Note
that the book is being pre-released, It’ll be done after 30 days and
will be shipped to you as a Kindle book automatically!
The series is an easy to read guide on how to position your hotel and tourism service to the
best possible advantage in the digital age.
The series will include:
1. How to perfect your web messaging strategy and website presence.
2. How to create your digital network to communicate directly with your market.
3. How to beat the online travel agents at their own game and get more direct bookings.
Today Hoteliers and all business owners have an opportunity like never before to take a leading role in distribution. Owners have superior knowledge of their property,
services, products and destination, as well as guest needs and
interests. With the shift of distribution, publishing, advertising, marketing reputation
management and public relations from traditional media to
the new digital systems, small hotels and
tourism companies now have direct access to media and can communicate directly to the widest
possible audience.
The book focuses on how to market hospitality in the digital age using the new tools and automated systems to get more direct bookings. The strategies and tools apply to any business. The book provides concepts and strategies that are proprietary and not commonly know in marketing.
Metasearch for vacation rentals gains momentum as HomeToGo enters USA market with homes, villas and apartment for rent in holiday destinations.
Markhat offers a user perspective on what this means to travel and especially small hotel, villas and apartment rentals. ll things considered it a good sign for the alternative travel space. One wonders how long it will be "Alternative" with so many of the big OTAs now entering the vacation rentals space.
MGM Lionsgate Partner with Tubi TV ad-supported, free-streaming video service in response to declining views and revenue in broadcast media.
The story is that broadcast media is loosing its grip on the market. Viewers are looking elsewhere and advertising revenue is down. The major brands like MGM are looking at social media growth and seeing webinars, podcasts and video shows eating into their business.
If you cant beat them join them is the adage of today.
Now with a tap on a “Stream” button next to the HotelTonight app result, travellers will get an be able to stream a version of the app right on the browser - they dont need to download the app and get to easily find what
they need.
In this case, it will allow the user to complete a hotel
booking while streaming the app, similar to the way one would when in
the app.
Will this stop ads within apps? Will Google,
be able to measure impressions.
A big concern for all is how will ads in apps fare and will aps no longer have an edge over vrowsing. That is: if all can bee seen on a browser and we know that users dont want to downlaod piles of app, will apps give way to more browsing?
In this report Markhat summarized the predictions by PSFK as well as disruptive trends predicted by TravelMarketReport. Slideshare Travel Planning and Booking 2016 by PSFK.
In a related article emarketing offers the latest stats on mobile travel: 51.8% of travelers who book trips
online will do so using a mobile device. also noteworthy is the decline in Booking via desktop PCs forcasted at $115.91 billionin 2015—a decline of 1.8% from 2014.
The decline of desktop bookings will continue
through at least 2019, the end of eMarketer’s forecast period.”
Travel sales booked via mobile are $52.08 billion this year (November
2015) representing 31.0% of digital travel sales. Booking via mobile is
expected to be 46.0% by 2019.
By comparison we know that
the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia
(Barbados.org) the bulk of site visits are now from travelers using a
mobile device.
Marketers, brands, music aficionados and artists who are using music and sound to build authenticity and increase brand engagement will do well to review what traditional marketers have to say about branding.
In this article on “How to Create an Authentic Brand Story that Actually Improves Trust”, Kissmetrics lays out a guide to doing just That ..
Thom Jordan, CEO of Ping Mobile, New York adds “Without HomeAway, Priceline is at a severe disadvantage against Expedia and Airbnb in the vacation property market.
Until the acquisition of HomeAway by Expedia is complete, I would not be surprised if Priceline makes a counter-offer in an attempt to outbid Expedia.” Expedia’s HomeAway Acquisition will severely disadvantage Priceline.
The gloves are off and its Priceline turn to counter punch.
Touchpoints in TravelShopping
There are many touch points in travel shopping and for holiday panning and according to this article by Margaret Mastrogiacomo, Director, Creative Strategy at HeBS Digital, the steps in #travelshopping and planning are often haphazard and in no particular order.
eMarketer research shows that online shoppers go through 15.5 touch points in the 17 days prior booking. Google research also shows us that 90% of shoppers move from one device to another and 65% starting on their smartphones.
