Tourism Solutions

Social Media Marketing for Hotels

2009-11-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

The phenomenom of social media is continuing to grow with firms being guided and encouraged to embrace it further by actively marketing via social media tools.

I had the benefit of participating in a webinar last week called “Capitalising on the Conversation” by Social Media Magic. It sought to show how to position your firm for business success in social media by using best practices and top tools to generate revenue, increase traffic to websites, build new partnerships and bring in new qualified leads.

There is a paradigm shift taking place in marketing where the old approach of telling and selling is dead according to Jim Stenegal, Chief Global Marketing Officer at Procter and Gamble. Further, Mitch Matthews, former Head of Marketing, Microsoft said "The old model was informing, persuading and reminding... the new model is demonstrating, involving and empowering."

The now well known Web 2.0 media of blogs, microblogging, video sharing, message boards and podcasts are increasingly mainstream and are the fastest growing categories on the web where according to Social Media Magic co founder John Souza, 73% of online users read a blog, 45% have started their own blog, 39% subscribe to an RSS feed and 33% visit social media sites to engage in product research before making a purchase decision. Interestingly, 92% said customer reviews were very or extremely helpful when making a decision (JC Williams Group Consultancy, April 2006) and were 3 times more likely to trust peer opinions over advertising for purchasing decisions (Jupiter Research). In fact, one online word of mouth conversation is said to have the impact of 200 TV ads (Buzz Agent), but more information on this in a subsequent post.

The webinar suggested that by utilising tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and emerging niches like FastPitch!, Biznik, Plaxo, Merchant Circle and QAlias, marketing through setting up a business page on Facebook or establishing a specific group on LinkedIn and inviting others to join your groups can help businesses to generate exposure, increase traffic and bring in qualified leads in addition to increase search engine rankings, reduce overall marketing expenses and help to close business.

According to a social media marketing industry report produced in March 2009 by Michael Stelzner 88% of businesses indicated they were employing social media for marketing purposes. How are hoteliers using these tools? A number of major brands such as Intercontinental, Starwood Properties and Marriott are actively blogging but what are other smaller independent properties doing considering the constraints not necessarily of finances since these tools are inexpensive if not free, but may take up considerable time, a resource which may be as valuable and as limited as cash.

In the next post I’ll look at case studies on how small hotels are using social media and how independent properties can capitalise on these new marketing without committing too many precious hours.

The Case for Universal Search for Business

2009-03-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

An article I found on cio.com outlines the importance that Google places on organising and accessing information in the world. In achieving this mission, Google has recognised that an estimated 40% of world information is found within organisations. Although this information is recognised as being important to achieving the strategic goals of an organisation by management, the information, although organised in databases, has not been easy to access by personnel who could best utilise the information. According to a report quoted in the article “the Butler Group estimated that, 10-12% of labor costs are wasted because employees can’t find or access the information they need to do their jobs.”

In order to implement and actively engage knowledge management in the organisation a system is required to capture, retain, harmonise, store, protect and retrieve knowledge for further use, both explicit or formal knowledge and tacit knowledge which includes hunches and personal experiences of employees.

Google has developed a concept of universal search for the enterprise whereby users are able to search all the content sources in their organization, including content on the corporate network (file shares, content management systems, corporate intranets, databases, customer relation management systems, and other enterprise applications); the desktop (documents, presentations, spreadsheets, meeting notes, emails, IM chats and reports); and the World Wide Web (news, research, images, blogs, products and print content). In addition, they can “compare and rank the information in real time, and view a single, integrated, secure set of search results that gives them precisely what they’re looking for.”

The benefits accorded to the implementation of this corporate search solution include significant increases in productivity, reduction in duplicated work, more informed decision making in a shorter time period, reduced training time and costs, consolidated IT solutions with an ensued reduction in IT costs.

