Intro: 00:00:02: Welcome to the Lodge Second podcast, introduced by Revinate, the podcast the place we speak to leaders within the hospitality trade. If you happen to’re in search of developments, views, and tales from leaders in journey and hospitality, you’re in the suitable place.
Karen – 00:00:21: Hiya and welcome everybody to the primary Lodge Second podcast of 2024. I’m your host, Karen Stephens, the Chief Income Officer of Revinate. And at the moment we’re thrilled to have with us Andrew Ladd, somebody who is aware of the hospitality trade from high to backside. Andrew has expertise with boutique and large-scale resorts, and he understands in addition to anybody methods to put collectively a cross-functional workforce that works to craft actually memorable experiences for his or her visitors. Sure, devoted to exceeding each expectations on the client and enterprise aspect, Andrew can do all of it. He’s been with Noble Home Accommodations & Resorts for 5 years now, and I’m happy to announce he has just lately been promoted to Vice President of Advertising. He additionally accomplished the Kellogg Govt Certification, Prudential, and Digital Advertising Methods, and we’ll speak about that as effectively. So welcome to the present, Andrew.
Andrew – 00:01:09: Hey, thanks, Karen. Admire you having me right here.
Karen – 00:01:12: Wow, it’s a pleasure to have you ever. I imply, initially, congratulations on the promotion. That’s super. We’ve been working with you for a very long time, over 5 years now, and that’s actually simply great for you. So congrats.
Andrew – 00:01:22: Thanks a lot. I actually recognize that. I’m actually excited.
Karen – 00:01:26: Within the intro there, I talked in regards to the Kellogg Govt Schooling Credential, and I do know it’s vital to remain on our toes right here in hospitality. And I all the time admire when one among my colleagues carves out the time to really do additional schooling. So are you able to speak a bit of bit about that certification and your motivation to try this?
Andrew – 00:01:45: I’m a giant believer in persevering with schooling for myself after which additionally anyone that I work with, colleagues. I extremely encourage it. The motivation behind it was I’ve taken a number of certifications, clearly, with the HSMAI. After which previous to that, a certification with Cornell College for advertising and marketing as effectively. And it’s a extremely unbelievable strategy to keep on high of the developments and what’s occurring and be taught from these different specialists. And I particularly sought out this certification as a result of it existed exterior the hospitality vertical. I needed to be taught extra about how different industries and different verticals are approaching advertising and marketing, AI, automation, and hopefully attempt to deliver a few of that to the hospitality world. We are sometimes pegged as being behind the occasions on the subject of expertise and on the subject of advertising and marketing. So I assumed I’d as effectively go be taught from the specialists. And I actually did. It was a extremely nice eight-week intensive program that was like wherever from six to 10 hours of labor per week. But it surely was wonderful. It actually was. I imply, the insights that I used to be in a position to achieve, whether or not it was speaking segmentation or speaking about completely different approaches to automation or the brand new purposes that AI is bringing into the advertising and marketing realm. The professor that taught the course is an knowledgeable in AI. Yeah. Can’t say sufficient in regards to the expertise and the way great it was.
Karen – 00:03:12: Wow, that’s so cool. Sure, I adore it. As you talked about, you’re going out of hospitality. I believe so many people come up by means of the ranks. I do know that that was the case for you as effectively. So we begin in operations or entrance desk and we come up. So to have the ability to peek exterior, particularly with digital advertising and marketing, to see what different persons are doing is de facto, actually cool.
Andrew – 00:03:29: It’s. I have a look at all of the issues that I used to be in a position to deliver to the desk and hopefully assist push our group ahead. And simply for example, you have a look at the best way that retail approaches advertising and marketing, and particularly advertising and marketing automation and the client journeys that they apply if you go and store for a brand new pair of sneakers. I needed to be taught extra about how we deliver that strategy to hospitality, and we will enhance our buyer journeys for our customers. And this point in time the place third-party cookies are going away and that’s all the excitement and there’s all these new buzzwords on the planet like first-party information and zero-party information.
Karen – 00:04:07: We’re happening to zero.
Andrew – 00:04:09: All of the completely different, completely different phases of information. But it surely’s actually integral and key for us to grasp how we will be taught from different verticals and the way they’re approaching it. And I’d say that there are positively another verticals which might be doing it higher than hospitality and that we will be taught from them.
