Finding
Meaning: Wikipedia attributes the word ‘evolution’ to the Latin
term ‘evolutio’ meaning "unfolding". While the tech and Internet revolution
have anything but “unfolded” upon us (“exploded” would be more appropriate,
given the short span of time over which most Internet-related developments
have occurred), there is something to be learnt from the nature of these
changes.
Impact and Perspective: According to the popular statistics site,
internetworldstats.com, at the end of 2007, we had 1 in 5 people on the
planet already connected to the Internet…and this number is growing fast.
While 80% of the world waits to jump onto the bandwagon, the 20% who’re
already on it are struggling to hold on for dear life. The Internet is to
business today what electricity is to industry and good living…without it
there would be chaos! That puts a little perspective on just how reliant
we’ve become on this relatively new platform…but also how much we stand to
gain from it in terms of breaking down communication, transaction and
education barriers. And the pace of development and the evolving uses of the
Internet have been dizzying to say the least. Marketers…and your average
Internet Joe have been forced to constantly re-learn and evolve.
It may be a challenge to stay
on top, but the bigger challenge today is to ensure those who are following
you can catch up! In the hospitality industry, the rift between tech-savvy
users and those who’re just sitting up and taking notice of the Internet
revolution is even more pronounced. E-commerce and e-marketing are just
starting to make a mark in the industry, much like revenue management did a
while ago (revenue management is quite indispensable in hotels these days,
despite the slow initial uptake). The level of emphasis and extent of
experimentation varies greatly by hotel group and location, but the growing
importance, both for generating revenues, lower costs and online visibility,
is indisputable.
So the future of e-commerce in
the hospitality industry is guaranteed to be a bright one. And the savvy
hotel emarketer has a lot to gain, including room to grow, experiment and
“wow” (from SEO to SEM, blogging to social networking, there’s plenty to
keep the eager hotel eMarketer busy experimenting). But what about those in
the industry just climbing on-board, especially employees in hotel
operations and those struggling to make sense of the opportunities and
challenges presented by the Internet? What can hotel eMarketers do to ensure
interest and support at hotels? How do you create a culture of understanding
and mutual growth?
The answer is simple…create
interest, excitement and buy-in at your hotels. The path to achieving these
lofty goals, however, isn’t quite so simple. Let’s explore some of the
issues and opportunities:
Create an online culture! Culture is defined as ‘the accumulated
habits, attitudes, and beliefs of a group of people that define for them
their general behavior and way of life; the total set of learned activities
of a people.’ The biggest challenge, then, is to change the habits,
attitudes and beliefs of your target audience at hotels (not an easy task,
by any means).
-
Habits: A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior
that is acquired through frequent repetition. Habits at work may involve
always having done things a certain way (classic example “I’ve done this
the same way for 20 years…it works…why should I change?”) – changing
habits may involve patient education, assistance and reminders on the
use of new tools, techniques and channels previously unavailable,
hopefully till they are accepted. Assistance in understanding and using
seemingly ‘complicated’ tools and techniques is another step in gaining
acceptance among users. This may be obvious, but reminders to use these
improved techniques and tools also work their magic in the long run
(persistence!).
-
Attitudes: manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows
one's disposition, opinion, etc. Attitudes are hard to change…but
results work! A typical attitude may be thinking that eCommerce is just
another fad…or that not much can be achieved by changing the business
model and hotel distribution strategies. Attitudes take slow, persistent
efforts to change: buy-in from decision makers, communicating progress
and delivering results are failsafe approaches to this challenge.
-
Beliefs: Assumptions about what is true or false that can be
testable (family preservation works) or not testable (God exists). An
example for Hotel eMarketing – ‘Investing in online research, tools and
projects is a waste of money’…or ‘our customers have always been loyal
and want things to stay the same.’ Testable beliefs are easily
challenged with making a case for change (with hard facts) and then
delivering promised results. • Communication: The catalyst for it all.
Hotel eMarketers are great at communicating with external audiences…but
often forget their hotel peers. Constantly communicating and building
internal relationships are the keystones to success, acceptance and
synergy.
Here are some real-world
strategies we’ve tried and found effective in the past in creating an online
culture (while most can be applied at any property, some applications may
vary based on e-commerce emphasis at the hotel/s and resources the eMarketer
has at hand):
-
‘e’ducate: Take Stock! Audit yourself, identify key tasks and
projects that must be completed to bridge the gap between where you are
as a hotel and where you want to be in terms of eMarketing prowess.
