Articles
Ignite At Hotelympia!
Ignite Hospitality Consultants will be exhibiting at Hotelympia from Sunday Feb 26th - Thursday 1st March.
Restaurant Marketing Ideas - Bodean's BBQ Restaurant
Visited the BBQ Rib sensation Bodean's at the weekend, great food and enjoyed settling into a classic New York environment.
Facebook Advertising for Hotels & Restaurants Poses Interesting Question
Recent findings from TBG show that Facebook provide a 50% discount on Facebook Ads if users are kept in-site.
What are QR codes? QR code marketing for restaurants; a case study
QR codes are all the buzz in agency land at the moment - but its amazing how few people on the street really know what they are or how they work. We recently trialled a QR code on a construction hoarding board tease campaign for one of our restaurants - inviting passers by to a week of preview dinners. Thought we would share some of our key learnings.
Ace Hotel Interior Design - A Unique Hotel Concept
We met with Dieter Cartwright from Warren Red for a Sunday afternoon beer at the Ace Hotel in New York and were impressed. Made by creatives for creatives, they’ve developed a unique hotel that cuts through the crowd in a competitive market place. A few things that caught our attention...
Interactive Digital Marketing in Times Square New York
Times Square is an attraction because of advertisements, so much so there is dedicated terrace seating for people to sit and behold the spectacle:
Naked Cowboy Times Square - Best Publicity Stunts
I came across the infamous Naked Cowboy in Times Square today, quite a sight:
Best Hangover Cure? A Revolutionary Moment...
Eggs, bacon, sausage, fried bread, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, more eggs, more bacon, one more sausage...
Ignite Win Restaurant Website Award for BR Guest Hospitality
We've recently been awarded the International Standard of Excellence for our first American client - BR Guest Hospitality.
Hotel Consulting in the Bahamas - Internet Marketing Update
Regular readers of the Brightbox Blog may recall Michelle's articles about our month undergoing on-site consultancy in the Bahamas.
Environmental Hotel Cards - Not worth the recycled paper it's printed on!
Just a quick little rant but one that makes a massive impact on my opinion of the hotel I am staying in and the environment.
Organically Grow Restaurant Facebook Fans: Utilise Facebook's Viral Power
Multi-channel campaigns get you major increases in Facebook Fans, but there are many ways to keep the Fan count ticking with people who are actually interested in your restaurant, without spending the big bucks.
Operational Consultancy? A 5* F*** Up?
I experienced a communication breakdown on a massive scale this week, leaving both myself and the restaurant manager speechless.
Internet Marketing - The Ignite Analysis Model
There is no denying the increasing importance of internet marketing for restaurants and hotels. The digital marketing mix is becoming increasingly complex and the tools available to engage, attract and convert customers are constantly changing and improving. It is a dynamic landscape that demands regular attention so as not to be left behind.
Strategic Branding - Branded Chains Vs Chains of Brands
As a hospitality consultant that develops restaurant concepts you'd be amused to hear the number of times I've met a new client who assures me that it won't be long before they 'have one of these on every high street'. Whether it's the next big thing in Indian takeaways, Chinese restaurants, cafes or kebab concepts, these entrepreneurs frequently have one clear objective: multi-unit branded roll-out.
Local PR & Internet Advertising For Small Hotels & Restaurants
Let's say you're no larger than 50 rooms or a single restaurant that wants to ultimately become well known in you local area and surrounding counties. What Internet marketing channels and offline marketing opportunities are at your disposal to get your hotel and restaurant out there?
The Mobile Revolution
It's official. We are now in the era of the mobile phone. Smartphones, iPhones, Androids, Blackberries and the like. We all treasure our gadgets and love what we can do with them. They are just so handy aren't they? Information on travel, news, cinemas, weather and anything else you can think of is right at our fingertips. It's even there for you when all you want to do is relax a game or funny video.
SEOMG
First off, I need to state that I'm a big believer in SEO. However, recent requests have made me relook at SEO, how it's implemented and think about best practice techniques. Bear with me on this, it's going to be long one!
Online Reputation Management For Hotels And Restaurants: Getting It Right!
Online reputation management is the new buzzword in hospitality. But what exactly is reputation management and what does it entail?
Pop Up Power
Pop-Up restaurants are quite literally springing up all over the place at the moment and as Christmas approaches this phenomena is no doubt going to become more intense. These temporary restaurants are usually found in unusual or vacant public spaces and recent examples have included the open top floor of a Westfield shopping centre building site in Stratford and the London Eye Pop-Up Restaurant, part of the recent London Restaurant Festival that turned each Eye capsule into a dining room with the best views in town.
Google Adwords Advantage
I've recently been working on a new Adwords account that we've inherited from somebody else. It's amazing how many people waste money on Google Adwords by not setting the system up properly. Inefficient PPC accounts are a great way to throw money away!
