The Friday Post, Name Rant Edition by Blane of the Bachelors
Why your hotel name is terrible; welcome, HERO!; and media opps
I’m going to let Sebastian Modak, travel editor of the esteemed Wall Street Journal, kick things off today. This week on Twitter (yes, I still refuse to call it X), he made a plea to hotels, or, more specifically, the folks in charge of naming them:
I couldn’t have said it better.
Not only is this inane practice annoying as all get out to writers, editors, readers, and, as Modak puts it, “people who speak normally,” I’d also venture that it’s not great for your brand. Why? First, the names are often such a mouthful — see the great example below from another response in this thread — that it often confuses people as to which brand the property falls under in the first place. Thanks to all the letters and symbols and weird corporate jargon (like “collection” or that ever-intrusive “by”), our eyes become so glazed over that we barely even notice Hilton or Marriott or whatever.
Another problem: It puts public relations pros in the awkward position of requesting journalists to use these ridiculous conventions, which is frustrating for everyone involved. Case in point: While writing a story about my hometown area for a prominent publication, a rep from one of the towns I profiled told me its name would “have to be” either 1) WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS, along with the state where it’s located; or 2) or have the ® symbol next to it. I passed this request along to my editor — which, in hindsight, I regret. I should have just politely told the rep what I knew was coming from my editor: “PR people don’t dictate our style.”
I understand that the fine folks in public relations are just doing their job. I also know this issue expands beyond hospitality and stems from too much corporate overlording. But sadly, I suspect that — like digital menus and airlines charging for carry-on suitcases — these ludicrous monikers are staying put.
Except, that is, in the stories published by legitimate and respected outlets that have pushed back against this alphabet-soup nonsense. (And, on that note, Modak sounds like exactly the kind of editor I want to write for.)
Hello, HERO!
Once upon a time, there was a magical site called HARO, or Help A Reporter Out. In its enchanting realm, journalists and public relations pros could connect — for free! — to find sources for stories. It was a wonderful thing, but eventually, it was bought by Cision, which proceeded to absolutely destroy it.
But, lo and behold, HARO’s founder, the inimitable Peter Shankman, has just launched HERO, which cleverly stands for Help Every Reporter Out. I love that he’s kept it free and retained the old-school feel and functionality of everything. I also love the focus on reporters (indeed, HEIO, Help Every Influencer Out, just doesn’t have the same ring, does it?). I can’t wait to give it a whirl.
My only gripe? On the reporter request page, there’s a ™ symbol. Sigh. But I still love ya, Peter. Congrats on the launch, and may HERO live happily ever after!
Recently Published Stories
This piece in CNN about airline dress codes. And guess what, y’all: I wrote the headline — which I am not great at — and my editors ran it as is, yippee!
Upcoming stories in Business Insider (my first piece!) and AFAR, plus a project for KAYAK.
Media Opps
As usual, for all pitches/outreach, please send me a separate email — blanebachelor(at)gmail(dot)com, instead of just replying to this. Thank you!
Tay-Tay is headed across the Atlantic, and I’d LOVE to hear about any super over-the-top packages or offers your clients might be cooking up for her European leg. (I’m still in pitch mode for this one.) Deadline: By next Weds., April 24
For AFAR: Do you rep a hotel in Amsterdam that has something to say about the city’s recent ban on new hotels? I want to hear it! Deadline: By next Weds., April 24
Travel Tip o’ the Week
As a travel pro, I take immense pride in planning our family vacations — and saving money whenever possible. But I am way behind schedule for an upcoming trip in May, and flights and hotels have both skyrocketed. So I decided to take a quick peek at Expedia’s packages, and voila: a TON of great deals. I prefer to book directly whenever I can, but when procrastination gets the better of me, sometimes these OTAs come through with surprising savings. Don’t forget about them when you’re in a planning pinch!
An Itty Bitty Favor
If you liked what you read today (or any other newsletter), can you do me a huge favor and just hit that little heart/like button, or drop a comment? I’m desperately trying to grow my audience here, and this helps immensely with that. Thank you, from the bottom of my grateful heart.
And That’s a Wrap!
If your weather forecast involves any amount of sunshine over the weekend, will you please absorb as much of those beautiful rays as you can, and then telepathically transmit them to yours truly, who is currently preparing for school pickup in rain and sleet that’s blowing sideways. (Yes, Mom, I know April has been just beautiful in Florida.)
Ciao for now,
Blane
Loved everything about your newsletter this week, Blane. I feel the hotel naming topic so deeply. I did the opening PR for a certain luxury brand under the Marriott flag. Not only was the hotel name a lengthy 17 syllables long, they insisted on spelling the hotel name and one of the restaurants the American way yet the hotel was located in UAE thus followed the British system. It was a never ending headache for me.
Can totally relate to the hotel naming story -- have a client who insists on specific capitalization or always asks me to contact the publication and have them fix it for them and I always say -- not gonna happen!