The report covers everything for touchpoint to devices used. It covers strategies in messaging across platforms, digital applications, scarcity and other motivators using in today sales funnels. It also looks at rate parity, SEO and social See more on allCast marketing Below.
2,800 jobs were lost to Airbnb and it reduced revenues in the lodging industry by $2.1 billion in New York City. HVS study says, Airbnb has costs the local, state and federal governments more than $226 million annually in lost tax revenues. http://markhat.com/new-study-confirms-airbnbs-negative-impact-on-hotel-industry/
In very public fight against the City's right to restrict home rentals in the sharing economy, Airbnb Wins Over San Francisco and proposition F is voted down.
In this KQED Newsroom Dale Carlson, from ShareBetter SF, a backer of the initiative, and No on F campaign manager Patrick Hannan debate the measure and look at what could have been and what might be now!
To compete with OTAS Hotel Must Build Brand Trust - Markhat.
Ruairidh Roberts, industry head at Google Search, says “Travel brands
need to do more to elicit an emotional response from consumers and be
more memorable”
This in the opening statements of his talk to delegates
at an Accord half day conference hosted by Google. He added that
“regular reach with consumers was vital, but seldom happens in travel.”
Hotels he says "need to SEE the value of building their brands." or they will be left behind as the OTAs dominate travel in all phases of travelshopping!
He outlines 4 key points of the Google Strategy - These are the phase of travel shopping they are - SEE- Do - Think- Care See detials at:
Introducing http://AllCastMarketing.com Adaptive Messaging & Marketing For all Media,
AllCast Proprietary Technology is build on the concept of visual first with ability to adapt and be responsive on all devices, channels and user behavior.
AllCastMarketing tools, strategies and techniques help businesses produce and promote videos, blogs, magazines, books, TV quality productions to social networks, broadcast media and all parts of the internet.
Bookings.com Daren Huston on Direct Bookings vs OTAS says that Booking.com is the cheapest way for hotel to reach their markets.
As he puts in “First of all, we always pride ourselves on being the cheapest way to do
your marketing. If you ask any owner, or any hotel, why they’re all on
Booking.com, when they can all leave tomorrow, the reason is, it’s the
cheapest way to do paid marketing.”
Just as importantly he talk openly about the need for hotel to balance direct bookings vs distribution via OTAs
In this blog we summaries the Skiff article on Googles Growing dominance in travel at the expense of SEO and Organic hotel listing on search engines.
As usual we add our own perspectives and examples.
The forum was alive with discussion from Google Monopoly in Search to the dominance of paid advertising which has pushed organic search results well below the fold.
Some say that SEO is become irrelevant , some say it is already dead and some say that Search Engine Marketing May in face be very risky now!
The makers say that our housing stock just does not work very well for the millennial generation. The form is wrong, the function is wrong as is the social aspect, the environment footprint and event the geography. So Getaway fixed it with tine houses in the woods.
Here is a new form of affordable getaway travel. The company getaway makes tiny houses and places them in woods just outside of the city.
Why not make it available everywhere starting with vacation in far away places and why not just build houses like this all over the world. Its has huge potential to deliver smart and environmentally friendly affordable housing to the world! http://markhat.com/getaway-travel/
This is really a concept Video of a new way to crate and publish review videos easily and quickly. Here we are using a trip Advisor review but it could be a google Review or even guest comment on one website. The beat option is to use 5 star reviews as that is the strategy in the video.
What do you think _ It is a bit staged but we will work out this and be able to offer this service to hotels and tourism companies at very reasonable costs!
Your comments are appreciated.
This review is on a new cahannel for St. Lucia vacation Rentals - perhaps it should be called St. Lucia vacation reviews, or St. lucia accommodation reviews.
