Marketing for Generation Alpha: How to Position Your Hotel Brand in the Metaverse?
In the latest worldview on the metaverse headed by Simone Puorto over at Hospitality Net, Adam chimed in with his views on marketing to Generation Alpha and not just getting on the latest platforms but also committing to the values of these younger cohorts.
To start, the preface:
Generation Alpha, also known as the “digital natives,” is the first generation to be born and raised in a fully phygital world. This poses a challenge for marketers especially in our industry, as traditional advertising methods may not be as effective for this demographic. With advancements in technology leading to extended worlds that are almost indistinguishable from reality, companies will have to adapt their marketing strategies in order to reach the travelers and consumers of the future. The hospitality industry is at a crossroads, as it will either be a leader in adapting to this new landscape or fall behind. The question remains: how can hotels effectively market themselves to this new generation of tech-savvy, crypto/metaverse-native travelers of tomorrow?
And Adam’s viewpoint:
“The medium is the message!” as Marshall McLuhan coined six decades ago. In this case, the underlying message of establishing a metaverse presence is that a hotel brand is forward-thinking and is engineering its products to fit the mindset of Gen Y+Z+Alpha. That said, brands have to actually deliver.
Digitally fluent customers are incredibly savvy and can sniff out half measures. You have to commit, not only to continually upgrading the technology, but also to appeasing the unique demands and social values of these generations.
For instance, younger travelers care immensely about the environment and climate change, so how can you use the metaverse to dynamically showcase your efforts to facilitate eco-friendly travel or reduce food miles+waste? Related to this, the metaverse is also a great medium to advocate for your neighborhood partners (feeding the demand for authentically local experiences) or promote your new wellness offerings (another burgeoning trend).
Hence, it’s not just the medium but the message you put behind it. The metaverse is yet one more channel for customer education, with the asterisk being that your brand must actually be doing things that these younger customers want to be educated on.
