Friday, September 30, 2011

EyeforTravel's Social Media trends in Travel infographic

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Good summary of current state of Social Media in Travel.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

EyeforTravel's Social Media trends in Travel infographic

Media_httpeventseyefo_pevie

Good summary of current state of Social Media in Travel.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous


Drawing on messages posted by more than two million people in 84 countries, researchers discovered that the emotional tone of people’s messages followed a similar pattern not only through the day but also through the week and the changing seasons. The new analysis suggests that our moods are driven in part by a shared underlying biological rhythm that transcends culture and environment.
The report, by sociologists at Cornell University and appearing in the journal Science, is the first cross-cultural study of daily mood rhythms in the average person using such text analysis. Previous studies haDrawing on messages posted by more than two million people in 84 countries, researchers discovered that the emotional tone of people’s messages followed a similar pattern not only through the day but also through the week and the changing seasons. The new analysis suggests that our moods are driven in part by a shared underlying biological rhythm that transcends culture and environment. The report, by sociologists at Cornell University and appearing in the journal Science, is the first cross-cultural study of daily mood rhythms in the average person using such text analysis. Previous studies have also mined the mountains of data pouring into social media sites, chat rooms, blogs and elsewhere on the Internet, but looked at collective moods over broader periods of time, in different time zones or during holidays. “There’s just a torrent of new digital data coming into the field, and it’s transforming the social sciences, creating new lenses to look at all sorts of behaviors,” said Peter Sheridan Dodds, a researcher at the University of Vermont who was not involved in the new research. He called the new study “very exciting, because it complementsve also mined the mountains of data pouring into social media sites, chat rooms, blogs and elsewhere on the Internet, but looked at collective moods over broader periods of time, in different time zones or during holidays.
“There’s just a torrent of new digital data coming into the field, and it’s transforming the social sciences, creating new lenses to look at all sorts of behaviors,” said Peter Sheridan Dodds, a researcher at the University of Vermont who was not involved in the new research. He called the new study “very exciting, because it complements...more here Drawing on messages posted by more than two million people in 84 countries, researchers discovered that the emotional tone of people’s messages followed a similar pattern not only through the day but also through the week and the changing seasons. The new analysis suggests that our moods are driven in part by a shared underlying biological rhythm that transcends culture and environment. The report, by sociologists at Cornell University and appearing in the journal Science, is the first cross-cultural study of daily mood rhythms in the average person using such text analysis. Previous studies have also mined the mountains of data pouring into social media sites, chat rooms, blogs and elsewhere on the Internet, but looked at collective moods over broader periods of time, in different time zones or during holidays. “There’s just a torrent of new digital data coming into the field, and it’s transforming the social sciences, creating new lenses to look at all sorts of behaviors,” said Peter Sheridan Dodds, a researcher at the University of Vermont who was not involved in the new research. He called the new study “very exciting, because it complementshttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/science/30twitter.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat Deal of the Day | Groupon Calgary

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SpaGypsies thinks this is a fabulous deal. Great place.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Colonial Walking Tours Charleston Deal of the Day | Groupon Charleston

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Great city for a walking tour. Just stunning.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Colonial Walking Tours Charleston Deal of the Day | Groupon Charleston

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Great city for a walking tour. Just stunning.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The future of consumer loyalty in travel is social media | Tnooz

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Great summary of social impact on air travelers

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

The three mindsets of search

The three mindsets of search

September 28, 2011 | Online Marketing

A new About.com study identifies three distinct human behavior search patterns to help marketers understand and connect with consumers. People in a inspire me search - like in travel search - want to be “taken somewhere.”

Study revealed three distinct search types:

1. Answer Me (46% of all searches) – People in a “answer me” search want exactly what they ask for, and no more, delivered in a way that allows them to get to it as directly as possible.

2. Educate Me (26% of all searches) – People in an “educate me” search want 360 degrees of understanding, and multiple perspectives on critical topics. They will search until their goal is achieved – this may stretch over long periods of time and through related topics.

3. InspireMe(28%ofallsearches)–Thefun“browsy”typeofsearch,where people are looking for surprises, have open minds and want to be led.

