Marketing Review - Spring 2008 - (Page 27)

through the Western Caribbean on the Costa Mediterranea cost £514 for a Class 1 inside cabin, or about $1,010, when booked through an agent in the U.K. Buying from an American Web site, the price was $569, or about £289. Thus far, some cruiselines are attempting to protect their profits by refusing to accept bookings except through agents in the customer’s home country. That tactic is unlikely to work for very long. See below for one more probability. Implications for Hotels: For hotels, the biggest techno-trend is well recognized already. As database systems grow more sophisticated, operators are able to capture ever more detailed information about hotel patrons, from their choice of rooms to their dining preferences and local itinerary. This enables hotel staff to give returning patrons a highly personalized experience and all but guarantees return visits. This technology is quickly raising the level of play in the battle for customer loyalty. Cruiselines, resorts, and other destinations are quickly copying these methods. On the negative side, long distance calling through the hotel telephone system once was a significant profit center. Cell phones have seriously eroded this busi- TREND #4 Consumerism is still growing. ness. The last of it can be expected to vanish now that the major cell providers all are offering unlimited calls for just $100 per month. Implications for Restaurants: Probably the biggest development will be the growing use of RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips to track supplies, automate ordering, and make delivery more efficient, and therefore cheaper. One nascent chain in California features order-entry computers at each table. Customers use the terminal to read the menu, view each menu item, and place their order. They see human staff only when handing over their credit cards— before ordering—and when the food is delivered. Computerized ordering will not soon penetrate high-end restaurants or fast-food chains, but it will be welcome at mid-range family restaurants, where savings are sorely needed. Also expect to see innovation at selfbussing restaurants, where patrons will deliver their plates and tableware directly to the maw of the automated washers. Some of the most interesting new technologies will operate far behind the scenes. In laboratories around the world, scientists are building artificial “tongues” and “noses” more sensitive than human organs. Models now in development can distinguish among closely related wines, various cheeses and breads, and coffees. In the near future, food producers will use them to guarantee product quality. This innovation will provide restaurants with better, more consistent materials and give diners more predictable, and probably more satisfying, meals. Implications for Travel: Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are one of the hottest online phenomena of recent years. Now hospitality and travel firms are getting into the act. KLM, one of the earliest adopters and still among the most impressive, offers its customers three invitation-only communities where they can meet like-minded colleagues, one for people doing business in China, one for Africa hands, and one for golfers. Fliers can make contacts, meet offline at club events sponsored by the airline, and set up their own real-world meetings. Forty percent of users have been logging in an average of once a month, which KLM rates as a success. Similar offerings are available from a growing host of specialty sites. Virgin America even put a social networking system into 27 SPRING 2008 • HSMAI MARKETING REVIEW

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marketing Review - Spring 2008

HSMAI Marketing Review - Spring 2008 Contents COLUMN: The Online Marketer COLUMN: Success Stories COLUMN: Guest Column Ten Trends Now Shaping the Future of Hospitality Turning the 2008 Consumer Tax Rebates into Hospitality and Travel Sales 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing The Lure of Lore: Connecting with Customers Through a Unique Brand Story A Careful Balancing Act A Meaningful Relationship: How Technology Affects the Connection Between Hospitality Marketers and Meeting Planners SPECIAL SECTION: The 2007 HSMAI Adrian Awards Building Five Star Imagery

Marketing Review - Spring 2008

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