Crowd Force
At its soul the internet is a network of connections and this network is incredibly powerful. The speed and scope of the distribution of information in the dot-com world ensures that news spreads far and wide as quickly as it can be typed. Though this ability to distribute information can open the world's eyes to oppressive regimes and influence change for the good of humankind, it can sometimes be problematic for the hospitality operator. On the other hand, it can also be tremendously helpful and beneficial if harnessed in the right way.
Power Of Now
Marketing campaigns utilise a variety of techniques to encourage activity and to make people perform a desired action. The use of Urgency to make people act immediately is one technique that works especially well in the world of digital marketing.
Hotel Consulting In The Bahamas - Week 2
Well we have been here for nearly 2 weeks now and I think we know most of the Island! It does not take long for news to travel - I am sure that even if you just say something out loud the Island knows about it!
Hotel Consulting In The Bahamas
Paul and I are working in The Bahamas for 5 weeks consulting for Swains Cay Lodge based on a remote island called Andros. We will be working on all aspects of the hotel, marketing, operations, design, online, everything you can think of! We will be very busy, but what a place to be busy, it is stunning and I have never been to somewhere quite so peaceful!! I am a digging this Bahamian vibe but I think after 5 weeks London is going to be a real shock to the system!
Position To Win : Play It Smart To Beat The Big Boys Online
As a small hospitality business with a handful of employees and a tight budget the world of internet marketing may seem more of a challenge than an opportunity.
QR Codes: Entering The Mainstream
After having recently seen an old episode on CSI: NY the other day I have finally discovered the QR Code (short of Quick Response Code). I would never have thought that anything would come from my addiction but since watching that episode (it was series five, episode seven entitled 'Dead Inside', in case you were wondering) I have uncovered what seems like a whole new world of communication.
Start Tweeting!
I first created an account with twitter about a year ago just to see what all the hype was about and immediately didn't get it. In fact I had my account for a full five months before I decided to give it another go. This time I did a search for web design and development, as it's of great interest to me and started following a few people. By initiating this relationship I realised people weren't only tweeting what they had for breakfast (as were my first impressions) but in fact sharing links to other interesting stuff they had found or had written themselves, namely blog articles, design resources, tutorials and the like.
Nothing Works in Isolation
Over the last few months I have been writing in this column about the various online marketing tools available to hospitality businesses and discussing how you can use these tools to drive business. In this final article in the series specific to internet marketing techniques I'll be bringing everything together to illustrate how the different communication tools interact and compliment each other.
Social Branding - Friends, Tweets & Check Ins
The world of social media has not long been with us but already it is a powerful marketing force. Word of Mouse cannot be ignored and clever hospitality operators know that this relatively new technology must be harnessed and nurtured. Social media channels can become highly useful marketing tools if you know how to use them. As with all marketing communications there are techniques you can employ to ensure they benefit your business rather than hinder it and it pays to understand how each of them work and how they interact.
E's Are Good
Hopefully that's caught your attention, because the E's I'm talking about are Email, the key communication tool that every hospitality business should be utilising on a regular basis.
You Get What You Pay For
In last month's Eat Out I discussed the art of Search Engine Optimisation and how to ensure your website is built in such a way that it is highly visible to Google. These techniques are free in the sense that once your site appears in the search results for your important keywords it doesn't cost you anything for people to find your website.
Be Seen to Be Successful
Following on from last month's article on website design for booking conversions, this month I'll be explaining how to ensure your website is as visible as possible to search engines. Marketing has evolved over the last decade as Search Engines such as Google enable you to place your business directly in front of people who are actively looking for what you provide. This is a very direct approach and is a highly cost effective way to communicate with your potential customers.
Internet Marketing for Hospitality
Regular readers of GS Magazine may remember an article about website design and the development of the gsmagazine.co.uk website. The GS site has continued to develop and now offers the GS Suppliers' Directory, a searchable online buyers' guide, and an online subscription facility for the magazine. Of course building a website is only really the first step in implementing online marketing communications. Once you have your website built you then need to ensure it is as visible as possible and drive visitors to it. This article will look at the tools available to you to ensure you reap the rewards, and the potential high return on investment, of your online presence.
Web Aware
I spend a great deal of my time on restaurant and hotel websites, assessing clients' online needs, analysing websites and implementing internet marketing techniques, and it never ceases to amaze me how many ineffective hospitality business websites there are! So over the next few editions of Eat Out Magazine I'm on a personal mission to help hospitality business owners better harness the power of internet marketing and will be providing you with a whole host of useful tips, approaches and insights on a range of internet marketing techniques.
Is brunch too exclusive in London?
Whilst living in Greenwich Village last year, I would get my weekly brunch either from the local diner, where their $3 French toast was to die for, or high-end Sex And The City style restaurants, where the poached eggs and smoked salmon were exceptional. These experiences highlighted the difference between American and British eating habits - their devotion to brunch and our lack thereof.