The Google Universal Search tool for enterprises is a good example of the use of information and communications technologies to improve the strategic positioning of the firm by harnessing the knowledge existing both within and outside the organisation. Further, the Orbicom Report on Monitoring the Digital Divide and beyond suggests:

“the managing of the knowledge of the firm is not just about inputs, the transformation process, and outputs; it is also about how the firm navigates towards its goals in an ever-changing economic and social environment. At this more strategic level the firm must go beyond just reacting to market signals and develop a memory, a foresight capacity, and a strategic vision to enable it to deal with change. At an even higher level, the management must be prepared to abandon the existing vision and make a radical change if the firm is to survive and prosper in a world of turmoil. This hierarchy of management practices, from the basic and tactical through the complex and strategic to the radical and transforming, does not just apply to firms but to any organization, including governments.” (Sciadas, 2003, 103)

The use of tools such as the Google universal search for enterprise tool provides all firms with a method to bridge the gap between the desire to utilize knowledge within the firm to develop a competitive advantage and strategic transformation, and its practical implementation.

The Travel Industry and the Internet – A Two Day Crash Course Courtesy of "The Chicks"

2008-10-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to learn about how Web 2.0 is affecting travel distribution, marketing and promotion? Then you should have been at the Online Revealed Conference Tourism Internet Marketing Strategy Conference in Puerto Rico mid September.

Citing itself as a source for solutions to the declining airlift, global recession and nervous consumers, the conference provided strategies and tips on how to maximise return on investment, target your specific travel niche and exploit the increasingly frugal consumers’ love of special deals and offers. According to a number of sources, with over 42% of online travel consumers researching and purchasing travel online today, for travel marketers the Internet is definitely the place to be.

The Conference series which was the concept of “A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing Agency”, a dynamic Canadian company seeking to make Internet marketing strategies more accessible to the travel industry, provides a forum with a unique approach to the ever-changing online marketplace and what it means to hospitality suppliers, vendors, hotel groups, individual hotels, tourism operators, travel intermediaries, agencies and other Travel Professionals.

Patricia Brusha and Alicia Whalen were the best hostesses ever and made the topics a cool, clear obvious path to success rather than geeky and intellectual.

Whereas most forums leave you feeling more confused and overwhelmed with all the jargon and technical techniques reserved for smart Harvard grads, “the chicks” seemed intent on “dumbing” down the topic and making it a really simple subject (RSS?). Even the obviously very experienced and successful presenters seemed to have been well schooled by “the chicks” to avoid “infomercials” and to speak in ordinary understandable language.

The small intimate group of participants left the conference on the final day as team members and colleagues, not as strangers, intent on conquering the Internet to ensure the Caribbean travel industry gains its rightful share of global business.

With attendees from a number of Caribbean countries including Tourist Boards and hoteliers from St. Thomas, St. Croix, Jamaica, Antigua and Montserrat, in addition to participants from the US mainland including Minnesota, Florida and further afield, the seminars, workshops and one on one sessions, provided expertise from some of the most respected advocates in the travel business, focussing on using the Internet to more effectively market the Caribbean.

The best part of the Conference was the unusual accessibility of the presenters through both structured one on one ten minute sessions allowing all attendees to sign up to speak to presenters on more specific issues related to their business, as well as the luncheons which were not structured formal stuffy affairs, but quick buffets allowing people to mingle with those experts and colleagues that could help them tweak their marketing strategies. The entire Conference had a special informal and casual feel - had to ditch the suit on day 2 - which made for a more productive, educational experience, no hard pitches, just a willingness for complete sharing of information.

I have already received feedback and follow up from two presenters- thanks Richard Kunz and Edward Perry. Hoping to add you to my mentor list!

Top notch presentations were given by Hari Nair, Vice President of Market Management at Expedia; Richard Kunz, Principal Consultant - Tourism and Hospitality for T4G Ltd; Marvin Dejean, Senior Vice President of Media Strategies and James Shan, Strategic Global Markets Advisor of Poweri Technologies; Edward Perry, Director of E-commerce for WorldHotels; Mandy Gresh of Travelzoo; Cal Simmons Founder of Five Star Alliance; Mark Carlinski, VP Sales and Business Development of VFM Interactive; Carson Pierce, President of Idea Market; Melinda Van Patter, Client Relations Manager at Marketwire; Brian Silengo of TIG; and Patricia Bruscha and Alicia Whalen of A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing.

My greatest takeaways: · How hotels can maximise their business from online sources resulting in major increases in online bookings. By recognising the reduction in airline capacity and the increased airfares to the region, hoteliers can seek to ensure that guests receive value for money by utilising online channels and packaging options.

