Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, has released findings from a new global survey on consumer sentiment on social media content of travel brands and traditional travel influencers.
Kimpton polled more than 4,000 people from Australia, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. and found an overwhelming need for more authentic and varied travel content as well as a high demand for travel brands to do more to feature inclusive and diverse content creators and experiences.
Kathleen Reidenbach, Kimpton’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “At Kimpton we take pride in being a different type of hotel. Our founding principles have us rooted in human connection and delivering a ‘Stay Human’ experience. We want our guests and our employees to be comfortable and embraced for being their most authentic selves, no matter their pronoun, skin color or body type.
“However, we know that social media and marketing content within the travel industry hasn’t always reflected the people and experiences that truly make up our global community. That’s why we are committed to diving deeper into the foundation of our Stay Human brand ethos with new brand commitments that will continue to change the way we work with creators, the imagery we share and the experiences we offer.”
Overall, the survey found a large discrepancy between travel content currently on social media and the true desires of consumers, who reported that the pressure to be ‘social media-worthy’ negatively impacts their travel experiences. Consumer feedback from the survey further indicates a desire for more inclusive social media content from travel brands that is suitable to all personal travel styles and reflective of all types of individuals.
85% of the research respondents think travel industry brands’ social media content should be more inclusive of all kinds of travellers, and 84% of respondents think travel brands could do more to support a diverse set of travel creators – especially those in the U.S. (88%) and millennials (88%). When it comes to demographic factors such as gender, race, disability, age and body size, more than one-third of survey respondents feel that they are not well-represented or are unsure if they are well represented in the content they see from travel creators (34%).
76% of respondents feel that more realistic depictions of travel from content creators on social media would be more valuable than existing travel content. One-third of respondents (33%) feel that their travel style or personal needs are not being met or might not be met by offerings from travel brands, and 21% are unsure that travel content from creators on social media is inclusive of different travel styles.
In response to the traveller pain points uncovered in the survey’s findings, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has introduced new brand content commitments that pledge to show more diverse and inclusive creators and experiences in its brand-level social media and marketing content moving forward. The company has pledged to create its first-ever Kimpton Creator Collective made up of creators with diverse perspectives who will serve as consultants to the brand advising on brand content and property experiences.
In addition, at least 75% of our Kimpton brand-contracted creators will reflect its commitments to increased inclusivity and authenticity of perspectives and experiences (i.e., race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, language, size, gender, age and disability) to better reflect the diversity of real travelers.
More detailed information on these commitments can be found here.
In February 2023, Kimpton will roll out bookable Stay Human packages at select hotels around the world catering to diverse travel styles and personalities. The packages will all be informed by real insights from Kimpton’s global consumer survey and its ‘Stay Human’ Creator Collective. In addition to these bookable packages, Kimpton guests across select international properties will be invited to enjoy activities that bring Kimpton’s ‘Stay Human’ campaign to life, including curated social hour menus, themed pop-up events, social media contests and more.
Starting in early February, guests can view and book the packages at kimptonhotels.com.
