Hotel Internet Marketing Strategy – Practical Tips for Direct Digital Marketing

Targeting guest experience is vital, especially using direct digital marketing.
Direct digital marketing, according to Brian Deagan, co-founder of Knotice, is comprised of three basic message delivery channels: email, the Web, and the mobile phone. In other words, direct digital marketing allows customers to read the message and/or react whatever their means of communication is.
More importantly, two types of direct digital marketing are vital in order to call the attention of customers. First and foremost, it is not necessary to try and attract a market via one single means like mobile marketing and relationship with the customer through email. Indeed, the appropriate direct digital marketing software will provide you with multi-channel campaign, but more importantly and on the long term, with management capabilities. Next, centralizing all important marketing data (i.e. customer’s profile for instance) in one signle software is fundamental as it enables to target better the customer.
As the following examples show it, the previous facts can be easily proved. Indeed, online booking needs to be considered, as it obviously needs to be easy to use for the consumer. Also, it has to online bookings need to use the guest’s tastes and preferences. As a result, if a guest states it wants to arrive on Friday, the browser should offer him/her to stay during the week end. Likewise, if he/she announces, his/her sty should begin on Monday, it should offer a discount to arrive during the previous week end.
Also, marketing through emails, in a customer-loyalty goal, has proved its weaknesses as customers are being less and less responsive to these. Once again, direct digital marketing proves its efficiency as it stands as a concierge, not waiting for the customer to leave its room to get involved with his/her feedback/enquiries. Indeed, once the guest has books his/her room, the e-Concierge will send the guest three e-mails. The first one will welcome the guest, the second one will inform him/her on the amenities available in the room and events in the area he/she might be interested in and the third one will aim at make him/her up-selling. Obviously, e-Concierge programs will use their database (i.e: guest’s profile) in order to personalize its messages.
Next, check-in and check-out can also be involved in the direct digital marketing processes, and are an obvious way to contribute in the guest experience. Indeed, the express check-in and check-out, available with mobile device, will increasingly reduce the waiting time of the guest and will allow him/her to enjoy on-site amenities.
As a conclusion, direct digital marketing is an effective way to save costs for marketers as it allows all channels to be linked together. Consequently, one single universal management profile system is used in order to facilitate marketing activities. Accordingly, this will contribute to a more memorable experience to consumer and long term relationship.

Futur Trends in Hotel E-business

« Future trends in hotel e-business »

The HEDNA’s Lisbon Conference has allowed people to understand the importance of the new trends in the hotel E-business, and how to make profit from it. Nowadays each company needs to differentiate itself. A company has to secure the loyalty of its customers. If a company wants to success, she has to fulfill the experience expected by its customers. And that strategy could be engaging the customer through social computing. In fact, travel & tourism industry are playing an important role in social computing. The mobile technology is the latest innovation for this sixth generation regarding electronic distribution. The modern travelers are the ones who will find the most utility from enjoying and using those new kinds of services.

The Hotels have to get ready for tomorrow

The hotel “E-business” industry is an interesting and exiting industry with a lot of opportunities. The changes are growing up so fast. The GDPs of India, China and other Asian countries are growing fast while the US and Europe are dropping. The travel & tourism industry have to keep in consideration the environment and the social factors. Even if those changes may represent threats, they could be opportunities. Some of the opportunities center on the five important trends affecting hotel e-business. Those trends are more demanding consumers, more changing business models where firms have to give more, more complex distribution channels, and a lot of changes in the hotel E-business’ structure. At first, the hotels shouldn’t let opportunities get hijacked.

“Globalization versus localization”

The globalization and localization are not in competition. In fact, any company and business need the both. At first, the globalization is here to stay as evidenced by changes in demographics and affluence.

The globalization strategy really needs careful planning.

“Changing factors in decision making”

Shaping customers’ expectations is becoming crucial as customers look for an ‘experience’ rather than just a room. The more exiting the experience for the guest, the more delighted the guest will be.

Is it the hotel or is it the online services that attract the customers?
“The traveler’s experience was very much the focus of the Web 2.0 panel. Consumer generated content, which is more and more in demand, is all about a traveler’s experience.”