· The case study of Tourism British Columbia which has successfully shifted much of its marketing budget (70%) to online marketing giving significantly higher and measurable return on investment.

· Key drivers for lucrative online bookings- Websites with virtual tours, videos, social networks and blogs, in addition to utilising the growing number of travel review sites for vital feedback and promotion, developing a good email database for email campaigns, and maximising testimonials and recommendations to better position hotels.

· Rich media increases online bookings by 36% for virtual tours; 112% for videos and 149% for a combination of virtual tours and videos.

· Essentially, travel is a highly visible and experience based product, lending itself to a more interactive method for marketing and a greater reliance on customer perception, which is most often shaped by the experience of others. The Caribbean images and lifestyles are made for rich media. The Internet has the potential to bring a property or destination to life more effectively than magazine editorials or print advertising.

“The chicks” are hoping to bring the forum back to the Caribbean in 2009 in their well received fun, interactive and non- intimidating environment. I will definitely be booking for the next conference - the Caribe Hilton was a great venue also - give me the dates so I can plan my vacation around the conference. Perhaps August would be a better time or early December so I can Xmas shop also? Hopefully by then I will have a case study to present on my success using the strategies and tips learnt in the inaugural conference.

Really, what are they saying about YOU?

2008-08-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well I recently had a reason to be checking the news online extensively to monitor reports related to a recent local incident. Of course, I had bought the book mentioned in my earlier post “What are they saying about YOU!” written by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss called “Radically Transparent- Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online”, but had not yet read it. So I dusted it off, scanned the contents and went straight to Part III- Monitoring, Repairing and Planning your Online Reputation.

Funnily I had set up Google alerts for my name many months ago – I just like to read about myself online! But decided to use the guidance in the book to check on a particular local company. I used Google alerts, technorati, blogpulse, some forums, social bookmarking sites and reputation engines to set up a sentiment analysis. The sentiment analysis process really helped to pull together what could be very overwhelming into a systematic analysis of how you are viewed online and how it changes over time. It also provides a method to track your progress once you start to implement some of the strategies suggested to improve online reputation. (Question though, some of the same sites and blog posts come up through different channels i.e. Technorati and Google Alerts and also on subsequent days- should these be counted separately as part of the chatter or disregarded as duplicate?)

So while tracking, I read the rest of the book- well, actually couldn’t put it down. Well researched with many real life examples, this is a book that provides you with the tools, and specific guidance on how to use these tools. Every professional and business should have knowledge of these tools, although I still believe many may not recognise the importance or impact the new world of Web 2.0 may be having on their business. Which is leading me along the path to do some research related to the hospitality industry.. I am currently checking on what academic research has been done in this area… there is a dissertation to be written there!

I was also quite enthused that even before reading the book, I had done a number of things for my personal reputation suggested… yes, I am blogging (and already have seen great results in terms of a few good connections); I have a LinkedIn profile; I have a Facebook profile; I have a website (not yet very social media friendly). There are many things I can do to increase my online profile.. i.e. get more involved in forums and review sites (first thing will be to write a review of this book on Amazon!), respond to Yahoo Answers queries, write a few wikis and obtain myname domain. This book provides a rational reason to get more involved whereas before I wasn’t quite sure of the value of the time spent in these “social” networking areas. Still can’t quite get my head around Second Life but shall keep an open mind and have a proper look.

I will have to give this book a read at least a few more times, although, it is written in such a way that you can easily skip to specific areas of interest. There is a lot in it but you can pick off one strategy at a time, explore it, implement it and of course, monitor it.

I just read about a further iteration of online reputation management, that there are also services out there where anybody can check your online profile and reputation by just tracking your email address (e.g. Rapleaf) and they can also give feedback on you and your reputation. So it seems you cannot hide at all in this “Radically Transparent” World. The key is to know what you are doing, know why you are doing and know what the implications and consequences may be.

Next stop, Amazon.

From Blogging to Reality

2008-07-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, I know. But what a busy time. Of great interest, a couple of months ago was the visit of the POWERi team to Antigua and Barbuda, and the Turks and Caicos.

