Data Needs to Have a Human Side: Building a Human Data Strategy

Hotels collect endless data points, but without empathy and creativity, it’s just noise. A human data strategy bridges the gap between analytics and authentic connection - empowering your marketing to feel as smart as it is personal.

The past year of upheaval has changed the marketing landscape for everyone, especially those of us in the hospitality industry.

With the ongoing distribution of vaccines and a steady return to something resembling “normal,” this is the perfect time to explore your strategic marketing partnerships and ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running.

Infuse Soul Into Your Marketing

To stand out in an automated landscape, data must be enhanced by human perspective. Tips for bringing more personality into your marketing:

• Add empathy to segmentation and messaging decisions.

• Collaborate across departments - marketing, operations, guest services.

• Let creative voices influence your email tone and campaign design.

• Personalize beyond names - tap into emotion and experience.

That blend of logic and emotion transforms campaigns into genuine connection.

Know What You Don’t Know

Over-reliance on dashboards can make you blind to nuance. A human data strategy pushes teams to:

• Question what metrics truly reflect guest sentiment.

• Combine quantitative data (bookings, revenue) with qualitative insight (feedback, reviews).

• Keep curiosity alive — human intuition catches what algorithms miss.

Data shows the “what.” People explain the “why.”

The HMA Approach - Human Data Strategy

HMA’s methodology pairs clean, structured data with creative intelligence.Our human-first process helps hotels:

• Build smarter guest profiles

• Connect segmentation with storytelling

• Stay compliant with ADA and privacy standards

• Turn analytics into experiences guests actually remember

That’s the essence of human data strategy — empathy, powered by insight. 

Ready to Humanize Your Data?

Your marketing should think like a strategist and feel like a host.

Contact hello@wearehma.com or call +1-831-655-0109 to learn how HMA helps hotels bring heart to data-driven hospitality.