Karen – 00:04:25: We will be taught. Yeah, I do assume in hospitality is such an fascinating trade as a result of we clearly have what you’re speaking about. We’ve obtained to draw folks digitally to get them within the resorts. However then as soon as they’re within the resorts, then we’ve obtained to work together with them instantly. So we’ve obtained to have that customer-first strategy that goes all through the expertise. So speaking about, “Hey, we got here up in hospitality and the way that works.” Are there abilities you assume that being customer-facing these abilities are one thing you can practice? Or do you assume that that’s one thing form of innate that you just’re born with, that you just’re form of destined to go in that route?
Andrew – 00:04:59: I’m a agency believer that one thing like that’s one thing that may be skilled. As a result of going again to my impetus and beginning out as a Belmont, I actually didn’t have the identical strategy to customer support that I do at the moment. And understanding the client’s wants and taking that selfless strategy. And that’s how I’ve utilized the logic and what I do inside advertising and marketing as effectively. However going again to your query, I positively have discovered all through my 20 years in hospitality methods to service the client finest and the way with their wants on the forefront of all the things that we do. And finally, I believe this goes with out saying, however we form of stay and breathe it in hospitality that so long as you’re placing the customer support or the client’s wants on the forefront, then most of the time, you’re going to seek out success. And I actually discover that to be true to the case by way of all of the modifications which might be occurring inside the digital panorama and what’s on the forefront right here with third-party cookies and what we’re going to do about it, we in hospitality are higher than some other trade at constructing belief with our customers. So I believe we will take a whole lot of the issues that we’ve discovered on the operations aspect of the enterprise and produce that to advertising and marketing and construct belief with our customers.
Karen – 00:06:14: Yeah. So perhaps let’s speak about that a bit of bit. Third-party cookies going away, first-party cookies, zero celebration cookies are one thing we’re beginning to speak about. So are you able to speak a bit of bit about how we’re uniquely positioned in hospitality to collect that form of information? As a result of I do assume it’s, as you talked about, if you happen to put the visitors on the middle and also you allow them to inform you what they need and also you execute on that correctly, you’re in a novel place that perhaps one other trade is just not in.
Andrew – 00:06:41: We’re. And it’s fascinating as a result of we’re not remoted to simply to the digital interplay. We now have a number of alternatives inside the buyer journey to work together with the buyer and achieve data about them. So long as we’re constructing that belief on the forefront of the connection and never breaking that belief. And I believe that’s changing into a extremely essential step inside what we do is, for example, is in your web site, “Is your cookie coverage clear? Are you telling the buyer precisely what you’re doing with their data and giving the choice to choose out of it?” I believe that first part of belief constructing is de facto, actually vital and one which we as an trade and all industries are going to should get quite a bit higher at as a result of customers are getting much more savvy. They’re understanding how their information is being utilized. And albeit, if you happen to don’t give them that possibility and also you’re not on the forefront, they’re not going to present you their data. So we’re in a position to construct that belief on the forefront of the connection. Hospitality and resorts had been in such a extremely nice and distinctive place as they undergo the client journey to proceed accumulating details about them as an individual and the way we will higher service them. Proper? From restaurant to spa to mini bar and their preferences on a beverage like these little contact factors. Some folks may discover it creepy that what sort of beverage they prefer to drink, however different folks adore it. They present up and also you’ve obtained a Weight-reduction plan Coke otherwise you’ve obtained a Gatorade ready for them as a result of that’s what they’d final time. I imply, these little contact factors, I believe, “shock and delight” is a giant time period as of late. It does present that subsequent stage of service that we as a corporation at Noble Home are actually working in the direction of. We wish to incorporate as a lot shock and delight and personalization as we probably can. And I believe generally. The time period personalization can get misplaced within the digital realm and what that precisely means. However you may simply do the little issues effectively, like studying simply perhaps one or two issues which might be distinctive about that visitor and making use of it to their keep. I imply, that goes a extremely great distance.
