If asked from whom we in the hospitality industry can learn from, in regard to the lessons iconic business leaders have learned, Sean “Diddy” Combs, probably isn’t the first name to come to mind.
But perhaps now is as good a time as any to look outside conventional thought for inspiration and fresh strategies, and perhaps to do so, we should be considering a different question.
What can’t a hotelier learn from Diddy?
Let me explain. Combs is an entertainment and media mogul whose meteoric rise from humble beginnings to stardom led him to a net worth of $700 million, according to Forbes. Most relevant to hospitality is Diddy’s partnership with British alcoholic beverages company Diageo that entitles him to significant annual returns. In 2007, Diddy became a brand ambassador for Diageo’s Cîroc line of vodka, vastly improving sales of the spirit.
There are three lessons that this Bad Boy Records entrepreneur can teach hoteliers to draw attention and deliver on their hotel’s brand experience.
1. Self-promotion
Diddy successfully created an international brand that is himself, and he shamelessly promotes it.
Many hoteliers work for branded properties. This offers you the blueprint to build upon. Are you counting on consumers to acknowledge that your brand or product is good? Or are you personally helping to build the buzz via social media and encouraging your fans to do the same? It’s time to move beyond average daily rate, revenue per available room and randomized survey scores; it’s time to reinvigorate the health of your brand and property.
Independent hoteliers can nimbly and rapidly respond to market conditions. The independent hotel is a much smaller ship to turn as they’re solely responsible for the brand. So, become an ambassador and discover ways to constantly inject your brand into community service, convention and visitor bureaus and chambers of commerce. Self-promote as a good corporate citizen, and the fans will come.
2. Innovatively repackage existing content
In 2002, Diddy released an album called “We Invented the Remix.” He is known for taking samples of older music and repurposing them or remixing them to be relevant and engage a younger audience.
Hotel brands have done this for years. We all provide rooms, but what is your remix and have you become too comfortable with that sound?
In the last five years, we have seen countless brand relaunches and announcements. What will be your service remix that will go platinum with guests? We have seen the lobby remixed over the last 20 years. Over the last 10 to 15 years, food and beverage changed dramatically. Within the last two years, roomservice remixed to streamline inventory while still offering new options.
It’s possible to sample some existing content and repackage the convention experience or the airport property experience. Check out the competition and what guests are responding to, or get your surveys out and listen to what your net promoters are saying.
3. Acquiring a mentor
At all points in your career, mentoring is crucial. A hotelier should have a mentor, a sponsor and a protégé at all times. Diddy started at Uptown Records and was terminated by his employer and mentor Andre Harrell. Ironically, Diddy hired Harrell to be vice chairman of Revolt TV, a new music cable network.
It’s no different in the hospitality field. Hoteliers need constant coaching. The shifting of trends, guest demographics, technology and the legal landscape require ongoing development, and mentors aid with this like no other resource.
Sponsorship is imperative to career advancement. Diddy sponsored numerous artists and endorsed them to help progress their careers.
In an industry of “who knows you,” hoteliers must continually network to advance their careers and also coach and develop young talent that is worthy of sponsorship. We’re in a human capital intensive industry, and there’s nothing more important than learning and helping others learn—it all comes back around.
Industry professionals can take a great deal away from entertainers and how they reinvented themselves and built trusting networks.
Diddy is fairly open about the fact that music is not his main income generator. Just as rooms are no longer the headlining acts at a hotel. F&B is now the main attraction in many properties. We all want “chef-driven” offerings.
A hotelier must be flexible, innovative and coachable to compete today—just like Mr. Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Omari is a Corporate Strategic Relationship Manager with American Public University System and the 2014 Chair for the AH&LA Under 30 Gateway Council. As a seasoned hotel operator he held leadership positions with Gaylord Entertainment, Hyatt Hotels and Fairmont as well as membership in the National Association of Black Hotel Owners Operators and Developers. His signature workshop entitled H.e.l.p., Hospitality Egos Logos Pathos, has helped him reach fellow millennials and has become a sought after professional development tool at various universities and corporations.
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