#shifty comes up with the plans and drives them to their destination and then gets lifty to do all the heavy. lifting.

[hostilemuppet]

when it comes down to it however the main reason shifty is the brain is bc lifty is obviously the muscle and manual labourer

[shirtlesssammy]

Monster Movie: 4x05 Recap

Natasha would like to preface this recap by falling to the floor like a fainting Elizabeth Taylor and wailing, “You TOLD me I would love doing a Ben Edlund recap this summer. You TOLD me and you were right. DAMN you, you were right!”

Welcome to season four, and welcome to where we really start to see Ben Edlund shine and push the boundaries of this show!

With the cacophony of classic monster movie string music and the black and white fog setting the tone, we open to find Sam and Dean driving down the road in the Impala. Lightning flashes and thunder crashes just as they drive by a sign indicating their latest destination:

Dean hates the music in the area (that joke never gets old). Sam’s reviewing the case they came to investigate: Vic with a gnawed on neck, body drained of blood, and a witness who swears it was a vampire! Case closed? Sam’s thinking about the end of the world but Dean’s thinking about just today, and today they can chop off vamp heads. “It's about time the Winchesters got back to tackling a straightforward, black and white case.” Lolz.

Sam and Dean make it to the town, which happens to be celebrating Oktoberfest. Dean tells Sam that they have to go see the new Indiana Jones movie, but Sam already saw it; Dean was in hell. Boris wonders who got the better deal. (Ouch, I just hurt myself. Dean’s been out of hell 10 years but it’s still too soon to joke.) Dean’s easily distracted with a big pretzel so no hard feelings.

While Dean spots a friendly waitress, Sam spots the local sheriff, and they head to get the lowdown on the case. They head to the morgue to view the victim, and the giant fang marks on her neck. Dean also asks about the witness, Ed Brewer. The sheriff admits he’s not what one would call “reliable”.

The boys then head to the local pub to locate Ed. They find Jamie, the waitress Dean made eyes with earlier. Jamie admits that they don’t come off like feds. Dean reassures her that he’s a rebel.

Cut to the boys interviewing Ed, who’s indulging in a very large stein of beer. He’s the town joke; no one believes him. Sam and Dean reassure him that they know crazy, and want to hear his story. So he spills. Walking home from the bar, he noticed the assailant attacking the victim. He was a vampire: fangs, slicked back hair, and cape..and accent. Dracula through and through. (Can the music be any more spot on?)

Jamie and her fellow waitress, Lucy, talk about crazy Ed. Lucy blots her lipstick on a napkin. After interviewing Ed, Dean heads to ask Jamie for a beer, and Sam notices Lucy’s cast off napkin. The brothers agree that it’s not really their case, but Dean insists they enjoy Oktoberfest anyway.

They settle into a booth and Dean requests a beer from the bar wench. Jamie complies but doesn’t bite when Dean asks when she gets off (she’s no Mandy!) Dean admits to Sam that “it’s time to right some wrongs.” He came back from hell with no old scars. He’s been re-hymenated! With an eye roll, Sam calls it a night and Dean asks Jamie what her plans are, but she declines. Dean lets her know that they’re probably not staying on the case --it’s not weird enough.

Cut to a full moon and two younguns swapping spit in a car. The guy is being a dick, so he’s thankfully sucked from the car by a hairy armed werewolf.

Later, the brothers interview the girl, Anna-Marie, about what happened in that car.

Dean asks for a description of the creature. She’s adamant that it was a werewolf. Between sips of her Mega Big Gulp, she describes in detail what that werewolf looked like.

In the morgue, Dean wonders what the hell’s going on in this town. It seems like it was a werewolf, but the heart was left in the vic.

Back at the pub, the brothers discuss the odd turn the case has taken. It’s like a monster movie mash-up. Jamie brings the boys another round of drinks and makes plans to meet up with Dean later that night.

LOOK AT THIS BEAN! Is there meta for just this episode? I mean, we’ve got all his coping sublimations: alcohol, food, and sex. He’s fresh from hell, and NOT DEALING.

At the Canonsburg Museum of American History, a guard is on the phone inquiring about an odd delivery. Suddenly the sarcophagus opens and a mummy emerges! The guard starts shooting the monster, but ends up on the strangled end of that monstrous roll of toilet paper.

