Motel Advertising

One good thing about recessionary times is that it gives businesses time to navel gaze and reassess. Hard fiscal times can bring about financial clarity with businesses spending more time meticulously analyzing all outgoings and considering all possible ways to increase efficiencies.

Advertising appears to be one expenditure that moteliers have applied the blowtorch to recently.

We have had a lot of feedback from fellow moteliers that are reducing print advertising and investing more into web-based marketing. Fair enough. However, many moteliers feel that the two main travel media companies are penalizing those that are reducing their ad size in the accommodation guides in favour of increasing their online investment.

There appears to be three main reoccurring gripes.

• The “combo” print/internet deals offered by the travel media companies in their advertising pricing matrix are not flexible enough. ie: The level of print advertising is often directly tied in with the level of internet exposure.
• The advertising pricing matrix is structured so that a reduction of print advertising size will yield minimal cost savings.
• One travel media company insists on a template requirement for advertisers opting for the quarter page directory option.

Moteliers are usually shy and retiring folk that often struggle to articulate their emotions. Not so with one motelier that was so incensed with one particular travel media company that they invested time away from the rigors of motel-life to write and send us the following wee ditty:

That advertising company that rhymes with KK
Says you can only do your ads our way
When asked "can we change the format"
They say, No you can't do that!"
But of course we still want you to pay!

That advertising company that rhymes with KK
Its CEO very big on innovation and having a say
All that big talk falls down flat, When asked to change a format
"No, No they all say, we've always done it this way!"

In these times of high tech printing
When poor old moteliers are scrimping
"Spend up more they say
And then you can have it your way"
But our way or your way, we'll still make you pay.

When we want to change our ad size
But you'll change it our way they advise
First you'll have to pay
Then you'll do it our way
Now is that any surprise