Archive for the ‘Tips and Trends Series’ Category
“Green” is great news—are you telling your story?
Posted by Tracy Stottler | Filed under Advertising, Social Media, Tips and Trends Series
Hotels and resorts are major consumers of resources and products, so it’s encouraging to see properties committed to preserving and conserving. (It’s also satisfying to see guests’ response—73 percent of guests who are aware of their hotel’s conservation programs report participating in those programs.*) Green policies are good for the planet. And with sustainability being a major hot button for guests, they’re good for business too. Here are ways to get the word out about your green programs and policies:
Tell Your Story on Your Site
Let your website tell guests how they’ll experience your eco-friendly features—whether they’re staying, meeting or dining at your property.
Example: For a recent update of Lansdowne Resort’s website, we added a “We’re Green” link on almost every page to detail the resort’s programs for accommodations, meetings, dining and more. See how benefits of a “green meeting” are described here.
And, if you’ve gone through the effort to get green certification (Green Seal or IACC Leader in Environmental Responsibility, for example), display those seals and logos proudly on your website, as well as your e-brochures and e-marketing communications.
Share Green News through Social Networking
Use your property’s Facebook page and Twitter account to let guests know the latest news. Is your chef sourcing great local produce and artisan products? Have you created a nature trail on your property? Or perhaps you’ve just switched to a line of totally recycled paper products. All are great stories to share with your fans—or to make a video to post on YouTube. (Picture your chef in a cooking demo, preparing your signature dish with those local ingredients.)
Example: When Dana helped The National Conference Center launch its Facebook page, “Environmental” was the first of four blog topics. Visit NCC’s Facebook page here.
Leverage the Power of Green
Look for opportunities to include green incentives with offers and promotions. You’ll align your brand with a sustainability message and create strong emotional appeal.
Example: To announce the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) 2011 Conference, Dana created an exciting “Rev It Up” theme with a cool all-electric scooter that will be given away by the conference host, The National Conference Center. This eco-friendly gift will increase attendance AND demonstrate the environmental awareness of IACC and the hosting conference center. See the entertaining video that features the scooter here.
Plant Ideas for the Future
At Dana Communications, we’re eager to create partnerships that build a greener world—for our clients, our company and our community. One of the people we’re proud to partner with is Greg Christian (www.gregchristian.com), a man who’s passionate about both sustainable food and business models. Greg says: “Embarking on the journey toward a sustainable business model benefits not only your community and our environment, but it will grow your business as well.”
We couldn’t agree more. And we can see these ideas growing every day here at Dana’s headquarters in New Jersey, where we’ve partnered with a local restaurant to plant an organic garden literally in our company’s backyard. Watch our video and see where the Dana team likes to wander, ponder and have lunch. And, please, come join us next time you’re in Hopewell.
*According to J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM
The Social Revolution 2
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Interactive, Social Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Is it really Brand Awareness versus ROI?
Posted by Mark D’Amico | Filed under Advertising, Media, Tips and Trends Series
In the last two years, as the financial crisis escalated and our economy struggled, clients focused like a laser on their return on investment (ROI). This makes complete sense, as marketing budgets have come under increasing pressure and scrutiny, resulting in the need to measure and evaluate the effect of every marketing dollar spent. And to be honest, this should really be standard practice regardless of the economic environment.
But in tough times, ROI-speak is ubiquitous. And if taken too far, this kind of thinking can promulgate the idea that brands must choose between generating brand awareness or producing ROI. Often, the decision is, “I don’t need awareness. I want ROI!”
In our view, this kind of thinking is backwards. Because in reality, brand awareness is never at odds with ROI. On the contrary, awareness is actually a primary driver of ROI. Consider the following data from an example hotel’s analytics:
This data shows the property’s top ten site traffic sources, ranked by revenue for a recent 30-day period. What you see here is typical: the bulk of the measured revenue is attributed to organic search and direct site traffic.
Logically, it makes the most sense to try to increase organic and direct traffic. A 10% increase in those referral sources would do more to improve the bottom line than doubling all the other sources combined. So how is that accomplished?
First, you must understand what those sources of traffic represent. Your organic traffic is, quite simply, what your site is optimized for in Google and other search engines. Assuming that these engines do their job well, the traffic you attain organically should come from keywords that describe your property.
While it’s likely that you are receiving good organic traffic from generic search, i.e., “(your city) hotel,” it’s even more likely that your organic search is dominated by brand terms. After all, no keywords describe you better than your brand keywords.
The next greatest source of revenue—direct traffic—comes from users who have either bookmarked your site or entered your URL directly into their browser. This traffic is very similar in quality and qualification to brand search. These are prospects who know you by name and are seeking you out.
