Over the weekend I scoured the blogospher for up-to-date information regarding my topic. I came across two fascinating posts that delve into current themes regarding Las Vegas. In a time of economic downturn, I was curious as to the measures Vegas is taking to stay afloat. The post that directly relates Vegas and marketing tactics came from my new favorite blog, where I have found many informative posts, written by Chelsea Orth of the KWE Group, Inc. This is a strategic public relations and marketing firm aiming to connect readers with luxury travel and lifestyle trends. Chelsea’s most current post, “Now it is ok to tout affordability,” explores the changes Las Vegas has made to its marketing campaign in response to the current economic crisis. For as long as I can recall, Vegas' slogan has been "What Happens Here Stays Here," which portrays Vegas as the ideal place to indulge extravagance. This has lost its resonance and has become less relevant in regards to the recession which seemingly "brought thrift back into fashion."
The second post that caught my attention dealing with Las Vegas’ current strategies is entitled “Vegas hotel deals starting at $6.25/night.” This post is part of the LA Times Daily Travel & Deal Blog. The author is Jen Leo who is a writer for the LA Times blog. Her post from March 5th uncovers the too good to be true deals that hotels in Vegas are currently offering. By doing so, she is illustrating the marketing extremes struggling hotels are taking in order to make their rooms more attractive. Together these posts offer insights into the effects our country’s economic status is having on travel trends to Las Vegas. The comments I left on the two posts can be found by following the links below, but for convenience purposes, I have posted my comments directly below.
Let me begin by saying that I love reading your posts. You provide incredible insight on your blog and bring an interesting aspect to the company you represent. I am so glad you were able to comment on Las Vegas' slogan losing resonance with consumers. I have been wondering what the marketers for Vegas were going to do in response to the decline of consumer indulgences due to the recession. I completely agree that the previous campaign positioned Las Vegas' attractions as lavish promoting extreme behavior. This positioning is newly out-dated as the majority of Americans are pinching pennies and choosing against gambling and other extracurricular activities. Do you believe that the decline in disposable income has led people to become less inclined to partake in exciting pastimes? I greatly appreciate your analysis on the new slogan "Vegas Bound" as being geared towards hard-working Americans who feel they deserve a re-energizing break. It is interesting to see how places like Las Vegas are adjusting consumers' reluctance to make big financial commitments. In your opinion, is the decline of interest in going to Vegas only due to spending hesitancies or do people want to spend more time with their families and to focus on different types of gratifying activities?
I have to admit that I am surprised at the information you supplied about how luxury cruise lines are promoting discounted travel. This seems to go against the purpose they once stood for. Do you think they are taking a risk with the affluent consumers who chose the lines because they were exclusive? I think that these cruise lines will lose their attractiveness to this type of customer. Las Vegas is more of a place where there is something for every socioeconomic class of person than is a luxury cruise line or Travel + Leisure magazine. The ladder is designed to cater the sophisticated, well-traveled person who wouldn't seem to be looking for affordable all-inclusive vacations. What are these luxury lines and magazines doing to their image? After awhile they risk becoming included with the discounted lines.
Your post is very helpful when looking for an incredible deal on hotel rooms in Las Vegas. I would have, however, enjoyed reading an introduction about the current economic times and how these low prices are due to decreased interest in traveling to Vegas and the off-season time of year. Your posting of prices just feels a little too abrupt without a preceding informative paragraph. The rest of your post is insightful and delves into both the attractive and unattractive attributes of each hotel. I am astonished that The Signature at MGM Grand is offering such low rates, as I have only heard amazing things about the hotel. Do you think this is because they are seeing a decline in bookings or because of a different reason? I am also surprised that Buffalo Bill is able to offer rooms for as low as $6.25 a night, it seems like they are taking a loss on that deal. Thank you for your honestly with the attributes of Buffalo Bill, I think it is important for readers to know how far off the strip this hotel is. Do you know if these promotions have proved effective yet? It would be interesting for you to write a post about the economic status of the newer, more extravagant hotels on the strip. For example, I wonder how the Wynn could possibly be doing especially after their addition of the Encore, seems like they might be supplying significantly more than their demand. Also, what is your opinion on the new marketing campaign for Las Vegas with the slogan reading "Vegas Bound" instead of the previous "What Happens Here Stays Here"? Do you feel that the nicer hotels like Mandalay Bay and The Signature are harming their image of exclusivity by offering discounted rates? Thank you for your insightful post and I look forward to reading your blog in the future.
You do a wonderful job introducing your purpose and topic so it is clear and concise. You chose two posts that easily tie into your purpose in this post. You were very honest those, like myself, reading this post and equally as honest with the bloggers you chose to interact with. You chose an appropriate length adding to the clarity of your post which is see as its biggest strength.
ReplyDeleteIn order to bolster your argument further I might suggest a few statistics on Vegas and/or the economy be added. A possible link to another site usually will suffice, but maybe an in general quote of the hit that Las Vegas has taken would be a great addition to your introduction.
On a stylistic note, though I appreciate the clarity it would not hurt to add a little creativity to your writing. Some people will read this even if they are not as interested in travel if you balance your informative skills with your creative ones.
Thank you for informing the world on the current state of Vegas. This is especially relevant to the college demographic who see going to Vegas as a part of their 21st birthday a modern day rite of passage and I applaud you for looking further into the specifics regarding the situation.
In addition (Apologizing for splitting the comment),
ReplyDeleteA few extra moments spent on editing would also improve the quality of the blog. I noticed a spelling error and some repetitive language multiple times. For instance, you clarify that Jen Leo works for the LA Times Blog twice. You probably could have found a way to mention her name in the first sentence when you introduce the name of the blog. Also when you say you explored your topic, introduce what your topic is before you say you explored it. A simple cutting and pasting of your order of sentences could fix this.
I would also love your opinion at the end of the blog. You compliment the bloggers, give constructive criticism, and pose good questions, but I would love to know what you think on a few of the topics. For instance, do you feel that these deals are truly hurting high scale hotels or do you think that only time will tell? A great follow up to this would be looking at the data of Vegas earnings before the slogan was changed and the prices were lowered and after both those events occured.