Meeting the right traveller, where they are

Marcus Hotels & Resorts’ wide portfolio of properties is dotted across the United States, welcoming a range of travellers, among them couples, families, spa seekers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Since 2022, Wallop has focused on four Marcus hotels: Grand Geneva and Timber Ridge in Lake Geneva and The Pfister and Saint Kate in Milwaukee. Now Wallop is Marcus’ agency of record across 20+ hotels, restaurants, bars, a spa, and wedding, loyalty, and brand websites.

Marcus sought to grow direct bookings and revenue, while making what’s compelling about each property more visible. Our ongoing work helps keep bookings flowing through a changing Wisconsin travel market and rising competition from OTAs. Wallop also joins annual planning summits as an advisory partner to share strategic insights.

Travellers haven’t stopped travelling. Instead, they’ve become more selective. A family planning an annual holiday is motivated by a different set of factors than a couple looking for an experience-focused weekend escape. Younger guests, for instance, plan trips through short-form video and AI tools. With that in mind, the program for Marcus focused on bringing in targeted guests who matched what each property offered, rather than simply focusing on volume. 

You can’t grow what you can’t see, so clean and client-owned data was important, especially as Grand Geneva and Timber Ridge had little historical data. Having clear foundations and regular reporting helped us understand what was resonating and guide next steps.

Each hotel draws a different traveller, so each had a different plan. For Grand Geneva, we targeted an untapped audience beyond its drive market, a strategy that won a 2023 HSMAI Adrian Award, Bronze. Timber Ridge’s value-minded family guests responded to messaging centred around packages and inclusions through short-form video. 

For the two properties in Milwaukee, The Pfister and Saint Kate, a differentiation strategy helped prevent the two geographically close hotels from competing on search. Each needed its own audience: younger, lifestyle-driven travellers for Saint Kate, and travellers drawn to timeless hospitality for The Pfister, a heritage hotel dating back to 1893. Distinct strategies meant each hotel could stand out for what made it special. Take Saint Kate, where weddings-focused campaigns led to 33 wedding leads in three months.

Year-round marketing across search and social helps reach travellers. Traditional and AI search optimization helps each property show up when travellers use Google search and AI tools to research where to stay. With client-owned accounts, Marcus owns its data, sees spend transparently, and pays fees that don’t depend on media spend.