#luxchat

As a part of Abercrombie & Kent's 50th Anniversary celebration, Mr. Geoffrey Kent, the Founder and Executive Chairman of Abercrombie & Kent, joined us for an hour of #luxchat this week.  He shared with us A&K's social media strategy and what we can look forward from A&K in the next 50 years...

Kent today, and at 16, when he traveled 5,000 miles by motorbike from Nairobi to Cape, which he called "a defining moment." {Image courtesy of Geoffrey Kent and Abercrombie and Kent}

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A&K Social Media Channels:

@AKTravel_USA | @AKPhilanthropy | @AKExtreme

Facebook | YouTube | Flickr

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Highlights from our #luxchat with @AKTravel_USA, check out the full report here.

On the A&K Clients:

17% of A&K's guests travel solo. Many pursue a personal passion like photography.

There is no “typical” customer! Many are busy executives who rely on us to handle the details. Time is valuable. Also, families celebrating milestone events.

Travelers are looking further and further off the beaten path to find authentic experiences. Stronger demand now for places like East Africa, China, Antarctica.

A&K is developing a very high end concierge division to serve its top clients.

On Luxury Travel:

Luxury is not just about thread count, but quality of experience. Travelers are looking further and further off the beaten path to find authentic experiences.

The mindset of the traveler has changed. People expect greater value

Luxury is a balance of authenticity, flexibility and a complete sense of well-being.

On the importance of a tour operator in luxury travel:

To have a reliable/knowledgeable person available 24/7 is so imperative when time is money for someone.

Every luxury travel agent & tour operator would agree that it's all about the details!  We have access to people and places you couldn't experience on your own - with the best guides available.

With 50 years’ experience, we’re experts at dealing with the unexpected while still offering seamless service. There’s so much info avail online. It’s overwhelming. The details that aren't “Googleable” can make or break a trip.

I think of A&K as world’s oldest start up. In search of new experiences for our clients in emerging destinations, continuing to deliver a better, more luxurious, more personalized experience than anyone else

On Inspiration Behind A&K Philanthropy efforts:

Our love for the areas we operate in. A deep-rooted concern for the natural world infuses every A&K journey

Tourism is the most effective way to transfer wealth from rich nations to poorer ones.

On Social Media:

A&K handle Social Media in-house, as the constant flow of information would be too difficult for outside source to keep up with.

With 50 offices worldwide we have direct access to stories, trends and photos, which makes conversation more authentic.

With social media, we are so much more connected. You get instant feedback about what people want.

Social media gets you inspired, but travel is the real thing.

SM has introduced an entirely new audience of travelers to A&K. Our social media goal is to grow the community further and act as a go-to destination resource for travelers.

On iPad & Technology:

We have an iPad app. Very interactive and visual, to download the A&K Travel app click here

Instead of printed itinerary, guests can request an A&K itinerary be delivered to the iPad or eReader

Last season, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts joined us for the unveiling of its new website as well as launching a Luxury Travel Trend Report, we're so excited and grateful to be a part of this great milestone for the Four Seasons brand. 

It's also exciting for us, as it was the first time the the #luxchat hashtag trended worldwide on Twitter!  What an accomplishment, and we have all of you to thank for that! According to our Tweetchat.com report, January's #Luxchat had over 1500 tweets, reached 384,636 people & over 6.5 MIL online impressions. 

Here's what you have to say about the chat!

"Four Seasons truly understands modern social media." - via LuxQ

"I am thankful that such a well know hotel brand with a strong positive reputation are leading the way for the tourism and travel industry." - via GO Future Media

@RitzCarlton | The Ritz-Carlton You can't be a legend without a great story.

About The Ritz-Carlton: 100 years of history. Countless rewards. With an unshakeable credo and corporate philosophy of un-wavering commitment to service, both in our hotels and in our communities, The Ritz-Carlton has been recognized with numerous awards for being the gold standard of hospitality. More...

Moderators:

@LuxuryPRGal | Christine Kirk 

@LuxeTiffany | Tiffany Dowd

@MissSmartFlyer | Erina Pindar

Click here to "Like" our Facebook page and click here to follow us on Twitter.

