Marketing Through Social Networks

Starwood hotels’ CRM program, Starwood Preferred Guest®, has utilized social networking websites and platforms in order to provide its guests a more interactive experience with the chain. The company has launched the hotel industry’s first mashup with the alignment of the corporation’s twitter account and google maps to allow its clients to describe their experiences at respective locations. The experiences are then pinpointed for perspective and current consumers to view by location segment at google maps. The company’s second offering of a social network to its potential and existing clientele is a Facebook application, SPG Tripshare, which allows its users to create online photo albums describing various vacation and travel experiences. The company’s final social network offering from Starwood Hotels allows its SPG customers the ability to view personal account balances, hotel amenities/services, and travel information at no fee through the use of an iPhone or iPod.

The use of social networking websites and platforms offers Starwood Hotels a competitive advantage over its rivals through a stronger interaction with its existing clients. The corporation has provided itself the aid of additional advertising tools which will allow for greater penetration of the industry’s market by attracting twitter, facebook, and iPhone/iPod users. The method in which Starwood Hotels is utilizing its social networks finally provides the entity a most cost effective method of exposure as the core maintenance of its programs is provided by its clientele. Starwood Hotels first mover advantage affords the company the ability to corner the social network website/platform market; however the firm must be sure to make the necessary improvements/modifications in its offerings to maintain its new market as competitors will attempt to capture its new/existing/potential clients.

Hotelnewsresource.com "Starwood Preferred Guest Launches New Twitter, Facebook, and iPhone Applications" Article

Touchscreen Technologies

Konvergence Projects and Services, an IT solutions and services provider, MuchMore, a marketing and promotions entity, and Scala, a digital signage provider have created an alliance which has enabled the development of a digital touchscreen media network. The digital network is currently being utilized in 70 hotels throughout the nation of Italy. The touchscreen format has been initiated as an enhancement to the traditional hotel paper leaflet previously provided to hotel patrons seeking local concierge information. The touchscreen technology has been created in order to allow customers to realize the most recent happenings in their respective area and current in-house specials, such as restaurant offerings and in-room amenities available. The touchscreen media will also allow for consumers to book accommodations for local events such as sporting games and music venue performances, allowing for respective hotel entities to create stronger alliances with those vendors.

Enhances in information technology must be utilized by businesses today in order to maintain a competitive advantage. The use of a digital touchscreen media in hotel lobbies allows hotel clients greater connection to a respective local culture, and hoteliers greater marketability within their communities. The use of touchscreen technology, rather than traditional keyboard access, allows consumers more efficiency and ease of use, creating a shorter queue for potential users. The offering of a digital touchscreen technology also allows for the provider to market itself as one that offers a new and exciting concept not featured by its competitors. The future will determine the impact of digital touchscreen technology in hotels and other various business entities seeking to connect with potential and existing clients.


Konvergence Projects and Services.

Muchmore

Scala,Inc.

Significance of Online Boycotts

The downturn in the economy has led hospitality entities to seek alternative methods for cutting back expenses to remain a viable business and maintain a competitive advantage. One hotel chain, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, in September 2009, chose to replace its entire housekeeping staffs at its three Boston area hotels with employees from an outsourced company contracted at a lower pay scale. The hotel’s decision to lay off its entire staff was possible due in part to a protection not provided to the employees by a local union affiliation. The local union has partnered with the employees, however, to picket at one of the hotels, the downtown Boston Hyatt. Hyatt Hotels Corporation contends that it will provide the fired staff with healthcare coverage through the end of the year and two weeks pay, plus one week of pay for every year worked at the Hyatt up to ten years. The rift with the city and the hotel led to a major rally two weeks after the firings at the Hyatt Regency Boston attended by US politicians, local and regional residents, and hospitality workers highlighted by a statement from the mayor to boycott the Boston area Hyatt Hotels. The rally as well as a newly created online petition to boycott Hyatt Hotels, led Hyatt PR to issue a statement one week after the rally suggesting that a boycott of its Boston properties would endanger the livelihood of its existing associates.

Emerging technologies such as the online petition board/blogspot, and online news websites have led corporations to determine new methods of countering negative publicity which have become widespread through these avenues. Hyatt Hotels corporate online statement response one week after the Boston Hyatt boycott may not necessarily counter the online boycott forum and news blogs, however it provides the hotel chain’s detractors with an alternative forum displaying the positive attributes of the company. The online statement may draw enough support to bring Hyatt Hotel supporters out to counter the negative publicity currently plaguing the corporation. The future will determine the effectiveness of Hyatt Hotel’s online counter to the online Boycott forum by a decline/stagnation or increase in the local Boston Hyatt hotels' revenues and or occupancy.