Later, while the sheriff’s department takes care of the deceased, Sam and Dean analyze the sarcophagus. It was from a prop house in Philly, and it had prop dry ice in it. They’re dealing with a monster with a good sense of showmanship. Sam finds the whole case stupid, and Dean realizes he’s late for his date with Jamie.

Having waited too long for Dean, Jamie takes off walking through the foggy late-night streets. A flutter of wings (different from angel wings), Jamie turns to find Dracula. “Good evening.” Jamie takes off running (or slow movie running at least), until she’s cornered. Dracule insists he must have her, but she sprays him with pepper spray and makes her getaway. “Son of a …”

Jamie runs into Dean, and he sees Dracula in hot pursuit. “Son of a bitch.” Dracula is offended by Dean’s language. “Okay,” Dean responds, and promptly punches him. Dracula gets the upper hand in the fight though, and just when all looks lost for Dean, he rips at Dracula’s ear, and it comes off. Dracula runs away, with Dean in hot pursuit.

Dracula jumps a fence that Dean can’t make, and makes his getaway on a scooter.

(Boris may be going a bit overboard with the gifs)

Sam finds Dean and Jamie in the closed bar and Dean greets him by asking Sam to touch the ear he ripped off of Dracula. Nice to see you too, Dean. There's a reason though. Our beautiful, tactile-oriented Dean realized they were hunting a shapeshifter by the feel of the ripped off appendage. Furthermore, he managed to nab Dracula's medallion and discovered that it was also from the same prop shop as the mummy's casket.

“You guys are like Mulder and Scully or something? The X-Files are real?” Jamie asks after watching the exchange. Yep. Pretty much.

Sam uses his giant brain to deftly figure out the mode and motive behind their beast. The shapeshifter seems to be morphing into his favorite horror characters to act out fantasies, and the shifter calling Jamie 'Mina' and Dean 'Mr. Harker' are clear references to Dracula's love interest and competition.

Dean asks if anyone strange has come to town and Jamie scoffs at the question. Dudes. It's Oktoberfest. Who isn't here and being weird? Jamie does recall Ed, however. He moved to town just a month ago and Lucy swears he's sweet on her. He's the projectionist at the old movie theater in town. Dun dun DUN! Sam heads off to scope it out while Dean stays behind and guards (or “guards”) Jamie at the bar.

Jamie wades her way through the OMG-monsters-are-real-what-is-life-even victim arc. Also, Dean's not really FBI, right? “Not so much,” Dean admits. He does, in fact, drive around the country killing monsters.

“Wow!” Jamie exclaims. “That must suck.” (Cue record scratch.)

“The last few years it started weighing on me. Of course that was before...” He tells her he had a near death experience but now life's been different. He realizes he helps people. He saves them. “It's awesome,” he says – not convincing me AT ALL. “Like a mission from god,” he says with tones of distaste. However, while he's starting to spiral down the manpain drain, Jamie cagily asks if that means he's celibate because otherwise...wink wink nudge nudge say no more. Dean snaps out of his introspection quagmire and leans in for the kiss...

...Which is rudely interrupted by Lucy switching on the lights and rummaging around at the bar for a bottle of booze. Omigod did she interrupt? She falls over herself, embarrassed, but Jamie invites her to join herself and Dean for a drink. Dean is thrilled at the prospect of hanging out with two best gal pals. Platonically.

Sam heads into the heavily retro movie theater. Old horror movie posters line the halls and Sam advances into the theater as gruesome horror music swells. Look out, Sam! Your hair is too long! You're now the delicate maiden in this horror plot.

The organist plays on, nothing but a terrible shadow projected behind the silver screen. And then Sam bursts in on him just as he switches to a light Calypso tune. Ed, our mysterious organist, cowers under Sam's gun. Sam tries to rip off his ear and fails. Wow. That’s a test for shapeshifter he's never tried out again. Once burned, right Sam?

Sam: It's supposed to come off.

Ed: No, it's not.

Back at the bar Jamie and Dean are getting wasted while Lucy looks on, amused.

Dean realizes he’s been roofied, stands up, and punches Lucy. She looks up from the floor and shoves her jaw back into place while Dean demands to know what she put in their drinks. And then he collapses to the floor unconscious, the precious angel.

