#shifty comes up with the plans and drives them to their destination and then gets lifty to do all the heavy. lifting.
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when it comes down to it however the main reason shifty is the brain is bc lifty is obviously the muscle and manual labourer
#img#htf#and also shifty is the one with the drivers license#shifty comes up with the plans and drives them to their destination and then gets lifty to do all the heavy. lifting.#AND ditches him at every opportunity#despite the fact lifty is LITERALLY carrying him#shifty sucks so bad. lifty also sucks but objectively less than shifty#<<<<<<< SO VERY AFFECTIONATE#I LOVE THEM
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Episode 3: Cygnus Alpha
The penal planet of Cygnus Alpha is dark, dirty, stinking, and ruled by a cult. A cult so austere that a campfire-roasted rabbit is too decadent to eat without first being thrown in the dirt and hacked in half.
In exploring the alien spaceship, Blake, Jenna, and Avon find the gun rack, which only allows you to take one gun each. If you try to take a second one, it’s too hot to touch, so they might not be guns but fancy curling irons that plug into a battery pack belt. WAY higher tech than the Federation’s fire blasters.
Avon threatens to kill Blake, and Blake ignores him, both of which are also running themes to the very end.
They comment that the ship is way too cool to be a human spacecraft, so just randomly pressing buttons to see what happens seems appropriate. Blake and friends are immediately thrown back by the sudden force of the leafblower acceleration. Anyone who has ever stolen salvaged a Lamborghini can verify the accuracy here.
It was fun so they try another one. Avon chooses one and dramatically braces himself - an act of physical comedy you rarely see from Paul Darrow.
The ship's AI mindfucks Jenna (through her hand like aliens do) to learn English and everything she knows, and introduces itself as Zen. Zen is condescending and moderately obedient, though evasive. Avon declares that you can't hurt a machine's feelings because they don't have any, which must be why he's already threatening to torture Zen. (U jelly, Avon?)
While they're trying to suss out what they suspect is a teleport system, the ship arrives at its destination - Cygnus Alpha. Zen refers to the ship as 'Liberator', a name it took from Jenna's mind. We also see the London arrive. Some time shenanigans must have taken place.
Since the mutiny supposedly took place four months into the eight-month trip, that would mean Blake and friends have been gone from the London for four months, yet to them it's only been a couple of hours, perhaps a result of time dilation aboard the super-fast Liberator. Or the pre-mutiny conversation where they discuss being four months into the trip took place 3 months and 29 days before the actual mutiny. Or the writers simply forgot and we have to struggle to come up with a plausible explanation. Let's just move on.
Blake wants to endanger them and the Lamborghini Liberator to free some convicts and get a crew so they can overthrow the government. He continues to do this for two seasons. Avon wants to avoid the prison planet, the cops, poverty, and danger in general. They butt heads so hard I can't believe they didn't just start making out right there.
Zen continues to evade questions. "Wisdom must be gathered; it cannot be given," is its shifty answer to "is the teleport safe?" Avon starts arguing with it and it gets snippy with him for failing to call it 'Zen’. Avon then threatens to reprogram it to make it more likeable and Jenna issues a lethal gibe. Blake starts sticking his fingers in his mouth, an oral fixation he indulges frequently.
Eric Idle's request for some R&R on the penal planet is denied, and the prisoners are unloaded from the London and set loose on their new homeworld. The first thing they find is a crucified corpse with an ominous sign.
Avon and Jenna teleport Blake down to the planet by guessing which of the 300-odd buttons to push. Avon puts colored stickers by the buttons that worked. Blake immediately gets hunted down by cultists for not joining in a timely manner. In the nick of time, Avon presses some more buttons until he gets the right one for a return teleport.
The prisoners wander upon a temple in an architectural style Vila describes as 'Early Maniac'. The cultists finally confront them and the beautiful cultist woman tells them to kneel. She kisses Gan and he realizes he's going to be very happy here. Good thing Blake is coming to rescue him!