What do I do with this information? Is the answer more brand search?
We do believe in the importance of brand search, yet in this story, it is not the cause of success, but rather the result of it. As illustrated above, a large percentage of all the revenue measured by analytics was a result of brand awareness. Strong brands that invested in their brand for years before the economic crisis were better positioned to reap the benefit of that awareness during the crisis.
How do I know if my marketing activities are generating brand awareness?
Generating greater brand awareness means reaching new, uninitiated prospects. Advertising is a prime source for new visitors. This includes non-brand pay-per-click, email and rich media.
Site-usage statistics are key to determining the effectiveness of advertising in creating brand awareness. If a referral source is generating quality visits, then you can be sure prospects are interested in your property and that you’re creating brand awareness.
But brand awareness and brand advertising are not the same thing, and driving brand awareness does not have to be expensive. For instance, social media is an important key. Facebook and other social networks have real potential for increasing brand exposure. While your fans know you, their network may not. Every person connected to your fan page is also connected to people who don’t know you. Pushing quality content and exclusive offers through social networks is a cost-effective way to gain brand awareness. (Click here to read more on managing social media.)
In the end, those with the most brand awareness win. Get your brand terms onto the keyboards of your best prospects. Contact mdamico@danacommunications.com to learn how the right mix of search, email, rich media and social media can create brand awareness.
“If I knew then what I know now…”
Posted by Lynn Kaniper | Filed under Advertising, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
At the start of the recession, some companies put the brakes on—a response as natural as slowing down when hitting an icy patch on the road. Marketing cuts are understandable when companies face tough choices about retaining staff or slashing budgets. Long-term plans get derailed when key decisions are no longer in the hands of the marketing team. Whatever the reasons, the results were similar: delayed decisions, reduced spending and postponed plans for new strategies. And like hitting the brakes on ice, the outcome wasn’t what these companies wanted.
Now the recession’s thawing. The road ahead looks a little smoother. And those who stopped moving forward are struggling to catch up. As companies dust off their marketing plans and update the media schedules, you can hear them lament: “If I knew then what I know now…”
As hospitality marketing experts, we know a slowdown is not the time to apply the brakes. In fact, it’s a time to strategically rev up your marketing message to capture the market share left behind by others. Clients who took our advice on this aren’t playing catch-up—they’re out in front of the competition. Here’s how they did it:
Resisting the urge to cut.
When business slows, cutting advertising and marketing reduces business even more. Instead, switch to marketing strategies that can be accurately tracked, so you’ll get value out of every dollar you spend.Focusing on past and present customers.
If you don’t already have a relationship-building program, now is the time to launch one. If your program is in place, ramp it up with new ideas to reward your customers and show them you appreciate their business. This will pay dividends now—and help you retain business during future slow-downs.Mixing it up.
For best results, use multiple marketing strategies to grow your business. In addition to paid print and online advertising (banner ads, PPC, etc.), try social networking, blogs, podcasts and video. How many of these are you using now?Continuing to build the brand.
Shine your image. Polish your reputation. When business is back, you’ll stand out brilliantly in the crowd. (For more about this, see “Brand Stewardship” on Dana’s blog.)
For more about partnering with Dana to seize opportunities in every situation, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
What’s Happening In The Wine World, Part II
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Bob Prewitt continues his tasting notes from those who know and love wines. (Click here if you missed Part I)
Kimberly Charles is the top public relations professional in the Wine Industry. She represents some of the largest and most prestigious wineries in the World as well as other wine-oriented companies. She is active in the Society of Wine Educators and a frequent judge at wine competitions. She will be at the L.A. County Fair next month.
“The wine business is now consumer-driven. It used to be that all the power was with the proprietors and the wineries. We learned from the great estates, and we learned what they wanted us to know. Now, the consumer is king. Wine is now a democracy and is gradually being imbedded in our culture with an educational component. At the Society of Wine Educators, we are selling record numbers of exam certifications.”
“Women are making beverage choice decisions as frequently as men, and women tend to choose a wine experience versus a beer or spirits experience.”
“There is a sense of adventure—experimentation. I have been in this business for 25 years. It was fun back then, and it is really fun again.”
Eric Welsh is Director of Interactive Services here at Dana Communications. He is our resident expert on all things web and is particularly knowledgeable about social networking. He is also a pretty fair Juice Jockey, as he can talk Gruner Veltliner versus Gewurztraminer, and the Macon versus Marlborough.
“What I take away when I think about the Wine Industry right now is less about the product and more about how we find it. Or more so, how it finds us. Just look at Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV (daily online TV about wine with 80,000 viewers a day and 852,000 followers). It seems that every winery has a Facebook page. I just googled ‘wine social network’ and got 14,300,000 listings in 0.22 seconds. Has there ever been a time in history when we had better connected, educated and shared wine experiences?”