When Dean wakes he's dressed a loose white shirt and lederhosen, and strapped to a wooden slab with metal bars. Très Frankenstein chic! (Side note: don’t think about how creepy it is that our shifty shifter likes to use people as dress up dolls. DON’T think about it.)

Dracula swans in. It turns out that “Lucy” was modeled after “bride number 3 from the first film.” Dean laughs, utterly captivated by the utter weirdo monster case they've managed to land. Dracula swans across the floor to argue with Dean about movies. “I am ALL monsters,” Dracula announces. And in his movie, the monster gets the girl and Jonathan Harker gets zapped with a gazillion volts of electricity.

Dracula slowly and dramatically reaches for the switch while Dean struggles. The music builds and builds and...the doorbell rings. “Ah! Zat is zee doorbell!” he might has well have said, lifting his cape over his nose and flying away upstairs. Well, he does actually do the latter and Dean's life is spared for another few minutes.

Dracula throws open the door theatrically. It's the pizza guy! “Tell me,” he asks. “is there GARLIC on this pizza?”

“Fuck my life,” mutters the pizza guy and drives off into the sunset in search of better fates.

Sam finds his way back to the bar where he discovers the broken bottle. He's also unable to reach Dean on his cell and notices Lucy's lipsticked napkin. “Lucy,” he mutters, eyes alight with revelation.

Dracula invites Jamie to put on a Mina-like gown and then join him for...PIZZA. Jamie doesn't want to play his game though, and begs to go home. Dracula snaps and shouts in a deranged and very un-movie-like manner for her to “put on the gown.”

Sam breaks into Lucy's house cat-silently because he's Sam Fucking Winchester and stalks through the house. Jamie has donned the gown and Dracula/Lucy apologizes for scaring her. Life is too real, too brutal, without the veneer of the movies. Dracula/Lucy’s father called them a monster and tried to beat them to death with a shovel, and so they escaped into the fantasy worlds offered by movies. It's sad but Jamie, quite rightly, asks how killing people works with Dracula/Lucy’s general victim narrative. There's a noise from within the house and Jamie screams for Dean. Dracula/Lucy knocks her out and heads off to head off the hunters.

Sam finds Dean and unlocks him (though there is much merriment) and they kick their way out of the prop dungeon. They fly through weak facade walls and fight Dracula/Lucy. Things are looking bad for our heroes when the shifter is suddenly shot several times in the chest. Dracula/Lucy turns, shocked, to find that they were shot to death by Jamie's steady hand. (I mean, if you're going to subvert movie tropes HELL YEAH the heroine is gonna save herself. Dracula/Lucy dies.

And so the case is concluded. Still filmed in gorgeous black and white, Dean kisses Jamie a fond farewell. She thanks them for saving her life before disappearing back into the wilds of Oktoberfest.

I Want to Quote Your Blood:

It's time the Winchesters got back to tackling a straightforward, black and white case.

Yeah, you got me -- I mean this killer's some kind of grade-A wacko, right? I mean, some Satan worshipping, Anne Rice-reading, gothic, psycho vampire wannabe.

I'm a maverick, ma'am. A rebel with a badge. One thing I don’t play by: the rules.

I have been re-hymenated.

Hey, you think this Dracula could turn into a bat? That would be cool.

And...scene.

I can't get over what a pumpkin-pie-eyed, crazy son of a bitch you really are.

You've brought a repast. Excellent. Continue to be of such service, and your life will be spared.

'Twas beauty that killed the beast.

The hero gets the girl, monster gets the gank. All in all, happy ending -- with a happy ending, no less.

[elmozzosays]

May 19 2020 “Untitled”

 Let’s see where this takes me. I am committed to bring you a subject on my (almost) every day journals but today is an exception. Usually i come up with the ideas while sleeping and i remember them til I wake up and the idea gets lost. i should grab a piece of paper and write them down! Silly me...