That would be the best way to match content with traveler’s age group and interests.

And at the same time it reinforce the customer’s expectation about what that experience at the accommodation will be like. Yet, most of people that are taking time to write up their experiences have positive comments about it. The Lisbon Conference seemed to share the perspective that as HEDNA stays on top of major trends and technologies. The collaboration of the international community will assist the travel and tourism industry to survive even if there are a lot of changes.

Sources:

http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/future_trends_in_hotel_e_business

European Union Places Full Internet Access High on its Agenda

As of 20/09/2010, European Commission has adopted couple of complementary measures to facilitate the roll out and take up of fast and and ultra-fast broadband in EU . The aim of the measures is to provide regulatory certainty , to encourage investment in in high and ultra high speed networks and to ensure that spectrum is available for wireless broadband. The measures aim to help the EU realise the commitments in the digital agenda for Europe to give every European access to basic broadband by 2013 and fast and ultrafst broadband by 2020. Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda said "Fast broadband is digital oxygen, essential for Europe's prosperity and well-being. These measures will help to ensure that Europeans get the first-class internet they expect and deserve,so that they can access the content and services they want".
On average, 94% of Europeans had high-speed broadband access by the end of 2009, but that proportion fell to 80% in rural areas.
The Commission believes that fast and ultra-fast broadband could revolutionise people's lives in the same way that railways did 100 years ago, with applications not just for jobs and businesses, but for health and education as well.
This measure is in response of the Asian competition that benefits of much higher speed internet connection and which puts at disadvantage the European Business and customers..
For example, only 1% of consumers in Europe have a high-speed fibre connection in their homes compared to 12% of Japanese and 15% of South Koreans.
The Commission estimates that between €180 and €270 billion of investment is needed in order to meet the 2020 broadband targets.
However, a recent study shows that, assuming a constant adoption rate up to 2015, broadband development will help create around 1 million jobs in Europe and a broadband-related growth of economic activity of € 850 billion between 2006 and 2015.
The impact on European industry is clearly positive: apart from civil work for networks which has a direct impact on local employment, sales of network equipment will also benefit global European suppliers (like Siemens, Ericsson, Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent), as well as telecoms or satellite operators. And areas with advanced broadband connections will see an increase in demand for products and services.

Sources :
http://ec.europa.eu/
http://www.cellular-news.com

"Building the iTourism experience"

There is a most important change going on out in the globe in how tourists are accessing information about destination.
In this process, the applications for smartphones for the purpose of tourism are becoming more and more populare.Nowadays, a lot of cities have meet the needs of tourists to see on the screen of smartphone the visitor information in details on a destination's attractions and amenities. The city of Ottawa joined to the cities offering this kind of apps to bring the fresh dynamic to the tourism industry in the capital of Canada.

The Ottawa has recently innagurated a new generation application, running on compact portable devices, including both iPhone and Blackberry (first of a kind for the latter), to increase its visibility and attractiveness for comers. The bilingual programm called Discover Ottawa offers a wide range of information and functionality of value to tourists such as flight schedules, local restaurants and cultural activities; social networking junkies may very well appreciate the ability to send facebook or twitter messages watermarked by Ottawa logos. Within the first 36 hours of launching, the application attracted more than 2000 downloads, and was rancked the eighth-most-downloaded social networking application in Canada.

Actually, the Canadian capital city has not pioneered the concept. The software authors count among their clients a number of museums and galeries, such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Smithsonian network of 19 museum, tne national zoo in States, the City Walk of Amsterdam, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium reporting drastic increase in number of download and consequently growing number of visitors. The Smithsonian estimates that since it lainched the
app in the summer 2010, there have been more than 10 million downloads.
What is inetersting is that the "Discover Ottawa" was developed with the help of $40 000 in finding from the city's budjet.Although the city officiales say it still early to quantify the impact of the project in terms of bottom line, we can see the very high ROI in terms of the investments and increased visits.
A modern portable device has grown into a full fleged high performance platform streaming out megabytes per second of high quality media, which is a greater experience compared to traditional audio guides. Those who do not own the compatible devices, are offered to rent one, finding the iPod Touch model a better choice than a traditional combersome hand held set.
Ottawa is trying hard to boost its image of a visitor friendly technologically advanced vibrant touristic destination.
Ottawa's officials want to let the world know that there are many reasons to visit "beyond the traditional institutions and the fact that it's the government seat here". This article shows one more fact in how the popularity of Discover Ottawa's exhibits there is a lot of potential to use mobile nechnology to promote the destination.

