The Why of Digital Media explains the who, why, what and how of both the book and the media. The book explains what you need to know about marketing online today!
The short video below highlights the motivation for the book and reason I decided to give it away as a New Year’s gift in early 2021 (On Amazon for Free to January 8). The Why, Who, What and How of the book clarifies why it was written, who it was written for, what in covers and how value is delivered. It is an important book for tourism and business owners, managers, marketers and professionals in any industry.
Social Distancing & Lockdown – Boost Digital Commerce
By all accounts, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a massive move to digital. Consumers, governments and businesses have taken to the Internet for entertainment, meetings, social connection and to conduct business. Over 50% of the world is now online and the rate of growth in doing things digitally has increased significantly. Online retail in China is expected to account for 27% of total retail sales. In the UK, it’s 19.9% and the US is 16.2%. In just 3 years, retail eCommerce will exceed $7 trillion annually or one-quarter of all global retail by 2024. If this growth trajectory continues, on average, in low double digits, this could reach up to $10 trillion in sales by 2027. Source: Econsultancy
In the new digital market, the book Digital Media is very timely and will help business owners and professions to understand the new digital agenda and learn how to use the media to build their Brand and their business.
Video of The Why of Digital Media
This video summarized the “Why” of the book. It clarifies: Why it is needed, Who it is for, What it does and How it does it.
The book explains why Digital is the new Norm of marketing in any industry. It shows how social media and digital ads are now outpacing all other forms of advertising.
1. The WHY of Digital Media: There is a need for an easy, practical guide for newbie and intermediate people who want an easy way to make sense of digital media.
It also demonstrates WHY Digital Media matters and WHY you need it. At the time of writing the book, Digital Advertising had overtaken all other advertising media. According to SeekingAlpha, digital advertising is now estimated to make up about 2/3 of the total advertising spend. Digital Advertising is estimated to grown at 7.7% per year (Compound) between 2021-2026. It will total $626B by 2026.
Digital is NOW the new Normal
2. WHO is it for: Business owners, managers, marketers, consultant and professionals. The book uses examples and illustrations from the hospitality industry and is relative to any industry.
3. WHAT: Shows what has to be done and what options, tools, help and solutions are available.
4. HOW: The book series shares resources of technology, tactics and strategies that work. It provides illustrated examples with real results. It includes proprietary and proven tactics by leading business. Digital Media explains technology in an uncomplicated, casual style without jargon.
A Book for Any Business
The book is part of the series in Marketing Hotels and Tourism Online. While the examples are based on the hospitality business, the fundamentals apply to any business.
Book Reviews
Who, Why, What and How of Digital Media
As one customer wrote of the first book in the series:
“Most business books of this type share a few nuggets of general information that can be easily found with an internet search. However,
this book is much more useful than most of its type. It’s like hiring a private business consultant. The author shares experience and offers tips that he’s used in his own business.”
Constructive criticism is always welcome. I like what Marion said in reviewing Digital Media”.
“The writing style is not very good but it offers some interesting ideas about how to do hotel online marketing. It is not a professional guide or manual.”
Thank you, Mario. I appreciate your honest review.
I wrote the series in a practical and direct informal style. It’s not a textbook and will not win distinctions in the academic community. I have several listing in academia and know that language well.
In the spirit on New Year 2021, I am gifting my latest book “Digital Media” – Free to all friends – This is an Amazon Kindle Free-Days promotion. From January 4 to 8.
The book has assisted many users to traverse the Internet and virtual reality. Internet has amplified with COVID lockup and everybody now experiences its merit- This book “DIGITAL MEDIA” summarizes the big picture and reveal how all the aspects work in sync.
Get details of how Barbados is handling Covid and re-starting air travel now. Visitors who want to get away from lock-down at home can Retreat to Barbados. Now ranked as a Covid-safe Holiday Vacataion destination.
Plans for the reopening of global tourism vary as to timelines and strategies due to the many different scenarios, level of and control of the virus and options on what are safe and feasible global tourism reopening strategies. This blog reviews informed views and thinking across a wide spectrum of professions and the media. We look at real-life strategies that are both being put in place and currently active, as well as known data on timelines and opinions and experiences from industry leaders. It analyzes and summarizes information from sources like Skift, PhocusWire, The New York Times, CBC and leading authorities in travel.
Skift Global Tourism Reopening Strategies – Destination Timelines
Skift shares a detailed infographic for each of the major travel and tourism sections. Below is the hotel and tourism section. It covers May to July with the planned opening of TUI Southern European Resorts.
June 4 is a big day for the Caribbean as Sandals All-Inclusive Resorts plans to open most of its resorts starting June 4 to July 1. The Destinations Infographic details known and announced plans and includes the June 4 deadline for St. Lucia’s planned opening with conditions, which is noted in the Barbados Caribbean outline at barbados.org.
Of course Caribbean tourism all depends on the airlines and cruise ships. Many airlines are expected to start international flights by July. Ryanair expects that 40% of seats will be open by July and Finnair will open flights to 40 destinations by July 1.