It’s almost the end of the fifth month and summer is around the corner, which means I’ll be in good spirits. Man, gotta love warm weather. This could be an exaggeration on my part but trust me on this: 95% of New Yorkers do not like summer. Sometimes my brain can’t discern about the sentence I just wrote. What’s not to like? The sun, that summer breeze, you can basically can go anywhere without wearing a ton of layers of clothes, the beach (if it’s outside the US even better -the caribbean- ahhhh) hanging out with friends, shows, etc. That feeling I anticipate since January of that warm breeze is priceless. Sumner is here to stay. Although I have to wait til late May to experience such feeling, Californian and Floridians feel warm weather for most of the year. I envy people living in those states. Now here’s your chance to ask me: Why don’t you move then? Good question! you get 10 points for that. I cannot drive. I have not learned yet. I got behind the wheel back home in 1997, before even moving but once I migrated to America, it was all put on the side. NYC has this facility to move around so driving is not essential on the Metro area. On the suburbs, for instance, you need a car. Say, Westchester (there’s an inside joke I started with my former coworker about calling that County FUCKCHESTER just to mess up with my former boss), Long Island, Staten Island -to give you some examples- you are in the need of a car to drive around. That’s the main reason I haven’t moved to another state, but I wouldn’t rule it out (Jersey is not far out either, but I would like to get away from the cold weather that plagues the tri-state area for 9 months).

Alright, for me is a bit different. I usually go for longer bike rides on summer. I rode to Coney island (something I wanted to do for the longest). It wasn’t a far ride. Seeing the beach and the horizon brings a lot to ponder. My dad has a concept about talking to the ocean. To leave it there, all behind and come back refreshed to the city. By doing that, believe me, your thoughts become clear and breathing that fresh air from the ocean makes your lugs crave for more pure quality air. The little things, man... the little things. I don’t usually need much these days. Most of us need the essentials to go around and about. All I need is technology -my gadgets- which has varied from time to time. Usually, most will say a phone. True, but not for the purpose you are all thinking about. Since I bike ride, I need the radio (which broadcast talk radio -mainly sports- and music) Since I pick on photography, my camera is essential as what I can capture. You never know what can happen around you. Now I see the world in a different perspective, as a photographer. More than locations, composition, colours, things around me. I recently missed on a bike/bus driver argument while I was waiting for the red light to become green. 20 seconds, that’s all it took. I realized once the argument was over. Next time, bring the camera strap. Photography has given me such freedom to express myself. Although i;m not near my full potential, I have become better and better on every single shot I take. I hope one thing in the uncertain future: I can photograph my future girlfriend. She could become my muse. Good idea huh? She will have good quality shots instead of “cellphone selfies”. You missed out on that, former girlfriend.

I will miss my next vacation. This pandemic shifted everything on a 180 degree turn. I was destined to go and visit a country i visited before (won’t spoil it by revealing where) because i still intend to go within a year. By now, I would have been making sure I had everything for this trip but no, not this time. This is when planning becomes unclear. I heard someone saying “do not plan anything because you’ll see God laughing at you”. Sarcastically as i can be, it’s true. We all depend on a higher power to get things according to plan. That’s the main reason most of the time I prefer to shut the fuck up than telling people my next move. Once i know is a complete, concrete idea, then i spill the beans, otherwise, this guy will remain quiet. 

Writing all this might seem scattered but this tool -for me- is to decompress what’s going on inside this maze i call my mind, Pardon me if I get you all shifty on subjects I randomly bring here, but it seems to make all the sense when laid down. I would not welcome anybody inside my mind since is a complex place. Writing, at least, can untie 1 or 2 knots of confusion. I know there are millions of people feeling the same way I do and if this brings them a sort of solution and a window of clearance to their thoughts, I’ll be an happy camper. Til the next one,

-jaime

[mediafocus-blog1]

Lyft team steers towards open self-using tech (Update)

New Post has been published on https://mediafocus.biz/lyft-team-steers-towards-open-self-using-tech-update/

Lyft team steers towards open self-using tech (Update)

US experience-proportion startup Lyft on Friday committed a new team focused on speeding up its effort to create a self-using automobile platform, which would be open to use by other organizations.