StluciaVacationrentals Youtube channel will have as a main feature video reviews of hotels, apartments, villas and all forms of accommodation rental in Saint Lucia
The new Poinsettia Villa Apartments St. Lucia Website at http://PoinsettisApartments.com - developed by AXSES all Cast Power Marketing takes tourism websites to a new level. Including design and strategies on the new Powerconsultants.axses.net network lead by Diego Rodriguez founder of the worlds largest network of independent marketing consultant.
The new website departs from traditional travel sites that are digital version of hotel and villa brochure, in several respects.
1. In the discovery process we established the target market and build the messaging strategy This is included in the lead video on the home page and echoed in the 3 Hot Buttons below the video. These activators are about benefits, problems and competition. Three essential issue that travelers have to know.
2. Technology - as an example the FAQ section is an interactive response to user concerns on all aspects of st. Lucia Holidays
3. The site offers detailed information on Saint Lucia Holidays, as to Location how to get there and things to do etc.
4. Unlike any other private hotel, villa, apartment or resort website there is also a directory of other properties in the island. As they say " We cant be everything to everyone and we just want to help travelers make the right choices.
5. The new villas page http://poinsettiavillas.com/st-lucia-villas/ compares alternative self catering villa resorts as well as other selfcatering accommodation, both at the budget and the luxury offering in the island.
6. Why Not Us. Recognizing that the resort is not for everyone we take some time to explain why this might not be suitable for certain travellers. This is in the page linked above.
Modern travellers expect value on their vacations and Poinsettia exceeds expectations always. Fresh fruit from the resort gardens are shared with guest, when in season. Management is ready to help with guest vacation planning, and offer suggestions for trips, dining and cars rentals etc. This is especially true of the millennial travelers who are by nature frugal and have a do it yourself attitude wanting to be more independent on holiday.
The Poinsettia ocean view villa resort accommodations are geared to the independent travel who is attracted to the understated, casual, private 7 spacious villas set in the natural garden on a hilltop by the sea.
With only 7 villas the resorts is very private and their are no crowds and groups to contend with.
Also
80% of business owners make the mistake of letting too many people create content. This fragmented marketing is the death of the message and the brand.
Today, more that ever, brands need cohesive and coordinated messages across all media. But too often business owners let printers and other suppliers create the content on a flyer or an advertisement. Strange as it seems this happens a lot of the time and small business owners particularly reach out to their suppliers for this help. But messaging is fundamental to the brand and today message must be carefully crafted to get attention.
The message psychology requires knowledge of neurological science which top marketers understand and most general business supplies do not. So when the are too many cooks in the kitchen using the wrong tools and ingredients the soup and the message is spoiled.
Check this blog to see more on how to avoid messed up message and instead build a solid and coordinated messaging strategy.
The blog also offer several free marketing resources and private power consultants membership to help business owners master the art of the message and create successful marketing campaigns.
http://markhat.com/how-fragmented-marketing-is-killing-business
The new ebook THE BRAND AND THE BAND is an insightful and lively guide to the new wave of sonic branding. http://thebrandandtheband.com. The book explores how the music industry can help business build more powerful engagement and authentic brands.
In this video, author Laura Montarroso Daher is inviting interested parties to register for the book and immediately get the membership bonuses including the Newsletter and resources of videos, case studies and how to guides.The membership bonus and resources will appeal to music industry professional, artist, company executives, brand marketers and musicians.
According to latest research Music appears to "activate more parts of the brain than any other stimulus" (... Alive Inside).
It's not a new phenomenon, sound and music has been influencing us for years. It is used in travel and tourism in just about every promotional video, but sonic branding is taking it to new levels of engagement and purpose.
Just as Coke did with its signature tune that all started with the line: "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" writed by Bill Backer on a napkin at the airport. The song and music that it became offered a positive message of hope and love, sung by a
multicultural collection of teenagers on the top of a hill.