Karen – 00:08:48: It actually does. And I believe if we speak a bit of bit about Noble Home Accommodations & Resorts, I imply, that is mostly a assortment. I wouldn’t say it’s a set of, effectively, I’ll learn it truly from LinkedIn. I’m going to make use of your phrases since you most likely had a hand on this. So a curated assortment of one-of-a-kind resorts and adventures with an emphasis on location and soul. And I really like that location and soul. And you actually do have a breadth of properties in there. I imply, all the things from Little Palm, which is rather like essentially the most unbelievable property on the planet to a stupendous property in San Diego, Mission Bay Resort. So are you able to speak a bit of bit about how, because the VP of Advertising, you form of work with every of these resorts to have their very own particular model and the way you transmit that digitally to get prospects in?
Andrew – 00:09:34: Yeah. I lean on a phrase that was in existence at Noble Home previous to me arriving, however I believe it actually echoes the ethos of Noble Home. It’s “particular person distinction and collective soul”. And that coined phrase actually epitomizes the best way that we strategy our enterprise and ensuring that the resorts don’t lose their particular person personalities, their particular person voice, their particular person soul, however bringing them collectively underneath a set that may discover widespread threads of expertise all through. In all places from like our wine chain expertise in Napa Valley, an unbelievable expertise — however the customer support ranges, how we strategy the enterprise is similar as we strategy Little Palm or the identical as we strategy any of our 4 resorts in San Diego. So I believe that whereas every particular person property brings its personal, once more, distinctive soul to the equation, every a type of properties additionally actually echoes and holds onto the ethos of wonderful customer support, unbelievable experiences, and graining the buyer and the area people as a lot as doable. So whereas they’re distinctive in their very own rights, we actually cling our hats on the actual fact that there’s a constant expertise throughout.
Karen – 00:10:55: There’s a through-line. Yeah. So I simply wish to speak for one second about that wine practice, as a result of for our listeners who don’t know what it’s, who haven’t heard of it, if you wish to go to Napa Valley, so are you able to simply give just like the two-second plug on what that’s and why it’s so cool?
Andrew – 00:11:09: I’m comfortable to. Yeah. , the wine practice is de facto having a second during the last couple of years too. Popping out of the pandemic, it’s a very, very distinctive expertise in and of itself. So the practice begins in dthe downtownNapa space and it runs the size of the valley. You could have a chance to go on a few wine excursions alongside the journey. You even have the chance to see the wonderful countryside from a novel perspective, driving in a practice with some actually fascinating locomotives as effectively. Not too long ago, we’re in a position to refurbish a few locomotives, so changing into extra eco-friendly as effectively. However I extremely encourage people to make the most of this expertise. This can be very distinctive. There’s actually not an entire lot of experiences like this within the US The place you may embark on a practice journey that’s a three-hour journey from finish to finish like this. So please take a chance to journey on the practice and also you’ll get pleasure from some wonderful drinks and a few unbelievable eating experiences.
Karen – 00:12:09: So enjoyable. I simply assume that’s so distinctive and I really like that. Okay. So going again to technique, we talked a bit of bit in regards to the completely different identities throughout the resorts, however a through-line. We additionally talked about personalization and ensuring we’re stunning and delighting. So how do you measure success throughout that technique? It’s clearly there’s the folks up entrance, however there’s additionally some expertise within the again. So if you get up within the morning and go into the workplace, what are you to measure success?
Andrw – 00:12:38: Man, you form of really feel such as you’re in information overload at some factors, proper? I imply, there are such a lot of alternatives to gather and perceive information. And I believe that’s one thing that I’ve discovered during the last three years of being on this function is de facto making an attempt to slim down the quantity of information that I eat and search for how we’re succeeding. However the Revinate platform does present an excellent alternative for us to grasp from an e-mail perspective, an automatic e-mail perspective or a handbook e-mail perspective, how we’re performing. And I particularly have a look at our click-through charges on a month-to-month foundation and see how we’re performing as a result of that actually is measuring your engagement. After which on the flip aspect of that’s Google Analytics. I spend a whole lot of time in GA and the brand new platform, GA, simply understanding how customers are interacting with our internet journeys. From an e-mail perspective, , what income is being generated instantly by means of the web site. And that actually is a good alternative to grasp, , by means of the UTM tags that Revinate gives and understanding what site visitors goes on to your web site, versus the OTA and reserving by means of different channels. So these are two huge ones that I positively spend a whole lot of time in.
