How relevant is influencer marketing in Hospitality education curriculum

Influencer marketing has gained significant traction since 20 years and has become a prominent element in many industries: from luxury brands to mass markets as well as HoReCa, including the hospitality sector for sure. While the relevance of influencer marketing in the hospitality education curriculum may vary depending on specific program goals many are the reasons why it is considered a valuable addition:

Industry Relevance

How can you be known and stay relevant in the market if you do not promote your hospitality businesses as well as exclusive services, secret destinations, and experiences? If you want to leverage the power of social media marketing and influencer marketing in your curriculum, you will understand and you will be able to quickly adapt to the evolving marketing strategies used in the Industry.

Consumer Behavior

In today’s digital age, even luxury and high spending consumers rely on recommendations from influencers and peers when making travel and hospitality-related decisions. Teaching students about influencer marketing helps them grasp the role of social media influencers and how the right strategy can influence consumer behavior if correctly applied.

Digital Marketing Skills

Incorporating influencer marketing into the curriculum provides students with practical skills in leveraging social media platforms, creating content, managing influencer relationships, and measuring campaign performance. ROI, return on investment, as well as ROAS, return on advertisement spent, are key figures for CMO. These skills are highly relevant in the current digital landscape.

Brand Management

Hospitality brands often collaborate with influencers to reach new audiences, engage with customers and enhance their brand image. Educating students about influencer partnerships helps them understand the importance of brand management, collaborations, and maintaining consistent messaging across various channels.

Case Studies and Best Practices

Including influencer marketing in the curriculum allows for the exploration of successful digital marketing campaigns and best practices within the hospitality industry. Analyzing case studies helps students understand the strategies employed by brands and influencers, allowing them to apply these insights to their future careers.

Practical Experience

Hands-on projects involving content creators and influencer marketing provide students with practical experience, allowing them to develop essential skills in digital marketing or social media marketing campaign planning, execution, and evaluation. Such experiences will be valuable for their future in the industry.

If influencer marketing is not the sole focus of a hospitality education curriculum, incorporating it as part of a broader marketing or digital strategy course helps students understand the contemporary landscape of promoting hospitality businesses effectively. By staying up-to-date with industry trends and latest evolutions (what about the opportunities offered by the AR or VR in the so called metaverse?) and teaching students about emerging marketing practices, hospitality education can equip graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in many complementary fields.

(The author is Luxury consultant and Professor for Digital Marketing, MSc. Luxury Management & Guest Experience at Glion Institute of Higher Education)