The San Francisco based enterprise earlier this yr introduced what it billed as the world’s first open self-riding platform, inviting automobile manufacturers and rival autonomous navigation systems to plug into the network. “In the years beforehand, we will retain to carry the arena’s main automobile and generation agencies onto this single platform to serve a national passenger community,” Lyft vice chairman of engineering and previous Google govt Luc Vincent stated on the internet submit. “We are not taking into account our self-using division as a side challenge; it’s core to our commercial enterprise.” Lyft is devoting an in-residence division to self-riding technology, consistent with Vincent. The group may be based in a Silicon Valley facility referred to as “Level 5 Engineering Center” and its ranks will grow in coming months, the organisation stated. Lyft operates in 350 cities in the US and plans to run its personal self-driving automobiles on the network, which partners can be loose to use and analyse from. “Because we are doing all of this on an open platform, it won’t simply enhance Lyft’s self-driving device,” Vincent said. “It will boost up our partners’ efforts, too.” Driverless destiny Lyft introduced ultimate month that it would start checking out independent ridesharing in Boston under a partnership with the technology startup autonomy. The two agencies will collaborate to analyse “all elements of making sure a passenger’s consolation and protection” in self-using cars, a joint statement about the alliance stated. Lyft’s flow follows a similar attempt by means of Uber, which has been using self-sustaining vehicles in a take a look at software in some US cities. Earlier this 12 months, Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent Alphabet, reached an agreement with Lyft to check self-riding automobile technology, according to the corporations. Waymon and Lyft are allies against ridesharing large Uber, which is racing to increase its very own self-riding vehicles. “We’re searching ahead to operating with Lyft to discover new self-driving products as a way to make our roads more secure and transportation extra available,” a Waymo spokesman informed AFP at the time. Waymon and Uber are currently engaged in a sour prison dispute. In February Waymo filed a lawsuit claiming that a former supervisor took technical facts while he left to launch a competing challenge that was later acquired with the aid of Uber. Most important automakers and several different era companies have been investing in developing independent using, contending those systems will get rid of the vast majority of road injuries. Apple is modern to have obtained a trying out permit in California. German luxurious carmaker Daimler and vehicle components provider Bosch has introduced plans to paintings collectively to create absolutely driverless motors within the following couple of years. US-primarily based Tesla is also stepping up efforts, as are several Chinese technology firms and the principal US, Asian and European manufacturers.

Self-Driving Cars Set to Rule Wall Street

Aswan, Egypt.

It became a four-lane street within the centre of the Egyptian barren region. It changed into the baking hot.

And my taxi had broken down.

I changed into a fool to take this taxi to start with. The ramshackle vehicle gave the look of it would destroy down at any second.

However, I needed to get to the Aswan airport rapid, and this was the only taxi I may want to locate. So, I jumped in.

My driver seemed a piece shifty, and I’d been warned to watch out for setups wherein I may get robbed, kidnapped for ransom or extorted for money.

And now I changed into within the middle of nowhere with a driving force I failed to consider.

The driving force became looking to get the car started once more. I saved searching all round to see if this become a setup. Was I approximately to get robbed… Or kidnapped?

Luckily, not anything took place. The driving force literally wired the auto into starting again. It sputtered a pair more times before we were given to the airport, however, I made it thoroughly. Still, the driving force’s face sticks in my head… And in my gut, I understand I were given lucky.

But very quickly, we won’t want to fear approximately the individual of the man or woman using an automobile… Or the reliability of the automobile.

That’s because self-riding cars have long gone from a wacko sci-fi-like concept that the majority believed would take 10 or 15 future years… To something that we’re seeing on streets these days.

The Next Leap Forward in Tech

Last week, experience-share business enterprise Uber added its self-using vehicle in Pittsburgh. Uber’s vehicles are Volvo XC90 SUVs retrofitted with electronic components that lead them to self-riding.

Now, it’s nevertheless early inside the development of this generation. Uber’s vehicles will definitely be manned via someone who can take manage of the vehicle when it hits a state of affairs that it is no longer programmed for or if there is an emergency. It’s a chunk like an autopilot on a aircraft with someone on the controls just in case.

Uber’s self-using initiative goes to have 100 vehicles as taxis in the streets of Pittsburgh. If you use the Uber app, you can get a self-using automobile sent to you the equal way you do now when placing a trip request.

Uber is looking to check the generation on passengers, pedestrians and other drivers in real-life, actual-time conditions… And get information to regulate and enhance anybody’s enjoys of using those cars.

Self-Driving Cars: More Than a Fad

Many humans are sceptical about self-driving motors ever working out. They believe that it is a technological fad. And if it does work out, it’s going to take 20 or 25 years to pan out.

Personally, I trust that self-riding automobiles turn into a usable truth in the next 3 to five years. For positive, it will be a novelty in the beginning, like many new generation studies of the beyond. However, the benefit of being capable of taking a car journey to your destination while not having to worry about site visitors, routes, weather hazards, injuries, Avenue rage, infection, boredom or potential threats from the motive force is a powerful factor that is going to make self-using cars a large hit product.

