your hotel in front of an extremely lucrative market –
40% use a desktop or a business travelers. Of course, simply “being there” isn’t
enough – that’s just the first step.
web app, to both shop
for and book travel The next step, which we’ll talk more about in Part Two,
is making your hotel stand out from the competition and
transforming corporate channel users from prospects
over the prior year globally, and North America realized into customers.
an increase of 4.0 percent, almost reaching the year-to-
date growth pace of 4.6 percent. Meanwhile, despite What are Corporate Channels?
continuing European debt concerns, October bookings Corporate channels are essentially tools – usually in the
for this sector increased by 4.6 percent over the prior form of a Web site, Web app or desktop application,
year1. and, increasingly, mobile applications – used by
corporations and their travel management companies to
In October 2011, the Global Business Travel make travel arrangements for employees.
Association (GBTA) predicted that overall 2011
spending by business travelers would end up roughly 7 These channels offer the corporate entities the
percent higher than in 2010. opportunity to take advantage of extensive search and
compare tools, as well as rates and packages, that
Clearly, business trips remain a key aspect of corporate are all specifically targeted to business travelers (rather
strategies for driving profit – and when it comes time than going through OTAs or other more leisure-oriented
to book those trips, the Web is playing an increasing travel tools).


Who are some of the key players?
There are many providers that offer corporate booking
tools, and VFM Leonardo counts all of the main players
as partners. While all of the providers have different
strengths, their goal is the same: provide an easy-to-
use method for connecting travel suppliers (including
hotels) with business travelers.

Key Providers:

• Concur • Concur (Concur Premier)
• CLC Lodging • Egencia
• American Express Corporate Travel Solutions • Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)
• Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT Traveler & Transaction • Lanyon (Lanyon Corporate Hotel Directory, Lanyon
Services, CWT Symphonie Self-Booking Tool) Meetings & Event Management, Lanyon Engagement &
• Conferma (Hotel Booker) Project Sourcing)
• Corpovia Corporate Travel • MeetingsBooker (meetingsbooker.com)
• Corporate Travel Consultants (CTC2, TRS Travel • Travelocity Business (Travelocity Business Express)
Reservation System, Trip Console)

A complete list of VFM Leonardo’s corporate partners is available [here].



How can I Leverage Corporate Channels to off the things that matter to business travelers. You
Increase Bookings at my Hotel? can also include floor plans to help your visitors
Our experience with corporate channels and self- really visualize themselves in your rooms.
booking tools has given us unique insight into how they 2. Don’t just list your amenities – show them off! We’ve
can be used effectively. Here are three tips: already established that business travelers want a
fitness room and a business center; why not offer
Consider What Customers Want virtual tours of each, or a short video demonstrating
It’s important to tailor your messages to the types what each has to offer?
of visitors you want to attract. Since we’re talking
about corporate channels, you know you’re looking at In addition, remember to:
business travelers – or individuals booking travel for • Highlight the things business travelers want up-
their colleagues. front;
• Keep your feature lists organized and concise;
• Use inviting, easy-to-digest text alongside images
Complimentary in-room that back up your descriptions.
Internet remains the most
important amenity for
business travelers

So - what are they looking for? What’s important to
the people booking/buying travel, and those actually
traveling?

Business Travel News notes3 that
complimentary in-room Internet remains
the most important amenity for business
travelers. Other key amenities BTN
noted include:
• Complimentary breakfast
• Promotions and discounts
• 24-hour business center
• 24-hout fitness center
• Loyalty programs

Offer a Great Shopping Experience
If a potential customer sees two
comparable hotels, with similar features
and amenities, what’s going to make
them choose you? A great shopping
experience can be the key differentiator between
getting that reservation and losing it.

