Make ‘em laugh:  When companies included a rib-tickling video in their campaign, users were more than three times more likely to view the brand’s facebook page.

Sack the stars: Videos featuring celebrities drive 12 per cent fewer click through to a brand’s facebook page than those without.

Keep it short: Videos lasting 15 seconds had the best click-through rates. Those between 16-30 seconds had the lowest click-through rates.

Check out the full infographic below:

Last month, Qantas caused chaos when it grounded all domestic and international flights in response to ongoing industrial action. The move left over 70,000 passengers stranded around the world and sparked tension between Qantas and its employees.

With trust and public sentiment for the brand at an all-time low, the Qantas PR team chose an odd time to launch a competition on Twitter to promote its first class. Entrants were asked to tweet their “dream luxury in-flight experience” under the hashtag #qantasluxury. The most creative entry would win…. a pair of first class Qantas pyjamas and an amenity kit! Not surprisingly, the prize wasn’t enticing enough for followers to feign goodwill or offer compliments.

Eighteen hours after the launch, the #qantasluxury hashtag was generating 25 tweets per second – nearly all of them negative. Rather than produce positive messages, the Twitter contest gave customers a platform to vent their frustrations about bad service, cancelled flights and mechanical failures (an example: Breaking news: Qantas introduce #qantasluxury class. Same as standard class, but the plane leaves the ground.@puppyOntheradio)

This tale illustrates how customers can hijack a social media campaign by expressing their cause a backlash against the airline. The major misstep, of course, was timing. The PR team seemed unaware of the public’s poor view of the brand and operated on the naive assumption that they could control the responses in such a public forum.

It will be interesting to see how Qantas pulls out of this PR nosedive. In the meantime, check out this YouTube parody now doing the rounds:

Neuroscience – the mind is one the remaining frontiers and new studies continue to yield interesting findings that could prove the efficacy of spa treatments.  Recent studies used EEGs and MRIs to visibly map and measure emotions and intangible states-of-mind, from optimism and spirituality to happiness and memory. If researchers apply these methods to spa and wellness therapies, the findings could validate the treatments and finally, compellingly link together ‘body, mind and spirit’?

Robotics — Can they replace therapists? It’s a rather unsettling notion, but it may not be so farfetched. Machines are outsmarting man thanks to the “singularity” trend where technologies like robotics, nanotechnology, brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence are converging.  Human skills and functions are radically being replaced by formulas and algorithms. It would be interesting to debate our future roles in spas. As New York Times writer Thomas Friedman said in a talk recently, “the future is for creative creators; those who can continually re-invent their jobs roles in a constantly shifting world.”

Food –   Taste is arguably the most under-engaged sense in the spa experience. Spa cuisine, for all its creativity, leaves a lot to be desired. Yet food is the most talked about and shared topic in cyberspace with movements like “farm to table”, slow food, locavore, sustainability and provenance currently top of mind. Looking ahead, food will increasingly be at the crossroads of science, technology, and environmental issues as we look for new sources of nutrition. Expect trends like insect cuisine because of its high nutritional value yet low impact on the environment (‘Don’t do drugs. Eat bugs!’), food as medicine, and rooftop  farming in urban centers becoming more mainstream.

Aging Global Population – A decade ago, 40 was the new 30. Today, 50 is the new 30. We’re living longer, aging slower, and looking better, and while aging baby boomers triggered the modern day spa boom, their needs are eclipsing what spas and wellness offer today. A significant percentage of the population in developed and developing countries will be part of the greying market in the coming decades. This will have huge implications on how spas create and market their wares, on potential new product categories, fitness and destination marketing. This goes beyond conventional “anti-aging” thinking. It’s about preventive health and longevity programs, quality-of-life offerings (think sex and sports therapies) for the over 60 set. The silver set could very well be the silver bullet of future spas.

