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An

Whitepaper

Customizing Entertainment & Tailoring guest Experience by

syncing their social media profiles with Loyalty accounts

 

By Heath Oudenryn    

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Contents Executive Summary 3

Introduction 4

Objectives 6

Features 8

Technology 10

Data Pipeline 11

Ethics 12

References 13

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 1

Executive Summary Success of social medial advertising relies heavily on the identification of the appropriate and effective platforms that give the business access to its target group. It is vital that a unified message is communicated across Facebook, Instigram, Twitter, Google plus and both the website/blog. In the hotel industry, just like other industries, customer satisfaction is crucial to ensuring growth of customer base and business profitability. Accor experiences a greater challenge in the attempt to satisfy the varying needs of their diverse customer portfolio, as seen across its economy, mid scale and Luxury brands. Accor knows the importance of offering quality services and innovating upon which to continue as a leader in the hotel industry. This can be achieved by creating a unique and tailored experience for its loyalty members. Loyalty program member’s account for a large proportion of hotels' occupancy and revenues. It is well known that from a majority of hotels, at least 30% of occupancy comes from their members. Robust membership numbers will help Accor with market leadership and increase potential revenue opportunities and growth. Terms of sales of points to partners, but also help persuade franchise owners to build/convert to their brands to take advantage of built-in loyal customer bases. Different customers have varying needs and preferences and therefore the key to remaining economically viable and maintaining a competitive edge is the development and usage of a platform that enables identification of the specific needs of a customer and responding on time through the analysis of ‘Big Data’. This whitepaper will explore the incorporation of a ‘Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count’ (LIWC) software as a method to provide customized entertainment options and likes to loyalty account members in order to create a unique experience and increase customer satisfaction.

“Big data is a popular term used to describe the exponential growth and availability of data. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter provide real-time perspectives on people’s behavior, preferences and likes from on a range of products. Every facet of our contemporary lives is being uploaded and Accor intend to sync entertainment preferences and likes to loyalty members accounts to create a customized guest experience”

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 2

Introduction

The Hotels and Resorts industry has emerged from the troubled years of the Global Financial Crisis in which revenue stagnated due to weakened demand from both the corporate and tourist segments. Hotels and resorts have also been met with heavy competition from other forms of accommodation, particularly serviced apartments, which have been refined to cater for the lucrative corporate segment. Industry revenue declined 8.4% and 3.1% in 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively, as the global financial crisis brought havoc on consumer sentiment and business confidence. However, the industry has rebounded following a resurgence of inbound tourist numbers, and recovering consumer and business confidence. For this reason, industry revenue is expected to grow by an annualized 3.1% over the five years through 2013-14, to total $6.1 billion.

Despite the difficult operating environment post financial crisis, the industry has returned to growth, with the industry recovering strongly over the past three years. Many hotel and resort operators reacted to the adverse economic conditions by cutting room rates and offering additional perks and services such as this platform. This will be a part of a diversification strategy to attract loyalty members. Revenue has increased 4.0% in 2013-14.

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Macro-theories, such as the social network theory, show how online communities can be utilized to assist in conquering service marketing. Social network theory views the community of individuals as connected actors, and uses mathematical models to study its structure, development, and evolution (Wasserman and Faust 1994). Social media allows this theory to develop from an offline context to an online context seamlessly. The recent emergence of a multi-dimensional social network framework is crucial when studying the interaction between social actors and information artifacts (Contractor 2009). By treating social media content as nodes, one can perform mathematical calculations on those information artifacts, such as what are the important pieces shared by many people, how one can connect users through artifacts, where are the structure holes of social media by connecting which the network could be more tightly integrated? This area will be looked at closely in our analysis.

1. Social media is real-time, increasing consumer expectation on corporate response times 2. Social media creates an opportunity for brands to have a personified presence, creating a human-like exchange with their customers

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 3

Objectives      

This whitepaper’s objective is to outline the design of a platform that will enable hotel loyalty members to have their favorite music, movies and TV shows to be displayed automatically on the entertainment system in their room when they check-in. It will also have the capability to recommend local eateries, external entertainment facilities and any current events that link to the guest’s preferences.

LIWC is a transparent text analysis program that can analyze any sort of text information and create a database of information that Accor will be able to use to customize the experience for their customers. LIWC can be used to analyze guests social media posts, likes, check-in’s and status updates – Accor can offer customers immediate access to entertainment options and allow for better experience, whether it be business or leisure. Similarly, trends towards certain types of restaurants and gastronomy will allow Accor to offer tailored recommendations to near-by restaurants and menu suggestions from room service.