New "cuddle class" for Air New Zealand

When booking a flight from point A to point B, the customer has the option to book either economy or business class. Economy is cheaper and offers little space to make oneself comfortable, while business is most of the time unreachable for the average traveler, due to its price, but offers a bit more legroom and higher service quality. But the question remains; what will the average traveler do to be able to have a bit more comfort for a reasonable cost now a days? The answer to this question is provided by Air New Zealand. Beginning with the 2^nd of April the current year, the airline will introduce the so-called “cuddle class”.

The “cuddle class” is meant for couples or for kids that are boarding a long haul flight. With the touch of a button, the footrest will come out of the three seats, the armrest will disappear between the seats, converting the space to a bed similar seating area where one can get some rest during the flight. These seats are only available for a couple, not allowing two strangers to share this “coach”.

Price wise, Air New Zealand, will try to keep it as flexible as possible, meaning that for the purchase of the three seat row, the couple will pay the economy price for the two seats, plus 50% of the economy price for the third one.

It seems very convenient to be able to buy three seats with your partner and have a make shift bed, but this innovation raises a few questions and problems.

1. How many can get this seating area? For the moment it is mentioned that only the Boeing 777-300 aircraft will be converted to have the seating area, yet it fails to mention how many will be installed and available. In long haul flights, most of the passengers travel with their families, meaning the couple plus children. Although the upgrade is done online, how will the airline guarantee that all the travelers have access to this type of seating?

2. Will this modification prompt airlines to purchase new aircrafts that can sustain this type of seating? As mentioned before the demand for the “cuddle coach” might not be sufficient for the supply that the airline has. It is only safe to assume, that the airline might be forced to order specific build aircrafts.

3. What are the economic impacts on the airline? With only a few rows of this new seating, the airline might be forced to take out standard economy seats to make way for the “cuddle coach”. This in a way might impact the traveler since the number of sold seats is diminished, potentially leading to a fail in the selling of the seats.

4. What is the impact on the business class? With this new type of seating, business travelers that travel in two’s might see it as more affordable to buy three seats in economy instead of two seats in business. This might lead to lower number of seats sold and it also forces the airline to come up with alternatives to attract the business traveler once again.

As a conclusion, it can be said that the “cuddle class” is an interesting alternative with the potential to become indispensable and lead to new developments in the airline industry.

The Productivity Cloud

As an event agency, you can benefit from many web applications in order to improve all your processes. But more than a web application, you can stock all your data on a remote server (web-based). This application permits to gather all your essential information about your clients, your prospects, your suppliers, etc. This is the best value of the cloud: you always have an access to all your data wherever you are. You don’t need to have your own laptop, but only an Internet access.

Following, five examples of applications that can improve employees’ work performance when they are on the road:

- Harvest: “Productivity Tracking”. This application mainly concerns small businesses or entrepreneurs and gives you online tools related to productivity such as: online invoicing estimating tool, time tracking… Employees can also use it through their smartphones and provide a link to other applications like Twitter, Gmails, etc.

- Wunderlist: “Task Management”. This application gathers all your to-do-list and reminds your deadlines and priorities. The advantage is that you can check it thanks to your smartphone. Some users think there is one weakness: the lack of reminders.

- Evernote: “Remember everything”. This application provides you with a platform where you can synchronize every type of information: upload photo, organize your business travel, write memo… Everton can help you in every kind of task.

- Dropbox: it is an online platform used to stock information and to share others. You can install this application on several supports, computers and your data are automatically updated. You can share some with your colleagues and keep others private.

- Google docs: it is a simple copy of Microsoft Office that permits to share every kind of documents through the sharing of a link. Everyone who knows the link can update it, modify or improve your document.

