alan e. young
Is the Hotel Industry About to Self-Destruct? Media Exposes Shocking Hotel Fails and Growing Guest Distrust
Alan Young | July 21, 2020
By Alan E. Young At the onset of the pandemic, the fall-out was immediate; in the span of a few weeks, hotel lobbies and airport terminals that were once bustling with travelers were left empty. Fear and distrust spread quickly, as did the realization that international travel may be off the table for an extended period of time. In response, hotels have been quick to announce big plans for enhanced cleaning and sanitation programs and policies to help guests feel safe enough to return. Every hotel large and small seems to be promoting new practices to reassure guests. However, hotels face heightened speculation and scrutiny as their c...
Thermal Imaging and Its Potential Effect on The Travel and Hospitality Sector
Alan E. Young | April 16, 2020
By Alan Young These days, you can’t help but notice that virtually every COVID-19 news clip has repeatedly depicted a person being screened for fever using some device that looks like it is from Star Trek. The use of the non-contact handheld infra-red thermometer has become, somewhat disturbingly, commonplace. So does this mean our ‘new normal’ will include the frequent practice of our temperatures being monitored via these portable infrared devices wherever we go? Or scarier yet - will it become necessary to scan entire crowds through the use of thermal imaging? Right now, of course, this is only speculation, but signs are pointi...
Why Massive Global Events Are a Catalyst for Change
Alan Young | March 10, 2020
By Alan E. Young, Co-Founder, Puzzle Partner Uncertain times are a catalyst for change, especially within the hospitality industry. Hospitality, after all, has always held a somewhat notorious reputation for being reluctant to change. While other sectors are, by nature, more malleable to new-edge advancements and best practices, our industry often takes its time, testing the waters long before making the commitment to dive in. That is until a global event inspires disruption that simply can't be ignored. A worldwide crisis, natural disasters, weather changes, the implementation of new laws, and, of course, economic and political instabi...
Want to Step Up Your B2B Lead Generation? You Need to Read This First!
Alan Young | January 29, 2020
By Alan E. Young I have a question for you. How do you get leads in this new economy? “A story is at its best when it's not intrusive, when it brings value to a platform's consumers, and when it fits in as a natural step along the customer's path to making a purchase,” explains Gary Vaynerchuk, in his bestselling book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. The overall takeaway of the book is that companies have to continually give value to their audience before asking them to buy their products and services. And so, the better question is this: how do we get there in the first place? Before anything else, shouldn’t we be considering those...
9 Travel Trends and Habits of Baby Boomers
Alan Young | October 3, 2019
By Alan E. Young Anyone who has watched Dirty Dancing remembers the iconic line, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Well, hoteliers, what about baby boomers? Over the last few years, millennials have captured a great deal of attention across industries, with hospitality being no exception. Their unique travel behaviors and impressive buying power have generated sizeable interest from hoteliers around the globe, who are eager to tap into their psyche and earn the loyalty of this generational group. With that said, however, millennials only account for those born between 1980 and 1999. Although influential, they do not comprise t...
The Difference Between Loyalty Programs and Loyalty to a Brand
Alan Young | September 5, 2019
By Alan E. Young Loyalty is earned, and certainly not given, and there is a definite difference between loyalty programs and a guest’s loyalty to a brand. Hotel loyalty programs might seem ubiquitous today, but nearly 60% of guests still don’t belong to one. During the 2019 Skift Tech Forum, industry experts agreed that today’s travelers seek more than just opportunities to earn points – they want experiences. Mind you, that doesn't mean it's beyond reach. Hoteliers must work a little harder to understand precisely what factors drive guest loyalty in the modern age. Which brings us to the ultimate question — what makes guests l...
Going Beyond Transactions: ‘Conversational Commerce’ and Its Impact on the Travel and Hospitality Industry
Alan Young | February 6, 2019
Coined by Uber's Chris Messina, consumer demand for digital-centric interactions with hotel and travel brands is on the rise By Alan E. Young, Puzzle Partner It's 2019, and I would argue that there have never been more marketing-related "buzzwords" battling it out for conversational real-estate across thought leadership articles, webinars, white papers and more. Whether it's agile marketing, catering to the 'age of the consumer,' hyper-personalization, or the mobile age — there are plenty of commerce-related silos to get lost in as industry leaders seek out the trends and methods which can best benefit their respective brand a...
Paid, Owned and Earned Media: What Matters Most for B2B Travel and Hotel Tech Brands in 2019?
Alan Young | January 8, 2019
By Alan E. Young In a marketing landscape where content is king, you might think it's just a matter of creating and distributing great content. After all, if great content is what every consumer craves from the brands they favor, delivering it should be the easy part — right? But in fact, that's not the case at all. While content is undeniably an integral piece of any modern marketing strategy, business leaders are quick to realize that the curation of valuable and timely content is only half the battle. Back in the day, big brands had to buy an ad or film a TV commercial to get their product in front of their target market. In to...
