Taste by Four Seasons, the blog for food lover

Have you heard about Taste, the new blog launched by Four Season luxury group? If you are a food lover, you might enjoy this pinterest kind of platform for foodies.

Instead of promoting their 90 restaurants located all around the world, the blog showcases recipes from the brand's talented chefs, ingredients and inspirations through tremendous photographs, advices and epic moments.

The one-of-a-kind innovation is the "1 ingredient, 3 ways" section: Chefs create recipes centered around specific ingredients such as apple, coffee bean, porcini mushrooms (or whatever!) and visitors can vote on their favorite recipe.

Not only is the website a brand promoting tool but also a way to attract gourmets through basic google searches like "ideas of recipes with crab". The idea of community is interesting around this blog and it is a great way for the group to show its interest for culinary arts.

• I think this idea is extremely interesting and related to the digital IQ of company. It is a well done example of what hoteliers can do to connect, interact and create value with customers. 
• Plus, the blog is not only focused on the brand Four Season but more on the image of "food-oriented" hotel they want to spread which is great 
• A very subtile way to promote their restaurants and to highlight their talented chefs. 
• Also, the social network engagement is very much visible on the blog (vimeo, facebook, twitter, youtube) as well as the possibility to suscribe to their newsletter.

What else can we say than Bravo Four Season! Here is the link of the article published on December 7th of 2012.

Focus on Digital IQ

What does DIGITAL IQ refers to?

In this all digital era, corporations have to adapt to the rise of new technologies. Digital IQ could be defined as companies' ability to build a whole strategy by valuing technologies and embedding them in their core businesses. Digital IQ can deepen the level of engagement a company shares with a customer. It is about adapting the right digital technologies to help innovating, planning and most of all INTERACT with customers. 

To raise their digital IQ, they are four main elements companies should consider :

The website : "Effectiveness of brand site"

- It has to be interactive and easy to navigate on

- Customer should be able to find easily what he is looking for 

- The reservation system should be smooth

- Customer loyalty program and reward should appear 

- Engagement with social media should appear 

Digital Marketing : "Search, display, and email marketing efforts"

- Website should be well referenced (google adds)
- Customer should be able to access the website through commercial banners & adds positionned on appropriate websites
- The company should be present on emerging platforms such as Tumbler, Pinterest, Google +
- In addition to the website, companies should create a blog -will help with customer's interaction-
- Possibility for the customer to suscribe to the newsletter in order to be updated of special offers and so on

Social Media : "Brand presence, community size, content and engagement on major social media platforms on global and select property accounts" 

- Facebook: Not only to be present on Facebook: the page should be updated regularly with rich content and responsive (f-commerce). A facebook app to facilitate mobile users navigation
- Twitter: Tweet frequency, online voice
- Youtube: Customer tend to watch videos before planning a trip. It is crucial to have corporate videos describing the experience and giving an overview of what's awaiting the customer

Mobile : "Compatibility, optimization and marketing on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices"

- Mobile site: The navigation should be as easy on mobile than on computer device since today's customer mostly navigates on its mobile;
- IOS app: Should have added values such as possibility to book directly the room, why not customizing the stay?
- Mobile innovation: Geo localization (foursquare: guests that check in on foursquare have a free cup of champagne for example), Instagram, food reporter and so on...

*Source : Hotels Digital IQ 2012 review 

Sneak peek of the various Hotel Booking Opportunities

Hotelbookingopportunities from pbhatt854

Focus on Joie de Vivre group

Joiedevivre from YaminaHsW

Emerging Bolly' Hospitality

CMH has made it pretty clear this year: Focus on Incredible India!

So I have read this article on Hotel News Now and I have to say that even though I am from India, I found it truly interesting to analyze my folks in a "marketing way". 

This article depitcs the Indian Hospitality clientele and how much they are specifics in terms of wants & needs. First of all, we can find out, very surprinsingly that the majority of domestic travelers in India prefer to stay with family and friends rather than in a hotel. This is absolutely not linked with the fact that they can not afford it, but rather very cultural. That is precisely why I found it interesting. 

As I said, I have been raised in the Indian culture and even though I grew up in France, I was not surprised to find this out. Actually, how can it not be when we know that Indians live with their mothers even after their wedding? So different -in comparaison- with the French culture in which oldies are put in a retirement home? It made me smile but is so true. So yes, sure that they prefer to be hosted in families. 

But what's interesting is when you see how hotel marketers have begun to offer family-friendly packages and accomodations to target this growing segment of leisure travelers that represent 740.2 million domestic tourist visits during 2010. Plus, marketers have understood that Indians actually like to travel with friends & their families...sometimes there are even seven to ten families travelling together -and believe me, to have lived it, I can attest it is true :-) - 

So the article makes a focus on Jaypees hotel group and the way they have adapted their offer to this brand new group of travellers. They propose designed packages for family with children. 

Gogobot, social destination guide

Slideshare gogobot from YaminaHsW