Event agencies should implement some of these applications in order to improve their internal processes and be more productive and efficient.

Source: One+, MPI magazine, February 2011, Tara SWORDS

Delta launches online check-in via Facebook

As we can clearly see in the photos above, delta is an American airway which actively engaged its customers via facebook.

There are always a lot of people talking about each post from delta on facebook and delta staff keeps being very much involved in the conversations with people comment on its posts.

Delta uses facebook to know what customer want, let them suggest, even vote, and the most exciting thing for fans is delta makes their suggestions come true! From March 2011, people can do online check- in on facebook.

What makes delta different is delta is using facebook to sell. As it shows in the photo above, you just need to click “get started” on the facebook page, you can purchase fight tickets and other services.

Delta is perfect example of managing customer relationship with social media.

InterContinental "Stays In Touch" with New iPad 2

InterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury, founded by Pan American World, under Juan Trippe, and now owned by InterContinental Hotels. The chain operates over 200 hotels and resorts in approximately 75 nations. InterContinental is the first global hotel brand to equip its Concierge teams with the iPad, InterContinental is committed to ensuring travelers have unparalleled access to local attractions, cultural events and "Insider" travel tips. Using the innovative FaceTime feature on Apple products - be it a MacBook, iPhone 4, iPod touch or iPad 2 - consumers can video chat with InterContinental's highly equipped Concierge teams and receive top notch personalized service and destination recommendations before they even leave home. This is absolutely a good idea to promote both Apple products and InterContinental hotel. For those who book hotel by himself and want to know more about the hotel, the destination, this application is very useful for apple product holders. Instead of calling the reception, having a "face to face" chat is cheap and vivid. However, even though InterContinental says that they start this application to take better care of clients, it is more like InterContinental wants to take advantage from people's attention to Ipad2. It is saying that InterContinental's Concierge team has "insider information" for tourists, nevertheless, people who is used to use apple products must be technology sensitive and is used to search for information by himself. From customer's point of view, it is good for those who is interested, it doesn't change much for those who is used to get travel information by himself. For those who wants to be special guest, having the unique service, this is perfect solution. From hotel's point of view, I think it saves more time and money to make the "inside information" to be text or video with all the information they want to deliver to clients and put in their website, so that they can find information by themselves.

Target Net Goes Mobile on the IPad

Target Net Goes Mobile on the IPad



The Knowland Group is market leader providing sales and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry. The aim of this company is managing the hotel's sales process from one hand, and managing the relationship one has with different customers.
The article " Targer Net Goes Mobile on the IPad" discusses how Knowland was able to change how hotel sales managers deal with customers since as stated " hotel sales managers can't be chained to a desktop computer all day. (Target net goes, 2011). Whilst, hotel sales managers can log into their Target net accounts anywhere at anytime, " continuing to enhance client value is our top priority"
This new innovation and shift in technology, Target Net is a innovative, free and friendly accessible tool that can be accessed through any internet browser using an IPad, with absolutely no maintenance requirement and not only manages ongoing sales efforts and meeting planning, but also helps turn opportunities into booking. This enables direct interaction with customer, and allows the sales team to check, read, update, and re allocate, redesign, and send contracts on the spot. And similarly the guest does not physically need to exist in the lobby to sign a contract nor on a desktop but can sign the contract anywhere as one happy client stated " I am sending this to you from my IPad. I am looking at my booking while walking down the atrium of the hotel"
Reading this article was not only interesting for us, but also made us understand the importance of technology and innovation, and how different companies are intensely thriving to innovate to keep a gratifying position in today's market. Technology has affected each and every sector in the world; for instance sales in the hospitality industry, as mentioned in this article how Knowland Group succeeded in finding barriers facing sales people such as time, office, and the inability to be stuck to a desktop from one side, and the requirement of the customer to be physically available in the lobby to sign a contract and was able to create a new dimension and hence change the way contracts are signed. The introduction of that easy and friendly user program is considered a win-win situation for both hoteliers and customers. Unlike the old days, today a sales manager can receive a request for a business lunch at Hall A of the hotel, and whether the sales manager is in the cab on his home, or having a coffee after work he can literally organize the lunch , build a menu, price it, add extra requests such as headphones, microphones, and screens and send it to the customer as a PDF form which can be signed and sent back to the sales manager who books this specific Hall at the required date. Another advantage of these joint forces between iPad and Target Net is that this program acts as a upselling effort for sales teams to pursue and helps sales teams to turn opportunities to booking and hence reach the sales targets.
Additionally, Target Net allows directing as well as indirect interaction with clients, increases efficiency, increases values, is more fun, and saves time and resources, which is very precious in business today.
Last but not least, we believe that this is an important step that made business easier to both sales people and customers, moreover as innovation increases competition will also get tougher as competitors will rush and invest in Research and Development to try to create a better product than Target Net which is considered a serious threat to the Knowledge Group.