After which exterior of that, actually, and that is one thing that as I evolve into this new function, it’s connecting with the sphere groups and understanding what their ache factors are, however then additionally what their view of success is and the way they’re feeling about their companies on a regional foundation. Typically from a company perspective, it may be a bit of bit robust to attach and have a extremely deep understanding of what’s occurring throughout 23 completely different properties and experiences. So it’s actually integral to have these relationships together with your area workforce to get an excellent sense of what’s occurring on a day-to-day foundation. So actually relying in your workforce to tell you, “How wholesome is the enterprise? How is our advertising and marketing performing? What shifts do we have to make inside our advertising and marketing technique to pivot?” If there’s a waning in demand, which 2023 actually, it was form of a reset when it got here to advertising and marketing methods, proper? As a result of 2022, all people skilled this wave of revenge journey. And ‘23 was form of getting again to the old-school ways in which we now have to do issues the place we actually should struggle for the enterprise. You’ve obtained to have the ability to be nimble and also you’ve obtained to have the ability to transfer and perceive what the customers need. And so once more, simply connecting with the sphere groups. And understanding what’s occurring is de facto integral to what I do.
Karen – 00:15:14: Yeah, I believe you actually hit on one thing there. I imply, simply your tenure at Noble Home over, , name it mid-2018 by means of now, and all the things that we’ve gone by means of within the trade from COVID to shutdown to the largest 12 months we’ve ever seen in our lives in 2022 to hat’s occurring in 2023 — the recession that didn’t present up — I don’t even like to make use of that phrase, but it surely’s been like these bizarre occasions.
Andrew – 00:15:37: It’s been a wild journey, proper? Yeah.
Karen – 00:15:40: It actually has. And so I believe you make an excellent level that we will have a bunch of methods at a company stage to determine what we’re going to do. However if you happen to’re not keyed into the native markets, the “ft on the road”, so to talk, and understanding what the demand is there. I believe the opposite factor that has been form of an fascinating revelation in speaking to people is that, we’re now not in a world the place we’re simply trying on the comp set in our metropolis. We’re competing on a digital stage for that trip greenback, whether or not they’re going to spend it domestically, internationally, like there’s a lot extra to consider. And that actually has been a shift, I really feel, that form of got here post-COVID. I don’t know if you happen to really feel related.
Andrew – 00:16:18: Yeah, I do, as a result of I believe like all the things — nothing stays the identical. Customers evolve and client habits evolves and journey habits is continuous to evolve at a speedy tempo. It felt like issues accelerated by means of the pandemic or post-pandemic in the best way that the buyer is searching for journey and the experiences they anticipate. I believe that’s the robust factor for us within the hospitality enterprise is to remain in entrance of what the buyer desires and what they anticipate from their journey. After which conveying what that have is like by means of our advertising and marketing. However I’ve seen some actually speedy evolutions in the best way that buyers are selecting their journey locations. For some time there, it was, the greenback didn’t matter. We’ll throw cash at no matter journey. We simply wish to get out of the home. Individuals had been shopping for up into holidays they could by no means have taken of their lifetime, however simply because it actually felt like the suitable factor to do on the time. Now we’re beginning to return a bit of bit to some normalcy and persons are coming again to Earth and persons are shopping for inside their very own means. However I believe there’s a component inside client habits that may doubtless keep in that, particularly with the youthful generations, folks have began to worth experiences greater than materials possessions, which is nice for hospitality. So long as we’re leaning into the expertise that we offer for our visitors, that resonates with us. We now have actually at Noble Home, going again to 2020, leaned into experiences at our properties and whether or not we speak to our groups persistently about their on-property programming, we’re whether or not it’s a luau at Konakai Resort in San Diego, or it’s sandbar periods at Little Palm in Florida, the place they’re having a live performance with a high-level, hopefully A-Record sort musician. We wish to present memorable experiences for our visitors. And I do know that we’ve actually hung our hat on that for a very long time. And it’s fascinating, that an increasing number of that has come to the forefront of what folks need. “So how do you be sure that the visitors can persistently see that, e book that?” Do you place that on the forefront of your advertising and marketing? That’s a shift in advertising and marketing technique too. We’ve all the time, all the time as an trade, invested in promoting rooms. However now the thoughts shift is that we’re investing in promoting an expertise. So it’s an all-encompassing expertise versus simply shifting stock. But it surely’s nice for entrepreneurs as a result of it permits you a chance to inform a narrative. And that’s what we’re on this enterprise to do is de facto to be storytellers. So I really like that. I’m so enthusiastic about that. What we’re doing at Noble Home from that perspective. There’s a marketing campaign that we just lately launched on the tail finish of 2023 with Little Palm, the place we actually leaned into storytelling and did an omnichannel marketing campaign round storytelling. And I’ve seen a whole lot of different hospitality organizations do the identical. So I believe that is an thrilling time for hospitality entrepreneurs to actually form of unfold their wings.
