Insights With Trent Munday

85% of consumer behaviour is irrational. That's what world renowned branding expert and consumer insight specialist Martin Lindstrom once told me. So in that context, how much should your messaging and marketing be focussed on creating a COVID Safe space around your brand / product / service? Presumably, not too much. If you are able to tell the right story and create a compelling enough reason for your customers to buy, they will come. No matter how irrational that may seem. #consumerbehaviour #consumerinsights #storytelling

Hotels tend to lag consumer trends. Be it in the area of Gyms, Spas, Food & Beverage, Sustainability, whatever. Hotels, despite what they'd like us to believe, are simply not innovators. Maybe they can't be. After all, they need to appeal to a wide audience to achieve reasonable occupancy levels.  But I sense an opportunity. Why not offer a room category called The Innovation Room? In that room, a guest will find any number of innovative products and solutions. I believe many guests would be happy to pay a premium to stay in such a room. I know I would. And the guest feedback would be valuable consumer research too. #hotels #innovation #consumertrends

Social Media is often seen as a negative thing. However, I genuinely believe that post all my content on Social Media has made me a better person. I'm a person who has always had pretty strong opinions and has a tendency to shoot from the hip in voicing those opinions. But when I'm posting that opinion on Social Media, I always stop, just for a brief moment, to consider how that opinion will be received, perceived & interpreted. In doing that, I am forcing myself to be more aware of the opposing points of view. I am being more empathetic to those with differing opinions. OK, sure, there are some who would say I'm not exactly doing a great job at that. And that I need to be more thoughtful and considered...but I'm trying. #socialmedia #opinions #empathy  

An oxymoron is 'a combination of contradictory or incongruous words'. Like... Deafening Silence or Act Naturally In a way, I think sometimes Brand Standard can be an oxymoron too. The whole purpose of a brand is to stand out from the rest. However, in the very process of creating a Brand Standard, sometimes what we really end up doing is simple Standardising our Brand. #branding #brandstrategy #standardisation

The Human Library is a not for profit learning program. And it's brilliant. It's kinda like a library but instead of books...they have people to tell their own stories. And those stories are of facing prejudice, bias, stigma, etc. You can go to a Human Library and borrow a Book (ie: a Human) for a 30 minute chat to learn all about them. Some of the Human Books available include - Homeless Person, Drug Addict , HIV+ Person, Transgender Person, etc. See. I told you. What a brilliant idea. There are Human Libraries in over 80 countries. Here's their website - https://bit.ly/2WgSvZH #prejudices #stigma #movements  

Right now, in the midst of this global crisis, is one of the best possible times to double down on paid online advertising. Why? Because the ads are just so much cheaper now. These ad platforms operate as an auction for keywords and phrases. The more demand there is by advertisers for a specific keyword, the higher the price for that keyword. And vice versa. As so many advertisers have reduced their ad spend during this crisis, the price of these keywords has gone down. According to online marketing guru Neil Patel, his clients are currently seeing an increase of 71% in the ROI of their online ad spend. And even if you can't sell your thing right now, consider running paid ads to direct people to your free content, just to get them into your system. It's like customer acquisition for the future. PS: Checkout Neil Patel's site for lots of great, free information - https://bit.ly/308pyzY #onlinemarketing #onlineadvertising #paidadvertising   https://bit.ly/308pyzY    

Two brothers grow up with an alcoholic father. One becomes an alcoholic. One never touches a drop. What you chose to do with your circumstances, is on you. If anyone else has been able to face similar challenges and made their way through it, then it can be done. Is there really any valid reason why you can't do it too? #perspective #challengeaccepted #personalgrowth

We can’t help ourselves. We’re constantly judging and making assessments of others...then we compare ourselves to them. That guy isn’t as good as me. That girl is more successful than me. But we never really know. Things are almost never exactly as the seem. Nobody is all that they seem - both good and bad. So just do you. #selfawareness #perception #judgement

I built my career on a very simply theory...Just Turn Up! From my first real hotel job as a Casual Bellman, if the hotel called me to come in...I Turned Up. And I kept Turning Up. Every time I was given another opportunity, I jumped at. I Turned Up. Whether you're at the start of your career or the end of your career or somewhere in between, this theory will hold you in good stead. I'm always amazed at the number of people I meet, at all stages of their career, who find a reason to not turn up. That job's not for me. I don't want to be in area. That job's too hard. That job is too easy. Sure, it matters that you do a good job when you get there.  But most importantly - Just Turn Up! #careeradvice #workethic #turnup

Host hotel guests simply do not use the Gym. And that's before COVID-19. A 2017 survey by the Cornell Centre for Hospitality Research revealed no more than around 30% of guests actually use the Gym ( https://bit.ly/2ZOoukU ) Presumably, that usage rate will only decline further in the wake of COVID-19. So what is to become of the Hotel Gym? Is it redundant? Is it doomed? Maybe this will prove to be the tipping point for in-room fitness options? PS: Here's the article by Jennifer Ploszaj - https://bit.ly/31Yq85T  #hotels #hotelroom #fitness

Most businesses look to the internet as a way to help them scale. A way to reach the masses. And it can be. But that's not quite as easy as many imagine it should be. But one thing the internet is really good for is helping you reach your niche audience. Your thin slice of the market that really cares about your thing - your product, your service or your content. The people who you should really care about. The people for whom your product/service/content really matters. It's not about reaching the biggest possible audience. It's about reaching the right audience. Your audience. NB: shout out to Seth Godin for the inspiration for today's episode. #scalingyourbusiness #marketing #tribes