Naturally this is all, to a large extent, conjecture and we know that even the best laid plans can get disrupted. PhocusWire looks at it more pragmatically, suggesting several possible scenarios.
They take the shape of the 3 graphs depicting a sharp recovery (V), a slow recovery (U) and a dramatic shift with no going back to the old norm (L). Not noted is the W graph that indicates a fast rebound and another pandemic.
Scenario 1 (V) – Return to Normal by 2021
In this scenario a second wave of infection is avoided as the lessons learned in healthcare and containment will ward off further spread.
Global lockdowns and curfews have created a need for people to feel liberated once again. There will be a demand for safe travel. Destinations that are considered to be the most safe will do well. This includes many of the Caribbean islands which, by their very nature, have to a large extent been able to isolate themselves far more than cities like New York or countries with massive land borders.
An island is by nature cut off from entry by the sea. St. Lucia and Dominica both reported no deaths and marginal numbers of persons who tested positive. In Barbados the virus appears to be under control. Still the government is moving cautiously with regards reopening.
The early years of travel were a period of discovery. Travelers escaped to destinations off the beaten track to explore the world and experience a different heritage and culture in a measured and low-key way. Today’s tourism is all about making travel available to everyone. Many destinations are eager to expand tourism at almost any cost to society and the environment.
In scenario 2, the social impact of the pandemic will dramatically change this mindset and the current normal of mass tourism will no longer be what people want.
Change of Mindset
In this scenario, off-season travel will increase. The long curfews and social distancing will have conditioned travelers to seek holidays without crowds. This is expected to be a permanent shift in attitude that will cause dramatic changes in the travel industry.
Vacations to crowded tourism destinations at peak periods are already seeing some decline and this will continue at an accelerated rate. Travelers will choose to avoid crowds and many will favor outdoor and nature holidays over cities and popular resort destinations.
In a related survey, PhocusWire noted that off-season is the new in-season. “We may see large numbers of travelers who would prefer to avoid high-density seasons (even in high-density destinations).” Source >>
In the same study, health and safety were a top priority. “Travelers will be holding hotels and other accommodation providers to a much higher standard than usual. They will do more research before booking and will become more proactive in the information-gathering process.”
Health & Safety Paramount
Travelers will demand top security, privacy and safety. In many cases travelers may perceive alternative accommodation like private homes and vacation rentals as being less crowded and safer, so long as they are confident that health and safety certifications are in place and can be trusted.
Governments and international agencies are already scrambling to coordinate policies on health and safety for travelers, hospitality staff and the local population. At the moment efforts are uncoordinated and confusing.
A coordinated effort will be needed to establish consistent health certifications for airlines and hospitality globally.
More about health standards, distribution, digitization, business travel, alternative accommodation and travel’s soul-searching moment.
Is this the worst case scenario? I hope so because here the virus brings the world economy to its knees.
On the brighter side of life, a vaccine will be available around 2023 and then the miracle will happen: travel will ignite as people once again reach out for new experiences after the devastation of the previous years.
Hotels & Distribution Global Senarios
Large chains will come out on top and many small independent hotels may well be acquired by the larger players in the industry.
In a related study, Max Starkov, Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Strategist, shows how hospitality is already dominated by chains. Currently 70% of hotel rooms in the U.S. and 50% in the U.K. belong to branded properties. He explains: “Post-crisis developers, owners and managers will flock to the major chains, attracted by their deep pockets, ability to implement safety and cleanliness protocols, huge loyalty programs… unparalleled direct channel distribution, 2x lower OTA commissions and 3x-4x lower dependency on the OTAs.” See Max Starkov – Hospitality Post-Crisis
Amazon may well become a dominant player and Google may well give up its dream of travel after the many past years of benefiting from profitable ads. Social media giants like Facebook will see revenue slashed but will hold onto a role in the travel sales funnel.
Truly global Online Travel Agents (OTAs) like Booking.com or Airbnb, which do not have a high dependency on any single geography, can quickly and opportunistically redirect business to the most promising geographies.
In another PhocusWire interview with Expedia, CEO Peter Kern was very bullish on the prospects that lie ahead for Expedia and OTAs in general. Among other things, he sees it as an opportunity to lessen reliance on Google!
Whatever happens it seems that this scenario will witness many mergers, acquisitions and affiliate deals that will forever change the distribution channels.
Airline Scramble
The tourism boom that took 1.3 billion travelers around the world in 2019 will slow to a trickle. Governments will try to support major airlines domestically and destinations will want to help fund attempts to bring tourism back to their shores. The smaller low-cost carriers will not do so well with government support leading to many failures and “a wave of consolidation”.
Global network carriers and international hubs of airline alliances will be been mostly replaced by loosely tied flight combinations connected through the NDC technology standard.
Airline traffic will take as much as 6 years to recover. 2025 will see a few mega-carriers. State-subsidized low-cost carriers will operate mainly money-losing domestic routes.