Get the full story at About.com (PDF 150KB)

Latest Industry News

What business travelers want from hotels when it comes to mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

August GDS hotel bookings growth accelerates after July’s slow-down
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

TripAdvisor now emphasizes traveler photos
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel revenue management is evoloving from a passive referee to an active player
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

The three mindsets of search
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Facebook’s future is mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

How far should hotels go to please and appease?
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Travel click-throughs higher on mobile
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel experts uncertain over strength of recovery
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Social media marketing more important for independent hotels
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Five simple steps to building trust online
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Google+ lays groundwork for business profiles
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Pegasus sees positive trends in booking data
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Study: Corporate travel policies in Europe
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Have money, will travel - catering to Chinese tourists
26 Sep, 2011 | Online Travel

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

The three mindsets of search

The three mindsets of search

September 28, 2011 | Online Marketing

A new About.com study identifies three distinct human behavior search patterns to help marketers understand and connect with consumers. People in a inspire me search - like in travel search - want to be “taken somewhere.”

Study revealed three distinct search types:

1. Answer Me (46% of all searches) – People in a “answer me” search want exactly what they ask for, and no more, delivered in a way that allows them to get to it as directly as possible.

2. Educate Me (26% of all searches) – People in an “educate me” search want 360 degrees of understanding, and multiple perspectives on critical topics. They will search until their goal is achieved – this may stretch over long periods of time and through related topics.

3. InspireMe(28%ofallsearches)–Thefun“browsy”typeofsearch,where people are looking for surprises, have open minds and want to be led.

Get the full story at About.com (PDF 150KB)

Latest Industry News

What business travelers want from hotels when it comes to mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

August GDS hotel bookings growth accelerates after July’s slow-down
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

TripAdvisor now emphasizes traveler photos
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel revenue management is evoloving from a passive referee to an active player
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

The three mindsets of search
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Facebook’s future is mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

How far should hotels go to please and appease?
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Travel click-throughs higher on mobile
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel experts uncertain over strength of recovery
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Social media marketing more important for independent hotels
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Five simple steps to building trust online
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Google+ lays groundwork for business profiles
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Pegasus sees positive trends in booking data
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Study: Corporate travel policies in Europe
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Have money, will travel - catering to Chinese tourists
26 Sep, 2011 | Online Travel

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

What business travelers want from hotels when it comes to mobile

What business travelers want from hotels when it comes to mobile

September 28, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

The findings of a new Sabre study are great news for hotel marketers looking to grow their business through mobile: not only do the majority of respondents want to receive location-specific offers at their destinations, but more than two thirds also want to use their mobile devices to shop and book hotels.

By Jessika Lynch, Sabre Hospitality Solutions

There are few things quite so satisfying for a marketer as finding the perfect win-win: that opportunity to reach a key target group with your marketing message in just the right channel and at exactly the moment they’re looking for it. With so many channels now available to marketers, the quest to align your channel marketing strategy with the right messages can be a challenging one.

Last month our sister company, Sabre Travel Network, released some revealing results from a survey they conducted on mobile use among business travelers. In short, the findings were great news for hotel marketers looking to grow their business through this channel: not only do the majority of respondents want to receive location-specific offers at their destinations, but more than two thirds also want to use their mobile devices to shop and book hotels.

Already smelling the win-win? Here are a few more of the survey’s findings to get you inspired:

- 72 percent of business travelers are interested in the ability to view hotels on a map using their mobile devices, an increase of 26 percent from 2009.

- 47 percent of business travelers use their Smartphone daily to view or receive advertisements, a 95 percent increase from 2009.

- 66 percent of respondents reported interest in the ability to add a hotel reservation to an existing itinerary using their mobile devices

As a hotel marketer, there are huge opportunities in capturing this important market by helping business travelers get the information they want and shop the products they are looking for. A few best practices to get you started:

- Make sure you have an optimized mobile Website and booking engine. It might seem too obvious to add to this list, but it’s really too crucial to leave off. Every industry mobile stat published these days points to how much more consumers are using mobile for booking their travel, and this is especially true in the business sector as shown in the survey results. While your Website and even booking engine may currently show up on a mobile device, it they haven’t been specifically designed with the mobile audience in mind, the experience can become frustrating. Take advantage of this trend with an excellent mobile site designed to get your mobile visitors to the answers they are looking for quickly and efficiently, with the ability to book on every page.

