Beyond Bookings: Marketing That Moves the Revenue Needle
Lerah Foreman, Regional Digital Manager, Atrium Hospitality, Rising Marketing Leader Council Member
Marketing does not move the needle on its own, and that idea shaped a thoughtful Rising Marketing Leader Council conversation that I led about how marketers, revenue managers, and sales teams can work in sync rather than in parallel. We began by naming the places where work naturally overlaps, from booking windows that inform campaigns to rates that invite debate to packages that only succeed when both sides design them together. Several voices described two practical buckets for effort, one for initiatives that drive revenue and another for visibility or PR, and the group kept returning to a simple translation rule, revenue brings the data on where and when guests book while marketing humanizes those room nights by describing who the guest is and why the stay matters.
From there the discussion moved into alignment in daily practice, with weekly commercial calls cited as a helpful forum when they focus on what revenue is trying to move and what story marketing can credibly tell. Trust strengthens when marketing asks first what to target and builds around that guidance rather than launching creative that fills dates already forecasted. Sales belongs at the table as well, since tension around rate is common, and coordinated timing helps avoid discounting for its own sake while still landing groups that fit the hotel’s goals.
Language and cadence matter, and several people emphasized the value of speaking in numbers and reporting clearly on packages and promotions so a numbers first audience can follow the impact. Portfolio marketers noted a recurring gap when they meet properties monthly and hear about new packages only after launch, which leaves social and paid channels scrambling; earlier invitations and quarterly planning calendars give everyone enough time to line up sell periods and stay dates that match need periods. Practical tools came up often, including a short Monday form that keeps marketing and revenue aligned in under ten minutes and a habit of sitting with pickup reports together so trends in the data can become targeting, pacing, and sell windows that make sense.
The group acknowledged that marketing KPIs can sound soft to revenue, especially when awareness work is measured by impressions, and several offered a straightforward response, pair awareness tactics with honest expectations, explain decoy offers that draw clicks while nudging guests to the real offer, and, when possible, show ROI or ROAS alongside the on the books views from the systems revenue trusts. Another theme was shared definitions of success, since marketers often count booked revenue that stretches into future months while revenue tracks forecast against budget for the current month; teams are closing the gap by agreeing on mutual KPIs and by using the same dashboards to check whether a campaign actually moved the periods that needed help.
A final habit tied the conversation together, try ideas, learn quickly, and move on. Teams described a culture of testing local packages, accepting that some will not land, and treating fast learning as progress. When marketing, revenue, and sales approach the work as a united front, the strategy conversations get easier, the plans feel earlier and clearer, and the results are easier to sustain.
Five Takeaways
- Overlap is natural: booking windows, rates, and packages are shared ground where collaboration pays off.
- Ask first, then create: trust grows when marketing begins with revenue’s priorities and builds campaigns to support them.
- Speak their language: framing results in numbers and tying campaigns to on-the-books performance builds credibility.
- Plan ahead together: shared calendars, short weekly check-ins, and early invites prevent last-minute “fire drill” campaigns.
- Fail fast, move on: testing and learning quickly is more valuable than holding on to campaigns that do not deliver.
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Discussion Questions for Your Team
- How can hotel marketers and revenue managers better align when one is focused on campaign ROI and visibility while the other is focused on pricing and forecasting demand?
- What does true collaboration between marketing and revenue management look like in practice and what is holding it back?
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