Revinate

Karen Stephens

Chief Marketing Officer

Karen Stephens drives long-term growth by building Revinate’s brand equity, product marketing, and customer acquisition strategies. With more than 25 years of expertise in global hospitality technology and online distribution, her deep connections with hospitality industry leaders play a key role in crafting strategic partnerships. She is also the host of The Hotel Moment Podcast, where she interviews top players in the hospitality industry.

It all starts with the end in mind. By identifying your goals for guest engagement and revenue, it becomes easier to map the journey that brings it to life.

If you could give one piece of advice to hoteliers looking to drive more direct bookings, what would it be?

Get all of your siloed guest data into one place! That means PMS data, ancillary data — all of it! Not only will that help you better personalize your marketing and guest communications today, but it will also future-proof you for AI applications in the future. AI doesn’t do silos!

What's the most creative way you've seen a hotel use guest messaging or email marketing?

Honestly it would be really, really hard for me to pick just one! Our customers are so creative and so thoughtful with the way they leverage our technology to drive great results. Luckily, our own marketing team does a fantastic job of showcasing several examples of inspirational campaigns on our website. You can find them all on our Inspirations page.

If you were a hotel amenity, what would you be and why?

If I were a hotel amenity, I would be a complimentary wine hour in the hotel lobby. Kimpton Hotels started this trend years ago, and it is such a great way to socialize, relax, and even meet fellow travelers. My “why” is easy: I’m social, love to travel, and never turn down a nice glass of red!

Featured articles

3 tips from hospitality experts for making your email channel a revenue powerhouse

Here’s a situation that happens more than you think. Your guest opens their email inbox to your latest campaign only to say, “Another one? And why would I even want this?” Ouch. That’s a reaction you want to avoid as a hotelier, especially when you’re trying to recover an abandoned guest, nurture an existing guest relationship, or simply stay competitive against OTAs and other hoteliers. Flooding your guests’ inboxes with irrelevant, generic emails isn’t how [...]

How to employ automation and personalization with a CDP across the guest journey

This article was originally developed and published for Hospitality Net's Data and Business Intelligence Thematics. Read more here. Hospitality marketing is a world in itself. You’re constantly running a mile a minute. The rush of creativity, the quick execution pace, and the flood of satisfaction when bookings flow in is enticing. But in the midst of all that energy and excitement, chances are you rarely have a moment to pause and reflect on the journey. [...]

Data silos are messy. Here’s your way out.

This article was originally developed and published for Hospitality Net's Data and Business Intelligence Thematics. Read more here. I was in Miami in April for our annual NAVIGATE conference, listening to hoteliers share firsthand their struggles with managing data silos. During Revinate CEO Bryson Koehler’s keynote, he flashed this image on the screen to a knowing chuckle from the audience. The familiar sight of a server room in disarray: flickering fluorescent lights, tangled cords, towering [...]

3 reasons why hoteliers need a CDP that’s built for our industry

Let’s face it: technology investments can be expensive. That’s why it’s so important for hoteliers to make sure you choose partners that will ultimately increase your bottom line and advance your mission to create amazing guest experiences. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) are quickly becoming an essential part of the modern hospitality tech stack, and for good reason — a CDP is the backbone of any first-party data strategy and key to creating personalized guest messaging. [...]

By |May 7, 2024|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

10 Hotel marketing KPIs (and how to use them!)

Behind exceptional hospitality, hoteliers make strategic decisions every day using the best data they have available to continuously improve the guest experience and drive returns for their business. For hotel operators, tracking data analytics in the form of key performance indicators (KPIs) reveals pathways to optimizing your marketing, customizing guest experiences, and business growth. From understanding how guests discover your property to fine-tuning your email communication, hotel marketing KPIs are the linchpin of your hotel’s [...]

By |March 25, 2024|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

Hospitality trend predictions for 2024

Honestly, how often do predictions actually come true? We know some of ours did. Prioritizing technology — greater use of first-party data — a focus on sustainability in travel — check, check, and check! Every year, we source predictions for the year to come from top hospitality experts who have their fingers on the pulse of the industry. Here’s what they have to say. What you will see here Even more data-driven decision-making The rise [...]

By |January 3, 2024|Categories: Blog|