See Example of how airlines are addressing virus safety concerns on Barbados News Blog
Scenario 4 – Virtuality
The pandemic lead to a mass swing to virtual services from online shopping to fundamental change in entertainment, which for the first time, saw online screening become the preferred distribution method. Theater goers are staying home to avoid the crowds and so it will be for many parts of life we took for granted.
Media streaming platforms, online gaming, e-sports and technologies emerged in response to the change in society. travel virtualization began with the first virus spread. Viator, Airbnb and tour operators will have to create virtual experiences like virtual walks, yoga courses and meditation with the top gurus. Destination will create their own virtual tours and experiences like & OurBarbados.online aimed and sharing an inside view of the people and culture of a “destination just out of reach!”.
Luxury Travel Gets More Personal
Travel for the elite does not change much as the luxury travel will continue to jet around the world and enjoy its wonders in-person and in relative privacy in the post pandemic socially re-aligned world.
They will enjoy travel without the crowds as the masses are curtailed. In this scenario the worlds top tourist destination will become exclusive lounges offering health and wellness services and trendy cocktail bars for the very wealthy.
New Tech Giants Take Over
In this environment OTAs will have embraced the technology and the new virtual worlds which will become the new shopping malls for travellers and tourism. Travel consumers may hang out in virtual islands and indulge in digitally experience with online gamers that offer special deals. All will be driven by new tech giants entertaining the masses on their virtual platforms. “Google platforms such as Maps, YouTube and Google Arts&Culture, may become major platforms for travel brands, streamlining interactive content and channeling users to the bookings funnel.”
Summary of the Scenarios
The scenarios are a guiding light of directions we might expect. We should consider strategies for each possibility. We must create new travel related products and new technology to carve out competitive niches in this brave new world. Interestingly Expedia has just announced Free Marketing for its partners.
This is a well-reasoned out debate on the merits of Airbnb vs Hotels. It looks at which is most likely to succeed in the rebound. Traditional hotels have a slight edge in this regard but that is highly debatable. Many feel that the private residences, rather than condos, give a far greater feeling of security as one is not as likely to share spaces with strangers as in a hotel. That seems logical as vacation rental via sites like Arbnb are certainly more private.
The author, Elaine Glusac, suggests that hotels may have an edge in health and virus control. They are typically under strict government guidelines and have well-formulated international standards on health and cleanliness in place. See Barbados – https://barbados.org/blog/?p=4450
On the other hand, vacation rentals also are putting into place international standards. See Premiere Suites‘ example.
Many Airbnb properties are now reverting to professional managers who take care of the full, up-to-standard disinfection of facilities between guests. Travelers communicate with the property managers who advise them on the standards adhered to. Check-in is also hands-free. Guests arrive to ready-to-occupy homes with no meet and greet. They enter using a code that opens the lock or a case for the key – all of which have been disinfected between guests.
Travel Bubbles – Global Tourism Reopening Strategy #1
Areas of the world that have recovered from covid19 may well find themselves ready and able to allow travel between similarly virus free destinations. See more on this on the Barbados Blog
Digital Media Was a Huge Change – But What’s Next?
What to Expect in the Tourism Crisis Post-COVID-19. The time to act and plan is now. Get up to speed with digital media and website branding now.
The question now is about survival and the trade is racing in with wise advise on how to cope and what to do.
Online advertising and marketing was a dazzling change and today almost everyone in tourism and hospitality is on the net. But the most challenging times are still to come. In the age of dynamic change with AI and Robotics taking over ever aspect of our lives, we now have COVID-19 and the rug has been pulled out from underneath our feet.
Be Prepared for the Tourism Crisis Post-COVID-19
The book WEBSITE is the first in the series on Marketing Hotels and Tourism Online. (short form: DigitalMediaeBook.com) This book will give you a good grounding in how to build your brand and market in the digital age. We are adding new blogs on the changes and trends for all book buyers.
Be sure you understand the basics with the book WEBSITE. Chapter 1 is a very brief illustration of how tourism became digital. Before, we were contending with dramatic change that made life almost impossible for hotel and tourism managers. It got better as a whole industry of technical types came to the rescue. Still, mangers needed a guide to understand and direct the help.
That was how WEBSITE started. It’s the right place to start. Today, hotels and tourism professionals understand that a website is the cornerstone of their brand strategy. The book WEBSITE is essential reading as it describes the basic principles which underpin all marketing today. Of course, it is just a start.
We are constantly writing about trends and strategies that build on the concepts.
Book buyers have access to all the membership sites with free update and blogs on latest trends.
An example of the kind of material you have access to is the update on Design Thinking. See the intro on TravelWatchNews
We share our own insights, as well as insights and research from noted authors and tourism masters. These may be whimsical and fun ideas, like how to entertain yourself to keep healthy and sane during the curfew.
We have recently shared excellent tips and guides from SiteMinderand others who provide insight into what to expect next with the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.
We scour all sources for relevant information on trends and strategies for hotels and tourism.
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The book WEBSITE is the first in the series on Marketing Hotels and Tourism Online. (short form: DigitalMediaeBook.com) This book will give you a good grounding in how to build your brand and market in the digital age. We are adding new blogs on the changes and trends for all book buyers.
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