“And that, for me, was something that I'm really passionate about. I've really focused on the customer insight and how can we use that to really drive the company to a new place?”
— Noha Abdalla
In a soon-to-be post-cookie world, marketers realize the power of first-party data to guide their marketing strategies. Those who relied on third-party data are now wondering how to catch up with competitors and build their customer profiles. One company already ahead of the game is Choice Hotels, and we spoke to their Chief Marketing Officer, Noha Abdalla, to learn more about how to effectively obtain and use consumer insights.
Noha Abdalla is the CMO of Choice Hotels, the parent company of Radisson, Comfort Suites, and Quality Inn. Before this, she was Chief Marketing Officer at MyEyeDr and Global Vice President of Digital and Content Marketing at Hilton. She also currently acts as a Global Board Member for MMA Global.
Tune into the latest episode or read the transcript below to learn more. Here are some top takeaways:
- Build on customer insights to expand your portfolio
For 80 years, Choice Hotels has focused on franchisees, hospitality, and technology. Recently, there’s been a shift toward the consumer, excelling in guest strategy, loyalty, and experiences. Noha, with her career centered on leveraging customer insights to elevate companies, eagerly contributed to this shift. Choice Hotels is expanding into upscale and extended stay, alongside their well-known economy hotels. Noha utilizes diverse consumer insights to ensure the brand caters to guests' specific needs for various occasions.
- Shifting marketing strategies with current trends
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in travel as people recognize the value of pre-pandemic opportunities and try to make up for lost time. Simultaneously, economic challenges such as inflation and job losses have made travel difficult for many. Choice Hotels, catering to every budget, positions itself as an economical option. By staying attuned to industry trends, they adapt their marketing strategies to remain appealing to customers in the evolving landscape.
- Build relationships with customers
In the future of marketing, phasing out third-party cookies has only made first-party data more important. For Noha, this is an opportunity for brands to build even deeper customer relationships. Choice Hotels uses data from their 63 million member loyalty program, Choice Privileges, to understand their customers better and identify signals indicating potential travel plans. Leveraging these insights, they can make timely and personalized offers to meet consumer needs.
- The five Rs of hospitality
Choice Hotels has identified five long-term consumer trends impacting the travel and hospitality industry, termed the five Rs. The first is rising wages, with the average American’s income increasing by 6% since 2020, allowing for more spending on priorities like travel. The second R is remote work, as the flexibility of working from anywhere post-COVID extends hotel stays, blending leisure and work. The third R, reshoring and rebuilding America, brings more industrial workers to hotels due to increased manufacturing. The fourth R, road trips, sees a rise in bookings at roadside hotels as people opt for car travel post-pandemic. The final R is retirement, with the growing number of retirees driving diverse hotel stays. By identifying these trends early, Choice Hotels adapts its strategy to capitalize on these opportunities.