“Artisans” – Forget ‘designer’, ‘creator’, or artist‘. It’s just cooler to identify with this crafty title because it suggests authenticity, heritage, and novelty…all the lovely things associated with new or even ‘real luxury.’ This will continue to be big movement in interior design, food & beverage and fashion, especially as a counterpoint to the increasing democratization of design and luxury goods. Brings new meaning to ‘made with pride’, signed, sealed and delivered.

 “Man Up!” – Or down. It’s a call to arms for a gender feeling disenfranchised by the current economic climate. Domen (domesticated men, as we coined last year) are shifting roles in the workplace and homes, creating crises of identity and periods of introspection. Expect more films, TV sitcoms, books, and online platforms capturing this market in the near future.

“Tech Butlers/Concierges” — Signals the slow demise of the conventional business centres and a change in hotel design (larger work areas in rooms, multi-purposed lobby lounges). These employees are our around-the-clock tech-savvy gurus, armed with power cords, converters, and rechargers.

 “Nym Wars” – Sounds like a plot out of Avatar. Close. Short of ‘pseudonym wars,’ it’s a debate over the issue of online identity, or Authenticity vs Aliases. Internet companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter are all weighing in on opposite camps pitting the hotly debated issues of privacy against transparency. It has far-reaching implications beyond just fake identities.  Watch this space.

“Curator” – Move over, museum custodian. It’s the advent of the ultimate purveyor.  “Retail curators” assemble likeminded retailers into a space; “social curators” are highly networked individuals who’ll give you access to their diverse black book; a “content curator” pulls together diverse content into a social media platform. While it has trend watchers rolling their eyes over this overworked buzzword, its implication spells a whole new raft of job roles and services.

“Phoodies” – foodies who photograph what they eat.  Yup, you heard it here first…

The outpouring of grief from Steve Jobs’ death had me thinking: While much of it had to do with the fact that he was truly a one-of-a-kind game changer, his appeal was also because he was so elusive. It’s a paradox that while his products made us more connected and engaged, he remained largely an enigma and beyond reproach. With CEOs and brands under increasing pressure to be revelatory, Steve Jobs closed ranks, built fire walls, punished those who breached privacy. He wanted the attention to be squarely on his products. It’s as if everything — from his fashion sense to the tabloid minutiae of his personal life – was muted so it didn’t take our gaze away from what ultimately mattered: his creations.

There’s something to be said about that. 

As companies are lifting the veil on their product development process, with crowdsourcing in vogue, CEOs tweeting, and brands falling all over themselves to stake their online presence in the name of transparency and engagement, it’s refreshing to know that you don’t have to pander to the current sentiment to stand out.

Not only did Jobs’ elusiveness make him intriguing, it kept the focus on the message rather than the messenger. Extraneous details of personality became noise in the face of the sheer beauty of his products. He didn’t have to sacrifice his privacy and personality (though he was one!) in the altar of commerce. He just had to create damned good products.

Now, if more brands can catch on to that.

[Post written by Cathy Feliciano-Chon]

“Facebook is still the clear market leader with half of all social networking visits and an average visit time of 22 minutes,” says research analyst James Murray.

The graph also reflects the growth of online shopping (accounting for five minutes in every hour online) and the use of the internet for news delivery.

Think: Consider all options to challenge conventions. For Hotel ICON, William wanted to open up the lobby space to encourage guests to use the area as a casual lounge.

Live: As William explained, it’s crucial to consider your own hotel experiences, apply these to your design and question what travellers need. In designing Hotel ICON’s guestrooms, William and his team created curved bathroom walls to open up and maximize the space.

Show: Create an eye-catching, memorable moment – whether it’s a rooftop pool, a unique mix of materials or a standout feature, this is the one aspect that guests will buzz about.

Sell: This one may seem obvious, but it’s worth stating: Designers need to get on board with the operating concept. Once the designers understand the brief, are in sync with hotel operators and working as a team, everything else falls into place.