This new platform will resonate emotionally within Accor Hotel Guests

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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By creating this platform, Accor will be able to completely tailor all entertainment to the individual and take the guesswork also increase media sales. By analyzing LIWC, Accor is able to identify its customer’s needs and likes and pre-emptively offers solutions. Additionally, this may help convince first-time customers to sign up with Loyalty programs to experience these benefits.

   

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 4

Features The platform will be split up into 5 feature features that will provide a holistic approach to the customization of entertainment to the individual.

Music

Movies

Favorite actors, genres, and previous viewing will be prioritized for the comfort of the guest

The home page will automatically update to account holders details upon check in. recent likes, Sham, and any other data will sync and display the artist, bands, d’s recent releases, hits and productions.

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Food & Beverage

Shows Guests won’t have to search for their next fix of Game of Thrones or House of Cards, the most recent episodes will be at their mercy’s

Night life Discovering music moments will use likes and preferences to provide recommendation on near by attractions and online viewing.

Favorite dishes, recent gastronomy related posts, likes, tags and locations will help tailor recommendations from the in-house f & b menu, f & b specials/events, and near by restaurants and eateries.

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 5

Technology LIWC, Custom Dictionary software and Algorithms within the custom software will drive the platform. The Internet is the essential background technology. Internet and Ethernet will be essential for brining entertainment in-room through Foxtel and the Accor media player. The Internet is a critical business tool with 93% of Australian organisations having access. Personal computer allow for people to upload their entertainment preferences to Social Media, Australian households and Internet usage rank high by global standards. Broadband networks are showing positive growth. Smart phone penetration is high and acts as both a supporting and substitute channel for PC’s. Function and emotion words people use provide important psychological cues to their thought processes, emotional states, intentions, and motivations.

LIWC dimensions will correlate thinking styles and individual differences with entertainment preferences. Accor will use a custom build software program to develop a custom dictionary of all the necessary words used in Entertainment/food/lifestyle. Other technology used will be HTML code and Java script code.

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 6

Data Pipeline & Processing Steps    

        The flow of data starts when an Accor guest/member develops an interest, like or preference for a certain artist, show, film, song etc. They then express this on social media. The custom software program using LICW as a premise will create a custom dictionary to link and sync guests’ entertainment. Algorithms similar to those used for the application of “Dynamic Remarketing” will allow for the mining of all relative data.  

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 7

Ethics

Once a mutual agreement has been established, information/preferences will be gathered using LIWC. With the help of Facebook’s Rigorous Application Evaluator (Frappe) to prevent third party malicious applications from accessing the information from LIWC. FRAppE is used to analysis and identify third party applications on Facebook complex algorism to determine if the application is malicious or safe. Using a combination of these programs will ensure that correct information is extracted and the information extracted is safe. The information that has been gathered with LIWC will be protected behind firewalls and stored as an encrypted file to prevent hackers from gaining access to the information. This information will never be shared with the public and will be stored using numeric id. Hotel loyalty members are able to access their own information to make amendments with a special identification card.  

Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count or LIWC for short is a great system for analysing text, however this can be regarded as a breach of privacy and poses an ethical dilemma. Cyber-crime especially identity thief has been on the rise with the ease of accessibility of personal information on social media. For this reason, the platform will ensure that that privacy is paramount.

The use of the platform will be marketed as a premium option for Loyalty Members with the opportunity to expand offerings to standard hotel guests.

Upon joining/Rejoining, the Accor Le Club as a loyalty member, the syncing of entertainment preferences would be given as an option for members to sign off on.

Privacy is our very first priority

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 

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Section 8

References Aaron Martin, R. V., 2013, Assessing the Benefits of Social Networks for Organizations, SEA-SoNS Project, 1-34

Cross, C., Smith, R. G. & Richards, K., 2014, Challenges of Responding to Online Fraud Victimisation in Australia, Australian Institute of Criminology, viewed 16 October 2014, <http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/461-480/tandi474.html>

David G. Taylor, J. F., 2012, Self-Enhancement as a Motivation for Sharing Online Advertising Journal of Interactive Advertisement, 1-300

James W. Pennebaker, C. K., 2007, The Development and Psychometric Properties of LIWC2007, LIWC2007 Manual, 1-22

Rahmanm, S., Huang, T., Madhyastha, H. & Faloutsos, M., 2012, FRAppE: Detecting Malicious Facebook Applications, CoNEXT, 313-324