Oak Brooke officials hopes to save about $ 200,000 using an advisor to handle the marketing of their seven hotels and instead, a new staff of the marketing manager is creating a position.
Village Manager Greg Summer said that the budget of the current hotel advertising program in the village was $ 500,000 annually, which was taken out of the money generated directly from the hotel tax of Oak Brook and dedicated to the advertisement of the hotel by the state law.
“Research has compensated comparable positions from $ 100,000 to $ 130,000 per year, as well as profit.” “Even an advertising media budget is a total cost of two-thirds of the expenditure before adding $ 10,000 per month, which is used more than $ 200,000 for sub-focused and other purposes.”
Eight percent of the cost of the new marketing manager will be funded by the village hotel/motal tax revenue, in which the village will pay an additional 15%.
Summers said it was learned through experiences with many advertising vendors that the annual expenses of the village were very small to gather attention and priority from the advertising firms with often multi-million dollars customers.
“The village will not be under other customers,” he said. “Instead, we have found that many suburban municipalities appoint their own dedicated marketing person, who is completely dedicated to the village and is accountable to the success of the program.”
After finishing the relationship with a former advertising agency due to demonstrations and lack of matrix to return its strategy, the village issued a request for proposals last year in the hope of finding a new advisor. The hotel committee of Oak Brook interviewed several new agencies, eventually selected a Chicago advertising firm with important hotel promotional experience.
Summers stated that due to lack of performance by the former seller, a decision was taken by the Oak Brooke authorities to put the new seller on a small introductory contract.
“Despite this, the new advertising partner failed to complete the benchmark dates set for them and even after being informed of the failures, did not fix those issues,” he said. “The seller was also reluctant to pursue many approaches suggested by the village, due to the struggle with other more major customers.”
As a result of these two issues, summer said, a notice was issued to the seller, ending the partnership and starting to chase the new path with increased accountability.
“We are chasing an eager, energetic and accountable marketing manager, who can balance the needs of all seven hotels in Oak Brook, while also a consistent and deliberate brand message that resonates with consumers, which promotes the guest overnight in Oak Brook,” Sayed by Samers.
Assistant Village Manager Joe Mitchell said that the position of a marketing manager represents a strategic investment in the future development and success of the hospitality industry of Oak Brook.
“By working collaboratively with seven hotels, the marketing manager can increase the profile of Oak Brook as a major destination and can run economic prosperity for the coming years,” he said.
Mitchell said that a sub -committee has been established to set the annual marketing budget and a budget amendment will be provided for approval at the upcoming Village Board meeting.
Village Chairman Larry Harman agreed that the steps for an in-house marketing manager with dollars generated from the hotel tax receipts of Oak Brooke would achieve direct accountability and better results, at a much lower cost compared to the previous use of the village of all external advertising firms.
“My message for our residents has always been one of a conservative expense with accountability and proven results,” he said.
Michael Manzo, the longest serving of Oak Brook, was also taken by a member of the current village board.
He said, “The village has been below the road of advertising agencies earlier and spent millions of dollars with transparency and zero performance metrics,” he said. It is unimaginable to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Chak Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.