Hospitality is a dynamic industry. There are always properties opening and closing, new brands launching, career moves happening—so much so that even in a 24-hour news cycle, media coverage only scratches the surface. There’s a lot of competition for coverage, and it can sting to peruse publications, podcasts and newsletters without seeing your company’s name. Your initial thought may be that it’s a popularity contest, your company is better than the one being featured, and everyone already knows it.
But do they? Have stakeholders ever reached out to you about that opening or recent management deal? Have hospitality professionals from other companies expressed interest in joining yours because of your culture? Have you gone to investor meetings where they seem to know more about your company’s activities than you do? If you’re answering “no” to these questions, it may be time to reconsider how your business approaches PR.
PR agencies can do a lot more than issue press releases and set up media interviews. A reliable and knowledgeable PR partner can help ensure an organization puts its best foot forward in good times and bad, and any hospitality company looking to expand its organization and grow its industry influence should prioritize PR in their overall business strategy.
Need more details? Here are just a few reasons to make room for PR in your 2025 budget.
Refined Recruitment
Having the right people in the right jobs is imperative to the overall performance of your business, and attracting top talent is often a key priority for hospitality organizations. An effective PR strategy is an essential component of recruitment efforts. Job hunting is a two-way street, and candidates—especially the good ones—are researching the companies they apply to. As that company, what do you want them to learn? Are you leading the industry or simply going with the flow? Are your executives joining panel discussions at major industry conferences, sharing insights with thousands of peers, or staying behind their office doors? Are there opportunities for ambitious professionals looking to take the next step in their career? Don’t leave how candidates perceive your company to chance. A strong PR strategy can shape the way your company is viewed by the industry and talent alike.
Improved Negotiation Landscape
It’s easier to close deals with a track record of success. After all, prospects want to know that they’re investing in a winning company. PR can help ensure that the industry is aware of your company’s achievements, whether it’s adding a new property to your portfolio, hiring an executive or securing financing for a big development project. You and your PR team must put in the work up front to create that perception of success, but if you do, your conversations with prospects and investors will go much more smoothly.
Better Business Opportunities
A strong PR strategy not only garners trust and establishes your brand’s credibility within the hospitality industry, it ensures that your company represents itself in a way befitting of its culture, values and goals. By effectively communicating who you are as a company, you’ll attract other businesses with similar values who are more likely to join forces with you, rather than companies with no alignment. This increases the likelihood of successful deals.
In a similar vein, effective PR can position your company as a thought leader and innovator in the industry, making you a more attractive acquirer. Companies looking to be acquired often want to partner with forward-thinking businesses that can drive growth and provide long-term value. If potential acquisition targets aren’t aware of your year-over-year growth or the strategic moves you’ve been making, they may not see your company as a viable partner. PR can help craft and share the narrative around your achievements and vision, ensuring that you’re seen as a strong, future-focused company ready to lead and grow.
Someone Has Your Back
Hospitality is an industry built on trust—transparency, empathy, and swift action are key to maintaining customer loyalty and preserving a company’s public image if the worst does occur. A strong PR partner can be the key to navigating a crisis successfully, ensuring clear, effective communication and preventing a situation from spiraling out of control. Your PR team is there to support you and your business, and they will have your best interests in mind when navigating difficult situations.
Essential Connections
While many people associate PR with media relations, it’s also about building and nurturing connections with key stakeholders in the industry. Are you wondering why you’ve never been invited to speak at industry events? It could be because you’re not engaging with the right people. Establishing these relationships is crucial to your company’s growth, and it is something that an established PR partner with industry connections will be able to accomplish.
Hoteliers may also find that they are relying more and more on PR firms to help establish and grow relationships in the years ahead. As the world becomes more enmeshed with emerging technology like AI, it becomes more difficult to make that connection essential to our industry. Having a human PR expert on your side can help ensure that in-person interaction is prioritized.
In the long run, a strong PR agency can help your brand establish strong reputation, which fosters greater confidence in your company’s management, its future prospects, and its overall stability. It helps you attract the right talent and ensures someone has your back. Most important, a PR partner can help establish the ever-essential relationships that drive the hospitality industry.
As you look to your strategic plan for the new year, as well as your 2025 budget, be sure to consider the impact that a PR agency could have on your business.
Christopher Joseph (CJ) Arlotta, founder and managing member of CJ Media Solutions, LLC, a B2B PR agency specializing in helping owners, developers, operators, and brands.