Philip Björck: Maximizing PR value with spoken media in focus
After a couple of schedule clashes and some vacation weeks, we manage to book a time with Philip Björck, Marketing Manager at Steam Hotel and PR and Social Media Strategist at parent company ESS Group. We talk about All Ears as part of their all-inclusive media monitoring, but especially about the value of spoken media in their PR work.
With seven years of experience within the group and as marketing manager at Steam Hotel in Västerås, Philip Björck describes himself as a key player. For all 13 destinations within ESS Group, he now also leads the overall work when it comes to marketing via PR, influencer collaborations and social media. From strategy and best practice between destinations to putting plans into action. "Key player" almost feels like an understatement.
"When we seek collaboration with influencers, we are now, thanks to All Ears, also attentive to whether the influencer is active in any podcast and if it’s a context where we want to be heard."
For many, hotels and restaurants are merely necessities during a journey, but for ESS Group, the accommodation and the food are the journey – and the destination.
- We aim to transport our guests to a different world with every visit, where their stay is not just accommodation but an unforgettable experience.
It's about creating memories. Everything from the interior and the environment to the food and drinks has been designed with the goal of making it easy and inviting to capture these moments in photos—and, of course, to share them on social media. Guests sharing their experiences has been successful when it comes to the actual product: the hotel stay. After all, a picture says more than a thousand words (or hashtags, for that matter). But sometimes, spoken words, in everyday and relaxed language, can carry just as much weight.
- "Oh my god, this weekend I was at Steam and it was so amazing! The food was wonderful, the drinks, and the view was just incredible. For a moment, I thought I was in New York." That’s how we want people to talk and feel, Philip explains.
Authenticity at the heart of collaborations
ESS Group has a long-standing tradition of collaborating with creators and influencers across its destinations.
- The most important factor is finding a genuine connection. When considering influencer collaborations, we now also look at whether an influencer is active in the podcasting space, thanks to All Ears, and if it aligns with the context in which we want to be heard. Our previous media monitoring tool primarily focused on magazines.
With a new focus on PR and earned media, they no longer sit and wait for the evening and daily newspapers to write something. Instead, the focus has shifted to following up and analyzing both their own collaborations and the successes of their competitors.
- We still use media monitoring to stay informed of any updates, of course. However, our new goals prioritise earned media, with a particular focus on the significant PR value of podcasts — a value we hadn't fully recognised until we started using All Ears.
A tool for measuring and maximizing PR value
With goals for reach and estimated PR value as benchmarks, Philip can evaluate the earned media in real-time using the reporting tool. He describes the overall experience of the service as "flawless".
- First and foremost, the program's implementation was seamless. Right from the start, it was almost ready to use — we received the login details, and all our destinations were already set up as monitored entities. Whenever we needed changes or requested competitor analyses, we got help practically à la minute.
Over time, Philip has also discovered new uses on his own.
- You can do quite a lot with All Ears, even if you have a low level of knowledge about the service as a user. I think that with a lot of curiosity, you can go far.
Our conversation time is nearing its end, and Philip is already heading into his next meeting. However, we still manage to summarize that ESS Group, with All Ears as a tool, has gained a deeper understanding of how spoken media impacts their brands and how PR efforts can be optimized accordingly. And, of course, that a hotel is rarely just a place to sleep for the night, at least not when you visit one of ESS Group’s destinations.