Building Customer Loyalty and Adapting to Trends: Insights from Noha Abdalla, CMO of Choice Hotels, on The Speed of Culture Podcast
In the ever-evolving landscape of consumer travel, brands must innovate and adapt to remain competitive. Noha Abdalla, Chief Marketing Officer of Choice Hotels, shares her insights on this topic in a recent episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, hosted by Matt Britton, CEO of Suzy. Abdalla delves into the importance of customer loyalty, leveraging data, and the strategic decisions shaping the future of travel and hospitality.
Building a Career in Marketing
Noha Abdalla's journey into marketing began after a challenging start. Following the events of 9/11, Abdalla, then working in strategy consulting, found herself laid off. This setback led her to the American Red Cross, where she spearheaded a national blood donor awareness campaign, igniting her passion for marketing.
"I joined the American Red Cross so I could create a national blood donor awareness campaign to raise the nation's awareness about why there's an ongoing need for blood," Abdalla explains. This early experience underscored the importance of customer insight and effective communication, laying the foundation for her future career.
Embracing Change and Overcoming Obstacles
Abdalla emphasizes the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Reflecting on her early career challenges, she notes, "When you're in it, it's really hard to see the bright side on the other side. But 20-plus years into my career, I can now look back at those challenging moments and think about how I came out stronger."
Her journey highlights the value of perseverance and adaptability, qualities that have served her well throughout her career.
From Discovery Communications to Capital One
Abdalla's tenure at Discovery Communications provided valuable lessons in classical marketing. Working on rebranding projects for channels like Animal Planet, she learned the importance of customer insights and brand transformation. "We found that people enjoy watching animal programming when they can compare what's happening in animal life to what's happening in human life," she shares.
Transitioning to Capital One in 2011, Abdalla faced the challenge of integrating social media into a heavily regulated industry. Her work there, including the integration of ING Direct and building out the social media presence, laid the groundwork for modern digital marketing strategies.
Navigating the Financial Services Landscape
At Capital One, Abdalla's role evolved to encompass digital brand strategy and social media. She recalls the early challenges of social media in financial services, questioning why anyone would follow their bank on Facebook. By leveraging strong advertising and creating behind-the-scenes content, Abdalla successfully built Capital One's social media presence.
Her ability to adapt and innovate within a regulated industry showcases her strategic thinking and willingness to tackle new challenges head-on.
Transition to Hospitality with Hilton and Choice Hotels
Abdalla's move to Hilton marked another significant shift in her career. She joined Hilton to build a global social media strategy, leveraging her expertise from Capital One. "For me, it was the opportunity to do something on a global scale and learn a new industry that I was passionate about," she explains.
This experience ultimately led her to Choice Hotels, where she now oversees marketing for a diverse portfolio of brands. Abdalla is particularly excited about the opportunity to enhance guest strategy, loyalty, and experiences at Choice Hotels.
Strategic Priorities at Choice Hotels
Abdalla's current role involves driving a transformation at Choice Hotels, focusing on guest strategy and the integration of new brands like Radisson. "How can we take a company that's good at franchising and make us good at guest strategy, loyalty, and experiences?" she asks.
In 2024, her priorities include leveraging first-party data to deliver personalized experiences, enhancing the loyalty program, and ensuring that Choice Hotels' diverse portfolio meets the needs of various travelers.
Leveraging Data for Personalized Marketing
The shift towards first-party data is a significant focus for Choice Hotels. Abdalla highlights the importance of understanding customer preferences and using data to offer personalized recommendations and offers. "We have a loyalty program, Choice Privileges, with over 63 million members. Our opportunity is to use the data we have about them to get to know who they are and leverage that relationship," she says.
Working with partners like Amazon, Choice Hotels aims to enhance customer identity and deliver targeted offers, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience for their guests.
Addressing Consumer Trends in Travel
Abdalla identifies several key trends shaping the travel and hospitality industry in 2024, encapsulated in what Choice Hotels calls the "five R's":
Rising Wages: With wages increasing, consumers have more disposable income to spend on travel, despite economic challenges.
Remote Work: The flexibility of remote work has changed travel patterns, blending work and leisure trips.
Reshoring and Rebuilding of America: Increased domestic manufacturing and construction lead to more business travelers staying at Choice Hotels.
Road Trips: The popularity of road trips has surged, benefiting Choice Hotels' extensive network of roadside locations.
Retirement: An aging population with disposable income and time to travel presents opportunities for the hospitality industry.
These trends highlight the evolving landscape of travel and the strategic opportunities for Choice Hotels.
Launching New Campaigns and Enhancing Brand Presence
In January 2024, Choice Hotels is launching a new campaign featuring Keegan-Michael Key. The campaign emphasizes the diverse travel needs of customers and showcases the various brands under the Choice Hotels umbrella. "The customer insight is that there are a lot of different versions of you and different reasons that you might travel. Choice Hotels has a hotel brand for you, no matter what the occasion," Abdalla explains.
This campaign aims to position Choice Hotels as the go-to option for travelers, regardless of their needs or budget.
Continuous Learning and Industry Involvement
Abdalla's commitment to staying current with industry trends and technological advancements is evident in her active participation in industry groups and continuous learning efforts. As a Global Board member at MMA Global, she engages with peers to address common challenges and explore new solutions.
"Lots of reading online, lots of podcasts, and industry events are crucial," she says. "Looking across industries is often really helpful because you can find opportunities to think very differently."
Conclusion: Embracing Change and Driving Success
Noha Abdalla's career trajectory is a testament to the power of adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning. Her strategic vision and ability to leverage data and customer insights have driven significant successes at Choice Hotels and beyond.
For brands looking to thrive in a rapidly changing environment, Abdalla's insights provide valuable lessons in innovation, customer-centricity, and strategic thinking. As she continues to lead Choice Hotels into the future, her focus on enhancing guest experiences and leveraging data will undoubtedly drive the company's continued growth and success.