- Think of Mobile as its own channel so you can offer special rates, promotions, product descriptions as well as tracking specifically for this market.

- Take advantage of SMS/Text message marketing programs. Guest can opt-in and receive messages pre- post- and during their stays at your property.

- Work with sites with geo-location services such as Foursquare, Facebook, Gowalla, and Yelp to offer promotions. First claim and clean up your listings. You will often find multiple listings for your business under slight variations for your name created when people check-in. You want to try to fully promote your brand within the network built so it’s important to report and merge duplicate listings. Next, participate in the free marketing programs that many of these sites offer such as adding links to your Website and other social media accounts, uploading pictures or offering check-in deals and specials.

- Optimize your location for mapping and mobile search. Claim and optimize your listing to ensure that listing information like address, directions and Website URL are accurate and all necessary fields are created and keywords are incorporated. Encourage users to write reviews of your business on Google Places. An advantage there is that if you have a strong optimization strategy in place for the web search version of Google Places, you will also position well in mobile search. Consider running a mobile targeted AdWords campaign with click to call and tailor your message to mobile users.

- Consider QR code promotions within your marketing to bridge on- and offline strategies. Add QR codes to print collateral and send users to a specifically designed mobile landing page. QR codes can also be implemented on the property’s internal Wi-Fi page or the TV home screen so users can interact with their mobile devices within the property.

Beyond this list – keep mobile prominently on your marketing radar and take advantage of the opportunities that align with your overall marketing strategy. Know that the mobile Web is growing eight times as quickly as the PC Web (Nielsen Online). Mobile devices are changing rapidly, and in the next few years we’ll see not only more and more tablets, but the trend towards flexible, configurable devices designed for the needs of the users carrying them. Market your experience with mobile. Take advantage of future mobile opportunities at your property to help facilitate an easy and personal way for guests to check in, access their rooms, look at your menu, and navigate your property. Enjoy finding your mobile win-win!

Jessika Lynch is Marketing, Brand and Communications Strategist at Sabre Hospitality Solutions

Latest Industry News

What business travelers want from hotels when it comes to mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

August GDS hotel bookings growth accelerates after July’s slow-down
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

TripAdvisor now emphasizes traveler photos
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel revenue management is evoloving from a passive referee to an active player
28 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

The three mindsets of search
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Facebook’s future is mobile
28 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

How far should hotels go to please and appease?
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Travel click-throughs higher on mobile
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Hotel experts uncertain over strength of recovery
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Social media marketing more important for independent hotels
27 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Five simple steps to building trust online
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Google+ lays groundwork for business profiles
27 Sep, 2011 | Online Marketing

Pegasus sees positive trends in booking data
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Study: Corporate travel policies in Europe
26 Sep, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

Have money, will travel - catering to Chinese tourists
26 Sep, 2011 | Online Travel

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

The Mussel Pot - $20 for $40 of food - bloomspot

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SpaGypsies thinks this is a cool place and I love mussels

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The Mussel Pot - $20 for $40 of food - bloomspot

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SpaGypsies thinks this is a cool place and I love mussels

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Business Travel Grows in August at Rate Nearly Double That Seen in July; Global Travel Recovery Powers through US and European Debt and Credit Crises / September 2011

Business Travel Grows in August at Rate Nearly Double That Seen in July; Global Travel Recovery Powers through US and European Debt and Credit Crises / September 2011

Study: affluent Americans make ideal travel consumers-27 September, 2011

Travel click-throughs are 61% higher on mobile, study finds - Trav...

Travel click-throughs are 61% higher on mobile, study finds - Trav...

From Social Brand to Social Business

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Great article on the impact of Social Media in the organization. Great thoughts here.

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Ultimate Blast - $125 for two general admission tickets ($250 value); $175 for two VIP tickets ($350 value) - bloomspot

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SpaGypsies champagne, great wines, Beverage Blast Event

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Ultimate Blast - $125 for two general admission tickets ($250 value); $175 for two VIP tickets ($350 value) - bloomspot

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SpaGypsies champagne, great wines, Beverage Blast Event

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Gossip and Giggle: Save £100 on Group Spa Days and Breaks

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Only 3 days left UK SpaGypsies, jump on this!

