In the mid 1980’s there was a used car dealer based in one of the better suburbs of Sheffield  who had a unique way of advertising. I used to look forward to reading his ad’s in the local paper each week. They were nothing if not honest.

Where the other dealers would trot out the same tired old clichés, just as they do today, this guy was like a breath of fresh air. I wish I’d kept all those ad’s, but one or two stick in my mind. One car, for example, was described as “suiting a new owner undecided on colour because no two panels on this one are the same.”  Another was given the ringing endorsement that “You might even consider venturing as far as Rotherham in this one.” It’s a journey of about 7 miles. And a third car was described as “Suitable for those susceptible to travel sickness because the seats are the colour of vomit.”

I was reminded of that car dealer last week, while reading about the Hans Brinker Hotel in Amsterdam. The first paragraph on the homepage of the hotel website gives you a good feel for their approach to marketing…

“The Hans Brinker Budget Hotel has been proudly disappointing travellers for forty years. Boasting levels of comfort comparable to a minimum-security prison, the Hans Brinker also offers some plumbing and an intermittently open canteen serving a wide range of dishes based on runny eggs.”

The website goes on to boast of the hotels ‘accidental eco-friendly status’ as a result of the absence of facilities which most hotel visitors expect as standard these days.  Delve further into the site and you find links to a number of hilarious promotional videos and spoof visitor comments. There’s even a book for sale entitled ‘The World’s Worst Hotel’, and a whole range of merchandise playing on the hotels somewhat chequered reputation.

Now you might think this sort of advertising is commercial suicide, but it doesn’t seem that way at The Hans Brinker. The hotel seems to be thriving, and I can think of at least half a dozen reasons why this self-deprecating approach might be  working for them:

1. It makes them stand out

Every other hotel follows the tried and tested route of selling the benefits of their offering. Hans Brinker do completely the opposite – they tell you about the downside and even advise you to go somewhere else – a park bench is cited as being preferable at one point.  It’s totally counter-intuitive, but it gets attention.

2. They claim to be the worst

Only one hotel can be the best in any area, and all the rest are also-rans. The further down the pile you get and the less attractive (and lost in the crowd) a hotel becomes. However, if you claim to be the worst and create a story around it, you’re likely to attract a particular group of customers. People like extremes. The Hans Brinker clientele is mainly made up of young Backpackers – people who will dine out for months on the story that they have stayed in The Worlds Worst Hotel. That’s somehow better than staying in a ‘below average’ establishment.

3. Humour

The website and videos are genuinely funny. Can the hotel, and the people running it, really be all that bad if they make us laugh? That’s what a lot of people will think, subconsciously.

4. The  Trip Advisor effect

Most hotels live in fear of Trip Advisor and other review sites these days. By taking the stance they have, The Hans Brinker has totally neutralised the impact of these sites. Nobody can say anything about them which is worse than what they’ve already said about themselves.

5. They’ve created low expectations

Travellers booking the hotel will have very low expectations. As a result, they’re unlikely to complain and will be very easily pleased. I looked at the Trip Advisor reviews for the hotel and while they aren’t great, I’ve certainly seen a lot worse.

6. It gets publicity

A quick Google search will show you how much free publicity The Hans Brinker has garnered on the back of  this unique ‘honesty’ approach. The value of this publicity must run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The hotel is probably no worse than many others of its type, but by creating an infamous persona, the owners have lifted their establishment out of the crowd…oh and are probably having a great deal of fun while doing it.

The obvious question to ask is whether you could position yourself as The Hans Brinker of your own market niche, and the obvious answer is that it depends. If you’re a dentist or a builder, I wouldn’t try it! For this to work, it has to be a low value product or service where the outcome really doesn’t matter much over the long haul. You might have a bad nights sleep at The Hans Brinker but you’ll be able to laugh about it the next day. It’s not so funny if your roof caves in or your tooth falls out.

It’s definitely worth giving some thought to this though. Even if you don’t go the whole ‘Worst In The World’ hog and just employ a bit of honesty advertising, it could pay surprising dividends. There’s a significant part of every market that hates hype, but is putty in the hands of anyone perceived to be honest and open. With that in mind I’ve just redrafted the first line of an ad’ we have for a flat which has just come available for rent.

“Studio flat for rent. Suit compact person with no cat. Not because we don’t accept pets but because there’s no room to swing one.”

I’ll let you know how I get on.

Best Wishes,

John Harrison

P.S  You can learn more about The Hans Brinker Hotel here