📌 Hospitality Highlights: 27th May 2024
Learn about Instagram's new features and Google's advertising tools to help you stay ahead of the competition.
Welcome to this week’s newsletter. I’m Dawn Gribble, your host. I'm on a mission to bring you the latest actionable insights to help you Delight Guests and Drive Growth.
On this Week’s Menu
🚀 Digital Marketing News
📸 Instagram Experiments with Recent Stories Highlights on Profiles
❌ X Plans to Eliminate Public Likes Tab
🤖 Google Unveils New AI-Powered Advertising Tools
🎵 TikTok Introduces Innovative Ad Solutions
♿️ The Underrepresentation of Disabled People in Advertising
🍽️ Restaurant Marketing News
🍦 Shock Flavours: The Company Behind Mac & Cheese and Pizza Ice Cream
🍻 Pub Increases Prices for Bar Orders
🤖 KFC’s AI Ad: A Campaign That Missed the Mark
📸 World’s Most Instagrammable Café Brand Opening in Covent Garden
🍔 Pizza Hut Invites Customers to ‘Cheat’ on Burgers with Drive-Thru Service
🛎️ Hotel and Travel Marketing News
🗝️ Unlock Special Perks with Kimpton’s Secret Password This Summer
✈️ Accor Partners with Everyday Rewards for Points Program
🇹🇭 Dusit Celebrates 75 Years with 'The Art of Travel' Campaign
🌴 Deloitte's 2024 Survey: Vacations Prove Valuable Despite Inflation
🌍 UN Tourism Report: Biodiversity Integration in National Policies
☕ Let’s Check In!
🚀 Marketing News
📸 Instagram Experiments with Recent Stories Highlights on Profiles
Instagram is testing a new feature called "Lately", which automatically generates a highlight feed of a user's most recent Stories activity. This extends the life of Stories beyond 24 hours and provides more context to profile visitors.
With social media platforms shifting towards entertainment, Instagram is still prioritising engagement. This feature could help keep users on the app longer and give visitors a better understanding of the user's content. (MN)
💡 This update will help account visibility on the platform; this will be a great way for venues to promote ‘weekly content’ such as specials, blogs, limited-time offers and media coverage.
❌ X Plans to Eliminate Public Likes Tab
X will be removing public "likes" from users' profile pages. Director of Engineering, Haofei Wang, confirmed the change in response to a tweet by MacRumors researcher Aaron Perris.
This decision has sparked speculation and debate among X users, with Wang explaining that public likes can incentivise the wrong behaviour. This change is said to be essential as it reflects X's efforts to create a more positive and edgy online space. (Aa)
💡 While removing public likes could foster a more positive and authentic environment on X, it also presents challenges, particularly for content creators and marketers. X may need to introduce alternative metrics or tools to help users and marketers navigate this new landscape effectively.
🤖 Google Unveils New AI-Powered Advertising Tools
Google has developed new AI tools that allow marketers to use AI to enter their brand details and product images to generate brand-aligned creative variations.
"We’ve been working on making it easier and faster to produce great creative assets for ads across marketing channels. Creative asset variety is crucial to strong ads, and achieving this has gotten easier for more advertisers with generative AI in Performance Max. We found that advertisers who improve their Performance Max Ad Strength to Excellent see 6% more conversions on average." Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President / General Manager, Ads
These new features will help marketers maintain consistency and uniformity in their branding using AI and provide them with several placement formats. (Go)
💡 These latest AI innovations will help marketers think bigger, create bolder and drive results faster. Google AI is there to assist, not replace, human creativity, strategic insight and expertise.
🎵 TikTok Introduces Innovative Ad Solutions
TikTok has launched a new "creative AI suite" called "Symphony" to assist ad partners with content development and creativity.
These updates aim to streamline TikTok's ad tools, including improved ad automation options, new ad types, and a platform that combines the existing AI tools. This will help marketers scale their content development and increase productivity on the platform. (TT)
💡 Join the Waitlist Here
♿️ The Underrepresentation of Disabled People in Advertising
A recent survey of over 6,500 UK adults found that 32% did not see any disability represented in the media and advertising content they consumed in the last six months. And only 23% of disabled individuals felt that the images portrayed in these mediums reflected their own experiences.
The research suggests that advertisers rely too heavily on stereotypical images of wheelchair and mobility scooter users while ignoring the diverse range of disabilities. This leads to a lack of accurate representation and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. (RW)
💡 Hidden disabilities like mental health conditions, learning disabilities, chronic health conditions, sensory impairments, and neurological disorders are often overlooked in media.