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Gossip and Giggle: Save £100 on Group Spa Days and Breaks

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Only 3 days left UK SpaGypsies, jump on this!

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Social Media's Impending Flood of Customer Unlikes

There's an old saying that carries renewed meaning these days: Give the people what they want. Brands are furiously creating profiles in social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in the hopes of building engaging communities with customers and giving people what the brands think they want. The main activity in this effort is to spur consumers to "like" and "follow" a brand's Facebook and Twitter streams. But are these companies developing effective campaigns to build engagement and give the people what they want? From where I sit, I'd say many are not. If businesses are unable to change course, a very real — and likely very painful — lesson lies ahead. Once-willing consumers will soon become reluctant to connect with brands or will completely sever social ties to brands once they deem the connection fruitless.

Not long ago, I attended a daylong social marketing summit at the campus of a leading national brand that also housed a number of popular sub brands. Following my presentation, I returned to my seat to take in a presentation from a sales rep for Facebook. He talked about why brands will benefit from setting up shop in Facebook — consumers are willing to engage with brands that make it worth their while. But somewhere in the middle of his presentation, however, I was jolted into a state of disbelief. The rep looked upon the audience of brand managers with genuine sincerity and in a calming voice expressed, "Don't over-think any of this. It's not that complicated. Do four things every week...ask a question, run a poll, share links, and engage with your fans. Oh, and have fun!"

It's not that this advice isn't helpful. But it is exactly the type of counsel that contributes to the phenomenon of social "stream fatigue." More and more people in social networks will begin realizing that they hold control of their social streams and can simply unlike or unfollow brands that don't deliver value.

It's time for brands to rethink their approach in social media.
Everything begins with providing a reason for consumers to connect with brands in social networks, not once, but now and over time, again and again. Brands must study consumer preferences in advance of social efforts and continually monitor what consumers expect and want in this channel. Effective brand engagement is directly linked to the value customers take away from the branded social experience and how closely their expectations and desires are met.

To help understand the contours of this situation, marketing firm Exact Target set out to understand what it is that customers want in social relationships. This valuable information can only help brands design experiences that meet or exceed needs and expectations. In its study appropriately titled "The Social Break-up," (registration required to download survey) 55-percent of Facebook users reported liking a brand and then later deciding they no longer wish to see the company's posts. Half of fans say that they really aren't even fans as they don't visit the page or web site after the "Like." Seventy-one percent of consumers say that they're now becoming more selective about the brands they like.

When asked why consumers were breaking-up with brands in Facebook and Twitter, the top reasons cited were:

• The company posts too frequently
• My wall was becoming too crowded with marketing posts
• The content was too repetitive or boring

In the previous three points, we learn what not to do. When customers were asked why they unliked brands, we get a better idea for what to do moving forward (interpreted):

• I only "Liked" the company to take advantage of an offer
• Brands didn't offer enough special offers or deals over time to make it worth my while
• Their posts were too promotional without the ability to take action against them within the stream

It comes back to intention and value. Customers are yearning for a more useful or meaningful connection and for the most part, brands are missing the opportunity to truly engage. The ExactTarget data highlights the need for brands to move away from posting marketing or promotional content or repeatedly diluting streams with boring posts. These acts will only drive customers away from social engagement. Instead, by providing special offers and more useful, actionable or engaging updates, customers will find value in preserving the connection.

IBM also conducted a study that asked consumers what they expected from brand engagement in social media. As part of its research, IBM asked business leaders what they thought consumers were seeking in a social relationship. The results identified a dramatic gap between presumption and actual demand.

The top two reasons consumers gave as to why they interact with companies in social networks were:

1. Receive discounts (61%)
2. Make purchases (55%)

In contrast, businesses believe that the top two reasons consumers follow them in social networks are...

1. Learn about new products (73%)
2. To receive general information (71%)

While consumers expressed the desire to receive discounts or make purchases as the top reasons for engagement in social media, businesses view these actions as the lowest two motives for connecting in the social web.

What we learn from these two studies is that it's not about the content, the profile, or publishing information regularly; it's about understanding and delivering what customers want.

The reality is that customers can and will cut ties with brands that do not take their best interests into account. Consumers are realizing that they have the power to reduce or eliminate stream fatigue by tailoring the relationships they maintain in each network.

