Skift Q&A: What Four Seasons Knows About Digital That Every Hotel Needs to Learn
Photo Caption: A carousel of properties rotates through Four Seasons' homepage.
Skift Take
From embracing TripAdvisor to empowering hotels to take social media into their own hands, Four Season has taken chances on digital that are paying off.
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Last week we launched Skift50: World's Top Travel Marketers to highlight the people driving the go-to-market strategies of high-profile consumer-facing travel brands. Along with the list of 50, we've caught up with leaders from JetBlue, Visit Philadelphia, Viking River Cruises, and now Four Seasons to dig deeper into how they help their brands work better.
High-end brands have a habit of playing it safe, but Four Seasons has embraced digital marketing with the enthusiasm of a startup — helped along by the deep pockets of a luxury hotel chain. Its website, re-launched in 2012, incorporated destination guides, TripAdvisor reviews, and “Local Experts” advice from staff from across the brand’s 92 properties.
The driving force behind these changes is Susan Helstab, Executive Vice President of Marketing. Helstab had been with Four Seasons since 1987, but took over responsibilities for all marketing in 2009, right in the middle
