MillsMash

The following article was written by me and published in Hotelier Middle East, August 2009 Issue. Unfortunately they have not placed it online so i took the liberty…

The 21st century will be remembered as the time when the digital marketplace came of age and people turned in their millions to spend their billions online. Leading the way in this massive expanse of spending has been the travel and leisure consumers who are utilising this new open source of information to research their chosen destinations and facilities, drawing from a wealth of information provided by friends, families and strangers.

Many hoteliers have already realised the benefits that an online brand presence can bring them and either created their own sites or forged partnerships with online travel agents to capture sales. Unfortunately just as many have hoteliers have become comfortable with the online market place its focus has shifted and customers are basing their decision making on a much wider range of criteria.Increasingly people are turning to social networking and online advice to guide them in their decision on where to go and where to stay.

In this current climate it is vital to capitalise on all lead generation opportunities using the available online channels and reduce customer disaffection. One key strategy to this is increasing your brands awareness online. To achieve this we have put together the following 10 key points to help hoteliers maximise their online brand presence and increase the traffic on their websites ultimately leading to increase bookings.

1. Content is king. Ensure you site has all the very latest, relevant and accurate information on hotels and their surrounding area’s. Accuracy is key to ensure customers are not misled otherwise their brand experience will be affected and that negative experience shared with others. Content will ensure your customers needn’t look elsewhere for information and may even turn your site into a central reference point.
2. United you stand, divided you fall. Look to make partnerships with content providers to bolster your site’s information and stop customers from seeking information elsewhere. The longer they stay on the site the greater the chance they will book. Working with well know companies like What’s On When can bolster your brand value proposition and provide new valuable content for your site.
3. If you can’t beat them, join them. Social networking is not the enemy and if used effectively can drive traffic to your site and improve brand awareness. People are more likely to trust other people’s recommendations then an advert or corporate communications. TripAdvisor recently capitalised on Social Networking by creating a Facebook gadget “Cities I’ve visited” allowing people to enter cities around the world they have been too and add photos, feedback and advice which is then shared. By embracing the power of social networking you can increase your brand awareness and drive traffic to your website.
4. People want an easy life. Make sure that finding information and booking at your hotels is fast and easy. Web analytics provides an easy way to evaluate your sites performance allowing you to optimise customer journey. Even small improvements to the conversion rate add up. Conversely a slow and frustrating experience will have a negative impact on your brand and act as a barrier to any future interactions.
5. Don’t rest on your laurels. The most successful sites are constantly looking at how they can improve their customer’s online experience. Use web analytics to help you identify area’s of improvement.
6. Make yourself visible. The first place most people will go to find a brand’s website or destination information are search engines. It is vital that brands dominate the top results for specific terms, especially when searching on brand names. Although more people are searching using brand names they are not always ending up at the brand sites. Employ paid for adverts (PPC) on search engines to capture people’s attention.
7. Spread your wings. Look to increase awareness and accessibility of your site by increasing the number of other sites that talk about your hotels, brand and link to your website. Ensure any literature, advert, review, news article and press release both off and online include a link to your website. Not only will this increase awareness of your site and enable people to easily access it but it will also improve your listing in search engines.
8. Stop: Don’t rush in where fools fear to tread. Just because there is a new online trend does not mean it’s suitable for you and your brand or that you are ready for it. Evaluate the service first and plan how you will use it in the short and long term. Importantly make sure you have the resource and the content to make best use of the medium into the future.
9. Look: Look at how your customers are using the internet and how they are finding your site and interacting with your brand online; don’t be afraid to engage them on their own ground.
10. Listen. Customers are using social networks to have their say and can provide you with a free source of consumer information and feedback. Are you listening and more importantly are you prepared to react to what they have to say? You may find customers are twittering or blogging about their stay while they are with you. By monitoring this real time you can address their problems immediately and first hand you turning a possible PR disaster into a positive brand experience.

Ultimately people will only choose your hotel if it is represented well, be that online or offline. Protect your brands, monitor their reputation and ensure their being represented in the best possible light. In the digital world this is easier to track and monitor however you must ensure your reaction is planned and measured to capitalise on the opportunities.

1.    How important is the digital world for brands?

The digital world is extremely important to all brands, both established and new. There are countless examples of young up-starts overturning more established brands by purely utilising the power of the digital world. Because of this, the digital world is an area that brands can no longer afford to ignore, rather, they must ensure is a key part of their brand strategy.

As customers are becoming increasingly technologically savvy, their expectation of the digital brand experiences grows. If these expectations are not met, then it will have a substantial negative impact on the brand value. To this end, all brands must ensure that they capitalise on the digital opportunities and offerings available. The scope and expectations are huge as too are the benefits if successful.

The digital world has become a vital territory which companies must explore and brands must conquer if they wish to survive let alone succeed in these challenging economic times.

2.    Advantages of the digital world?

The biggest advantage of the digital world and more specifically the online marketplace is the ability to measure the success of campaigns in a variety of key areas.

