Sometimes you need to think outside the box in order to make strides in your ventures.
For 27-year-old Tetsuya Inoue, he was faced with the question of how to effectively market Asahi Ryokan, a hotel in Fukuoka, Japan, that his grandmother owns but which he now runs.
Watch to learn more of his brilliant marketing idea in the video below!
[rumble video_id=v5wzmr domain_id=u7nb2]
Video credit: Rumble
And his answer certainly qualifies as something out of the box. Taking advantage of the Internet and the hunger social media users have for live-streamed content, Inoue decided to give guests at the Asahi Ryokan the option to pay just ¥100 (about $1) per night. The catch? They need to live stream their entire stay.
Of course, there are strict rules about what can and cannot be done during the live stream. For one, any lewd acts are prohibited. Guests are also advised not to reveal private information such as leaving credit cards within view of the cameras.
While speaking to CNN Travel, Inoue added that the stream is video only so guests don’t have to worry about the privacy of their conversations or phone calls. Guests may turn the lights off and the bathroom is not covered by the camera.
The hotel’s channel on YouTube is called One Dollar Hotel.
Inoue, who took over the hotel’s operations last year, said: “This is a very old ryokan and I was looking into a new business model. Our hotel is on the cheaper side, so we need some added value, something special that everyone will talk about.”
Since starting the special deal last month, four guests have already taken up the offer.
“Young people nowadays don’t care much about the privacy,” Inoue adds. “Some of them say it’s OK to be [watched] for just one day.”
While the $1 rooms won’t be adding anything to the hotel’s bottom line, Inoue is looking beyond just the immediate financial aspect.
So far, the YouTube channel has more than 1,000 subscribers. Once it surpasses 4,000 view hours, Inoue will be able to set up ads on the channel to monetize it.
Whenever there’s no guest live streaming, Inoue himself will put up a live stream of him working in the office. There are signs in Japanese and English placed in front of the camera in case he steps out of the room.
But the $1 hotel isn’t the only reason to visit Fukuoka. The city is known for its fantastic food. In fact, it’s the birthplace of the famous Ichiran chain, known for its pork tonkotsu ramen. The acclaimed Fukuoka Art Museum is also located there.
Replaced!