Isabelle Tourneau and I have shared innumerable food and wine experiences all across the continent. She’s fun to break bread with because of her passion for creating and enjoying flavorful experiences. She is endlessly curious about what regional flavors reveal about everything from culture to agriculture—an interest that serves her well in both culinary and oenological arenas.
“Never missing a chance to taste good wine, I know pairing, sipping and sampling are nothing new. But I love how these events are pushing the envelope in ways simple and sophisticated.”
“There’s simplicity in how small wine shops are finding space among the shelves for a little tasting bar, where you can sample and chat about the owner’s latest finds. Simple is also casual “wine socials” where you’re mingling, sipping, nibbling—sans the expert to tell you what you’re tasting. And it’s wine dinners reinvented as community table evenings, where you meet new people and new wines. The keywords here are casual, conversational, interactive, fun.”
“Sophistication is the zeal and knowledge swirling around wine these days. It’s the trendy wine bar that pairs an extraordinary chef and brilliant wine guy whose menu of wines and small plates knocks you off your chic little barstool. It’s asking your server about a wine and getting the response of a truly informed palate. And it’s the wine shop/restaurant combo where everything from reasonable corkage fees to rave-worthy dishes shout out the owner’s enthusiasm for wine and food. The keywords? Passion, craft, an ethos of generosity and sharing.”
“It’s all good. And getting better.”
So now it’s my turn. I certainly agree with what has been stated above. It looks like I have a pretty smart group of wine buddies.
My conclusion is that in 2010, it is really easy and really cool to make wine a part of your lifestyle. It is easy to build it into the fabric of your everyday life, and it is even easier to learn about wines and become knowledgeable about the topic.
You can learn about wines through the social networks and by asking questions in restaurants and wine stores. You can buy great values by staying up with the forced sale of older wines. You can have wines shipped to you across state lines. If you want to keep up with the younger generations, you should tweet, follow Facebook and pay attention to the voluminous discussion of the topic on the Internet.
The consensus here at Dana Communications is that the world of wine has never been better. Join up.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
A Trio of Terrific Summer Wines
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Hospitality News, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Lois Gruner Veltliner (2008) Austria – medium weight, dry white, fruit forward. GV is the historic, legendary white varietal of Austria. The producer here is Fred Loimer Winery—one of the most highly regarded, artisanal winemakers in Austria. This wine is a great chicken wine and also goes really well with firm bodied fish and Asian wontons, dumplings and meat stir-frys. It holds up to spicy foods too. Great, great value at about $13.50.
Chateau de Montfort Vouvray (2008) France – slightly sweet with a big acid backdrop. I love Chenin Blanc, and this is a great representation of the varietal. You have to have a palate for sweetness to appreciate this wine, but if you do, you will adore it. It attacks with honey and cantaloupe and pears and Grand Marnier. Try it with Asian food or cheese, or just sip it on a pleasant weekend afternoon while you sit by the pool. About $15.
Gruet Sparkling Wines (non vintage, all types) – Albuquerque, New Mexico – the best sparkling wines made in the USA. In fact, in my opinion, these wines are as good as any sparkling wine made in the world outside of Champagne. I am particularly fond of the Blanc de Noirs. They go with anything and everything foodwise—I mean it—and the price/value relationship is unbelievable. About $13.75.
Read What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II
What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part I
Let me tell you.
Wine is a significant component of the “Hospitality and Travel Lifestyle,” which partially explains our interest in them here at Dana Communications. Another reason we are interested is that we like to drink them. Duh!
Three of us actually have formal training in matters oenological. Eric Welsh’s family owned a prestigious wine store in Lambertville, New Jersey, where he spent a lot of time growing up. Isabelle Tourneau writes about regional foods and has the passion for food and wine pairing that one expects in a professional foodie. I am a founding member of the Society of Wine Educators, which happened when I worked for Wine Institute—the trade organization for California wineries.
So I decided to call around and ask my wine friends, “What is the most significant thing happening in the Wine Industry today?”
The first person I talked with is Robin Kelly O’Connor. RKO is presently Director of Sales and Education for Sherry Lehman, one of the truly remarkable retail stores in the country (located at 59th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan). Previously, Robin spent over a decade working as Trade Liaison for Bordeaux Wines. Robin has an energy and passion for learning about wines like no one else I know, and he has gifted chemical senses—thus a great palate. On numerous occasions, I have seen him correctly identify a wine from a region that most people in the room had never heard of.