By a large hit product, I imply that it’ll take off and be something that humans take to within the equal way that people took to the iPhone and iPad.

And certainly, the inventory market agrees with me.

That’s why you are seeing stocks related to self-driving motors consisting of Nvidia shoot up by using 175% within the closing 12 months. Another fulfilment tale is Mobileye, that is up eighty% because of February.

The keys to self-riding vehicles are sensors and records… After which computer systems to manner this records. These matters form the essence of a revolution that’s taking place right now referred to as the Internet of Things mega fashion. And it’s going to exchange the manner we transport ourselves around the arena.

[hotelsmarket]

Is Hotel Loyalty Overrated?

This article originally appeared on Tambourine. Key Takeaways: * Hotels can’t grow market share by targeting existing customers * In today’s modern environment, even your most loyal guests will shop around * Its vital to focus on boosting your exposure to new audiences --- For years, marketing gurus and experts have taught hoteliers to focus on driving more bookings from their loyal customers. On the guests who book at least a few times in the year. Admittedly, this seems like one of the smartest and most sound hotel marketing strategies around to boost direct bookings – market to the people who already know and love you. The plethora of guest data you now have at your fingertips makes marketing to this current base of customers even easier and seemingly foolproof. However, new research may be proving otherwise…. In his book, How Brands Grow, Professor Byron Sharp of The University of South Australia, applied statistical analysis to sales data to find what truly drives a company’s success. His conclusion sent shockwaves through the marketing world: ”Your customers are customers of other brands who occasionally buy you.” Companies can’t grow sales numbers in a significant way by focusing on loyal customers, but instead must focus on “light buyers” who buy products (ie: book a room at your property) relatively infrequently. In other words, loyal guests are not your ideal target audience. Single booking guests are. To move the needle on your hotel’s growth, you must attract NEW guests, instead of relying on loyal customers to keep coming back. Single Bookings Spur Hotel Growth Sharp cites Coca-Cola as an example of a successful global company that grew, not from Coca-Cola lovers who purchased and consumed the soda everyday, but from the millions of people who only drank it just a couple times a year. Several other brands have come to rely on steady and strong sales from the masses that only purchase their products occasionally, with long breaks in between when these same customers would purchase from competitors. And lets face it, OTAs, the culture of flash sales and last minute deals has made the travel industry one of the least loyal markets. In fact, 50 percent of American Airlines’ 2015 revenue came from 87 percent of its customers who only flew AA just once that year. bOverall, data from Phocuswright suggests that – other than elite members – most travelers do not prefer to book direct through hotel websites. Many travelers do not seem to care much about the hotel brands, as long as they can get the perception of good value by booking through OTAs. However, most hotels today focus on past customer data and ways to reach and re-sell their existing customers. After all, selling to your own guests appears low-risk, dependable, and the quickest way to boost revenue. Wrong, says Sharp. He contends that the expense and effort that brands employ to market to their own customers is largely ineffective. “Loyalty programs do practically nothing to drive growth,” Sharp said. The Painful Truth: Guests Shop Around Companies largely over estimate just how loyal their customers really are. The McKinsey Global Institute has been studying consumer decision journeys (the often erratic path people take as they move along from brand awareness to purchase), since 2009. Their studies show that the key to top-line growth is understanding the behavior of modern consumers. Their research uncovered that even your most loyal hotel guests, including members of your loyalty program, consider booking at other hotels more often than you know. Over the years, McKinsey found the bond that customers have with their favorite brands has been slipping. Active engagement in loyalty programs slipped by 2 percent. Plus, 58 percent of loyalty members don’t even use the program or take advantage of benefits after they sign up. Why aren’t travelers as loyal as they once were? More choices and new technologies. With all the channels and travel sites at a guest’s fingertips, it’s easier than ever before to research and book travel reservations. Hundreds of mobile apps open up a world of hotel options where guests can view and compare prices and amenities, read guest reviews and size up hotels side-by-side. Also, people are more clued in to what their family and friends are buying, loving, referring (and disliking!) via social media. All of these of distractions and online triggers can cause even your best hotel guests to shop around. And, suffice to say that in today’s digital world, people can’t help but consider more options. Social Media Engagement: Not As Vital as You Thought? Modern customer decision journeys are also challenging the notion of engaging your “loyal” hotel social media followers. According to Forrester Research, people who join