PR & Reputation Management Company

Communications Strategy

Profitroom: Waking up the hospitality sector to smarter, AI-driven growth

introduction

Profitroom, a leading hotel technology platform, partnered with Smoking Gun to build momentum in the UK market, increase brand awareness and reposition the brand as a forward-thinking, revenue-driving tech partner.

The goal was to raise visibility, sharpen messaging and create a distinctive voice that would resonate with independent hoteliers.

Central to this was establishing Profitroom as a credible authority on the future of hotel technology – particularly AI – supporting its strategic roadmap and positioning the brand at the forefront of innovation in direct booking growth.

The Challenge

Profitroom faced several barriers limiting its impact in the UK market:

Low brand awareness and muted messaging that failed to resonate with target audiences
Heavy reliance within the industry on OTAs, with hoteliers unaware of lost revenue opportunities
Strong competition dominating share of voice through reports, awards and integrations
Lack of clear positioning around emerging areas such as AI, despite this being a core part of the business’s future strategy

Additionally, performance targets required improvement in Tier 1 media coverage, messaging consistency, and strategic differentiation.

strategy

Smoking Gun exists for a certain kind of brand: ambitious, commercially driven and brave enough to do things differently. This was an essential part of building Profitroom’s strategy.

Smoking Gun implemented a multi-layered, insight-driven PR strategy focused on creativity, authority and future-facing storytelling.

Creative platform – “Wake Up” campaign:
A bold, insight-led campaign encouraging hoteliers to rethink outdated practices and embrace Profitroom’s technology to drive direct revenue.

AI-led thought leadership:
AI was positioned as a central narrative pillar. Smoking Gun developed a suite of thought leadership exploring themes such as AI agents, the “death of the chatbot,” personalisation, the shift from ‘mobile-first’ to ‘AI-first’, guest experience and loyalty. This aligned Profitroom with the future of hospitality tech while supporting its 2026 product roadmap.

Data and insight-driven storytelling:
Leveraged global research, including AI adoption studies, to create credible, media-friendly narratives that demonstrated Profitroom’s authority in emerging technology.

Content and narrative development:
Delivered a consistent drumbeat of high-quality content including thought leadership, case studies, partnership announcements, and reactive commentary – ensuring AI remained a recurring and evolving theme.

Strategic Partnerships:
Amplified partnerships (including RoomPriceGenie, IDeaS, ResDiary, TRYBE) to reinforce Profitroom’s role within a connected tech ecosystem.

Reactive PR:
Secured timely coverage through expert commentary on key moments such as the UK Budget and inflation – layered with forward-looking AI perspectives where relevant.

Media Focus:
Prioritised Tier 1 publications while using case studies and insight-led content to maintain strong volume and relevance.

“The impact that Smoking Gun has had on salience with our target audience and peers has been remarkable. The Wake Up campaign effectively demonstrated that prioritising Profitroom drives hoteliers success across every metric.

“The results have far exceeded our expectations, but what we’ve valued most is the team’s unwavering commitment. They’ve embraced every opportunity to support us, consistently going above and beyond with strategic advice and insights.”

Jane Young, Regional Marketing Manager for UK, Africa and Enterprise at Profitroom

12-month performance

Perception shift

The campaign repositioned Profitroom as a credible, innovative leader in hotel technology.

It is now recognised not only as a direct booking specialist, but as a forward-thinking tech partner helping shape the future of AI-driven hospitality.

Clear commercial impact

including stronger sales pipeline and “warmer” client conversations.

Strong cut-through of AI narratives

Positioned Profitroom at the forefront of hospitality tech innovation, supporting long-term strategic ambitions.

59 pieces of targeted coverage

across the most influential publications including The Times, Daily Mail, Travolution, and Boutique Hotelier. The campaign focussed on quality and strengthened brand credibility through insightful, future-focused storytelling.

Reached an audience of more than 47 million readers

with key messages featured in 97% of coverage, and senior spokesperson quotes in 92%.

Average domain authority of 60

including key trade titles that typically require paid placements.