Here are a couple of ways to make your hotel stand out
next to the competition:
1. Instead of just standard room images, add
panoramic images of your rooms – one that show



Target Business Travelers with VBrochure™
VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure helps hotels connect with Business travelers are increasingly using mobile
business travelers by leveraging partnerships with devices to research and book their hotels. According
the market leaders in corporate self-booking tools, to a Sabre Travel Network study, more than two-thirds
not to mention the distribution capabilities of the of respondents indicated they want to use their mobile
VNetwork™, the most universally accepted and largest devices to shop and book hotels. With more than
online visual content distribution network for the global 80 per cent of business travelers using smartphones
travel industry. The VNetwork includes all four global (and 40 per cent using tablets), it’s clear that mobile
distribution technology is a key way to reach business travelers4.
systems
80% of business (GDSs),
travelers use Pegasus and
Smartphones travel-related
channels
including online
travel agencies, travel research and supplier web sites,
search portals and major travel intermediaries.

In other words, your
bases are covered when
you use VBrochure. But
using it to effectively
target business travelers
is another challenge
altogether.

To help you reach these
potential customers,
VBrochure allows
you to create and
syndicate targeted visual
experiences that speak
to business travelers.
Using VBrochure, you
can easily highlight the
things we discussed
above that matter to
business travelers
– Internet access,
breakfast, business and
fitness centers, and so
on. And with VNetwork,
you know that your
message will remain
consistent across our
network of top corporate
travel channels.



Many corporate booking channels have recognized the It doesn’t matter if a consumer is accessing the
increasing demands for mobile optimized research and channels’ website, mobile website or mobile app
booking experiences, and have launched mobile apps from their mobile device, when the Multi-Media Player
and websites to meet those demands. is launched; it detects the device they’re using and
VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure™ is mobile optimized. This displays the appropriate, optimized experience.
means when a consumer clicks to view a VBrochure
customer’s VPowered Multi-Media Player on any one This means that hotels using VBrochure provide
of the corporate channels in the VNetwork, the media consumers with a visually rich experience wherever they
will be displayed optimally for the mobile device they’re find the hotel, on whatever mobile device they’re using.
using. If a visitor doesn’t have a positive experience when
using their smartphone, that’s a potential customer lost
The VPowered Multi-Media Player works on a number before the process has even begun!
of operating systems (iOS4, Android, Blackberry OS)
and devices (iPhone, Blackberry and popular Androids In Part Two, we’ll take a more detailed look at some
phones from makers such as Motorola and Nokia). specific ways VBrochure™ can help you take your
Unlike mobile media players that are universal for corporate channel marketing strategy to the next level.
all operating systems and devices, VFM Leonardo’s We’ll even give you step-by-step instructions on how to
has advanced detection and display technology that do it.
ensures the user always gets the optimal experience for
the device they’re using.



Part Two: Reaching and Engaging Business Customers
Using VBrochure

In Part One, we talked about the importance of VNetwork™, are great ways to transform your hotel’s
corporate channels. In Part Two, we’ll take a look at presence on corporate channels and self-booking
specific ways VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure™ can help tools, and start turning business visitors into customers.
you drill down and target business travelers specifically,
turning them from Web visitors into confirmed The ability to reach travelers through both managed
reservations! and unmanaged business travel channels is a distinct
advantage of the media network that VBrochure™ is
How VBrochure™ Helps syndicated to.
Business travel remains a cornerstone of the travel
industry, one that continues to see growth. Using VFM Let’s take a look at an example. Jennifer works for a
Leonardo’s VBrochure™, and taking advantage of the software company that uses a corporate self-booking
tool for employee travel arrangements; she has an
upcoming conference to attend in San Francisco, so
she logs into the self-booking tool to find and book a
hotel.

The company has already established its rules within
the self-booking tool system – the maximum price
of hotels, star rating, features, etc., that it deems
appropriate for its employees. Thus, when Jennifer
searches for San Francisco hotels, only those that meet
these guidelines will be displayed.

In this case, let’s say four hotels,
including yours, meet the guidelines
– all three-stars, all at approximately
the same rate, all with a business
center. If your three competitors are
only presenting a couple of images
and a list of features, here’s your
opportunity to make your hotel jump
off the screen with a rich, visually-
driven story.