The High Priest (it's Brian Blessed!) of He Who Must Be Obeyed emerges to bless the woman, his most faithful cultist. She kisses his pristine white sneakers, and he gives her a handful of holy alka-seltzer, a treatment for the planet's endemic and incurable disease known as The Curse of Cygnus.
Blake finds the prisoners and Gan insists the cultists are very nice and kind, treating the deadly disease, feeding and kissing them. Blake plans on rescuing them whether they want to leave or not, and then he gets coldcocked by a cultist.
Avon disassembles the teleport controls while Jenna explores the Liberator. She finds the wardrobe room and changes from Heart to Fleetwood Mac. She tells him to go look at another interesting room she found and you can see his twisted gears spinning.
Brian Blessed starts smashing Blake's extra teleport bracelets to make him talk, and rants about his ancestors who founded the cult as a way to wield control and enforce order. He refuses to allow Blake to rescue any prisoners because "Human souls are the only currency! Our god is bankrupt without them!", apparently forgetting about those human souls he crucified in an attempt to drive the market value up. He then demands Blake hand over his spaceship so he can proselytize all over the galaxy.
Avon found the interesting room and it's full of jewelry. He and Jenna argue about whether to just leave Blake behind and go buy some planets, or stick with a dangerously fanatic crusader who will get them killed. Jenna generously gives Blake an hour to get his shit together before they ditch him.
Blake tries to rally support from the prisoners but there are only a few takers, most having been cowed into submission by the threat of human sacrifice. The cult lady must have had the hots for Gan because she is shocked when she sees he is the chosen sacrifice. Blake disrobes and unleashes his escape plan (everybody grab a bracelet) and a battle ensues while he calls up to the Liberator for immediate rescue.
There is chaos and only Gan and Vila manage to get teleport bracelets on. Vila accidentally stabs a guy and is horrified. The cult lady tries to warn Gan and gets speared for her trouble. Gan appears to kill another cultist but he shouldn't be able to do that, since we later learn he has a brain implant to prevent that sort of violence. Blake desecrates their fugly idol and the remaining cultists are heartbroken about it. He does a hilarious acrobatic dive and here we see the teleport bracelets' major design flaw; they come off very easily. It happens in almost every episode, and they never try to fix that problem.
Avon tries to physically stop Jenna from bringing Blake back, but she has some sense of honor and presses the button anyway.
Brian Blessed had put a bracelet on earlier, and tries to commandeer the Liberator. They fulfill the Chekov's Gun mentioned earlier when Jenna wondered what would happen if they teleported a person off the ship if there was nothing to teleport them to; Avon posited that the person would briefly appear in space and then violently dissipate their atoms. A little shouting Brian Blessed doll gets teleported into space and explodes.
Before he dies he helpfully explains that the Curse of Cygnus and the treatment are fake, so no one will have to take alka-seltzer for the rest of their life. Plague bullet dodged.
So begins a long trail of death and destruction everywhere Blake goes. There were only a few (16) deaths on the London, and amazingly the captain and Eric Idle got away unscathed (except for the black mark on their records). Pretty much the whole penal colony was wiped out though, so the next batch of prisoners will have to invent their own shitty religion.
Next: Time Squad
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What will it take to sign 5-star running back Zachary Evans?
The five-star is doing his research and bringing a talented friend.
HOUSTON, Texas — Zachary Evans might be the best running back recruit from the state of Texas since Adrian Peterson. He is on a very short list of players in the running to be the top 2020 recruit in the country.
From Houston North Shore HS, Evans is exactly what teams want in a running back: fast, balanced, physical, shifty, instinctive, and tough. He averaged almost 12 yards per carry as a junior against some of the nation’s toughest competition.
Evans is 5’11, 200, and posted a 136 Nike SPARQ rating (a composite rating of the 40-yard dash, vertical leap, agility drills, and power ball throw) at the Houston Nike Opening, which is one of the highest scores ever recorded. That’s up from a 119 last year.
