Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Blogs are nowadays ubiquitous on the web. So, whether they are individual or corporate, they certainly intrude into the company’s communication with its audience. Blogs have grown so far into the valuable asset in the promotions of any kind. It is imperative to discuss the role of blogs in the content marketing strategy of a particular brand and back up the theory with a real and efficient example. To begin with, the notion of blogosphere should be defined properly. What the term implies is the compound of all blogs and the existing interconnections. Blogosphere typically exists either as a connected community or as a full-fledged social network that enables authors to publish their opinions on a regular basis. With all the fuss, controversy, and surrounding blogs, one should take them for serious, as they can serve for either small businesses or big enterprises. Blogs can be perceived as a useful addition to content generation and promotion, besides a company's official websi...

When I was researching the most accommodating hotels to stay at for business travel, Courtyard by Marriott comes to my mind, but not necessarily as a first choice. Other consumers too, might possibly think of Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Hyatt Place, or similar brands before coming to a Courtyard by Marriott. Recently, Marriott rolled out a new marketing campaign to attract business travelers. With their new series of television ads , Courtyard Marriott has started using a more exciting and enjoyable way to appeal to business travelers. Courtyard in Syracuse, NY With a catchy opener in the television ads, a single phrase attracts my attention. It says: “Some people  have  to travel for work. Some people  get  to travel for work.” Who would not want to enjoy themselves on a business trip? In three separate ads, the exact same phrase was used in three different scenes of cowboys, Vikings, and English women traveling to work. One of the characters in the scene was...

Introduction and Background As a luxury hotel chain, Loews Hotels and Resorts’ portfolio currently consists of 23 properties located in city centers and resort destinations. The company is previously known for their “Good Neighbor Policy,” a campaign released in 1990. Through this campaign, Loews Hotels vowed to take part in ethical business practices regarding their social responsibilities. The company is also previously recognized for their campaign called “Loews Hotels Minority Business Enterprise Program,” which provided financial support to small businesses owned and operated by women and minorities. Through this program, qualified candidates could potentially initiate a partnership with Loews Hotels and Resorts. Most recently, Loews began “The Room You Need” campaign which was an attempt to target a younger demographic by the use of images portraying models around the age of 35. The Campaign and Advertisement Loews Hotels and Resorts Chain recently started an adverti...

Like the #911 Attacks, the Paris Attacks  may forever change the way how people travel , would you agree? More so, I think the agreements in European Union and Schengen Visa may also need to be revisited just to keep the borders and Europe safe.  Let's support our friends in France  and hope the world will get healed soon. Visit MultiBriefs for a full coverage of the story.  #Paris #Attacks #Tourism #Travel #EU #Schengen #Safety 

The biggest OTA (online travel agent) site - Expedia is buying HomeAway for $3.9 billion, according to NBC News . The sharing economy is growing, with more people using services like Uber and AirBnB. Do you think this is a smart move for Expedia? How does this acquisition help Expedia in defending its leadership position in the OTA market?

Social media allows mass communications, but WeChat does not.  When people post something on a social media website, such as Facebook, people can interact with their friends' friends even thought they may not connect with their friends' friends on Facebook. They can also search and participate in trending conversations with the aids of hashtags. Can people do that on WeChat? People can only interact with the friends with direct connections on WeChat. Let's say two people, Tom and Amy are "friends" on WeChat. I happen to know both of them in person but I am only connected with Tom on WeChat. When Tom posts an update, Amy and I can both respond to Tom's update, but I will not be able to see the conversation between Amy and Tom. Likewise, Amy will not able to see my conversation with Tom because Amy and I are not connected. The hashtags do not work on WeChat either. Therefore, I don't think WeChat is a real social media tool. And because most social media...

I attended  the annual  conference of iCHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education) Summer Conference in Orlando, FL in July/August. I t was an annual event where a group of hospitality professors and graduate students get together to showcase their research and network with one another.  It was nice catching up with other scholars and friends in the conference, but honestly, I don't feel people are very excited about the conference. Reasons may include:  Most researchers receive no incentives for conference proceedings.  Not all presentations are interesting; some are very boring.  Too much emphasis is put on theoretical contributions rather than meaningful practical impacts.  Networking events only take place within the conference hotel and lack of opportunities to explore the destination.  I then wonder what will be the remedies. Will it help by providing more training in public...

Last week, we reviewed some reasons why hostels are becoming more popular among travelers and investors , but that alone, is not a complete story because we are still missing one important piece of the puzzle – i.e., additional insights from the staff who is actually working in a hostel. As a result, I especially invited Joanne Lam  to share her experience of working in a hostel with us, who is currently working in the Green Tortoise San Francisco Hostel  and a master’s student at the Collins College of Hospitality Management (Cal Poly Pomona) .  Picture of @Jo_Lam Here are some highlights of what she shared:  Joanne’s Work Experience in Hostels “I’ve been working in a hostel for a total of about two years. ..."  Who Stays in Hostels "...  Many of them are backpackers, solo travelers, or simply with a few friends traveling for a long period of time; anywhere between two weeks to six months. O...