In order to redesign social programs to deliver value to customers and avoid getting culled from a social stream, businesses will need a better understanding of consumer wants and expectations. Asking them what they want is a good start. This can be done through surveys, customer service prompts or other creative means that may already be in place. The answers will reveal the ingredients necessary to design a relevant and valuable social media formula. In every strategy moving forward, businesses must also integrate feedback loops to learn how programs are performing and how best to improve them over time. Whether social media is a combination of discounts or special promotions, thought leadership, social commerce, or entertainment, customers should drive the elements of companies' social media design. This is the way to better engage customers by giving them, the audience, what they want.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Social Media's Impending Flood of Customer Unlikes

There's an old saying that carries renewed meaning these days: Give the people what they want. Brands are furiously creating profiles in social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in the hopes of building engaging communities with customers and giving people what the brands think they want. The main activity in this effort is to spur consumers to "like" and "follow" a brand's Facebook and Twitter streams. But are these companies developing effective campaigns to build engagement and give the people what they want? From where I sit, I'd say many are not. If businesses are unable to change course, a very real — and likely very painful — lesson lies ahead. Once-willing consumers will soon become reluctant to connect with brands or will completely sever social ties to brands once they deem the connection fruitless.

Not long ago, I attended a daylong social marketing summit at the campus of a leading national brand that also housed a number of popular sub brands. Following my presentation, I returned to my seat to take in a presentation from a sales rep for Facebook. He talked about why brands will benefit from setting up shop in Facebook — consumers are willing to engage with brands that make it worth their while. But somewhere in the middle of his presentation, however, I was jolted into a state of disbelief. The rep looked upon the audience of brand managers with genuine sincerity and in a calming voice expressed, "Don't over-think any of this. It's not that complicated. Do four things every week...ask a question, run a poll, share links, and engage with your fans. Oh, and have fun!"

It's not that this advice isn't helpful. But it is exactly the type of counsel that contributes to the phenomenon of social "stream fatigue." More and more people in social networks will begin realizing that they hold control of their social streams and can simply unlike or unfollow brands that don't deliver value.

It's time for brands to rethink their approach in social media.
Everything begins with providing a reason for consumers to connect with brands in social networks, not once, but now and over time, again and again. Brands must study consumer preferences in advance of social efforts and continually monitor what consumers expect and want in this channel. Effective brand engagement is directly linked to the value customers take away from the branded social experience and how closely their expectations and desires are met.

To help understand the contours of this situation, marketing firm Exact Target set out to understand what it is that customers want in social relationships. This valuable information can only help brands design experiences that meet or exceed needs and expectations. In its study appropriately titled "The Social Break-up," (registration required to download survey) 55-percent of Facebook users reported liking a brand and then later deciding they no longer wish to see the company's posts. Half of fans say that they really aren't even fans as they don't visit the page or web site after the "Like." Seventy-one percent of consumers say that they're now becoming more selective about the brands they like.

When asked why consumers were breaking-up with brands in Facebook and Twitter, the top reasons cited were:

• The company posts too frequently
• My wall was becoming too crowded with marketing posts
• The content was too repetitive or boring

In the previous three points, we learn what not to do. When customers were asked why they unliked brands, we get a better idea for what to do moving forward (interpreted):

• I only "Liked" the company to take advantage of an offer
• Brands didn't offer enough special offers or deals over time to make it worth my while
• Their posts were too promotional without the ability to take action against them within the stream

It comes back to intention and value. Customers are yearning for a more useful or meaningful connection and for the most part, brands are missing the opportunity to truly engage. The ExactTarget data highlights the need for brands to move away from posting marketing or promotional content or repeatedly diluting streams with boring posts. These acts will only drive customers away from social engagement. Instead, by providing special offers and more useful, actionable or engaging updates, customers will find value in preserving the connection.

IBM also conducted a study that asked consumers what they expected from brand engagement in social media. As part of its research, IBM asked business leaders what they thought consumers were seeking in a social relationship. The results identified a dramatic gap between presumption and actual demand.

The top two reasons consumers gave as to why they interact with companies in social networks were:

1. Receive discounts (61%)
2. Make purchases (55%)

In contrast, businesses believe that the top two reasons consumers follow them in social networks are...

