Any Price at “Whatsit Inn” – You see they just sell the sizzle

Dear Al
I don’t know if you have noticed a recent advertisement on prime time TV. from our friends that have those rather quaint 70’s coloured hotels, you know, the purple ones.
The advertisements feature that nice comedian chap, what’s his name, the one that’s married to that once large comedienne, and some other chap I recognise from a dodgy detective series shown on “the box” back in the 70’s – is there a theme occurring here?
Anyway, one thing that sticks out for me apart from that colour, sorry to linger but I passed my teenage years in a house with a kitchen that was that colour, is the way the agency have cleverly avoided the price of the bedrooms and the extra charge for breakfast. Instead what do we see?
Well first of all our hero reminds us of dreadful nights he has spent in poor hotel with small beds, bad furnishing, sub standard bathrooms – remember Al, we thought these had all disappeared in the 80’s, apparently not.

The big chap is then shown turning up at a shiny new hotel with a cathedral like reception area. Guess what? It’s full of smiley, well groomed, charming people who are apparently there to service your every whim. Cut to bedroom with large comedian spread eagle on big comfy bed, followed by a shot of him relaxing in a bubble bath playing with his duck. This of course shows what comfortable and relaxing rooms the hotel has.
DUCK Al!

Ok we don’t see where his toes are, so they may be pushing the size of these baths a bit.

In the morning we find our two chums enjoying an a la carte breakfast in a restaurant so accommodating that our celebrity guest with his latest best friend, the aforementioned duck. The staff are so accommodating that the plastic duck can just have bread if he wishes – I guess this accommodating gesture is to show how friendly and flexible these people can be. Happy days……… Personally I find forcing a kilo of corn down their gullets makes them far tastier……….
Finally the important part.

We cut to the comedian. He has a smile on his face that could grace the face of a Cheshire cat. Guess what, he has just paid the bill and proudly holds it up for all to see whist saying a line that includes the word “value”

- not price Al, VALUE

The advert then ends and do you know they never mentioned price once in the whole piece.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t this what that nice old chap, you know who I mean, the one who sold banqueting rooms for Maxwell Joseph allegedly with the “lights turned off”, was telling us back in the 90’s?
Pictures with people in them
Pictures of the experience
Reinforce the first class experience
Never sell the price, sell the quality
Of course there’s more, but I think some of these other hotel outfits around at the moment could learn a lesson or two from this advert. Come to think of it as there is one of these hotels on average less than 5 miles from most households in the UK – scary statistic, they’ll probably notice when their occupancy rate hits the floor.

I was talking to a marketing man, some say guru, about this the other day and he explained.
“Listen” he said “They are selling the sizzle not the sausage” – Hey what a good idea for a hotel. “They don’t mention the price as they have dynamic pricing” (supply and demand to you and me)

So what do you reckon these people are getting for bed and breakfast? It wouldn’t surprise me if it was £70+ a room – not cheap or should that be quack.

DUCK AL!

Duck Al !

Hope to bump into you at the Whisky Club soon.

Regards
The Concierge