Source: Target net goes mobile on the ipad. (2011, January 31). Retrieved from http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article51850Target_Net_Goes_Mobile_on_the_IPad.htm

ONLINE TRAVEL SITES ARE TERRIFIED BY GOOGLE

Hostilities towards online agencies began last July as Google decided to sign a partnership with the company ITA, the latter specialized in information software on airlines transportation (exactly the same software usually used by airlines companies and Travel Agencies to find flights information). Google is planning to buy it for $700 million. Here is the heart of the problem…

ITA would enable Google to strengthen its powerful search engine with a tool to find online travels and flights at the cutting edge of the online travel technology.

Some competitors and huge online travel agency likeExpedia, TripAdvisor and Microsoft have counterattacked with the launch of Fairsearch.org, a professional partnership created to counter the ITA buy-out and to buy themselves to keep their business safe in front of the giant Google.

The Fairsearch.org site is stressing the danger for the competitors: prices would increase whereas there should be less choice for the customers. Google plant s here like a bomb in the online travel market being positioned as the most terrifying competitors.

Therefore this company is asking the US Ministry of Justice to stop the acquisition, similar to what has be done in 2008 regarding an advertising partnership between Google and Yahoo.

If Google takes over ITA then problems could occur: travel agencies' agreements should be not renewed or prices not updated and according to Thomas Barnett, a lawyer working for Expedia, the US Ministry of Justice could only express some reservation, making consequences likely difficult to evaluate.

The ideal for online travel agencies would be that the giant Google stops its purchase of ITA…

However Google explains that the ITA buy-out should improve the tools to make the online travel search easier. Google denies having the overall objective of setting the prices or selling the airlines tickets on its own.

So do think Google will be able to have the role of a online travel agency or is it better to leave this role to specialists like Expedia and TripAdvisor? The debate is not closed for the moment…

By Isabelle Masseglia & Amandine Amphoux.

Image from: http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2010/07/02/google-rachete-ita-specialiste-du-tourisme_1382008_651865.html

The two most distinctive trends in meetings industry: Green Meetings and Mobile Technology. And the future?

There is no doubt that the number of smartphone users has sharply increased. Now, mobile phones are not just a private communication tool, but also a essential working equipment. . According to a survey conducted by M&C in December 2010, 81% among 197 meeting planners said that smartphone is crucial tool for their job.

Meetings industry is one of the earliest adopter in terms of up-to-date technology. More and more meeting planners prepare mobile applications for the meetings that they organize. Attendees can download diverse information about the conference or the exhibition. With smartphone applications for meetings, we can have video chatting, meeting organizing application etc. as well as e-mail, calling, and texting.

Meanwhile, sustainable meeting is another important issue. Meeting planners often offers local foods, green gifts, paperless meeting solutions, and sustainable energy sources for events etc. Also clients’ satisfaction of sustainable meeting solution is growing. It seems that this trend will cut across more sooner or later.

Now, to conclude, let’s synthesize these two trends and make an interesting scenario. One day, if papers are completely disappeared, and if mobile applications replace papers, what will it happen? How can non smartphone users participate to meetings? Of course, there would be other solutions such as USB keys or portable personal computers. Yet the future of meeting industry affected diverse new technologies and green trend is still interesting.

Acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T: a critical switch in the mobile industry

AT&T are the global leader (in revenue) in providing their customers with the access to communication channels such as the Internet and cell phones. Among others, they are one of the US leader companies in providing mobile broadband network, both in the US and in more than 130 foreign countries.

It must be one of the most decisive turning points in the wireless industry from the beginning of the 21th century: AT&T have issued publicly that they were to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in cash and stocks. Trough the acquisition of T-Mobile from parent company Deutsche Telekom, AT&T can expect to take over near 34 million customers, and is bound to supply mobile network to about 43 percent of U.S. cell phones. In short, AT&T will become the US largest network operator. In 2010, the company considered their customers were about 95.5 million. Thanks to the deal, AT&T is likely to expand its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology to an additional 46.5 million customers.

With almost 5 billion mobile phone users nowadays, the mobile technologies are growing rapidly worldwide. Thus, mobile internet access, WIFI access, 3G, Bluetooth and Near Field Communication are tools which expansion has been progressively changing the world's face. Therefore, as tourism activities adapt to people’s lifestyles, the level of innovation concerning tourism practices involving more and more mobile technologies has increased. Indeed, the diversity of tourism-related devices, smartphone applications and technology-based services has been widening rapidly. Tourism is then an industry in which mobile technological innovation has become essential. Nonetheless, the acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T is not a good news for customers, including mobile users in tourism activities. Indeed, that deal will give the US company a leader position which means increased power.

However, it is well known that monopolies or reduced competition plays against the interests of consumers regarding prices. Then the position reached by AT&T via T-Mobile acquisition will necessarily modify the power relationship between the customers and the company and may cause the mobile network prices to rise. Therefore, even though the importance of mobile tourism has been growing for the last twenty years, its role is likely to decrease for profitability reasons in many tourism businesses in the next years. To conclude, by acquiring T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom, AT&T will bring about a critical switch in the mobile industry.



Picture retrieved from: http://www.att.com


References:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/att-t-mobile-merger-7-biggest-changes-for-customers/

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=19358&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=31703&mapcode=corporatefinancial

How about booking a meeting space for your avatar?

Check out the video link from the title

Coming across this video on YouTube concerning a company that provides software for virtual meetings, it was inevitable not to think about the concerns that it may rise. By using Second Life technology the company can create a totally secure virtual space to host a meeting, event or training program, providing controlled access and ensuring for a unique experience. All that requires is a PC and fast internet connection.

So, what is it that comes to your mind while watching the above video?

“The end of face-to-face meetings”… “The end of corporate travel”…”The end of meeting planning professionalism”…

Actually, it is the beginning of a tremendous usage of technology in implementing new ways of creating experiences in the meetings industry.

The MICE Industry is so far well adopting new technologies, as part of adding value to its business and functionality. However, what is of great importance is that technology has played a unique role in the experience given to the participants/ attendees of the event or meeting.

Despite the fact that the above can seem like an advertising campaign, this is not the reason for uploading it. More than that, it raises issues that many professional event and meeting organizers may look at as a threat coming from the online world.

Virtual reality can add an alternative to face-to-face meetings and events when those last cannot happen for various reasons.

First of all, setting up a virtual meeting is much less expensive than a face-to-face. Cost is saved by the non-existing venue rent and equipment, catering supplies and accommodation, nonetheless, by time and of course the lack carbon emissions.

At this point it is crucial to mention the meeting planner’s role. Everyone agrees that an event is successful as long as it fulfills its objectives, meeting the attendees’ needs and sometimes goes even beyond their expectations. This is the job of the meeting/event planner; to understand and deliver a project that will gratify these needs even through an online virtual reality.

Concluding, event planners should see this as opportunity as well as a tool in their hands to generate experience through their events and meetings, while it would be really interesting to conduct a survey among those who have already attend a meeting in their virtual reality, asking them how wiling they are to actually meet their co-attendees in real life। If the majority marks the box “very willing”, then we have to get our heads down to organize the face-to-face meetings.

Image retrieved on March 27^th, 2011 from http://www.seltra.org/index.php