By offering panoramic 360-degree photos of her compelling visually-driven story within a “mini-website.”
room, a video that shows what the business center In an August 2010 report, comScore noted that
has to offer, virtual tours of the conference rooms, and online shoppers who watch video spend an average
descriptions that really show how the hotel will make of two additional minutes on a website and are 64%
Jennifer’s business trip successful, you’ve delivered an more likely to buy compared to non-video sites. The
engaging, memorable experience that stands out from VPowered Multi-Media Player delivers video and a
the rest – and one that’s going to make Jennifer want to multi-media experience in a mini-website to multiple
stay at your hotel. sources and channels. The result is a consistent and
compelling message no matter where it’s being viewed
that increases engagement (amount of time spent
Online shoppers who watch video reviewing your hotel) and conversions (number of
spend an average of two additional bookings as a result).
minutes on a website and are 64%
more likely to buy compared to non- Instead of just presenting another hotel online with
video sites a few photos and a list of features, VBrochure’s
mini-website player lets you build a rich, engaging
This is where the opportunity lies, and this is where experience for prospects, with panoramic photos,
VBrochure excels. You know the corporate travelers videos, virtual tours and more. VBrochure’s deep visual
are there. You know they’re using the corporate self- experience draws prospects in and makes learning
booking tools – and you know your competitors are about your hotel a memorable experience.
using them as well.
What follows is a series of five guidelines we’ve
VBrochure lets you engage these travelers, and stand developed to help you deliver a strong message to
out from the competition by building a comprehensive, business travelers!



1
Step One: What Makes You Appealing?
This is an easy step: Jot down all of the features and
amenities you offer that appeal to business travelers.
We talked about this in part one;
research shows things like Wi-Fi and
complementary breakfast appeal, but
don’t just go by our examples; what
do your visitors tell you? Examples
might include:
• Free Wi-Fi
• Airport shuttle
• Business center
• Express check-in

2
Step Two: Use Media that Showcase Your Appeal
Considering what you’ve jotted down in Step One, look
at the media you already have. Does it showcase these
things? Even if it does, consider if it’s effective, and
think about creating new media that highlights these
features. Think about the following possibilities:
• A short video specifically for business travelers
(don’t forget to involve your staff!)
• Promotions exclusively for business travelers
• Linking floorplans and images to virtual tours or
detail shots. With VBrochure™, you can add
Clickable Image Hotspots that highlight specific
areas in an image – areas your prospects can click
on to “zoom in” for more detail, more images, or
even a virtual tour. For example, you might show
a picture of a your business center and describe
what it offers. But with a Clickable Image Hotspot,
your visitors can take a virtual tour and see for
themselves! It’s the next best thing to being there.

Get creative with your visuals!


www.vfmleonardo.com | 1-877-593-6634 | facebook.com/vfm.leonardo | twitter.com/VFMLeonardo - 10 -

3
Step Three: Work on your narrative
Every hotel describes their features and amenities
on the Web. What makes yours stand out? Ditch the
generic, boring descriptions and make it real and
inviting! Remember the following:
• Catchy headlines go a long way
• Long paragraphs are a no-no – business travelers
in particular don’t have time to read long blocks of
text
• Use short, concise descriptions with bullet points!

4
Step Four: Get started with VBrochure
Now it’s time to put your content to work. We can
help! Contact us and we’ll get you up and running with
VBrochure.

5
Step Five: Watch your Business Bookings Improve!
Once your VBrochure mini-site hits the Corporate Travel
channels in the VNetwork™, we’re confident you’ll start Seasonal
seeing improvements in no time. Promotion

Content
Update

1. Travel Recovery Shows No Signs of Stopping, The Pegasus View, October 2011.
2. BTN Research Issue: Connecting With Managed Travelers, BTN Group, October 24, 2011.
3. BTN Research Issue: Connecting With Managed Travelers, BTN Group, October 24, 2011.
4. What Business Travelers Want When it Comes to Mobile, Hotelmarketing.com, September 2011.

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