Some highlights from #luxchat with @RitzCarlton:

Q1. Please share more about #LetUsStayWithYou

 A1. #LetUsStayWithYou is essentially pulling back the curtains to a way of service that has always been delivered at Ritz-Carlton. Guests who know us well know that we look for those little opportunities to surprise and delight all the time. Now we have a communications platform that speaks to who we are beyond the physical aspects of our beautiful hotels - and that is to say nothing of the many ways our ladies and gentlemen will continue to animate #LetUsStayWithYou on-property.

Q2. Is #LetUsStayWithYou strictly an online platform or are you promoting it in other ways - TV, print, etc?

A2. It is so much more than an online platform. The online channels are just one pillar of #LetUsStayWithYou. From a Communications perspective, and beyond online, website and social, you will see beautiful print ads roll out in October. 

The beauty of revealing the platform and the detail has been the increased flow of communication from guests staying with us. It has given additional encouragement for them to let us know about the things that are important to them. Their passion points. You can only truly deliver a memory that will last a life time when you are in tune with what truly holds value to your guests.

Q3.  Can you elaborate more on the Ritz Carlton Foursquare World Concierge?

The Ritz-Carlton Foursquare World Concierge is probably the most popular foray into the social space that we have made. It is a service that provides travelers around the globe with access to expertise of our concierge, without having be in a hotel.

Travelers trust us. They trust us to look after them in and out of hotels. They trust our advice. That's why Foursquare is such a hit. The goal on Foursquare? To allow travelers to let us stay with them where ever they go.

Guests actually walk up to concierge and say "we saw your tip on Foursquare - thx for that!' FULL credit goes to 76 Concierge desks around the globe and our social media partners @PandemicLabs. It tooks months of planning, but like anything, now Foursquare World Concierge is running, it is easy to maintain and populate 

Q4. Ritz Carlton recently launched the Ritz Carlton Credit Card and loyalty program, is this a part of the new brand platform?

A4. Any extension of our brand to better serve consumers could be termed part of #LetUsStayWithYou and that includes our credit card. The benefits of holding a Ritz-Carlton Credit Card have been popularly reported as great. http://bit.ly/mTOBTF

Q5. How are you rolling out the #LetUsStayWithYou to employees? Is it just select employees or all? (v. @Michael_Ludwig)

A5. Oh, the employee question is a special one. We have taken a lot of time to articulate the platform to our most valuable resource. The ladies & gentlemen that work for Ritz-Carlton are our most valuable asset. There wouldn't be a platform if it weren't for them

Q6.Why is it important to share "Stories that Stay With You?"

A6. The best way to describe any brand is from personal experience of it. What makes it special/unique/through personal stories. There's a beautiful part of website dedicated to stories told by our ladies & gentlemen. Worth a look http://bit.ly/qgvbsn. Year to date more than 1,200 letters have been written by guests to our Prez, Herve Humler. They all detail beautiful and unique service stories by our ladies and gentlemen. We started by reaching out to some of those employees and asked them to tell the story. We will continue to do that. 

Q7. Who is responsible for managing the roll-out of the new #LetUsStayWithYou brand platform? (v. @ChrisJGabaldon)

A7. #LetUsStayWithYou has been in development for the last 18 months. We have never been a brand to jump into programs, campaigns or anything else without the right research and understanding. Our partners @TeamOneUSA worked with us to understand the changing needs, habits and passion points of a luxury consumer

Q8. Why did you decide the timing was right, now for a new brand platform?

A8. All indicators told us that now was the time to deepen our relationships with our guests and ask out loud 'LetUsStayWithYou. We feel Social Media provides additional channels. We treat them with great importance, But they don't replace other channels

Q9. @RitzCarlton has always maintained one brand Twitter handle. Is this still true or will hotels manager their own social media? Why is this?

A9. The conversation around one Twitter handle has always centered around not throwing all the hotels into the space 'just because'. We want to add value to a consumers experience when our hotel launch property accounts. we have had one hotel experimenting by themselves to measure what will hold value to consumers on Twitter. I can tell you exclusively on #luxchat, hotels will launch in a unique an interesting way. Can't say more as @Chic_Travel will be reporting!

Q10. What are your suggestions for those of us launching a brand? What lessons did you learn during the 18 month process? (v. @ShannonMcShane)

A10. One piece of Social Media advice, don't fall to peer pressure. Don't do things because competitors do. Stay true to your brand/your organization. And in quest to stand out and be different, do something that adds value to consumer.

Q11. How does #LetUsStayWithYou make you different?