Companies should seek information from disability charities, government health departments, academic research, and consultants.
Partnering with a disability charity offers authentic representation, credibility, expertise, community engagement, and a positive brand image, helping address the lack of accurate disability representation and creating more inclusive advertising campaigns.
🍽️ Restaurant News
🍦 Shock Flavours: The Company Behind Mac & Cheese and Pizza Ice Cream
The popular ice cream chain Van Leeuwen surprised customers with a unique twist on a classic flavour - macaroni and cheese. This unexpected collaboration with Kraft Heinz was met with rave reviews and has been re-released for a limited time.
The company prides itself on using quality ingredients and only offering "shock flavours" that are truly delicious and distinct. (FN)
💡 Other companies are experimenting with flavour combinations, like gravy-flavoured Jones soda or Sour Patch Kids Oreos. Expect more wacky combinations as consumers become more adventurous.
🍻 Pub Increases Prices for Bar Orders
The Coronation pub in Bristol, UK, has introduced a two-tier pricing system for ordering drinks. Customers are charged up to 50p more for ordering at the bar instead of using a QR code. This is seen as a way to encourage the continued use of QR code ordering, popularised during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pub owner, Ben Cheshire, states that this system is in place to minimise stress on his staff and improve his mental health. However, some argue that it may discriminate against older adults who may not be as comfortable using smartphones. (DB)
💡 This two-tier pricing system at The Coronation Pub in Bristol raises interesting points for marketers. As QR code ordering gains popularity, other venues might adopt similar strategies to streamline operations and reduce staff stress. However, the potential discrimination against older adults should be considered. Charging for premium seating areas could also be a viable option. What do you think about these trends? Should more establishments implement such pricing strategies? Share your thoughts!
🤖 KFC’s AI Ad: A Campaign That Missed the Mark
KFC launched a campaign promoting its new saucy chicken nuggets, asking fans to generate AI images of hands with extra fingers. However, the campaign generated little buzz and received negative feedback from some commenters.
Aiming to blend trendy tech with a classic slogan, the post fell flat, drawing customer reactions like “Imagine paying artists for their services” and “What a mediocre idea.” (FC) See the post here
💡 Here are some tips for using AI in your campaigns
Make sure the campaign is engaging and easy for all users.
Balance new technology with genuine brand messaging to avoid seeming gimmicky.
Monitor and respond to customer feedback promptly to address concerns.
Offer real value or incentives for participation to motivate users.
Respect artistic contributions and avoid over-reliance on AI to ensure creativity and originality.
📸 World’s Most Instagrammable Café Brand Opening in Covent Garden
The globally renowned café and lifestyle brand EL&N is set to open its newest concept, EL&N Deli & Bakery, in Covent Garden's historic Market Building in July.
With over 35 locations worldwide, EL&N has gained a reputation as the 'most Instagrammable café in the world'. This new concept will offer a fresh take on their core menu of brunch classics, featuring artisanal bakery products and a modern yet classic interior design. (HC)
💡 Here's what we can learn from EL&N's Instagram grid
Vibrant Colours
Florescent Lighting Accents
Balance of Products and Interior
Flowers, flowers and more flowers
Customers sharing products - focus on hands-only
Fresh produce
Stylish customers
Balance of Images, Carousels and Video content
🍔 Pizza Hut Invites Customers to ‘Cheat’ on Burgers with Drive-Thru Service
Pizza Hut is entering the burger business with the new Cheeseburger Melt, a parmesan-crusted thin crust Melt folded and loaded with beef, applewood-smoked bacon, onions, mozzarella, and cheddar, served with Burger Sauce on the side.
To promote the Cheeseburger Melt, the pizza chain is deploying QR code-enabled delivery drivers to appear at burger-chain drive-thrus in Chicago and Miami, offering customers a chance to try the Cheeseburger Melt for free. (PH)
💡 Pizza Hut's strategy cleverly targets their competitor's customer base. The campaign is a bold example of guerilla marketing involving unconventional, attention-grabbing tactics to create a buzz.
Here's a quick guide on implementing guerilla marketing at your venue:
Use unexpected tactics to surprise and delight potential customers.
Engage directly with your competitor's audience in innovative ways.
Integrate QR codes or other tech to enhance engagement.
Maximise impact with minimal spending by focusing on high-visibility, low-cost initiatives.