Hyatt Hotels Online Boycott Blog/Petition

Boston.com "A Hard Ending for Housekeepers" Article

Boston.com. “Hundreds Attend Rally for Fired Hyatt Housekeepers” Article

Hyatt Hotels Corporation Statement Regarding Massachusetts Governor’s Proposed Boycott

The Future of Online Lodging Bookings

Consumers looking for a low fare at a lodging facility currently flock to discount websites such as Orbitz.com, Priceline.com, Hotwire.com, and Expedia.com. The fare rates, however, include commissions, which in most cases when added into the base fare, can be matched by calling or booking a hotel directly. JackRabbit Systems has created a direct online booking technology which bypasses third party booking websites such as Orbitz.com, Priceline.com, and Hotwire.com, etc. by combing direct lodging facility websites for lowest rates available. The JackRabbit direct online booking interface has found a partner in many convention and visitor bureau websites by embedding itself to allow CVB visitors to view local lodging facilities fares and link directly into the respective lodging facility website to book in the fare.

The emergence of the JackRabbit online travel booking technology may cut into the current Orbitz.com, Priceline.com, and Hotwire.com, etc. clientele in the very near future by offering the patrons a new method of avoiding high commission fees. Convention and Visitor Bureau’s, such as the Ontario, CA bureau, with the development of the JackRabbit interface, now offer the parallel of providing lodging facility bookings to the current city happenings and events offered.

WSJ- Online Lodging Booking Article

JackRabbit Systems

Ontario, CA- CVB Website

CRM Technology in the H & T Industry

The downturn in the economy has required hospitality entities to make every effort to maintain and attract a respective clientele. Electronic Customer Relationship Management software allows for a hospitality entity to track its consumer’s behavior. The results from the tracked behavior are used by the hospitality business to individually tailor its services to the desires and habits of its patrons. The collected data is then refined for businesses to create loyalty programs which provide awards/incentives targeted at repeat visitors. (Studies have shown that over sixty percent of a facilities visitors will select a location based upon the promise that future gifts will be offered upon a next trip). CRM databases use data mining technology to extract a tourist’s purchase behavior, reason for stay, market segment, etc. to personalize consumer interaction and increase customer satisfaction, components necessary for remaining at a competitive advantage in the industry.

m-Travel.com- CRM Article

The New Hospitality & Tourism Sales Agent

Hospitality and tourism sales teams were previously in the habit of gaining a majority of business through cold calls. The most common tool for the manager of today is the internet, which currently offers websites that hospitality and sales teams may utilize to capture new and maintain existing markets. GoogleMaps.com allows for the salesman to find a listing of local businesses in his or her area. GoogleSearch.com allows the representative to find a specific business within a desired area. A keyword search through a search engine such as yahoo! or lycos will allow the executive to find a target market segment. Salesmen can also take advantage of online RFP websites, in which opportunities for business are displayed. A final tool available for the hospitality and tourism sales agent is the availability of online learning websites, such as Hotelearning.com where a sales agent can hone his or her skills by learning of the ever changing trends in information technology.

HotelOnline- Hotel Sales Article

Hotelearning.com

Eco-Friendly Lodging Website

The costs of maintaining a smoke permitted lodging facility are both social and financial. Socially, the economy is shifting to a more eco-friendly society, which is not conducive to the carcinogens produced by smoking in a lodging facility. Financially, lodging cleaning costs are exacerbated when smoking is permitted due to deep cleaning costs and additional maintenance such as the repainting of walls.

Hoteliers looking to stay in line with the calls from society for a more eco-friendly environment and an interest in cutting costs will find themselves at an advantage by eliminating smoking rooms. FreshStay® currently offers a website listing 100% smoke free lodging facilities. The website has become the leading on-line directory of smoke free facilities through an integrated booking process. The integrated booking process offers users interested in booking a non-smoking lodging facility a database of non-smoking facilities by state and/or country with direct links from the selected property to a booking site.

Hoteliers offering a smoke free facility will find that partnering with FreshStay® will offer the opportunity to promote themselves to the growing market of non-smokers, hypo allergic clients, and those interested in a clean environment.

Hotel News Resource- FreshStay® Article

FreshStay®