Why RSS Matters - One Resort's Success Story

RSS and other Web 2.0 social media marketing channels are a must for hotels and resorts - this is one resorts success story. Since developing a partnership with Travelscream Technologies to establish an RSS button and begin serving feeds from the Couples Resorts website, the company witnessed a huge increase in awareness, exposure and sales -- to the tune of over 500,000 page views and 60,000 hits per promotion during a six-week period.

Vail, CO (PRWEB) January 7, 2008 -- Randy Russell no longer questions the viability of RSS. Since developing a partnership with Travelscream Technologies (www.travelscream.com) to establish an RSS button and begin serving feeds from the Couples Resorts website (www.couples.com), the company witnessed a huge increase in awareness, exposure and sales -- to the tune of over 500,000 page views during a six-week period from the end of October to the middle of December, 2007.

Russell, who is the chief romance officer and senior vice president of sales & marketing for Couples, says achieving more than half a million page views in such a short time has been "extremely rewarding." Said Russell, "Not only are we thrilled with the early results of our initial experiment in marketing our promotions through RSS, I am also elated with how inexpensive it was to set up, and how easy this distribution channel is for us manage."

Couples is serving their RSS feeds through Travelscream because in addition to hosting the RSS feeds that appear on the Couples website, Travelscream will also host the Couples feeds that appear in the online distribution channels of their Syndication Partners, including their newest partner, PeterGreenberg.com (http://web2.travelscream.com/petergreenberg/pgmarketing.aspx).

"In addition to extreme ease-of-use, the key advantage of our partnership with Travelscream is that by having them host our website's RSS feed, they can also re-route our promotions through the targeted channels of their online publishing partners, thereby increasing our marketing reach significantly," said Russell. "Overall, I would say we are very happy with this manner of communicating. It is inexpensive, it takes almost no effort to get it done, and it is very worthwhile - a win-win situation for our company and our guests."

Tom Griffin, Travelscream's founder and CEO, says he is also pleased with the success of the Couples partnership, which was designed to help the company channel their messages more efficiently to both current and prospective guests. "We very much believe in the power that a strong and focused social media integration program will have on a hotel or resort's exposure and bottom-line sales," he said. "The success experienced by Couples proves customers are hungry to receive communication from travel providers through RSS and other Web 2.0 channels."

About Travelscream Technologies

Headquartered near Vail, Colorado, Travelscream Technologies provides low cost, turn-key social media marketing solutions designed specifically for the hospitality industry that can be implemented in days, not months. Programs include RSS feeds and RSS syndication partnerships, message boards, interactive maps, digital video, social network marketing, widgets, gadgets and more. Travelscream's mission is to enhance the profitability of content distribution through additional sales, expanded marketing reach and improved communication between travel professionals and their clients. For further information, call 970-476-0440 or visit www.travelscream.com.

Travelscream Technologies Media Contact: Kristen Kopplin - 970.476.0440, ext. 103

About Couples Resorts

Headquartered in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Couples Resorts owns and operates four properties in Jamaica, West Indies - Couples Ocho Rios, the first-ever couples only, all-inclusive resort, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril. Pioneered by the legendary Abe Issa -- "father of Jamaican tourism" -- each Couples Resort is an unsurpassed model of the all-inclusive concept, designed with local inspiration to create a harmonic sense of nature and authentic Caribbean spirit. For further information, call 1-800-COUPLES or visit www.couples.com.

Couples Resorts Media Contacts: Janelle Thadhani/Cassandra Martino - 305.444.4033

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