At Brown Marketing, we do marketing plans differently—instead of creating a couple of slides that get shoved into a drawer after the owner presentation, we design plans with detailed strategies and hyper-specific tactics.

The result? A full roadmap that guides all marketing throughout the year.

The process

It begins with learning as much as possible about the client and the market. What is the brand story? What are the main differentiators? What audience is the property looking to attract? And what are the short- and long-term business objectives?

We also look at competitors in the marketplace, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, looking for opportunities to help our client stand out.

Building the plan

Utilizing the information we’ve gathered, our team will begin to craft the plan, which can include a wide variety of components depending on the client’s objectives, preferences, and budget for tactics.

• Key messages: We outline all key messages moving into the year to ensure consistent creative that is always in alignment.

• Key marketing objectives: We focus on marketing that can support sales and revenue objectives not only for the main hotel/resort, but also for ancillary spend and outlets.

• Target audience: We identify the ideal demographics, psychographics, and geographic characteristics for target audiences.

• Marketing strategy: Our general strategy includes a broad look at how to achieve the client’s goals—the tactics to come will all align with these key principles. A content strategy is important as well—marketing is even more effective when content is new, interesting, and on trend.

• Marketing tactics: This is by far the longest and most detailed section, outlining specific efforts in all areas. Core components include:
  • Programming: A month-by-month list of activities, content recommendations, and promotional opportunities.
  • Asset building: We outline all asset needs, internal and external, to ensure consistency. Examples include a brand book or messaging guide, OSE or sales assets, digital listings, review sites, email communications, and more.
  • Digital marketing: Includes website enhancements/management, advertising, SEO and email marketing.
  • Social media: An analysis/audit of the client’s current social presence and where it can be improved. This includes objective metrics, best practices, and content recommendations to attract and engage the desired audiences. The section also covers things like hashtag strategy, potential influencer partnerships, and more.
  • Public relations: Covers specific PR objectives and measurement, tactics, and metrics. Also includes sample target media outlets and awards strategy (for best-of lists).
  • Other marketing: Our plans also include tactics such as travel agency/consortia marketing, support for specific segments such as weddings and meetings, regional marketing, tradeshows, and more.
  • Addendum: At the end of the marketing plan, we often include a wealth of ideas for proposed activities, offers, and signature services in all areas—from the spa to restaurants to the pool—along with potential partnerships and promotions. We also can include detailed information on competitors (SWOT analysis).

Each Brown Marketing plan is created by our team, which includes hospitality veterans with decades of industry experience, social media experts, content and design professionals, and other contributors. It’s an effort that brings everything together in perfect alignment—which is exactly what your marketing needs to do, too.