1. Learn about new products (73%)
2. To receive general information (71%)

While consumers expressed the desire to receive discounts or make purchases as the top reasons for engagement in social media, businesses view these actions as the lowest two motives for connecting in the social web.

What we learn from these two studies is that it's not about the content, the profile, or publishing information regularly; it's about understanding and delivering what customers want.

The reality is that customers can and will cut ties with brands that do not take their best interests into account. Consumers are realizing that they have the power to reduce or eliminate stream fatigue by tailoring the relationships they maintain in each network.

In order to redesign social programs to deliver value to customers and avoid getting culled from a social stream, businesses will need a better understanding of consumer wants and expectations. Asking them what they want is a good start. This can be done through surveys, customer service prompts or other creative means that may already be in place. The answers will reveal the ingredients necessary to design a relevant and valuable social media formula. In every strategy moving forward, businesses must also integrate feedback loops to learn how programs are performing and how best to improve them over time. Whether social media is a combination of discounts or special promotions, thought leadership, social commerce, or entertainment, customers should drive the elements of companies' social media design. This is the way to better engage customers by giving them, the audience, what they want.

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Ritz-Carlton Embraces Digital | Digital - Advertising Age

The Ritz-Carlton might be best known for its customer service and old-fashioned, one-on-one human interaction, but the luxury hotel chain is embracing digital in a big way with its new global campaign.

More than half the $10 million budget for "Let Us Stay with You" will be allocated to digital and social media. It marks the first time that digital efforts have accounted for a majority of the marketing budget, but it won't be the last.

"Digital is a really important place where consumers are exploring their travel options. So being part of that conversation is really important to us," said Clayton Ruebensaal, VP-marketing. "People are daydreaming from their desks. That's what we're trying to take advantage of."

"Let Us Stay with You," is the luxury hotel's first major campaign in nearly two years; the last ran from mid-2005 through 2009. Mr. Ruebensaal said that during the recession, like every other hotel out there, the focus was on getting "heads in beds" rather than investing in marketing and making emotional connections with consumers. But emerging from the recession, the Ritz-Carlton and its competitors -- Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula -- were all starting to blur.

"We were all coming closer together in brand tracking. The differentiations were not as precise as they used to be," Mr. Ruebensaal said. "We saw a real purpose for investing money back into defining what's rare and special about the Ritz-Carlton again."

Ritz-Carlton is known for its customer handling and service. During orientation, employees are taught that their job is not to make a bed or pour a drink but to connect with guests, so that they'll want to come back again and again, Mr. Ruebensaal said. With that idea in mind, Ritz-Carlton and its agency, Los Angeles-based Team One, came up with the concept of the hotel experience sticking, or staying, with guests. It takes an age old hotel-marketing pitch -- come stay at our hotel -- and "flips that on its head," Mr. Ruebensaal said.

"Let Us Stay With You," will be the company's most comprehensive campaign to date. In addition to print and digital ads, a film will run on in-room TVs and the hotel's redesigned website. The campaign will also be integrated into Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare communications, as well as a mobile application.

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Ritz-Carlton Embraces Digital | Digital - Advertising Age

The Ritz-Carlton might be best known for its customer service and old-fashioned, one-on-one human interaction, but the luxury hotel chain is embracing digital in a big way with its new global campaign.

More than half the $10 million budget for "Let Us Stay with You" will be allocated to digital and social media. It marks the first time that digital efforts have accounted for a majority of the marketing budget, but it won't be the last.

"Digital is a really important place where consumers are exploring their travel options. So being part of that conversation is really important to us," said Clayton Ruebensaal, VP-marketing. "People are daydreaming from their desks. That's what we're trying to take advantage of."

"Let Us Stay with You," is the luxury hotel's first major campaign in nearly two years; the last ran from mid-2005 through 2009. Mr. Ruebensaal said that during the recession, like every other hotel out there, the focus was on getting "heads in beds" rather than investing in marketing and making emotional connections with consumers. But emerging from the recession, the Ritz-Carlton and its competitors -- Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula -- were all starting to blur.

"We were all coming closer together in brand tracking. The differentiations were not as precise as they used to be," Mr. Ruebensaal said. "We saw a real purpose for investing money back into defining what's rare and special about the Ritz-Carlton again."

