Trent365

Many businesses in the travel and tourism industry are suffering from mass cancellations due to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.

How should these businesses be handling the requests for cancellations?

Should they waive their existing cancellation policy?

Should they be tough and advise customers it's their responsibility to take travel insurance to avoid any losses?

Or should they maybe find the middle ground?

Personally, I'm a big fan of offering a Credit Voucher at times like this.

#crisismanagement #coronavirus #cancellations

Fear is a funny thing.

Often the fears that we hold on to are the result of us overestimating the risk. They're not entirely rational.

But that doesn't really matter.

My fears are very real - to me. No matter how irrational they may be.

Right now, many people around the world are genuinely afraid of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

For the most part, the behaviour we're seeing in response to those fears are no really rational.

Again, it doesn't matter. To those people, they are very real.

So, if your business is being impacted by COVID-19, as so many are, spare a thought for those irrational customers and their irrational fears...they are very real.

#fears #covid19 #coronavirus

Making a big impact does not necessarily require you to make big changes or even big efforts.

It is often the smallest of things that make a difference to our customers and therefore end up making the biggest impact.

That was certainly the case on my recent trip to Thailand. 

One of the three hotels I stayed in this week made a significant impact on me, and it was not because of any big time thing they did. It was the subtle things.

Come and listen to a few examples of just how subtle those difference can be and yet how impactful...

#impactful #simplethings #differences

When people buy a ticket, they’re committed to the purchase. They’ve already made it.

But when people make a reservation or a booking, the commitment just isn’t as strong.

Even if you’re insisting on a credit card to secure the booking, the purchase still has not been made. So they still feel like there’s a way out.

Just think about the difference between making a dinner reservation and buying a movie ticket.

So, if you’re selling a service, like a Spa Treatment, see if you call sell Tickets rather than taking bookings.

#ticketsales #reservations #sellingtips

Seth Godin has said that data without a narrative is really just noise.

We, as humans, simply aren't programmed to process data. Instead, we relate and react to stories.

We need not look any further the current COVID-19 outbreak for a prime example of that.

The data suggests that the face masks that we're all wearing will not prevent you catching the virus.

Yet still, we insist on wearing them.

Why?

Because the narrative is stronger and more compelling than the data.

BTW - Seth is running a Storytelling Workshop. Here's the details...

https://thestoryskillsworkshop.com/

#storytelling #data #narrative

Many will tell you that, as a new brand, you need to have a narrow focus. It helps you as the brand to not spread your resources too thin and it also helps the market better understand who you are and what you do.

Part of that is your brand name.

The more literal it is, the easier it is to communicate what you do and what you stand for.

But what happens when you decide to change direction or to expand into other areas outside your initial focus.

At times like this, a literal brand name may just be a liability.

Just look at what's happening over at Dunkin' Donuts - now called simply Dunkin'

#brandname #branding #brandstrategy

Using public transport in any city always provides fascinating insights into human behaviour.

Riding the rails at this moment in time is an interesting study in how the COVID-19 is impacting people in their daily lives.

Yesterday in Bangkok, just about everyone on my train was wearing a face mask...and busy on their mobile phones.

So I start wondering, what would happen if it was announced that the COVID-19 virus stick to mobile phone screens and anyone using a mobile phone has a 90% chance of catching the virus.

Would that be enough to break our habit of using our smart phones at every single chance we get?

I wonder...

#habits #behaviourchange #humanbehaviour

Remember back in October last year - in Ep. 699 to be exact - I told you that Asia Spa Magazine was closing it's doors at the end of October?

Well, they did.

But now they're open again!

Yes. That's right.  AsiaSpa Magazine is back!

The first edition of the new print magazine is coming out in May 2020.

To find out more, go check out the AsiaSpa website...

https://www.asiaspa.com/

Big Congratulations for all the folks at AsiaSpa. And best of luck!

#spa #magazine #printmedia

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post about how all brands and businesses should focus on telling their unique stories.

Here's that post...

https://www.trentmunday.com/spa-marketing-5-simple-storylines-for-every-spa-business/

Perhaps the easiest and most impactful stories of all are the ones about our people.

The folks at the Mandara Spa Bali Office have done a great job and telling our story through our people.

Here's now they do it...

#storytelling #brandstory #storiesmatter

Brandless launched in 2017. Raised almost $300 million in funding (including $240 million from SoftBank's Vision Fund). Now, they have shut down.

The vision of Brandless was to sell plain label products at a significant discount. The discount coming from the fact that there are no expensive branding costs built into the pricing, as you would have with the major FMCG brands.

No doubt the failure is due to multiple factors.

Regardless of the reason, it is a lesson for all future brands, that just being an 'anti-brand' is not enough.

All brands need to have a purpose. If not, their future is tenuous.

A great example of plain label brand that does have a purpose is Thank You.

Here's a link to their story. Please do check them out.

https://thankyou.co/

#brandpurpose #brandless #brand