You may recall from my posts many moons ago, that through blogging about a presentation at the CTO Conference last year, I met the very impressive POWERi Technologies team and to cut a long story short, have been working with them to extend emarketing knowledge and tools throughout the Caribbean.

In May, the high powered team comprising Marvin Dejean, Vice President of Media Strategies and Laura Pierson, Vice President of Client Services from POWERi Technologies along with their Metamend partners including Glen Convey, President and Murray Owen, Vice President of Marketing, spent 3 days in Antigua, then 3 days in Turks and Caicos.

The seminars were hosted by the Antigua Hotel & Tourist Association and Wired Island in Turks and Caicos and gathered a cross section of hoteliers, bankers, Government officials, wholesalers and website designers totalling nearly 100 people between the two islands.

Quite a lot of media attention was generated both in Turks and Caicos and Antigua (click here for some TV footage).

We are hoping to spread the message across the Caribbean so that particularly small independent hotels (some of the most unique and intimate hotels in the world) can exploit the power of the Internet to position their hotels beside the big players and maximise revenue.

I'll fill you in on our crusade throughout the Caribbean.

The Internet and Small Hotels in the Caribbean- Part II

2008-02-15T18:43:00.001-08:00

Listen to the second part of the interview with David Andrade, CEO of POWERi Technologies.

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/shareID3389804/fileID137987195/AudioPlayer.swf

The Internet and Small Hotels in the Caribbean

2008-02-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was able to speak to David Andrade, CEO of POWERi Technologies (see earlier post- The Power of the Internet-Nov 22, 2007, to see the power of blogging and making new connections!) He shared his thoughts on the impact of the Internet and Social Networking in the travel industry, and how small hotels and small businesses in general,particularly in the Caribbean, can use these tools to maximise profit. Actually, it has taken me all that time to work out how to get it in the blog! But I have always believed in learning by doing- I shall soon be an expert!

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/shareID3312363/fileID133583730/Interview%20with%20Poweri-Dec%203dhqcomma%202007-%20Part%20I.swf

Listen out for the second Part in the next post

What are they saying about YOU?!

2008-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

It was a few posts ago (see November 22, 2007), when I was in awe of the Power of the Internet and Technology. But realised, with the advent of social networking (through chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.) word of mouth information is now on steroids!! Whereas before a person would see or call a friend and family and workmates about their recent vacation, now you can post photos and send your review to family, friends, workmates, and a million other stranger-friends through blogs, forums, message boards, YouTube and the many other growing configurations of Web 2.0, at a touch of a mouse.

Now, that is fine if the experience was good and good things are being said. In fact this has spawned a whole new revolution in marketing and PR, using and developing consumer brand advocates by harnessing the power of consumer generated content online. Buzz marketing, viral marketing and influencer marketing emphasise the effectiveness of getting compelling messages to critical persons who will have a propensity to pass on the message to a wide network of persons, and social networking has made this so much easier.

But what if somebody is saying something bad about you on the World Wide Web? Chances are that someone has sampled your service and is saying something about it that others are reading which is influencing their decision. I asked whether hotels and destinations are really monitoring what is being said about them and the effect this is having on their business?

Well, apparently hotels can and are monitoring what is being said about them on the World Wide Web. “Buzz monitoring” is a whole industry in itself spawning a number of specialized services and some specifically designed for hotels and those in the hospitality industry to help them manage their brand and strengthen their reputation management. Services like Collective Intellect, HotelProtect; Chatterguard, Searchview; Avalon Report; and Review Analyst are providing businesses with the information on what is being said in which forum and by whom and even how they are rated on travel review sites.

Probably costs a huge amount, is it worth it? According to Todd S. Defren of SHIFT Communications “The CEO, CFO and CMO care about MONEY. They know implicitly that reputation drives REVENUE, which is the only reason they care about reputation in the first place.”