Not only can the financial benefits of a specific campaign, advert or even article be recorded but the increase in brand awareness and brand experience can also be easily recorded and monitored. This enables companies to quickly calculate their return on investment, tweak campaigns to maximise their effect and ensure it’s providing a positive experience for their customers.

The digital world also provides a fast and effective method to communicate with its target audience at cheaper costs than traditional mediums. Traditional mediums have for too long restricted companies to shouting to a crowd of people and hoping their message is heard and understood. Not only does digital technology provide a means to send instant tailored messages directly to customers & potential customers and measure the impact, but it also provides a means to start a conversation with their customers. This instils a sense of involvement in the brand which increases brand loyalty and pride as customers feel in control.
Ultimately all organizations should have a digital strategy as it provides an effective way to communicate with customers. At The Brand Union we encourage our clients to embrace and explore digital developments and utilize them as a means to engage their customers in conversation.

3.    Are there any drawbacks?

There are no direct drawbacks from embracing the digital world however neglecting it can be damaging to the brand experience. Alternatively it can be damaging if the digital experience does not live up to expectations and frustrates the user more than it assists them.

A negative experience can be caused by a variety of different issues but they are mainly caused by neglect, poor planning or bad implementation of a digital campaign. Due to the pervasiveness of the digital world combined with the ease and speed of communication a negative experience can easily spread and spin out-of-control.

In addition, careless blanket online advertising has led to brands being advertised along side unsuitable content with a negative impact on the brand image.

4.    How does a brand distinguish itself in the digital world which is so cluttered up?

As is the case with any successful brand, increasing brand awareness requires creating and implementing a detailed and thorough brand strategy. Building on this, the key to a successful digital brand strategy is ensuring that it is incorporated as part of a holistic campaign and not treated as a separate entity in its own special bubble. By utilising both traditional and digital mediums a brand can increase its awareness far greater than either medium would achieve alone.

It is important to meet your customer’s expectations and provide a positive brand experience which not only adds value encouraging them to return but which they will also communicate across their social network. Research has shown that people will trust recommendations received from friends and family twice as much as any other direct communication.

5.    Examples of successful branding in the digital world?

The real success stories are companies who do not treat the digital world as a separate entity but as part of a holistic brand strategy. Online and offline strategies that tie in seamlessly with each other have a far greater impact on brand awareness then segregated and disconnected campaigns. Large multinational corporations, like Apple and Adidas are definitely leading the way in this area. However Hollywood is also very successfully utilizing the internet to launch new movies and TV series by cleverly tying the programs into online campaigns.

Adidas are a great example of a brand increasing its brand awareness by utilizing a variety of digital techniques. During the last world cup Adidas utilised brand tracking technology to monitor discussions on their brand and its current campaigns and products lines. This online tracking highlighted online discussions regarding an issue with one of their products which was caused by customers not following included instructions. Based on the information obtained, Adidas altered their production and packaging process to resolve any issues or confusion. They also undertook an online campaign to alter current owners to a simple solution to the issue all the while continuing to monitor discussions to ensure success and measure the value.

Middle Eastern companies who have embraced the digital world and reaped the benefits are companies like Emirates Airlines and Jumeirah hotels. Their openness to digital opportunities has been driven by their need to appeal to broader markets many of which have higher expectations then local audiences historically have. However this is now rapidly changing and local companies in the region are finding themselves racing to catch-up.

6.    Examples of failure?

There are many examples of failures in the digital world which have damaged brands. What’s surprising is that these failures are not limited to small or inexperienced companies but can be afflict by some of the worlds largest and most successful brands. Below are a couple of recent examples which show how sometimes the simplest problems and misunderstandings can lead to huge issues.

Amazon is one of the largest online retailers who have mastered the digital world to not only market their company but also to service their customers. However recently they updated their cataloguing system which resulted in a large number of books loosing their high ranking and being mislabelled. This caused a massive outrage and accusations of censorship. Within hours many social networking sites where ablaze with fury at Amazon for their actions. Due to a small mistake which was later rectified Amazon not only lost a vast amount of potential revenue but also their user’s trust which had taken years to accrue. The digital world is a very fickle place which without foresight and planning can seriously damage a brand.

Skittles recently re-launched its website with great fan fare and turned its homepage into a twitter profile page allowing all it’s loyal customers to post messages of encouragement and adoration for the candy. Unfortunately, within hours of the site going live people where posting inappropriate messages which would then appear on the skittles site. Skittles giving its branding over to the public, and its homepage to its audience, is a gutsy gesture indeed. However they had not thought through the implications of their actions and had misjudged the power of the medium.

7.    What does a brand need to look out for when their brand world is being created for the digital world?

When creating a Brand World for a digital environment it is important to bare in mind several key points.

The digital world is unlike any other environment you and your brand may have encountered. The speed and ease of communication means that successful brands can succeed just as easily as they can fail and that the smallest issue can be amplified and blown out of proportion. Plan your strategy and ensure your actions are thought through and not knee jerk responses otherwise you could end up doing more damage than good.

It is important to appreciate that the digital world is interactive and customers expect their communications within this environment to go both ways because of this. There is no-point trying to communicate with customers through this medium if you are not willing to take the time to listen. Don’t be afraid to empower your customers as this will increase brand loyalty, but in doing so you must be ready to listen.

