Skift Interview with HW CEO Feargal Mooney

Skift recently interviewed Hostelworld CEO Feargal Mooney about the changes in the company and their current priorities.

CEO Interview: Mobile Booking, Digital Marketing and the New Way to Sell Hostels

“…historically our marketing investment is almost exclusively into paid search, and what that meant was that people have to be booked, aware of, and actively searching for hostels in order for us to engage.

We just weren’t engaging with the right audience, and through our brand advertising now and whether that’s advertising we did last year with TV and cinema and so on, or whether it’s on some of the other digital channels, Facebook, YouTube, display advertising. We’re reaching out to a wider audience, highlighting the quality of hostel product today, but also how the hostel experience is different to any other accommodation types.”

Mr. Mooney discusses a wide range of topics, including:

• How business is different for them after separating from their venture capital investors
• How HW are focusing on hostels and marketing that product to attract new customers to hostels
• The development of hostels themselves in recent years
• Competing with AirBnB and Booking .com
• Their expansion into Asian markets, especially South Korea
• The development and success of their mobile app

It's a good interview, worth checking out.

What do you think about HW's new approach to hostels?  Are you more satisfied with them as a partner recently?