Risky PR: Swine Flu Responses

Sometimes it’s best to pass up an opportunity for editorial coverage. Just as one would approach an investment philosophy – it’s all about risk and reward. In the case of the recent swine flu outbreak, some Mexican hotels and resorts started promising free vacations for three years to their guests who contract the swine flu on their trip (the proof is a blood test). But what are the other benefits and risks of such promotions?

Yes, such promotions have a short term benefit of generation lots of immediate media coverage. But in my mind, such attention comes at a price: what if someone does happen to contract the Swine flu and claims their prize? Not only does this generate negative news about the resort, but resorts run the risk of tying themselves to the Swine flu, just when the illness and media attention in the story may be waning.
 
Marketers need to ask themselves: Will such promotions truly encourage potential travelers to still travel with the lure of a free vacation if they get sick? When people travel, they commit both time and money – getting sick also means foregoing one’s vacation time, which can’t be replaced even if they are reimbursed for their trip. Is that enough inducement for travelers to brave the risk? Then there’s a risk to suppliers too. What is to prevent people from taking advantage of the promotions and claiming they contracted the swine flu at the resort when they really didn’t? It isn’t difficult to get a doctor friend to falsify a letter or lab report.

In my book, the goal is to divert attention not draw attention in crisis situations. Hotels and resorts will be better off not making reference to negatives, but promoting offers that have real value, which gets visitors coming back.