But for those on smaller budgets you can apparently do it your self for free- well to a certain extent, not counting the time to do it. News Alerts like Google Alert will cover mainstream media, blogs, forums and groups to find out what they are saying about you; Technorati and Google Blog Search can be used to track what is being said about you by bloggers if you subscribe to RSS feeds or email alerts for your brand; co.mment.com can be used to track the comments of the blogs which may be more relevant. The same can be done with Flickr for photos, YouTube for videos and Boardtracker for forums. Serph, pulls together this information from a number of sources as does Yahoo Pipes, letting you custom design what you what to find out from a variety of sources. MyBuzzMonitor allows you to place the results of your buzz monitoring on your website so you let people know what is being said about you (quite a brave approach).

That’s your homework for this week, set up an alert for your property or business. Also set up one for say a well known brand and see what results you get. See a whole selection of free tools at http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/08/26-free-tools-for-buzz-monitoring.html

And when you find out what they are saying what should you do? How should you respond? Many may take these issues lightly but according to Jonathan Ashton, Director of SEO, Agency.com, while presenting at the Search Engine Strategies Conference 2007 in San Jose, California “Brand owners can no longer control your message. The community sites facilitate the word of mouth communication. That branding you've invested can be killed completely by one single complaint.” He illustrates some brands that don't exist anymore because of the impact of negative word of mouth marketing. “Complaints can have a life of their own. Buzz management is now brand management. Push marketing from corporate sources is less impactful. In this era of social computing, word of mouth, customer reviews, and tagging that carries more weight than the billions of dollars you've invested. You need to abandon the top-down perspective on brand management. Actively seek out the communities that respond and engage them. You have to play defense.”

An entire book (soon to be released) has been written about online reputation management by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss called “Radically Transparent- Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online”. Andy said at the same Conference “A great brand can take months, if not years, and millions of dollars to build. It should be the thing you hold most precious.-It can be destroyed in hours by a blogger upset with your company. A new product launch could take hundreds of TV commercials, dozens of newspaper ads, and an expensive ad agency.-It can also spread like a virus with the praise of just one customer, at one message board. A company can dominate market share, throttle competition and hold the #1 brand in the world. It can also crash in months if it fails to listen to what its customers want.”

He suggests some very useful tips on addressing consumer generated media at http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2006/03/online-reputation-monitoring-beginners.html, how to manage incorrect information, how to manage negative information and also how to outreach to relevant message boards, forums, user groups and blogs before any trouble strikes.

Sounds like there is a new full time job on the horizon for every serious company- an online reputation manager! Or better yet outsource.

It's The Conversation Economy.....Stupid!

2007-12-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post, but I have actually been on a mission. A mission to find answers to the questions posed in my last post. I was guided quite serendipitously to the Caribbean Sales and Marketing Strategy Conference hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International and the Caribbean Hotel Association.

The Conference held in Puerto Rico in mid December was quite focussed on Internet Marketing, eCommerce and Integrated Marketing Communications and presented information on society trends such as the new digital lifestyle and social networks by Trend Analyst, Michael Tchong of Ubercool.

I now know about “screensucking” and “logonorrhea”; how the new consumer values time over money (“luxury is having time to do what you want to do”) and are propelled by the Foutain of Youth trend (driving growth in spas- the 4th largest industry in the US, yoga, plastic surgery and memory enhancing games (Brain Age and Brain Age 2- my brain age is 34!))

That “Generation Ecstasy” is demanding the very best and now; and the Sushi Generation expect superb experiences rather than goods and services. (The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in 1999 is still extremely relevant where they define a new economic era in which every business is a stage, and companies must design memorable events for which they charge admission and engage customers in an inherently personal way. Delivering great service is still no longer a winning strategy).

Of particular interest was the presentation by Cindy Estis Green of the Estis Group, on “Social Media and Social Networking: The Dawn of Customer Engagement”. As promised the presentation delivered information on the evolution in Internet Market described as nothing short of a revolution. “Consumers are driving the many new uses of online media, and they aren’t stopping to worry about how marketers will communicate with them in this brave new world. It’s a place where promotional messages are being replaced with conversations, where discussion of product is being replaced by expert handling of content, where distribution is being replaced by an understanding of social networks.”

According to wikipedia (itself a reference social media) “Social Media is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into content publishers. It is the shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in conversations between authors, people, and peers”. Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, message boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies such as blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, group creation and voice over IP, to name a few. Examples of social media applications are Google (reference, social networking), Wikipedia (reference), MySpace (social networking), Facebook(social networking), Last.fm (personal music), YouTube (social networking and video sharing), Second Life (virtual reality), and Flickr (photo sharing)."

