Saturday Briefing

By Dr. Chuck Kelley  

The way we share information keeps evolving at an accelerating pace, and this has an enormous impact on both our personal lives and our business. Like me, many of you may be having a hard time keeping up with the latest developments, like text messaging, online social networks, blogs, and oddly named, inventive new services such as Twitter, Digg, and Delicious. Fortunately for me and many of the folks in my generation, there are many in our Outrigger ‘ohana who are keeping up to date with the latest developments.

My parents’ generation kept in touch with the world and each other with newspapers, television, telephones, and letters. My generation, the baby boomers, largely abandoned letters and in their place, adopted computers, e-mail, and cell phones. But now I see a gap developing between us newly-minted “old folks” (hey, when did that happen!) and the even younger generations — Gen X and Gen Y.

These bright young people are not using telephones and e-mail the same way my generation does. They are looking for information that is even fresher and crisper. They don’t always answer the phone when it rings. Instead, they usually glance at the screen to see who is calling and whether there is a text message attached. If they don’t recognize the number, or if they are not in the mood to talk, the call goes unanswered and unreturned — perhaps forever. Many often don’t bother to check messages left in the voice mail box, which may be permanently “full.” What they are looking for is instant communication, with literally hundreds of short cell phone calls and text messages a day. For many young people, it’s live talk and text messaging, or nothing at all!

When the younger generation wants to connect with more distant friends or get information about a subject, they do it online. Many spend a lot of time on online “social networking” websites like Facebook and MySpace. Sites like these are moving the Internet away from being primarily an information provider (a one-way process) and turning it into a place for conversations — two-way or multi-party communication. It’s all about people connecting with each other, for example creating online communities of people with shared interests — from the trivial (“What music do you like?”) to the serious (“Let’s help elect this candidate”). Millions of people are now regularly using sites like these, and it feels as though social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life — at least until something even newer and fresher makes its appearance!

These Internet sites have become extremely powerful in connecting individuals of like interests. For example, YouTube, which now has over 100 million active users, recently demonstrated that it could connect one million people by e-mail in only a month’s time!

And then there are blogs. Most blogs are online forums where anyone can share their opinions on just about any topic. They are a powerful source of personal opinions that are changing the way the world gossips.

Even the normal “coffee talk” and “water cooler gossip” present in every workplace are now evolving into quiet but powerful online conversations. For example, a company that is about to announce an important event may be surprised to find that many of the key audiences, both inside and outside the company, are already aware of the impending event because someone has posted it on a blog and shared it with key audiences. This can turn what used to be mere “leaks” into gushers!

Some blogs are already moving beyond just opinion and gossip and are becoming another source of reliable information. Even NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams blogs. The problem for blog readers is to figure out for themselves what is fact, what is fiction (or half-truth) being passed along as if it were fact, and what is opinion. It’s not an easy job.

All these new ways of sharing information — text messaging, blogging, and social network sites — can have a significant impact on business. This is particularly important for companies in Travel & Tourism and other industries that touch lots of individual consumers, since there are many popular websites that let anyone with an opinion and Internet access tell the world what they think.

Sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Tripadvisor, and Hotels.com not only let you book a room, they give you “hotel reviews” written by previous guests who share their experiences — the good, the bad, and the downright ugly! This injects an entirely new level of energy into “word of mouth.” Because the views expressed on such sites can be either great for a hotel’s reputation, or damaging, our property managers now have the additional job of tracking them to make sure we are being portrayed fairly and that guest expectations are being met or exceeded.

At Outrigger, we too have been delving into blogging. At the Wyland Waikiki Hotel, General Manager Robin Graf has created a blog that posts hotel events of interest to loyal and prospective customers (http://wylandwaikikiblog.wordpress.com). In recent months, he has developed quite a following on his blog, and he augments the marketing benefit by connecting the blog postings to a social networking site called Twitter. This gives him direct daily contact with travel writers, journalists, and others in the travel and hospitality industry.

At the Outrigger Maui Eldorado, Manager Bill Reese supplements his monthly owners’ newsletter with a blog tailored to their needs (http://mauisketches.blogspot.com). He provides timely articles about the Maui economy and information about what is happening on property — things readers might have trouble finding on their own. Not only does it keep the owners up to date about their investment, but it helps them keep in close contact with Bill and his team.

Our new Outriggerhawaii.com website has been up and running for several months now. It is full of beautiful

The new Outriggerhawaii.com website has been up and running for several months

pictures and wonderful stories that are personal, insightful, and that read like a travel magazine. Our writer/editor Kim Rogers travels all around the state and finds the most interesting topics that she then turns into articles posted on the site every week. The hope is that prospective guests will engage with the site and not only be encouraged to book a room, but also share the information they find there through their own networks, creating a ripple effect that we hope will spread fast and far enough to be termed “viral.”

There is already a blog attached to the website where anyone can comment, and we have recently created a YouTube page with videos from Outriggerhawaii.com. We are considering further experimentation in two-way communications, which could include a “social” bar (so visitors can post stories from our site to places like Facebook, Digg, and Delicious), our own Facebook page, a Twitter account, and possible “comment” or “rate it” features.

Dr. Richard Kelley has always been an “early adoptor” of technology, and the online edition of Saturday Briefing is now in a semi-blog format. Dr. Kelley receives e-mail feedback and comments directly on his IPhone.

All these new forms of information sharing are rapidly evolving and growing in popularity. As we go forward, they will all have significant impact on our marketing programs, customer relations, and public image. Our team is keeping up to date with the changes and exploring ways to integrate what is useful into our marketing strategies. Each of us, however, needs to be aware of the changing online landscape and adapt to this new world if we are to remain on top of our game.