As previously mentioned, the digital environment is not detached or segregated from the outside world. The most successful digital branding exercises are always undertaken in conjunction with offline traditional branding exercises.

Success in the digital realm has the potential to propel a brand forward very quickly as it suddenly becomes visible to an entirely new market. If the brand is not prepared, it can quickly become saturated or over exposed. If a brand is not ready or open to the changed and impact the digital world has, then success can quickly turn to disappointment sizzling away, never to be resurrected.

Ultimately planning and strategy are the best ways to ensure a brand will succeed in the digital world. However, this must be undertaken as part of the bigger picture and a holistic approach, otherwise opportunities will be missed.

8.    How do brands stand out and ensure that they provide the consumers with a good brand experience that lives up to the brand even in a digital world?

Companies and their brands must continually strive to grow their digital representation. Constantly challenging their digital agencies to push the boundaries and explore new opportunities will ensure brands stand out and customer expectations are met. This in turn will improve brand awareness as customers share their positive experiences.

It is important to appreciate the ability and willingness for customers to use the digital world to communicate with a brand and about a brand to friends and family. Listening to customer’s direct comments as well as the general online discussions is vital to a brand. This will ensure that it maintains customer’s interest and expectations and also ensures the customer feels like an integral part of the process and hence increasing their loyalty. This in turn, will increase the brands virility which increases the chances of its success.

Essentially customers are looking for a positive experience and added value. If the brand ensures that these are retained within the digital environment, then they will succeed.

As of the 13th of June Facebook will allow users to customise their profiles URL in the format of www.facebook.com/username/. According to Facebook this is designed to make it easier for friends, family, co-workers, and even search engines to find profiles without extraneous scouring of the site.

Putting the user’s handle on the URL isn’t a new concept for social networking sites as Twitter and MySpace and many others already permit this. However the increase commercialisation of Facebook by companies does raise an important branding question, are our clients names protected? Twitter and a number of other sites have been severely hit by impostors pretending to be people or companies they are not. Internet domain names also have a long history of people speculatively purchasing company names for financial gain or malicious intent.

In an attempt to counter this Facebook has put in place several safety measures:

1. There is a web page for companies to register their trademark with Facebook to prevent it being hijacked at launch. I would suggest that we recommend to all our clients that they use this form to protect their name.
2. Once a user has registered a username to use they can not change or transfer. This is an attempt to stop people speculatively purchasing names and then trying to sell them.
3. Since the 31st of May anyone signing up for a Facebook account will not be able to register a username straight away but will have a cooling off period, again to prevent speculative registrations.

Even if a client does not have a Facebook profile or group it is worthwhile ensuring they protect themselves against impersonation and ensure they retain control of their brand names.

To pre-register a trademarked brand name use the following form:
http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=username_rights

As i mentioned in my last post I have recently taken a position with The Brand Union in the Middle East. Having only ever worked for IT / Online marketing companies branding is not something that I have given much consideration for. I’ve always realised it’s importance but just left it up to someone else. Obviously now that i work for a branding agency my views and insights have substantially changed and so inline with that some of my posts going forward will feature an element of branding and this is going to be the first.

Mozilla have just released new functionality for their Firefox internet browser which allows users to easily and quickly download a new look for their browser. This feature provides consumers with a great new way to personalize their browser around a brand. This could be utilised as an excellent feature for brands like the Premiership or the GAA where there is a big fan base. In fact, on of the persona’s already made available, one is for the Champions League football tournament.

To use the persona you need to download a new plugin for Firefox which places a fox logo in the bottom left of the browser window. Clicking on this presents you with a wide array of pre-created persona’s for you to select from. Rolling over each persona enables you to preview the persona. What’s also neat is that if you visit a website with persona’s on it, simply hovering over persona on the page will preview the persona in your browser and simply clicking on the thumbnail will install that persona in an instant.

The personalization of the browser allows for a background picture to be applied to the main bars at the top of the browser as well as the status bar and for a different colour scheme.

Read more here: http://www.getpersonas.com

I recently came across this great way to create YouTube virals that incorporate the “Choose your own adventure” story format.

The viral is based on a series of snippets of a story around one and a half minutes long. At the end of each snippet the user is presented with several options on how the story should continue with each option then taking the user to another YouTube video. Not only is a clever use of YouTube but the directing, editing, and soundtrack are also very well put together. This highlights the way in which YouTube (and similar sites) can be used to successfully market a company and it’s products online. Brandawareness can be just as valuable as physical sales in that it can directly and in-directly lead to future sales.

The point of the video, other than being comical, seems only to bring awareness to specbox.net and a number of similar online foram sites for geeks and gamers. However i can’t belive it will be long before similar online campaigns are being launched by larger agencies. Although similar campaigns have been done in the past where there have been online treasure hunts using a variety of mediams from PPC adverts through to GoogleMaps (Eqtr used this once as a Xmas campaign) this is the first I am aware of that soley uses YouTube in this fashion. Please do let me know if you are aware of any others.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AQhSLcTlUBA&feature=related