"Buy the
World a Coke" repeated "It's the real thing" as Coca-Cola's marketing
theme at the time. Ad man Bill Backer wrote the commercial
that became the song and advertising legend Harvey Gabor, directed the1971 commercial, “Hilltop”. The song was the work of Billy Davises, Senior Vice-President and Music Director of McCann Erickson. Davies also wrote "Things Go Better With Coke" and "Country Sunshine" for Coca-Cola and "If You've Got the Time" for Miller Beer. As Laura says "Music and Brands go hand in hand, like "The Brand and the Band".
Technology too is playing a huge part in how music is used, distributed and actualized. Coke moved forward with its vision making it possible for individuals to really "Buy the world a coke" in a project with Google, its advertisers, artists and creative people. The ad was re-imagined with technology gurus at Google and the results was a specially-developed vending
machines where one can actually buy the world a Coke using Google’s advertising platform connected to the machines. "Users can record a
message and send it with a Coca-Cola to connect with someone on the
other side of the world."
Sounds exciting? Well it is and the book "The Band and the Brand" is a great start to understand the possibilities of sonic branding for companies, artists, advertising and the music industry. See the video and register for the book and the book buyer bonuses and membership to Charting Music and Branding.
To Register for the book now go to http://thebrandandtheband.com
The Book covers marketing, sonic branding and the music industry.
-It is a guide and introduction to all parts on the new music branding business including the latest science on marketing in the digital age.
- It includes information on sonic branding companies, examples and case studies, opportunities and jobs as well as pitfalls and difficulties.
-It is for artist, musicians, music industry managers and professionals, marketers and businesses of all sizes.
In the digital age your footprint as they say is Ubiquitous! That means all your effort before you change the name is everywhere on the net, if you have done anything at all your press releases and blogs and video will be indexed linking back to your old brand. Re-Branding in the Digital Age looks at how to change a brand name while preserving your search engine rank and SEO. It ca be a nightmare if not done right! http://marketinghotelsandtourism.com/re-branding-in-the-digital-age/
While OTAs Account for Only 16% of USA Travel Market, they are in a fierce battle for domination with Expedia and Priceline taking 74% of the US Online Travel market.
Not only has TripAdvisor Changed Vacation Planning it has started a move that might just replace a lot of super hyped advertising and certainly influence the future of hotel and tourism advertising itself.
This article is an in depth look inside of TripAdvisor and its corporate culture, its obstacles and successes. We learn insights on its issue with fraudulent reviews and its mission to offer real and honest reviews that have changed they way we plan our travel.
Poinsettia Ocean View Villa Resort St. Lucia launches new website with AXSES power messaging strategies for direct bookings. The website is the latest responsive web design site using the power messaging formula, consisting of hot button activators and a full movie with strategic messaging to open the site.
Poinsettia is the premier resort of its kind in the island. It is centrally located to island adventures and attractions. http://poinsettiavillas.com
RWD and power messaging design by AXSES All Cast Power Marketing http://PowerMessaging.allCastMarketing.com
Its one think to want more direct booking to increase the bottom line but as this blog says the big reason behind the "Pays to book direct" campaign is much greater. Marriott is planning to take back control of its marketing with a new messaging campaign aimed at OTAs who have become the majr booking site for hotels. Distribution is great but when some guests start to prefer to book on an OTA sites as was recently reveled in a Hotel Study, (see http://marketinghotelsandtourism.com/the-ota-billboard-effect-is-dying/) its time to fight back.
Check Markhat.com summary of the 10 tools presented at hubpot. The review shows why these tools are important and how they can analyze and fix your SEO.
It is a great roundup of tools you need to be in the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) game.
SEO is always changing and you absolutely must have these sort of tools to help you know whats happening and fix it when it goes wrong!
It is a bit of sharp U turn as we have always believed it pays to be listed on OTA. Now it seems not so much so!
At least that the result of the latest study sponsored by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
But there is more to it than meets the eye.