We learnt about tools like bookmarks, tags, widgets, brand education, blogs and how the travel industry favourite, consumer reviews, can be leveraged to the benefit of a travel marketer. Essentially Cindy described how “The name of the new game is customer engagement” and how we can use many online techniques to successfully reach the customer (research indicates that two-thirds of online customers use social media and not just teenagers!). The concept is to understand and meet the consumer in a more engaging fashion and facilitate their research rather than seeking to lecture them on what we think is best. Social Media will change the way marketing is done! Savvy travel marketers will now need to seek to influence consumers at every point during the travel planning process using these new tools.

But caution was given on how marketers should enter this brave new world and join “the conversation” to avoid appearing to seek to control messages, an approach consumers no longer eagerly accept or believe. It was recognised that the most important brand managers are consumers themselves and that marketers should be encouraging consumers who like what they are selling to speak about it among their various social networks (90% of consumers said a hotel review influenced their ultimate purchase).

And why is this so important? Engaged customers spend more money and come back more often; and you are only as good as your most recent Google or Yahoo results (or bad trip advisor review!).

Unfortunately, only 150 people were at this Conference (one of the best I have attended) when this is so crucial to how the Caribbean moves forward and ensure that we are not yet again left behind. The Caribbean as a destination must understand the trends affecting our guests and ensure that we deliver what they need.

The Caribbean should be leading in the embrace of these online tools as it doesn’t cost much compared to attending trade shows, half page monthly ads in travel magazines, and filming resort ads to air on CNN (which probably only Sandals can afford).

And further, by nature, Caribbean people love to converse and engage people- could this be a way to harness and develop a possible comparative advantage in the Conversation based economy?

When I came up with my title to the blog post (which I thought was quite innovative), of course I googled it (as you do) and lo and behold it is a title already used. Read this article from Business week in April 2007 which basically speaks of the same issue, the change in media and the effect on marketing.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2007/id20070409_372598.htm

Well for those waiting for answers to those questions posed in the post below, I will let you know in my next post what I found to be happening in the industry already and areas yet to be exploited.

The Power of the Internet

2007-11-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

You will never guess what happened a couple of days after my last post. It seems that anybody in anyway connected to POWERi Technologies (aunts, uncles, friends, employees, friends of employees,....) uses a news alert feature to let them know when the company is written about on the web. Their computers vibrate and start flashing... well not quite.. but enough flurry was caused to generate contact from the CEO himself (good thing I said only nice things about his company- I wonder if the same thing would happen if I said nice things about Donald Trump!)

But this got me thinking about...

1. The Power of Technology and the Internet- A few targeted words or phrases on a blog (that I thought I was writing to myself) were enough to provide software looking for those specific phrases to alert a person in London (thousands of miles away from my laptop in Antigua) which inspired him to take action and contact a colleague who contacted another colleague in Florida that led to the CEO contacting me. The whole concept is mind boggling, awe inspiring, amazing.

2. How can tourism providers in the Caribbean use these types of powerful tools? Could, for instance, hotels "tag" specific words or phrases such as "needing a vacation", or words possibly used by their target market i.e. words used by Wall Street stockbrokers or recently engaged women to make contact with new potential guests inviting them to visit a website which could further ask them or entice them with entry to a lucky draw to sign up to receive information via email on special offers or events taking place that could motivate them to book a trip. Is this happening already?

Or, once you get visitors to your website could they sign up for information updating them on specific areas they are interested in i.e. Carnival or new resorts, that would encourage them to travel. Thus, reducing the possibility of them being bombarded with email on areas they are not interested in?

3. The Power of Technology and the Internet- What if I had said some not so nice things about the company? Would I have been contacted by the company's attorney instead? In the travel world, what is the effect of negative postings and comments on sites like Trip Advisor (whose tag line is get the truth, then go) on those persons who were thinking of booking but have now read the opinion of a guest that had a bad experience? According to a review of Trip Advisor on Read/WriteWeb "The Rant & Rave function can make or break the reputation of a hotel or a restaurant in a nanosecond, and is tremendously helpful to travelers!" And which hotels and destinations are really monitoring what is being said about them and the effect this is having on their business?

