Qantas Flies into Twitter Turbulence
Posted: December 1, 2011 Filed under: Did You Catch On To...?, PR Insights | Tags: #qantasluxury, PR, Qantas, Social media, twitter Leave a comment »
By launching an ill-timed (and poorly conceived) competition on Twitter last week, Qantas has flown into a social media storm.
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:
Countdown to 2012: 4 MAJOR TRENDS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SPAS
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends Leave a comment »There’s more to current spa trends than medical tourism, the wellness movement, alternative therapies, cosmeceuticals and sustainability. We outline the game changers that will have a significant impact on spas:
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.
Countdown to 2012: CATCHY CATCHPHRASES
Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends | Tags: catchphrases, Catherine Feliciano-Chon, trends 3 Comments »When certain words start to creep into your vernacular, they’re more than cool buzzwords. These phrases plug you into the zeitgeist and reflect future trends. Below, our list of catchy catchphrases continuing to catch on in 2012 (how’s that for a tongue twister?):
“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 Last Word on Steve Jobs
Posted: October 19, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends, PR Insights | Tags: Apple, Catherine Feliciano-Chon, Steve Jobs Leave a comment »
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]
Ugly is the New Black
Posted: October 7, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends, PR Insights Leave a comment »Admit it: We are all a little cynical about advertising. For decades we’ve been subjected to – and deceived by – images of airbrushed perfection, misleading facts and half-baked promises. So it’s refreshing to see an ad that is both wonderfully simple and brutally honest. Rivers, an Australian clothing retailer, has launched a TV campaign to promote its “Butt Ugly” range of summer clogs. While we question the value of this ad in terms of brand integrity, we admire their tell-it-like-it-is candor.
Telltale Trivia
Posted: October 6, 2011 Filed under: PR Insights Leave a comment »To illustrate how consumers use their time online, UK data analyst Experian Hitwise distilled all of the hours spent on the internet during August 2011 (over 3.4 billion!), into one single hour. According to the analysts, social media sites dominate the hour, taking almost a quarter of all time spent on the Internet. In total, last August Brits spent 800 million hours on social sites.
“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.
Buy George
Posted: September 29, 2011 Filed under: PR Insights | Tags: advertising, celebrity endorsements, DnB NOR, George Clooney Leave a comment »Last week George Clooney jetted into Hong Kong to speak at a financial forum. While we admire the bravado of the woman who asked for his room number during the Q&A session, we would have questioned the star on his commercial endorsements. The Oscar winner has earned some flak for his blah Nespresso ads, but his latest spot for DnB NOR, Norway’s largest bank, takes a more tongue-in-cheek approach, skewering his persona as Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. A bleary-eyed woman wakes up in a ritzy suite sporting a huge rock on her finger. Through her hangover haze, she tries to piece together what happened the night before. Turns out she married George Clooney! The ad ends with a tagline about being lucky in life (or something), but it’s all a tad unsettling (is he the kind of guy to marry on a whim and wear a horse’s head to social events?). Clearly for George, dignity can be sold at a price.
William Tell
Posted: September 28, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends | Tags: Architecture, CL3, Design, hospitality, Hotel ICON, William Lim Leave a comment »
Hotel ICON in Tsim Sha Tsui East stands as a testament to design innovation. To mark its official opening, Hotel ICON hosted a conference titled ‘Creating a Brand Icon Through Design’ and invited six of its celebrated designers to address the 300-plus audience. Among the invited speakers was William Lim of CL3 Architects who created ICON’s distinctive interiors. The award-winning Hong Kong designer outlined four key factors when approaching hospitality design.
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.
Telltale Trivia
Posted: September 26, 2011 Filed under: Industry Trends, PR Insights | Tags: Email Marketing, Open rates 1 Comment »According to a study conducted by Australian technology firm Responsys, the best day to send an email marketing message is Thursday. The company arrived at this conclusion after examining over one billion email marketing messages sent by 350 marketers in Australia. According to the findings, the open rate on Thursdays is around 22%, the highest in the week. Not surprisingly, the days the days with the lowest open rates are Mondays and Fridays.
Situation Overload
Posted: September 22, 2011 Filed under: PR Insights | Tags: A&F, Jersey Shores, MTV, publicity Leave a comment »
Fashion brands are used to courting celebrities and offering them year-round freebies. Labels love to see in-demand icons flashing their logos and raising the brand’s profile. So we were intrigued to read that American clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch is requesting pleading with Jersey Shore cast member Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino to stop wearing its gear. For the uninitiated, Jersey Shore is a wildly popular MTV reality show that chronicles the drunken exploits of eight hard-partying housemates. Abercrombie & Fitch reportedly offered Sorrentino “a substantial payment” to wear another brand’s clothing. “We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image,” a spokesperson for the fashion retailer said in a statement. “We understand the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.” Even though A&F’s stock dipped almost 10% the day after its Jersey Shore diss, it was a savvy PR move by the fashion giant. Aside from generating plenty of press, by distancing itself from the tacky twentysomethings A&F confirmed its brand position, struck a chord with its target demographic and won over a new segment of fans. And given that most of the brand’s growth comes from international sales, the move only strengthens its appeal in overseas markets.
