What Brands Can Learn About YouTube From Europe’s Largest Hotel Group

Europe’s largest hotel operator Accor SA is in the first year of a three-year reorganization aimed at cutting costs and entering emerging markets. One of the first steps of the reorganization, an effort than began in 2011, was a rejuvenation of the ibis brand that consolidated three brands into ibis, ibis Styles, and ibis Budget.

Accor’s primary goal is to brand Ibis as a leader in the economy hotel sector worldwide.

“Our big values are simplicity and getting straight to the point, well-being and offering guests the best sleep we can, and modernity,” explains Lara Faguais, senior manager of advertising and media strategy at Accor.

“How do we become modern? How do we become worldwide? I think the best answer today is digital. To be a leader in digital, we are creating digital genuine brand content.”

Building a Brand with Quick Videos

Ibis’ social media savviness caught our eye on YouTube. Every week Skift posts a roundup of travel-related video ads and Ibis continually posted new videos that we looked forward to for their quick pace, direct message, and sense of humor.

According to Skift’s data dashboard on travel brands’ social media accounts, Ibis’ videos have attracted more than 2,882,080 views. Ibis has added 97 videos in the past year and almost all ads are 30 seconds or shorter.

The videos’ brevity is part of their charm. They are able to keep viewers’ attention and force Ibis to creatively get their point across quickly.

Ibis has the sixth most viewed hotel YouTube account of all hotel brands and is beat out only by DoubleTree, Hampton Hotels, Atlantic The Palm in Dubai, Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, and Hyatt Hotels.

Building a Brand with Text and Images

Ibis has carried its brand message of simplicity, modernity, and wellness over to other social networks as well.

Ibis is active on Facebook where it’s posted 37 status updates and comments in the past two weeks. Facebook was the first social platform that Accor started to post on after the revitalization was announced in September 2011.

Ibis posts ads, videos, and trivia questions. It also responds to 27 percent of the 90 comments posted by followers.

The Ibis brand does not have a dedicated Twitter account. Accor Hotels’ official Twitter account handles questions, complaints, and PR for all Accor brands. Several individual Ibis properties have their own Twitter accounts.

Below are four of the Ibis video ads that we’ve covered on Skift over the past year:

Ibis promotes the new Ibis Business card with a handsome hotel guest.

Ibis argues that its hotels are better option than a night spent in the car.

Adorable bunnies snuggle on an Ibis bed in this ad promoting Ibis’ “sweet bed.”

Ibis introduces its new bedding in this quick but clever ad.