Accor will spend 225 million Euros in the next four years with an equal split between capital investment and infrastructure of which almost 30% will be invested this year. It is the only major international hotel group with 32 geo-located versions of its website in 16 languages with a Thai version being its latest this year and adapted payment methods for each market.
Digital has impacted travel over the years with the influx of online travel agencies, comparison websites or metasearch. Tripadvisor is leading with the broadest information available on line and Airbnb providing a new paradigm. Mobile is the platform of choice since we are all always so busy. Hence Accor finds it the right time now to invest in mobile.
Customers these days don’t really plan way ahead, postponing hotel bookings to the last minute. These days, it is not enough to focus only on the staying element from check in to check out. Accor’s digital plan also look into customers’ needs before and after their stay.
Accor digital plan, based on IT infrastructure and data management, was designed with three targets in mind – customers, employees and partners that incorporates digital technology throughout the customer journey, improve services for investor partners and consolidate the group’s distribution market share. These will be rolled out through eight programmes, with major deliverables effective as early as 2015.
Accor recently acquired French-start-up travel software company Wipolo that offers mobile and web itinerary management systems and is looking for other innovators to partner with.
Accor Thailand Appoints new Director of Loyalty and Communications
Valerie Marina Barrios has been appointed the new Director of Loyalty and Communications for Accor Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines. She will be responsible for loyalty programmes and campaigns as well as corporate communications for the region.
A Northwestern University’s Kellog School of Management MBA graduate, Valeri held several positions with various branding and consulting firms in the US and Thailand and is an expert in brand marketing and public relations. Before joining Accor, she was the Chief Marketing Officer for Lebua Hotels and Resorts overseeing global branding, marketing and public relations for the group.
APAC Le Club Accorhotels Massive Points Offer
From March to 31 July 2015, Le Club Accorhotels is recognising members with a massive points offer for Accor hotels in Asia Pacific at over 520 hotels in 17 countries. Accor bonus points offer returns bigger and better with special reward for Platinum members giving them the opportunity to earn four times more points.
Members can earn Le Club Accorhotels points faster at selected Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, The Sebel, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis hotels in China, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, India, Laos, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
To qualify, register for the offer and make your next booking online at www.accorhotels.com or via the Accor Reservation Service.
Results: Mercure “The Six Friends Theory” Casting
Candidates had to post a video up to one minute on Facebook capturing their personality, their passion and what drives them amongst other personal traits. Close to 400 candidates took part with close to 50,000 votes garnered.
This campaign has increased Mercure’s Facebook fan page by 130,000 new fans and more than 10 million internet users viewing the campaign on Facebook. The film teaser on Youtube and Facebook also garnered 5.4 million views.
#Escapers15 Social Media Campaign brings Regional Bloggers to Singapore and Australia
More than 86 million social media impressions in five days for Accor, Scoot and Tourism Events Queensland were garnered when 17 prominent bloggers from nine Asia Pacific countries including SUPERADRIANME.com participated in the #Escapers15 travel challenge which kicked off from Singapore and across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast Australia.
Twitter activity with the hashtag #escapers15 reached 57 million impressions over 1.5 million accounts. Instagram peaked at more than 29 million impressions over half a million accounts while Facebook engagement peaked at 107,000 likes with a reach of nearly 500,000 and over 38,000 page engagements.
In Singapore, the bloggers raced around collecting photos, sipping cocktails, catching trains, ferries and buses, and cable cars for some, to earn team points. Prizes totalling approximately A$14,000 included air ticket vouchers, hotel vouchers at five-star hotels within the Accor group, Billabong clothing vouchers were given away.
In Singapore Team China was triumphant followed by Malaysia then Australia before taking off on Scoot’s overnight flight to Gold Coast. Tourism and Events Queensland, in partnership with Scoot and Accor Hotels, hosted a four-day tour of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast. There were 31 challenges and 18 activities there to win the #escapers15 series.
There was fun amidst the challenges such as surf lessons, theme parks, koala hugging, paddle boarding, climbing the tallest building at Skypoint and Storey Bridge in Brisbane.
Australia won the second leg with one vote more than Indonesia followed by Malaysia. There were also Scoot challenges of which there were four perfect scores and India won by a draw of names.
Gaynor Reid, Director of Communications for Accor Asia Pacific said the #escapers15 event was a great way to showcase the attractions of Singapore and Queensland while encouraging a strong social media presence for the destination and for Accor’s hotels.
“Accor is delighted to take part in this social media campaign, bringing bloggers from across Asia Pacific to enjoy the best of Queensland and our beautiful hotels,” she said. “The competitive spirit and nature of the event means that all the bloggers involved were encouraged to share the experience with their followers and we were amazed at the enormous reach these bloggers brought to our hotels and to the destinations.
