BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28)
How to
Partner with
Reputable
Medical Health
Institutions
Based on their collaboration
experience, Kohl and
McCarthy offer five things to
consider when exploring a
partnership between spa and
medical health institutions:
The scenic views at the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum serves as the perfect backdrop for its Healthy
Living Program partnership with Mayo Clinic.
“This extraordinary level of collaboration was the result of a collegial mutual
respect that developed between team
members committed to a single vision:
improving the health and well-being of
guests by providing an evidence-based
experience that is steeped in quality,” says
McCarthy.
Sustainable Strategy
Both Kohl and McCarthy agree that
creating a sustainable strategy is vital to
the partnership’s success. Both spa
leaders pointed out that the strategy to
ensure that the collaboration was both
sustainable and successful revolved
around two key initiatives. First, it was
essential to continually monitor the
guest experience and measure its effectiveness. “By giving guests a feedback
loop mechanism, we are able to incorporate their input on an ongoing basis
to improve the program,” Kohl says.
The key to long-term success is an
equally focused commitment to growing
and evolving the program. “By evaluating the guest experience, monitoring
industry trends and conducting research,
we can develop new programs and
30
PULSE
■
May 2016
services to meet the needs of the
increasingly sophisticated traveler. It is
only by keeping the program fresh that
we will keep it relevant to those we aim
to reach,” McCarthy says.
On top of this, a robust media
strategy with proactive outreach to
journalists in multiple cities was at the
core of the marketing plan. Journalists
were also invited to visit the property,
tour the facility and interact with
program staff.
Additional marketing initiatives
included press releases, utilization of
Mandarin and Mayo Clinic social media
channels, in-room promotional materials,
and outreach to local travel agents.
In many ways, the partnership was
not simply a successful business venture
by two highly respected brands, but
more importantly, for the spa industry, it
represented a groundbreaking collaborative model that promises to bring the
best of both worlds. n
Define the desired outcome of
the initiative. Without identifying agreed-upon goals and
metrics, evaluating its impact is
elusive at best.
Decide which organization may
be the best fit for collaboration:
philosophically, culturally,
financially, and from a brand
perspective.
Determine if the experience of
the collaborating entity aligns
with your organization’s vision
and fills identified
product/se