Because progress cannot be halted, Steve Heyer CEO argues that companies have to be smart about the way they market themselves, always seeking new methods because new things are coming upon them. It is clear at present that the man was right in his tips, delivered long years ago. Perhaps his most memorable words on them were given in 2003, during a notable address of his peers.
Steve J. Heyer is chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the world’s third-largest hotel chain. Heyer's speech given some years ago was expanded on later, during his interviews. His primary claim was that he had not intention of marketing a hotel room but rather wanted to market an experience.
Experiences are the products to Heyer, not the rooms. Memorable experiences, in other words, would be the products. Marketing in this manner was new back then, and quite an original concept.
Heyer believed that the future held great things by way of personalization. Nowadays we see that Heyer was right. This is a theme most strongly supported by digital products and companies nowadays.
We are seeing old forms of entertainment being given a run for their money by fresh avenues of media distribution. The development of applications capable of ripping sound from CDs, for instance, led to music producers suffering. Consumers went online in droves when songs started becoming downloadable on sites for free.
The music industry momentarily went into chaos, which is a scenario referred to in Steven Heyer’s keynote address. In his 2003 speech, the CEO turned to music executives and reminded them of the changing ways of producing and reproducing music due to the empowerment of consumers. He also addressed TV executives and warned them to prepare and adapt to “the changing media consumption habits of younger generations”.
The idea behind his words was the replacement of traditional understandings of products with new concepts based around them being associated with a certain lifestyle. According to Heyer, he intends to provide a unique and enjoyable experience for consumers. Heyer's intent, obviously, is to market something that is even more in demand than lodging in the present culture: an experience.
The company has called in a rather unorthodox business associate: a famous lingerie brand known all over the world for its couture lingerie fashion shows. Only certain persons in the Starwood hotels are allowed to attend the runway shows. This is a clear example of marketing an experience.
Heyer has not restrained from making critiques of Hollywood practices, like the meaningless appearance of brands in scenes. This is a meaningless practice, in Heyer's opinion. He doubted that such appearances would actually bring up sales in any way.
Steve Heyer CEO used to head Coca Cola Ventures. It is from that time that we may take an example of what he means by properly contextualized brand "cameos". He managed to get Coke cups on the table of the judges for a certain talent competition aired on TV, ensuring contextual visibility.
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