Many businesses right now are trying to find a way forward. A new strategy that will allow them to survive and thrive in the Brave New Post-COVID-19 World. But sometimes, the best strategy of all may simply be - Don't Mess Up. That doesn't mean doing nothing. It just means doing what you say you do. Delivering on your promise. As simple as that. In lieu of a better strategy and in a world where your competitors may be Messing Up, all it will take for you to stand out will be... Don't Mess Up! #businessstrategy #postcovid19 #brandpromise

During the great gold rushes many lucky people made lots of money by finding gold. But lots of smart people also made lots of money selling them the Picks and Shovels to them. Very few of us are destined to create the next big thing. The next iPhone. The next Uber. The next AirBnB. But building a business on the periphery that supports &/or complements these high profile success stories is a very real possibility. Food Delivery platforms got a huge boost during the lockdowns. But so too did the guy who made those insulated delivery bags that sit on the back of the motorbike. This is the Picks & Shovels Strategy. Good Luck! #businessopportunity #businessideas #supportservices

Co-Working companies have had lots of bad press in recent month, largely on the back of the WeWork debacle. However, I do believe that Co-Working Spaces and the companies that provide them have a real future. But I've also been thinking a lot about the future of hotels and now they could possibly re-invent themselves in the Brave New World of Tomorrow. So here's a thought... What about if the hotel model of tomorrow was part Hotel and part Co-Working space? I genuinely believe that could be a winning formula. #hotelindustry #hotels #businessmodel

In a bid to try to pressure governments to re-open their industries, the representative bodies of those industries effected rally to petition the powers that be to give them the green light. This usually involves a strong letter from the representative body, outlining the significant contribution of that industry to the overall economy, employment, etc. This letter is usually followed by a petition from the individual business owners within that industry. Both these steps are important and necessary. But I think where industries often miss the mark in these situations is a concerted effort to get their customers to petition the government.  Every business owner and every industry body of course believes that their industry is important. The government would expect you to say nothing less. But if the government receives a flood of letters, calls and petitions from members of the general public who are calling for these businesses and services to re-open, my guess is that will make a much bigger impact.

Managing a Hotel or a Resort is, in a way, managing a small community. A number of the skills, talents and expertise required to manage a hotel are also applicable to managing a wider, more permanent community - like a town. If I was looking to recruit a CEO for my Town, Council or Shire, I'd definitely be considering applicants with strong hospitality experience. At a time when many experienced hoteliers around the world are out of a job, there could be some really interesting candidates available. Oh, and what about the hotel management companies? Maybe Marriott or Hilton or Accor could make a move into the Township Management space? @david reynolds @ryan webster @mark phillips @steve nolis @axel koster #recruitment #localcouncil #hotelmanagement

I've been using the same App for editing the videos for this show for most of the 2.5 years I've been doing it. PocketVideo. I loved it! It did everything I needed...and probably a lot more that I never discovered. Recently, I had to delete it and reinstall it. When I did, I found that all of the features I loved...we're gone. :-( I was exposed. I was vulnerable.  It was my own fault really, because I'd become complacent. I hadn't been dabbling, trying, testing, tasting all the other video editing Apps in the marketplace. Don't YOU be vulnerable. Start dabbling. And keep dabbling. Now more than ever, in an uncertain world, dabbling just makes sense. #trysomethingnew #experimentation #staycurrent

As people around the world start coming back to work, we need to realise that each of us will have our own tolerance levels when it comes to social distancing. I'm not talking about the space between workstations or in the staff canteen. But more about how close we want to get as we move around the office.  When you pass someone in the hallway. When you stop at the coffee room or water cooler for a chat. When you come to a colleague's desk to discuss something. One brilliant way I saw recently was the idea of Red, Yellow & Green coloured wristbands. Green means I'm ok for hugs & high fives. Yellow means I'm ok to talk, but don't get too close. Red mean, I'm social distancing. So, at a glance, anyone in the office can know what your tolerance level is for contact. Great idea! PS: Thanks to @Laura Weisman for sharing the post. #socialdistancing #backtoworksafely #postcovid19

Ad-Based Revenue Models are great...when they work. But Facebook is finding out at the moment that such models are never guaranteed, especially at a time of crisis like right now. As companies of all shapes and sizes are looking to save money, social media advertising is one expense many feel they can do without. Coca-Cola recently announced a 30 day suspension of its social media advertising. They're saying it's to reassess their presence on social. At least partly, it's seen as sending a message to Facebook that they need to work harder at controlling the negative and discriminatory content featuring on the platform. This, combined with a number of other companies doing the same, led to Facebook's share price dropping by 8%, resulting in a $50+ billion drop in market cap. As many people and business around the world are now looking for new ways to make money, an ad-based content model can seem appealing. But the current situation with Facebook should be seen as a warning that, in difficult times, the

The Three Product Levels Model was developed by marketing guru Philip Kotler. According to this model, there is the CORE product, the ACTUAL product and the AUGMENTED product. The CORE product is the actual benefit the customer is buying. Using the motor car as an example, the CORE product is transportation. Continuing with this example, the ACTUAL product is the physical car itself. The AUGMENTED product is all the stuff on the periphery. The Value Adds, if you like. Things like customer service, warranty, after sales service, etc. Whilst there is definitely value to you the seller to understand the subtle differences between each level, you should also understand that the consumer ultimately sees just one product that is inclusive of all these elements. Here's a link to the book I mentioned - Scaling New Heights - https://amzn.to/31oYj6v #marketing #branding #products