🛎️ Hotel and Travel News
🗝️ Unlock Special Perks with Kimpton’s Secret Password This Summer
The Kimpton brand, known for its playful and sociable personality, offers freebies to guests a few times a year. To unlock these goodies, guests simply need to say a secret password. The newest password, "Good for the sol," is now available during summer.
This promotion has been successful in the past, with guests receiving prizes such as complimentary cocktails, room upgrades, breakfast vouchers, hot chocolate kits and more. The secret password can be used by anyone, regardless of their IHG One Rewards status. (TPG)
💡 Kimpton's secret password promotion cleverly taps into psychological principles of exclusivity and surprise, enhancing guest loyalty and anticipation. Offering value-added freebies creates a sense of belonging and special treatment. Here's how you can boost the experience at your hotel:
Use exclusive offers to make guests feel special, boosting loyalty.
Build excitement with time-limited promotions and secret passwords.
Foster a playful, engaging atmosphere to enhance the guest experience.
Ensure promotions are accessible to all guests, not just loyalty program members.
✈️ Accor Partners with Everyday Rewards for Points Program
Accor and Everyday Rewards have partnered to allow Accor's loyalty program, ALL - Accor Live Limitless, members to transfer their points to the Everyday Rewards program. This is the first one-way points transfer partnership into the Everyday Rewards program.
ALL offers exclusive benefits such as room upgrades, early check-ins, late check-outs, and discounts on dining and experiences across Accor hotels. Everyday Rewards provides members with points for everyday shopping, redeemable for discounts on future purchases and special offers at participating retailers. (EH)
💡 Hotel marketers interested in similar partnerships should identify potential partners whose loyalty programs align with their own. Focus on creating seamless integration for point transfers and ensure that the collaboration offers tangible benefits to members. This strategy can enhance member satisfaction, increase loyalty, and expand market reach.
🇹🇭 Dusit Celebrates 75 Years with 'The Art of Travel' Campaign
Dusit Hotels and Resorts, part of Dusit International, celebrates 75 years of Thai-inspired hospitality with the 'The Art of Travel' campaign.
Guests can enjoy exclusive offers and participate in a social media contest to win free stays and pocket money at any Dusit property worldwide. (EH)
💡 Legacy and trust demonstrate a hotel’s longstanding commitment to quality and service. It differentiates the brand, building emotional connections with guests. Celebrating history evokes nostalgia and trust, making guests feel part of a longstanding tradition. It strengthens brand loyalty, encouraging repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth.
Hotels can celebrate milestones through special promotions, events, themed campaigns, social media contests, and collaborations.
🌴 Deloitte's 2024 Survey: Vacations Prove Valuable Despite Inflation
Deloitte's 2024 Summer Travel Survey shows that Americans still plan vacations involving paid lodging despite inflation.
Travel expenditure is set to increase by 6-13%, driven by higher-income travellers, while overall travel frequency is expected to decline. The survey highlights a growing preference for non-hotel accommodations and international trips. This shift in travel patterns indicates that while cost remains a concern, Americans prioritise their summer vacations. (HNR)
💡 Here's how hoteliers can respond
Introduce flexible, budget-friendly packages and promotions to appeal to cost-conscious travellers.
Advertise unique experiences and services for international guests.
Explore partnerships or expansions into non-traditional lodging options, such as vacation rentals.
Create premium packages and exclusive deals tailored to higher-income segments.
🌍 UN Tourism Report: Biodiversity Integration in National Policies
A new report, "The Integration of Biodiversity in National Tourism Policies", was published on International Day of Biodiversity. It assesses how 80 national tourism policies incorporate biodiversity values.
The report sheds light on the relationship between tourism and biodiversity and serves as a resource for policymakers and stakeholders to take further action towards a sustainable future. It highlights the crucial role of well-integrated policies in preserving the Earth's natural resources. (HN)
💡 Hotel marketers should update their strategies to emphasise sustainability and biodiversity conservation:
Highlight eco-friendly practices
Support local conservation projects and create partnerships with environmental organisations.
Educate guests about local ecosystems and how they can help protect them.
Develop tours that focus on nature and biodiversity, emphasising sustainable travel practices.
Attain certification to enhance credibility and attract eco-conscious travellers.
🔐 For VIP Members
🍷 Food & Beverage News Roundup
👀 Trends Watch
📈 Industry Insights
📚 Recommended Resources for Hospitality Leaders
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Hospitality Marketing Hub to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.