Karen – 00:19:31: Completely. Yeah, I used to be going to ask you a query about content material and you actually hit on it. It’s shifting to that content material. I believe that everyone desires the dream part and the inspiration has change into a lot extra pronounced, to not be too basic, however I believe In prior years, folks would assume, effectively, we all the time go to Florida at spring break, or we all the time go right here or there. And now, you actually are competing for that have. And fortunate you that you’ve got a whole lot of lovely resorts you can market.
Andrew – 00:20:01: Ywah, there’s little doubt about that. I imply, we joked about that quite a bit after I was on the property stage with Konakai. And I’ve clearly spent a whole lot of time at completely different resorts in my profession and coming to Noble Home. I bear in mind having the thought, “My gosh, that is the simplest promote I’ve ever had in my life. How might you not wish to come to a spot like this the place it’s 70 levels year-round and there are seashores in every single place?” I imply, yeah, it’s, very lucky inside our assortment that we’re positioned to capitalize on this dream part of journey.
Karen – 00:20:34: Proper. There’s heaps to work with. That’s nice. So reflecting a bit of bit in your journey, what essential piece of recommendation would you give to aspiring leaders in hospitality aiming to harness expertise for industrial success? So what’s your form of like, ah, a brand new individual stepping into the function? How do they actually get their arms round this?
Andrew – 00:20:54: I’d return to what we talked about earlier is that self-education and taking each alternative to be taught from others and the way they’re doing issues and the way they’re approaching the enterprise. I have a look at my profession and the place I began and the place I’m now. I began on the gross sales aspect of the enterprise. And gross sales and advertising and marketing are clearly form of hand in hand. I’ve advanced to some extent due to how a lot time I’ve invested in my very own schooling that I really feel like I’ve grown exponentially, particularly during the last 5 years with Noble Home and my expertise. So my recommendation to folks and to anybody that’s inside advertising and marketing or seeking to proceed to develop in hospitality advertising and marketing is make the most of the sources that exist and educate your self. I imply, from Google, you may get a digital advertising and marketing schooling without cost by means of Google. It’s obtainable to anyone. You possibly can go on and get all these completely different certifications. And hopefully, your group invests in schooling. However don’t be afraid to take a number of additional hours out of your week simply to proceed to evolve. Principle that my spouse and I even have utilized to our careers and it’s the five-hour principle. So that you’re working 5 days per week, hopefully, and generally six. However inside these 5 days, if you happen to can carve out to 60 minutes every day for studying, whether or not that’s studying an article or modifying, an article inside the trade or are taking a category at the moment, or if it’s Google, the place you simply spend a bit of little bit of time, these issues are so essential to your evolution. And if you happen to’re persistently doing that, you consider how exponentially that provides up over time to spending 5 hours per week educating your self. That’s the strategy that I’ve taken in my profession. And it has paid dividends. And I’ll proceed to do it as a result of I get pleasure from pushing myself in that regard. And hopefully, alongside the best way, it may possibly encourage a number of people to take the identical strategy. And as soon as faculty ends, that’s not the tip of schooling. We now have to proceed to be taught on the job.
Karen – 00:23:05: I adore it. So that you heard it right here, by no means cease studying. And my visitor has been Andrew Ladd. Congrats once more on the promotion and thanks for the dialog.
Andrew – 00:23:13: Thanks, Karen. Actually recognize it.
Outro – 00:23:14: Thanks for listening to the Lodge Second Podcast. Be sure that to subscribe wherever you take heed to podcasts. And if you happen to’re watching on YouTube, please just like the video and subscribe for extra content material. For extra data, head to hotelmomentpodcast.com. The Lodge Second Podcast is introduced by Revinate.