and ‘like’ Facebook brand pages hardly ever interact or click on them thereafter. Their research shows the engagement rate of a Facebook brand page is generally 7 out of 10,000 users and for Twitter the rate is 3 out of 10,000. This lack of engagement is even worse for hotels who fail to produce compelling, fresh, authentic social content every week 24/7/365 McKinsey noted that most customers aren’t aware of, and simply not interested in, the differences between your brand or your competitor next door. And, those guests who do have a brand preference may decide to book with another hotel brand if it happens to be cheaper that day. This fickleness shows that single-bookers (again, the ones who are really driving your success) don’t think of your property as remarkable, or even unique. They’re also not likely fans of your brand, on social media or anywhere else. It’s no surprise then that these buyers aren’t interacting with your brand on social media channels. Engaging and enticing “loyal buyers” to reengage with you is necessary, but hardly a silver bullet. In addition to trying to push your existing audience to engage with your hotel on social channels, focus on boosting the broad awareness of your hotel experience instead. Then, get creative about translating the broad awareness to actual hotel consideration by creating interactive content on your hotel website, including destination guides, Chat-with–the-Concierge tools, and powerful galleries of user-generated photos. Other industry leaders have perfected this concept, for example: L’Oreal offers make-up tutorials instead of simply touting their products, while Charles Schwab offers basic financial planning lessons and investment calculators, in addition to showcasing their products. Hotel Marketing’s Critical New Battleground The shiftiness of guest loyalty suggests hotel marketers need to focus more on the moments when guests are INITIALLY considering which hotel to book (known as the initial consideration set). According to McKinsey, the players in the initial consideration set are twice as likely to be booked versus the ones that pop up later in the guest’s decision-making process. This confirms the need for hotel marketers to win travelers’ attention at the very beginning of the booking journey. And, drastically changes the dynamic of marketing mainly to guests who have previously stayed at your property, a tactic that hotel marketers have counted on for years. When marketing to loyal hotel guests, normally you focus in on a narrow collection of high-value customers, then use your marketing budget to retain them. In contrast, when marketing to grow your hotel’s exposure in the initial consideration set, you need to cast out a wider net to reach people who have little or no knowledge of your property. Boosting Exposure Is Vital to Boosting Growth So, if marketing to and engaging with your current customers doesn’t drive growth at your property, what will? What will reach people who don’t need you and don’t know you, so that when they are ready to book, your hotel springs to mind? Advertising, answers Sharp. “Advertising works best when it doesn’t try and persuade, but merely makes us remember a brand at the moment of purchase,” he said. Advertising opens people’s eyes to your hotel. For instance, by keeping their beverage brand in people’s minds, Coke ads increase the probability of people buying their product by such a small margin that consumers hardly notice it. Which is why most consumers claim they are not swayed by advertising. When crafting advertising experiences, think of your two audiences: 1st Audience: Guests who enjoyed at stay at your hotel in the past, but who have not booked since then. According to McKinsey, these lapsed guests hold high potential since they have some knowledge of the brand, even if their experience was several years ago. You just need to find out why they never returned or if their habits or lifestyle have changed. 2nd Audience: These are the travelers who have no experience with your hotel. They may not understand what you offer, have never considered staying with you before, or perhaps have pre-conceived notions about your guest experience. For both audiences, the solution is to create a unique story and innovative new services, products and news to stay top of mind. Continue to build new packages, guest experiences and amenities to drum up excitement. Conclusion While the significance of boosting exposure to new audiences is hardly a cutting-edge concept, research confirms that it now requires new focus. Both Sharp and MGI don’t suggest ignoring your most loyal guests to make room for new customers. Rewarding and retaining these repeat guests is still important. In fact, 42 percent of purchases are from customers who had purchased from that brand before. However, focusing your hotel marketing budget on mainly retaining guest loyalty is a risky move since today’s shop-around mentality means you’ll lose more guests than add new ones. Instead, boost your hotel’s growth by focusing more on creative products and services for the 87 percent of consumers who are likely to leave your compset in favor of trying out yours. About Tambourine Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 33rd year, is located in New York City and Fort Lauderdale. Please visit: www.Tambourine.com Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Request Information from this organization Please click the link below to request more information from the organization or company featured in this article.