It was 2018. I met the marketing manager of JW Marriott Kolkata, Ms. Trina Mukherjee, in the hotel lobby. Trina wanted to take advantage of becoming the first Marketing Manager to introduce video marketing in Kolkata for the hospitality segment. She had identified video as her preferred media type for the launch of Vintage Asia’s new ex-pat Chef Tan. We chalked out a quick plan. The menu launch was just 2 weeks away.

We completed the plan & storyboarding in a very short period of time. Within a week we had completed the shoot & edited the video. The executive team of JW Marriott Kolkata was happy with the output. it went live from their Facebook page.

The question is why am I talking about my experience of working with a marketing manager? I am doing so because in Trina I saw how the marketing manager of JW Marriott Kolkata, identified video communications as a tool in her marketing arsenal & used it to the utmost benefit.

Video Marketing in Kolkata for the hospitality sector

Pre-2018 video as a communication tool was not being used frequently by the leading hotels in Kolkata. JW Marriott identified this as an opportunity & wanted to double down on this.

Over a period of 2 years, we produced more than 50 audiovisuals for the property. All were in alignment with the hotel’s business goals. Spreading awareness about JW Marriott Kolkata. With the audience browsing social media on regular occasions wonderfully crafted videos gave the perfect opportunity to engage with them.

As a marketing manager of any other brand back in 2018, few saw the forecasted approach that Trina used. Yet JW Marriott Kolkata under the perfectionist eyes of Trina Mukherjee has been utilizing the power of video marketing since 2018.

That’s how much of an advanced mindset Trina had when she was advocating for more AV content to be created on digital platforms from 2018.

The Mother’s Day campaign was a success story for me working with Trina & the whole team of JW Marriott because of the social response to the content which even to date I’m proud of.

What kinds of videos did we produce for JW Marriott Kolkata?

If I had to list down the different formats of videos we had produced for them it would be:

1. Property Walkthrough Videos
2. Interviews of eminent personalities
3. Event Videos
4. Videos to showcase a story
5. Promotional launch videos
6. Explainer videos
7. Videos to drive sales

What advantage did JW Marriott get by becoming the first hotel to start promoting video marketing in Kolkata?

The primary advantage the property got was increased visibility & brand awareness. When the hotel started promoting itself through video marketing in Kolkata, not many luxury properties were doing that. The audience of Kolkata already knew how big the brand JW Marriott is. In alignment with that when the property started producing such high-quality audiovisuals the audience got captivated immediately.

What can be learned from this move of promoting a brand using video marketing?

Brand building is not a short-term game. It is a long & arduous journey. The marketing manager quickly found out how video marketing in Kolkata among the hospitality segment was an untapped strategy. Every other luxury property was using well-known strategies like social media marketing, and PR to get the word out. By taking a creative approach to positioning the brand, JW Kolkata firmly established itself as a thought leader in the market. So when Courtyard by Marriott & subsequently Fairfield by Marriott was launched they too took a similar approach to communications. Use video as a tool in their marketing & communications.

Conclusion

If you are trying to market your property with can become your friend. If you want to know understand what a video marketing strategy is you may want to check this article. Or if you’d like to know what Digital Marketing is & how video fits in that over gameplan you can check this article out.

Planning your digital marketing strategy & thinking of using videos as part of it? Get in touch with me. Let me help you out with a content planner for your audiovisual communications.