Red Lion Hotels Launches New Magazine to Further Magnify the Customer Experience

Red Lion Hotels Corporation officials are always looking to significantly enhance the customer experience. Last month, they announced the launch of RLH Magazine, a full-color, quarterly publication for the company’s hotel owners, corporate associates, and prospects. RLHC has worked with McNeill Media Group Inc. to write, edit, and produce the magazine.

Each issue will delve inside RLHC to deliver insightful articles and features on what makes the company tick and the benefits hoteliers receive. Readers learn about industry events and trends and how they affect the company, initiatives RLHC is undertaking with top vendors that put it at the forefront of hospitality innovation, and valuable online resources that help franchisees improve operations and maximize ROI.

The magazine also spotlights one of the company’s best-in-class hotels and an employee who has enforced the RLHC brand promise by going the extra mile to provide an extraordinary experience.

Loyalty360 spoke to Bill Linehan, executive vice president/CMO at Red Lion Hotels Corporation, to find out more about the new magazine.

What factors prompted the creation of RLH magazine and what are your goals for it from a customer engagement perspective?
 
Linehan: RLH magazine is initially intended for our internal audiences and stakeholders to let them know about the vast array of opportunities happening in the company. The magazine influences how our company interacts and provides a guest experience. The magazine delivers content to our owners, associates, and affiliates in a compelling way that begs to be read. The feedback so far has been phenomenal and we are looking forward to future editions.
 
Who will receive the magazine and who has access to it?
 
Linehan: The magazine is distributed internally to all our stakeholders, meaning owners, operators, right down to line level associates and even potential owners. Everyone has access to the magazine online, but we also provide a printed copy because it’s an easy read and truly symbolizes the essence of what the company and brands are all about. It’s a great reinforcement and recap of everything we do.
 
It seems like this can draw more engagement internally throughout the RLH family. Is that one of your target goals?
 
Linehan: Definitely. RLH Magazine is a new way for us to engage with our owners, associates, and affiliates. The magazine is professionally designed in a way to make readers want to continue paging through the magazine. The articles are not written only about corporate RLHC, they are written about trends, industry news, and the impact on individual properties. We also have articles that focus on a unique hotel and what they are doing to make a difference at their property. 
 
How can this magazine impact the customer experience/customer loyalty levels within the RLH family?
 
Linehan: By keeping our all invested parties informed on what is happening at RLH Corporation, we will be building trust and loyalty on all levels. Readers will become invested in the new initiatives RLH Corporation is implementing and how we are innovating ahead of the industry.
 
What kind of content will the magazine focus on?
 
Linehan: RLH Magazine focuses on industry news and trends, with feature article highlighting big initiatives at the company. This quarter, we focused on our first-of-its-kind relationship between RLHC and Expedia, Inc., including an interview with Expedia, Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The articles are not meant to tell the whole story, but to pepper a flavor of the things we are working on and to engage the reader with our initiatives and our people. It also features story-telling of great customer experiences and accomplishment that we can all relate to. Instead of RLHC writing and publishing the magazine, we have decided to engage a publisher to write our stories and curate our content. This way it is more authentic and less internal advertising.
 
Can the magazine help further establish and/or create brand advocacy?
 
Linehan: Absolutely. We embrace our internal stakeholders for them to embrace our company and culture. By learning about everything RLH Corporation is up to, and where we are continuing to innovate and lead the industry, readers see the impact RLH Corporation is making and build upon their affinity with our brands. The magazine becomes a tool that owners and associates can share with others to spread the word about RLH Corporation and show off the company that they are working with. 

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