Identify teams, cliques & internal communication flow before you start
educating internally. Start by creating a basic understanding of the
tools, platforms, functions and possibilities associated with the online
marketing & distribution / e-commerce role. If you’re just breaking into
the role at a new property, try to clear any assumptions or
misconceptions about channels & the role at an early stage. Make
presentations to senior management as well as the Sales & Marketing team
and each time a new concept, idea or project is introduced, release an
easy-to-understand overview, followed up with a personal explanation.
Another successful technique of gaining acceptance and enthusiasm has
been to introduce open “e”ducation sessions where various Internet
trends, tips, tools and fun elements are covered in addition to
business-related eCommerce issues.
-
Obtain buy-in, communicate and report: Ensure that the
decision-makers at the property/ies support all significant projects and
hotel department heads are involved if issues affect their department in
any way. Implement practices for daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly
communication to keep things consistent and regular. Identify what
frequency works best for you and inform the team about what you’re
working on and what’s coming up! Attend Revenue, Marketing and
Management meetings if and when possible to brainstorm and gain
perspective. Present an easy-to-understand performance and trend
snapshot using web analytics and reporting tools every month.
Communicate the same verbally during monthly departmental meetings. If
possible, create and distribute a quarterly e-commerce newsletter
(something that goes to all hotel employees and gets people involved,
with a quiz / competition).
-
Reach all levels: Perhaps the hardest thing to do in hotels
is to reach and communicate at most (if not all) levels of the
organization. One solution is to create an “eTeam”. We pioneered the
first hotel eTeam in early 2007, bringing together carefully selected
volunteers (vs. nominees) from each hotel department. The selection
criteria? Eagerness to learn, a superb attitude and great communication
skills. The eTeam spends 40% of its “e” time learning about eCommerce
from the resident eCommerce Manager, another 40% fulfilling their roles
as departmental ambassadors for eCommerce and 20% on special projects
that help the hotel do things better, faster and smarter (using
technology or the Internet). The time spent by members on eTeam
activities? 10 - 12 hours per month, aside from normal hotel roles. The
impact? Huge! Not only does the eTeam get those who want to learn more
involved, but it also fosters an atmosphere of sharing, growth and
possibility. Here is a recent example of a fun eTeam activity, where
members were tasked with creating a movie illustrating how the internet
has changed our lives:
-
Go back to basics: Why should an employee who doesn’t have
access to the Internet and has never used email concern themselves with
the opportunities the internet represents for the hotel? Communicating
at all levels may be a noble undertaking, but is the ‘message’ being
received? Maybe its time to step back from the trees and take a look at
the forest? We conducted the first ever “eVoice” survey in 2007 to find
out just where we stand as a hotel in terms of internet and computer
use. The survey results were then used to create and justify solutions
for basic problems. Examples include:
Computer Access: if a majority of
employees know how to use computers and most access the internet but at
a cost, what can be done to offer free or discounted access to these
resources? Aim – to promote use of the Internet at the hotel and provide
access to learning resources and sites that can be used for guest
referral and better job performance.
Understanding the role of the internet in the
hotel business: making an introduction to eCommerce a part of
the hotel induction process for all new hires to start them off on the
right foot.
At the most basic level, learning what the
Internet is and how to send emails to family and friends. We
all respond better to information if we have sort of emotional
connection or personal meaning system attached to it… basic training can
create an emotional link to the Internet so base-level users are more
receptive to other “e” news and information that is communicated to
them. This base level training also helps them boost their “e” readiness
and confidence.
Rinse
and repeat. Persist. Enjoy. You may not accomplish everything you
hoped to…or get across to everyone, but each little success and each new
person who develops an understanding and excitement for the role is another
leap towards overall success…and satisfaction.
All things considered, YOU
create culture by contributing to it. And remember that eCommerce /
eMarketing is just part of a much bigger trend that has changed society and
the way we live, work and communicate. Help others see the big picture and
their role in it. And remember…if it isn’t fun, it just isn’t worth it.
Infusing passion and love into everything you do is the most infectious way
of gaining acceptance, understanding and great results!
---
About the author: About the Author: At
work, Jitendra Jain (JJ) is employed with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Dubai
as an E-Commerce Manager and handles hotel online marketing & distribution.
At play, he is the founder of various online initiatives and free platforms
like ,
(among
others) that aim to connect, educate and shine the limelight on the true
stars of the industry – the people that run it!
-
Considering a Hotel
eMarketing Career?
-
For video interviews
with hotel professionals and a fun peek at hospitality, visit
-
Read more articles
on
(Tourism & Hospitality)
|