alan 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...
Change Is on the Horizon: What’s Next for Marketing in a Post-Pandemic World
Alan Young | July 9, 2020
It is time to shift from "here's why you should buy this service/product" to "here's how we can help" By Alan E. Young Around the world and across industries, marketers now face arguably one of the toughest challenges of their careers. There is, after all, no universally established gold-standard for marketing during a wide-spread pandemic, because a global crisis of this magnitude is hardly ‘textbook’. As the media coverage so often reiterates, we now find ourselves in uncharted territory. Although the importance of brand agility and frequent innovation is well-understood by business owners and B2B marketers, the coronavirus pan...
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...
The Adoption of a Long-Term Perspective in a Time of Crisis: Why Now Is Not the Time to Let Your Marketing and Communications Go Dark
Alan Young | March 24, 2020
By Alan Young It’s been just over a week since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus, or COVID-19, a global pandemic. Since then, the information surrounding the continued transmission of the virus has evolved at a rapid pace, taking business owners and employees across industries for a wild, and notably scary ride. Each day, we awake to a news cycle brimming with critical updates that directly impact the well-being of our business, the experience of our clients, and find ourselves wondering: What could possibly come next? And now, as more closures commence around the world, social distancing practices go into effect,...
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...
Pop-Up Hotels, Autonomous Vehicle Sightseeing and Other Trends to Watch in 2020 and Beyond
Alan Young | January 8, 2020
By Alan Young Two decades ago, if I were to have asked you what the world would look like in 2020, what would you have said? Would you have anticipated the steady rise of self-service technology, tools allowing for instant gratification across all aspects of our life, and artificial intelligence? The autonomous vehicle? The seemingly endless runway of possibility stretches before us, with the help of cutting-edge platforms that were once merely a futuristic concept? Moreover, what predictions would you have offered up for travel? While our industry is always subject to change and, most would argue, has been on an upward trajectory of te...
What Does the Expectation Economy Mean for Hoteliers in 2020 and Beyond?
Alan Young | December 11, 2019
By Alan E. Young Within the hospitality industry, we are frequently introduced to new, wide-spread economic trends. First, it was the “Mobile Era,” then we got to know the “Age of the Consumer” and the “Experience Economy,” and now, the term on everyone’s mind? The “Expectation Economy.” As we open our doors and usher in the savvy and informed travelers of today, we are met with a long list of heightened expectations that apply to each and every guest touchpoint. Within this modern economy, expectations are high, and so are the stakes for hoteliers. Guests are more informed, demanding, and less patient than ever before. ...
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