4. How can tourism providers in the Caribbean use these types of powerful tools? Recognising that these forums are here to stay could Caribbean hotels and destinations seek to contact those who have had bad experiences (by tagging phrases about the destination or hotel) and appease and rebuild the relationship by offering a few free nights on their next stay or room upgrade or free spa visit? This could be part of a "Customer Winback" program where hotels or destinations could transform bad experiences into increased customer loyalty. ("Customer Winback" by Jill Griffen and Michael Lowenstein suggests that targeting defected customers is more profitable than new prospects based on an analysis of their lifetime value before defecting and their second lifetime value after being regained which assesses the average and potential size and frequency of customer orders).

Could potential bad reviews be avoided not only by ensuring that visitors have a positive experience but by receiving a video email from the Minister of the destination or General Manager of a hotel thanking them for visiting (this was a suggestion by the Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation at the Caribbean Tourism Conference held two years ago)

It definitely is food for thought.

I will share in my next post more of the vision of the Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation for integrating technology into the visitor experience to differentiate the Caribbean brand and help to make personal service more personal.

Thanks much to David Andrade, CEO at POWERi (there go those vibrating, flashing computers again!) Hopefully, I can get him to share his thoughts on how destinations and companies worldwide are utilising technology and what is available to players in the Caribbean.

Caribbean Tourism and Web 2.0

2007-11-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

I was just about to relay my findings from a very unscientific study of the Internet based on information garnered from the unmissable Caribbean Tourism Conference held last month, when true to form (and given their analysis on interactive marketing strategies and the future for emarketing) I received an email from POWERi Technologies Inc CEO, David Andrade.

David and his colleagues had made impactful presentations on Social Networking- Web 2.0 and Interactive Marketing Strategies, and thanked participants of the seminars by a follow up email, summarising the presentations and providing links to Powerpoint presentations as well as, of course, offering their services.

Quoting from the email:

As we all know, the Internet continues to transform and shape the global reach for travel destinations in all parts of the world. Our aim at this year’s conference was to share with you some of the emerging web trends that face the travel and tourism industry, and to facilitate a discussion on how to leverage the tools and techniques that are available through eMarketing.

To recap a few of the key points that were discussed at this year’s conference:

Social Networking… the 21st century term for "virtual community". A phenomenon defined by linking people to each other. Social networking sites are for people interested in a particular subject or just to "hang out" together and communicate by voice, chat, instant message, videoconference and blogs. How are you communicating your brand? Are you leveraging social networking to promote your brand?

Search Engine Optimization… Why is this important? Consider what it would be like if no one could easily find your place of business, or even your phone number. Most businesses could not continue for long in such a situation. The same thing can happen with your web site if people cannot easily locate it. Use search engines to bring your target audience to your site. The web is a BIG place, but small brands can play!

eMarketing… encompasses much more than just internet marketing and more than just website promotion. eMarketing covers all methods of communicating with your customers electronically, not just through your website but also through email marketing, ePostcards, online video, business blogging, mobile messaging, podcasting and the like. How can you reduce your costs through automation and use of electronic media?

Given the new trends, I used the Shelborne hotel (http://www.shelborne.com/), a Miami South Beach property, used as a case study by POWERi, as a benchmark. This property following emarketing support from POWERi increased its sales from US$8M in 2003 to US$10M in 2006, this increase driven by an increase in direct sales from the web from $10,000 to $1.2M in three years.

One of the major marketing thrusts was to increase the placing/ranking of the property during specific searches on search engines by prospective guests (search engine optimisation or SEO). According to POWERi, the strategy of SEO for Shelborne resulted in an average tripling of search referral traffic peaking at seven times the amount of traffice prior to SEO with an online revenue increase of over 100x. Shelborne Hotel outperformed other major brands on terms like "South Beach Resorts" coming up #3 of 11.3M and #6 of 13.7M for Miami Beach Hotel.