Fit for a King
In the not too distant past, Kings Cross or St Pancras stations were hardly the places you'd want tourists to our capital city to see first. Thousands of visitors per day would arrive from all over the country to be greeted by a gritty industrial wasteland, which is putting it nicely. So once the Eurostar terminal's move to the area from Waterloo had been mooted, bringing with it European visitors, it was inevitable that regeneration of much of the locality would follow.
Beat the recession online, your guide to email newsletters
Whilst some are still dragging their feet, most in the hospitality sector are starting to see the benefits of engaging with customers online. Just like in the physical world, there are a multitude of channels, which tend to work better when working in tandem. For example, Cost Per Click (CPC) marketing is particularly effective and provides a great return on investment when your website allows you to close the sale.
Veer towards British Veal!
It's a bit of a funny one for me to write this one, (not having eaten red meat or chicken for 22 years!) but basically I am encouraging the use of veal in restaurants and hotels. There is a slight catch though, I am only encouraging the use of British veal.
Spending a penny
Your exterior is welcoming, your light features amazing and your furniture stylish yet comfortable. You have ticked all the boxes and thought of every last detail, or have you? Too many restaurants spend a fortune on their interiors and then forget a place that you are pretty much guaranteed all of your customers will visit and interact with... your toilets.
How cafes can use online mediums to drive marketing & communication efforts
Do you talk and listen to your customers effectively? The answer, an obvious yes. The internet enables you to do both of these - and more - 24 hours a day, whilst running your business. It has changed the platform from which businesses can operate, but why have cafes have been slower engaging online than their counterparts?
Design Terminology Exposed! Pantone Colour System
Ever painted a room at home? You would expect that the tins of paint you buy to be exactly the same in their colour appearance. You wouldn't want half a room a different shade of red from the other half. Consistency is paramount.
Achieving your objectives online
Audits are useful to businesses in various ways. There's financial audits, operational audits, stock audits etc. All of them have one thing in common: they help a business run smoother, be more confident, reduce costs and maximise profits.
Online Marketing - Tools and tips no brand can be without
Having a website gives you direct access to a sizeable 1.5 billion internet users worldwide. The trouble is that simply having a site, doesn't mean you're reaching the masses, or more importantly your target market.
The Perfect Feedback Card
As a rule, you should only ask someone for their opinion if you're prepared for what they might say. And although honesty is (nearly) always the best policy, the truth can hurt!
Go on, be a good egg!
Banish the battery egg in your kitchen and you could get an award thrown in!
Restaurant & Bar Design Horrors - Style Over Substance
In the summer of 95 I opened my first pub, a wood heavy concept known as a 'Firkin'. In true big-company style, the re-furb went way over schedule but the opening date remained the same, meaning that me and my team stayed up through the night setting up the pub for it's grand launch that day.
Logo vs brand
Confused as to whether you need a new logo, identity or brand? The three are all part of the same animal and therefore easily confused with one another. Many talk about a good logo - when actually what they mean is a 'good brand' with a memorable logo.
Making an agency work for you
It's widely reported that the current recession is unlike any recession before it. So in unprecedented times it makes sense to look for smarter ways to cut costs.
Market your way through the recession
When times are hard the natural reaction is to rein in spending and cut back on non-essential expenses. It's a very sensible way to operate. However, what would you consider to be non-essential? That office refurb? New technology? Marketing?
What use does Sustainable Development have within the hospitality industry?
The growing pressure in the media, from the government and consumers for more action on the environment is forcing increasing numbers of businesses to implement environmentally friendly policies. The hospitality industry has been fairly late to the game, with ill-advised problems being sited...
Why are smaller restaurants, bars & hotels not engaging a Sustainable Development (SD) Strategy?
First off, there is no valid reason why smaller companies within hospitality are not engaging a SD strategy. Save money, improve customer trust in your brand, gain positive PR... the list goes on.
Light Vs Dark: An explanation of the RGB & CMYK process
All us designers here at Ignite love to spend the time and effort getting your artwork just right. Therefore we do our very best to make sure all the details and colours are exactly as how we intended. Yet sometimes it's the love of colours that can produce the biggest problems!
Writing good web copy
'Content is King!' - a phrase well used when it comes to websites; rightly so too. However, there's also the issue of how to present that royal content and I aim to look at a few methods of rolling out the red carpet for your content.
The Death of the Age Of Bling - The Birth of the Age Of Thrift
As Bob D. once sang, the times they are a changin! And quickly. One minute it's all diamond bling, 10 grand bar tabs at Mahiki and eight course tasting menus for 200 quid a pop. The next it's queues out the door at Pizza Express with everyone clutching their 50% vouchers downloaded from moneysavingexpert.com. As Anthony Worrall Thompson goes bust, Alan Yau plans to roll-out Cha Cha Moon.
Brightbox - the Ignite blog
Latest Posts
Visited the BBQ Rib sensation Bodean's at the weekend, great...
Recent findings from TBG show that Facebook provide a 50% di...
QR codes are all the buzz in agency land at the moment - but...
