Hotels Embrace Role as Curators of Niche Products
Photo Credit: At Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas, the lobby also serves as retail store for unique items like its limited-edition Roux St. James fragrances, made with flowers culled from the hotel garden. Nick Simonite
Skift Take
As brands struggle to break through with consumers, they need to consider introducing themselves within the environs of hotels. It's a means to create a new relationship in a contextual way. And hospitality brands have a huge opportunity to introduce tastemakers to up-and-coming products.
On Experience
Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing here.
The rise of direct-to-consumer brands and steady growth in entrepreneurship means that it's harder than ever to stand out. One must only look at the rising costs of advertising on Instagram to see the demand for brand building. And a lot of these tasks are being carried out online.
But digital-first companies are increasingly realizing that physical distribution remains important in order to reach a broad swath of consumers. Note how Away, Warby Parker, Sonos, and other brands have had to move their models from online-only to physical stores as well. People can experience the product, ask a question, and engage.
Come see Away Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer Jen Rubio speak at Skift Global Forum Sept. 18 in NYC. Get Tickets Now
One of the most interesting opportunities for hospitality brands, then, is to be a new and intimate discovery channel for consumers. This idea is nothing new, of course. Brands have been placing themselves in hotel rooms
