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How Harrah’s boosts online bookings by listening to the Web

November 24, 2009 |

Last year, Harrah's Web sites and online ads began to reflect lessons it learned from consumer reviews on travel site TripAdvisor.com. It also started scanning reviews and comments on social-media sites like Twitter and Facebook to better understand consumers' perceptions.

Working with Ogilvy, Harrah's learned, for example, that travelers tended to chat about the "iconic views" of the Las Vegas Strip from its Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino. As a result, it changed the main picture on its Web site to one that features the Paris, surrounded by other Las Vegas attractions.

Harrah's also discovered that consumers were interested in hotel amenities, such as room size and details of menu offerings and services. In response, it started including such specifics in its marketing messages as the square footage of its suites.

Making such changes in its online ads boosted Harrah's online bookings by a double-digit percentage, says Monica Sullivan, the company's vice president of advertising.

"It is one of those 'Aha' moments, when you think, 'I should have known that all along. Being relevant to consumers is the way to communicate about your brands,' " Ms. Sullivan says.

She adds that Harrah's is finalizing a series of TV, print, radio and Web ads that were inspired at least in part by online research.

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