The study is skewed to big chains and it does not take account of the rapid growth in direct booking by the rising XYZ generations. Get all details and analysis on Marketing Hotels and Tourism:
France and Germany have led the way and others will soon follow in banning Rate Parity in OTA contracts. For details on how this is impacting hotel and tourism marketing see the markhat blog http://markhat.com/the-end-of-rate-parity-in-ota-contracts
We have been tracking Hotel finder for some time, and as this video shows it is a powerful marketing solution for hotels that has been moving toward offering a better platform for hotels. But with this move direct bookings are difinatly on the way out as Google sees it.
SeekingAlpha, LN Investors looks at the rise and pitfalls facing TripAdvisor from an investment and financial point of view. It suggest that while TripAdvisor may be a more attractive stock than its direct competitors, their are problems ahead! http://markhat.com/tripadvisor-strategy-on-shaky-ground/
Its move into the one stop booking business is being met and well be met with growing competion and already its margins are falling!
Travel shoppers are going directly to hotel websites to both research and book travel. Only 58 percent obtained travel information from an OTA during the past year, down significantly from the 84 percent in 2014. Only 13% of travelers who regularly seek information from an OTA book their reservations on OTA sites, down from 36 percent just one year ago. http://markhat.com/mellennials-strike-another-blow-to-otas/
To add to the fire or to damp some flames look at this graph from a blog by Jeff Bullas.
What this means is that twiiter is a top platform where influencers post their comments and alerts. If people who are considered top influencers use it to share their message, it cant be that bad!
More from Jeff Bullus see Shocking Facts on Social Media Influences
In this article MarkHat.com looks at the trends and offers tips and free reports on power marketing strategies that will help hotels provide effective systems for travel bookers.
This video is the first in the series of 17 videos in the upcoming series on Power marketing. Here Diego outlines why and how power marketing works. In the series he delves deep into common marketing mistakes that we all make and how to fix them.
It covers remarkably simple and effective strategies for website design that engages and converts more bookings.
Psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper, prove that less ican be more when shopping choices and bookings conversion. In the famous research they illusrate howconsumers bought more when thy had lesschoices.
“With 24 flavors, 60% of the store’s customers
stopped to taste test and 3% of the tasters bought jam. With six
flavors, 40% of the store’s customers stopped to taste test, but 30% of
those tasters bought jam. Customers were ten times more likely to buy
when offered less flavors.” shows how consumers are 10 times more likely to buy when offered less choice. Blog offers 5 key things that hotels should make now!
This articles looks at the findings and offer 5 constructive tip that will optimize booking and increase the preformace of hotel and tourism websites as sales funnels.
Website design should follow building your marketing and your messaging strategy. Too often marketers put the cart before the horse and get it wrong. Sean Smith has created a good article on the merits of designing a good wesite.
In this article we use the Power Marketing Consultants report to add concepts on Power marketing Strategies, starting with focus on message first and design second. Many marketers get that wrong and many alos make 2 major problems in marketing. http://markhat.com/website-design-needs-a-better-marketing-strategy
The next-generation GRS from Amedeus and IHB evolves IHB systems that will connect to hotels via a news interface. According to their report it is said to be a first of its kind, and provide significant value to guest and owners.
Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer of IHG commented when announcing the partnership: “The next-generation guest reservation system we will create with Amadeus will deliver a powerful global platform for hotels to manage guest interaction, will be intuitive for hotel teams, and will help us accelerate our work to revolutionize and personalize the guest experience through technology.”
Luis Maroto, President & Chief Executive Officer of Amadeus added: “Travellers today expect a great experience wherever they are and technology can play a key role in delivering that. IHG has exciting ambitions for its hotels and guests and Amadeus is proud that our innovative technology will play a key role in delivering them. The new systems will provide a huge leap forward in the flexibility and functionality available to hoteliers.”
The new platform is not a moment to soon as the old architecture for these bookings is way out of date. Many companies, like AXSES with its Visual Bookings Technology, have long since left the standard out-dated approach and are pioneering new visual travel planning system.
These new approaches are already proving to engage and convert more travellers.
IHB and Amedeus can learn from whats happening with visual communication in services like Pinterest and behavioural responsive system already adapting to todays travellers needs.
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