it takes more than a logo or an employee manual to establish a brand, as our everyday behaviors and the personal choices we make become an important element of real-world brand expression. In its purest sense, a brand is a promise to consumers; an expectation of performance and an overall experience. When we ship a package with FedEx or UPS, we expect a competitive, fair rate; on-time transit; accurate tracking that is accessible online; courteous, properly trained employees and a package delivered without damage. This article will explore some of the practical, simple and, yet, profound aspects of this everyday brand management. READ MORE

How do you measure social media success? Which metric is even more important than how many likes your Facebook Page has or how many followers your Twitter or Instagram accounts boast? Engagement! After all, what good are thousands and thousands of followers if they are not reacting to your content? Quality over quantity is an important rule to follow in social media. It is far better to have a few engaged followers than thousands of followers who do not care about the content you are publishing on a day to day basis. The same can be said in regards to content READ MORE

In the era of information and digitization soon we will be spending more time online than sleeping. Today's travelers are always-on and stressed-out, and as a result a new trend has emerged: seeking moments of simplicity and calm - online and offline - in order to cope with the day. So what does this mean for the hotel industry, which is no longer about simply providing beds in which to sleep, but providing guest experiences? It means new opportunities to engage in a highly relevant way to provide the sanctuaries that guests are craving. READ MORE

An estimated nine out of ten travelers searching for a hotel online now proactively consult peer-generated user generated reviews before committing to a booking. User reviews are now perceived to be more credible, topical and useful than practically any other source of travel information, making them highly influential. Hotels therefore need to invest in protecting and enhancing their reputation in the user review space. In this highly practical article I outline a tried and trusted approach to systematically managing user reviews, providing practical advice as to how to convert a potential threat into a powerful sales and marketing tool. READ MORE

It is a well-known fact that social media plays an important role in a hotel's brand awareness strategy. But what else can social media presence do for a hotel? Let's see what the numbers tell us. Facebook has been ranked #1 and the most widely used. Twitter has 317 million monthly users. Instagram ads continue to provoke their users to action by visiting websites for one example. These facts alone should be enough of an incentive for your hotel to take a hard look at engaging with social media. READ MORE