Ritz-Carlton is known for its customer handling and service. During orientation, employees are taught that their job is not to make a bed or pour a drink but to connect with guests, so that they'll want to come back again and again, Mr. Ruebensaal said. With that idea in mind, Ritz-Carlton and its agency, Los Angeles-based Team One, came up with the concept of the hotel experience sticking, or staying, with guests. It takes an age old hotel-marketing pitch -- come stay at our hotel -- and "flips that on its head," Mr. Ruebensaal said.

"Let Us Stay With You," will be the company's most comprehensive campaign to date. In addition to print and digital ads, a film will run on in-room TVs and the hotel's redesigned website. The campaign will also be integrated into Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare communications, as well as a mobile application.

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Top 10 New Hotels in 2011

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Meeting focused properties..2 Four Seasons in the bunch

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Top 10 New Hotels in 2011

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Meeting focused properties..2 Four Seasons in the bunch

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Top 10 New Hotels in 2011

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Meeting focused properties..2 Four Seasons in the bunch

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Survey of 1,000 Frequent Business Travelers Captures Attitudes and Behaviors Focused on Hotel Selection and Productivity Needs / September 2011

Check out this website I found at hotel-online.com

Good article on what biz travelers want. I agree

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Survey of 1,000 Frequent Business Travelers Captures Attitudes and Behaviors Focused on Hotel Selection and Productivity Needs / September 2011

Check out this website I found at hotel-online.com

Good article on what biz travelers want. I agree

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Spa at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle introduces the Ruak Ritual

Spa at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle introduces the Ruak Ritual

British Airways - Our advert 2011: To Fly. To Serve. - YouTube

BA's new ad campaign. The pilots must love it. I like it a lot. What about you?

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

British Airways - Our advert 2011: To Fly. To Serve. - YouTube

BA's new ad campaign. The pilots must love it. I like it a lot. What about you?

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

10th Anniversary Celebration Deal at Napa Valley Spa

Four Seasons Spa News

Four Seasons Spa News

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Route 66 National Scenic Byway

Media_httpwwwnewmexic_iooxv

The Chief SpaGypsy wants to take this road trip

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Route 66 National Scenic Byway

Media_httpwwwnewmexic_iooxv

The Chief SpaGypsy wants to take this road trip

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

SPAFINDER - Beauty Products

Media_httpwwwmintboxc_dafjc

Great deal on Miami Fountainbleau's Spa

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Go Daily Deals | Deal - Lifetime Online Membership To Create Your Own Family Cookbook

I love this! My family have so many great recipes and great cooks. I'm buying it and hope to have the cookbook done by the Holidays. Great job #LivingSocial Love this deal!

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Go Daily Deals | Deal - Lifetime Online Membership To Create Your Own Family Cookbook

I love this! My family have so many great recipes and great cooks. I'm buying it and hope to have the cookbook done by the Holidays. Great job #LivingSocial Love this deal!

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Top 7 chocolate destinations across Europe

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SpaGypsies loves chocolate. Bucket list these destinations for chocolate search

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Best/Worst Frequent Flyer Programs for Availability

The great majority of frequent flyer miles are redeemed for domestic coach tickets, at the saver level—25,000 miles in the programs of most legacy airlines.

So, for the average traveler, a key determinant of a mileage program's value is the availability of saver award seats.

And yet, there's no definitive data comparing the airlines' performance in this critical area.

Is a member of American's AAdvantage program more or less likely to be able to redeem miles for a free ticket to San Francisco, for instance, than a member of United's MileagePlus program?

How do award-booking success rates vary among different routes, different classes or service, different times of the year?

Which program best delivers what I want most?

In the absence of such comparative data, choosing a mileage program is more like a crap shoot than a considered decision.

The closest to such a frequent flyer program scorecard is last year's award availability survey conducted by IdeaWorks, discussed in detail here.

The company made 6,160 test bookings on the websites of 22 of the world's largest frequent flyer programs and issued a report showing its success rates in booking award flights, ranging from a high of 99.3 percent to a low of 10.7 percent.

This week, IdeaWorks issued a follow-up to that study, the 2011 Worldwide Report of Reward Availability, "based upon 6,720 booking queries made by IdeaWorks at the websites of 24 frequent flier programs during March and early April 2011. Travel dates spanned June through October 2011; with 20 top routes checked to assess reward seat availability."

