Marketing your B&B with the power of Hollywood. Step 1. Setting up.
How to use the Hollywood marketing machine to promote your bed & breakfast, guesthouse or independent accomodation.
Part 1: Why B&BOwners should catch on to the dvd explosion.
Like it or not, most Bed and Breakfast owners will have to keep up with the video and dvd revolution, but it needn't be as costly as you might think and it could give you an added marketing edge. Here's why.
Providing your guests a portable TV for when the weather turns ugly has been a standard offer for decades. And, let's be honest, we do get our share of rain! These days the standard of in-house entertainment has evolved and guests are more demanding. The days of providing a 14", b&w, push button (kerplunk!) tv have long gone!
Hotels set the pace
Upgrading in-house entertainment was a key marketing technique for the large hotel groups. They could afford the investment and it paid off big time.
Offering movies in rooms using videos was an instant hit for these same hotel chains.
Of course installing all the video players and maintaining them had to be factored in, but it was still a runaway success.
Another, 'hidden' cost was the fact that movies that were for guests came under the 'rental' license and were not the 'for home use' versions.
Even with those extra costs, hotels were changing the 'customer experience' and raising the bar.
B&Bs left in the dust
Bed & Breakfast owners couldn't keep pace with this investment. Upgrading to Colour, larger TVs and remote control units hit hard. Offering vhs video meant more expense. And licenses meant that Bed and Breakfast owners had to pay upwards of £50 per film!
The same is true for DVDs movies.
Time to catch up
As the Hotels invest in newer technology, they continue to push the boundaries. They have reached their goal of automating delivery whilst removing the expense of having players in each room.
The effect on the accomodation market is that standard of entertainment expectaion from guests is much higher.
In the meantime, dvd players have plummeted in price and they are now, much more affordable, which means the independants can afford to deliver Hollywood quality entertainment to their guests!
Some sources:
Amazon have Starlogic players on offer at £19.99.
Comet offer Proline for £24.99
Ebay searching for dvd player you will see some at less than £30
You can also find bulk sales at eBay!
So take the first step and invest in a couple of region free dvd players!
In the next article we'll look at how to build your B&B Movie Library!