Thus, a key critical success factor in this age of Internet marketing is how Caribbean hotels (and other tourism service providers) fare when potential visitors are searching for vacation experiences in the Caribbean and in specific islands. Surprisingly, when searching (google) for Caribbean hotels or hotels in the Caribbean no natural results pointed to individual hotels. Elegant Hotels and Intimate Hotels both groups based in Barbados and the Marriott in St. Kitts emerged in searches for Caribbean Hotels. Sandals, Beaches, Elite Island Resorts and Divi Resorts- Caribbean hotel brands- emerged for searches for Caribbean Resorts.

Individual island searches highlighted:

Atlantis (Bahamas);
Jumby Bay, Cocobay and Long Bay (Antigua);
Almond Resorts, Gems of Barbados, The Crane, Turtle Beach, Treasure Beach and The Fairmont Royal Pavillion (Barbados)
Marriott, Frigate Bay (St. Kitts)
Four Seasons (Nevis)
Sandals, Couples, Half Moon, Sunset Jamaica Grande, Rose Hall Resort

For sponsored positions or paid advertising on google, the following hotels placed:

Atlantis, Old Bahama Bay, The Cove Atlantis (Bahamas);
Rosehill Resort (Jamaica);
Fort Recovery (BVI)
Siboney Beach Club (Antigua)- incidentally one of the smallest hotels in Antigua.

So this very unscientific research revealed, at least on the surface, that some Caribbean destination hotels seemed to be utilising SEO better than others - Barbados and Jamaica. And in the case of Antigua and the BVI, very small intimate hotels were taking advantage of the technology above and beyond that of the larger properties.

However, in reviewing a number of Caribbean hotel websites, there is a dearth of use of online booking tools and other "call to action" features, special offers, email address collection and development of client databases, blogs, chat rooms and other social networking tools. The Caribbean seems to be way behind the curve!

According to the reknown Vincent Vanderpoole Wallace, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation at his presentation during Caribbean Week in 2006, the Internet was viewed as a major opportunity for the Caribbean and the most significant advance in tourism since the jet airplane. He stated that:

There is no more debate about how the majority of our prospective customers prefer to access our information and transact business with us . . . it is via the internet
150 million consumers visited travel sites in US last year, up 35%; online revenues exceeded $60 billion, up 20%
Market entry costs, information delivery costs, transaction costs; cost of obsolescence, etc have all been reduced substantially and the possible range of products that can be offered have been increased dramatically
But many of our Members (both public and private) have not sufficiently adjusted their operational style and organizational structures to take advantage of this true paradigm shift

I'll explore in my next post how this strategic shift in operational style and organisational structure can be encouraged among Caribbean tourism service providers and embraced by destination management organisations.

See the detailed presentations of POWERi at http://www.poweri.com/cto/docs/ctc_masters_class_web_20.pdf and http://www.poweri.com/cto/docs/POWERi-CTO_Presentation_Oct2007.pdf

View a typical epostcard used to showcase the experience of POWERi clients through an “Intro”, 4 -6 key “scenes” that include specific marketing collateral information, and finally an “Outro” highlighting the particular call to action. These high-impact pieces are typically sent to prospects by including a link in the signature of an email, or alternatively can be distributed directly without links or downloads) using an email application. http://www.regentinteractive.com/epostcards/caribbean_gen.html?j=13370036&e=lorraine@geegeeconsulting.com&l=2029487_HTML&u=158614128&mid=3655&jb=0

Caribbean Tourism Conference, a wealth of information

2007-11-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Interested in Caribbean Tourism, then the Caribbean Tourism Conference held in Puerto Rico October 21-24 was a must attend. With many interesting presentations ranging from Climate Change to the MICE market the most prominent topics were related to Social Networking, Web 2.0 and Internet Marketing.

Internet marketing tools could prove to be Caribbean companies, hotels and destinations method of levelling the playing field against larger, bigger budget competitors but also places more power in the hands of the consumer. Consumers are checking websites, travel reviews, as well as weather sites to select their vacation destinations. And more so, consumers are wanting to share their travel experiences online, through travel forums and on YouTube.

Spurred on by the exciting opportunities in the world of web 2.0 relayed at the Conference, this online novice- yes this is my first blog post- is off to check out what's online in the travel world and where the Caribbean fits in. Will keep you posted!

Welcome

2007-10-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tourism Solutions