The results, showing the percentage of successful award bookings for U.S./Canadian programs and the change from last year's results:

  1. Southwest - 99.3 percent (No change)
  2. Air Canada - 82.1 percent (-11.5 points)
  3. JetBlue - 79.3 percent (New for 2011)
  4. United - 71.4 percent (+2.8 points)
  5. Continental - 71.4 percent (No change)
  6. Alaska - 64.3 percent (-10.7 points)
  7. American - 62.9 percent (+5 points)
  8. AirTran - 47.1 percent (-20.8 points)
  9. Delta - 27.1 percent (+14.2 points)
  10. US Airways - 25.7 percent (+15 points)

As indicated, the test bookings were online-only, for a limited number of flights and routes, for a specific travel period. A different methodology and a larger sample would no doubt yield somewhat different results.

Such quibbles notwithstanding, there is considerable value in any legitimate attempt to measure the airlines' "generosity quotient" (as I like to call it), not least in reminding us that consumers are sorely lacking in hard data to inform their loyalty-program choices.

Reader Reality Check

How do IdeaWorks' results compare with your personal experience in booking airline awards?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.

Find Cheap Flights!
Find Cheap Flights!

This is good info for travelers to know when choosing an airline loyalty program. I just can't figure out how to earn enough points on JetBlue for anything. They others--AA/DL, etc. I understand. But not JetBlue

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous

Best/Worst Frequent Flyer Programs for Availability

The great majority of frequent flyer miles are redeemed for domestic coach tickets, at the saver level—25,000 miles in the programs of most legacy airlines.

So, for the average traveler, a key determinant of a mileage program's value is the availability of saver award seats.

And yet, there's no definitive data comparing the airlines' performance in this critical area.

Is a member of American's AAdvantage program more or less likely to be able to redeem miles for a free ticket to San Francisco, for instance, than a member of United's MileagePlus program?

How do award-booking success rates vary among different routes, different classes or service, different times of the year?

Which program best delivers what I want most?

In the absence of such comparative data, choosing a mileage program is more like a crap shoot than a considered decision.

The closest to such a frequent flyer program scorecard is last year's award availability survey conducted by IdeaWorks, discussed in detail here.

The company made 6,160 test bookings on the websites of 22 of the world's largest frequent flyer programs and issued a report showing its success rates in booking award flights, ranging from a high of 99.3 percent to a low of 10.7 percent.

This week, IdeaWorks issued a follow-up to that study, the 2011 Worldwide Report of Reward Availability, "based upon 6,720 booking queries made by IdeaWorks at the websites of 24 frequent flier programs during March and early April 2011. Travel dates spanned June through October 2011; with 20 top routes checked to assess reward seat availability."

The results, showing the percentage of successful award bookings for U.S./Canadian programs and the change from last year's results:

  1. Southwest - 99.3 percent (No change)
  2. Air Canada - 82.1 percent (-11.5 points)
  3. JetBlue - 79.3 percent (New for 2011)
  4. United - 71.4 percent (+2.8 points)
  5. Continental - 71.4 percent (No change)
  6. Alaska - 64.3 percent (-10.7 points)
  7. American - 62.9 percent (+5 points)
  8. AirTran - 47.1 percent (-20.8 points)
  9. Delta - 27.1 percent (+14.2 points)
  10. US Airways - 25.7 percent (+15 points)

As indicated, the test bookings were online-only, for a limited number of flights and routes, for a specific travel period. A different methodology and a larger sample would no doubt yield somewhat different results.

Such quibbles notwithstanding, there is considerable value in any legitimate attempt to measure the airlines' "generosity quotient" (as I like to call it), not least in reminding us that consumers are sorely lacking in hard data to inform their loyalty-program choices.

Reader Reality Check

How do IdeaWorks' results compare with your personal experience in booking airline awards?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.

Find Cheap Flights!
Find Cheap Flights!

This is good info for travelers to know when choosing an airline loyalty program. I just can't figure out how to earn enough points on JetBlue for anything. They others--AA/DL, etc. I understand. But not JetBlue

Posted via email from peggylee's posterous