His response was, “2009 Bordeaux. They are equivalent to, if not better than, the 2005 and 1982 vintages. And maybe deeper than the 1961 and 1929 vintages.” This is major stuff, as those four years are considered the benchmarks by which all wines are compared, not just Bordeaux.
Then I called Bruce Cass, one of America’s greatest wine educators and writers. Bruce studied pre-medicine at Stanford and uses this scientific training to make the chemistry and biology of wine accessible to the layman. Attending one of his classes is a remarkable experience, as he has an enthralling way of making the complexities of wine understandable. He has also trained his chemical senses so that his palate is world class.
“The ongoing development of direct shipping is my first thought,” said Bruce when I asked about what is happening. “After 20 years of battles, we can now say that we can legally ship across state lines—almost. The Supreme Court will ultimately make the final decision, and that might take another 20 years. But in the last year, we have seen a major movement toward direct shipping.”
He also commented on the wine-consuming behavior of the Millennial Generation and how that is leading to a dramatic increase in wine intake in America. “Millennials drink a lot more wine than Gen-Xers, and they are a big, big group of people—the Baby Boomer Echo. Within the next 5 or 10 years, the US will become the largest wine-consuming nation in the World… Of course, that will last only a few years, when China will take over.”
Then I talked with Laely Heron, owner and winemaker at Heron Wines. Laely has been making wines for 20 years—in France, Spain and California. Her wines are highly regarded for their price/value relationship, and you will see them served by the glass in a lot of successful, wine-oriented restaurants. Laely has traveled to virtually every spot on the planet, is fluent in four languages and conversant in many more and has a uniquely refined palate due to her extensive travels.
Her answer to my question: “We have a glut of product. Over the past years, the industry has overproduced, and we are sitting on product that is expiring and that needs to be sold now. I am seeing a lot of quality, old wine from good vintages being sold by the glass at under-market prices.”
Laely goes on to say that this means two things. First, “The recession will last longer in the wine industry than in most other industries. We are dealing with difficult economic times and an excess of product that is time-sensitive and must be sold soon.” Second, she feels the ability to buy older wines at great prices will continue. “This is not a new phenomenon. Smart buyers have known how to get great deals—particularly online—in recent years. However, the buyers market will only get better. It is a good time to figure out how to find the great bargains that are available.”
We’ll post What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II next week—check back then.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
Margaret Gould Stewart: How YouTube thinks about copyright
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Design, Social Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Margaret Gould Stewart, YouTube’s head of user experience, talks about how the ubiquitous video site works with copyright holders and creators to foster (at the best of times) a creative ecosystem where everybody wins.
Facebook: Like it or Leave it? What are you going to do?
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Interactive, Social Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Today Mark Zuckerberg will be announcing Facebook’s new privacy controls. Within the past few weeks there has been serious dissatisfaction within the social network. Glitches, Inbox confusion and the introduction of Open Graph has really led people to rethink their status. The folks at Mashable surveyed just over 5,000 users and asked, “Why are you planning to leave Facebook?”
The results taken from this survey and pulled from the Mashable website are graphed below.
Dana Communications Welcomes New Senior Account Executive
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Dana News, Hospitality News, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Dana Communications welcomes new hire Bethany Diddle to the role of Senior Account Executive. Diddle brings a strong background in branding strategy, account management and client interaction.
With a BA from New Mexico State University and an MBA from Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management, Diddle also comes to Dana with valuable agency experience and an extensive list of previous clientele.
Her prior work experience comprises account, management and marketing positions with General Electric, Pearlfisher, Inc., the National Foreign Trade Council, Arnold Worldwide and WestWayne, Inc. These roles afforded her the opportunity to work with clients including Celebrity Cruises, Amtrak, Hershey’s, Johnson & Johnson, Jose Cuervo and The Campbell Soup Company.
When it comes to branding, Diddle believes that “the answers are already there…all you have to do is listen.” By lending an attentive ear and an open mind to her clients (and the world), she works to extract authentic points of differentiation that capture the heart and soul of each brand and meaningfully connect with audiences.
Her strategic aptitude is complemented by keen organization and a consultative approach to account management. Diddle has also traveled to 37 states and 10 countries, so she truly understands the meaning of “travel and hospitality.” She is a welcome addition to the Dana team and is expected to be a positive new figure among Dana’s clients and colleagues alike.
Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Interactive, Social Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
About this talk
Thank you to the folks @ Ted.com for once again sharing knowledge through online video. From Ted.com, “We’re all embedded in vast social networks of friends, family, co-workers and more. Nicholas Christakis tracks how a wide variety of traits — from happiness to obesity — can spread from person to person, showing how your location in the network might impact your life in ways you don’t even know.”