His 3.84-second shuttle run at his size is freakish.
He holds more than 40 scholarship offers, and should be an instant-impact player at the college level.
But getting him to sign won’t be simple for the school that eventually lands him. Because Evans is doing his research. All of his research.
“I want to get to know people’s strength coordinators,” Evans said.
“That’s who you’re gonna spend a lot of time with anyway. I want to feel comfort with them.”
Evans singled out the Texas strength staff as one with which he is impressed.
“He’s loud. He has a lot of energy,” Evans said of the Texas staff. “Me, I’m an energy person when I work out. We have a big speaker in the weight room, we listen to YoungBoy and stuff like that.”
Evans is also paying attention to the offensive linemen that school are recruiting.
“I look at the class ahead of me, the class with me, and the class behind me,” Evans said. “Those are the people I’ll be playing with. I’ve really been following o-linemen. And I know a QB is going to come with me, and he’ll want to be protected where I go.”
So what schools are doing a good job with offensive line recruiting according to Evans?
“I never really talk much about them, but Ohio State is doing really good,” Evans said. “A&M has a couple good ones, UT has a couple good ones.”
Evans mentioned that Texas four-star guard commitment Logan Parr, of Helotes O’Connor HS, hits him up. He’d also be a fan of League City Clear Creek HS four-star tackle Chad Lindberg committing to Texas, which is seen as likely.
“That would be someone I know is committed. It would be nice to have another hog up there.”
“But really, it’s just Damieon though.”
That’s Damieon George, Evans’ four-star tackle teammate at North Shore. I speak to hundreds of prospects every year, and often hear about proposed package deals. Rarely do they work out. Usually, the talk is has more of a “it would be nice to play together” tenor than “this is absolutely a package deal.” Plans fall through, and prospects do what is best for themselves.
But Evans and George seem more serious than most. And George is good. This isn’t a case of a five-star trying to get a two-star pal an offer. George is a 6’7, 348-pound mountain of a tackle with improving coordination, balance, and confidence.
“I’m just rocking with Damieon. I’m going wherever Damieon goes,” Evans said. “That’s blood. It’s already there. There ain’t no ifs, ands, or buts. Ain’t no last minute changes.”
So with what schools does George have the best connections?.
“LSU, Bama, and UT (Texas),” George said.
And he expounded on each one a bit.
George’s most recent visit was to Alabama.
“The school, the coaching staff, the campus, they made me feel welcome and at home,” George said. “[Alabama tight ends] coach [Jeff] Banks, he keeps it rea. He doesn’t tell me lies. He keeps it real and lets me know how I did. And he is funny.”
The day before the Alabama visit, George went to LSU. He was happy to be in his home state, get some gumbo, and chat with head coach Ed Orgeron.
“I’m from New Orleans originally,” George said. “That’s home for me. And the food. I’m from the West Bank, Gretna.”
George added that he does not have a preference between seafood gumbo and the chicken/sausage variety.
He also took in Texas for the UT elite junior day in February.
“[Texas offensive line] coach Herb Hand and [tight ends] coach [Corby] Meekins,” George said when asked who he connects with in Austin, adding that they talk all the time.
How much of a gap exists between Alabama, LSU, and Texas and other schools?
“A lot,” George said. “Because they talk to me on the regular, and a lot of schools don’t take the time to talk to me and check up on me. I don’t want to always talk about football. Those coaches ask me about my life, how school is going.”
George would like to decide before his senior season so that he can focus on defending North Shore’s state title. But he is not an early enrollee, so if need be he could push his decision all the way until February.
I asked Evans about the schools standing out to George, and whether there was a gap between them and the other schools for him.
”It matches up. I’m a high priority for them. But in order for me to really be a rock and priority, you gotta take care of Damieon, too. I can’t just go to a school where my path is clear for me and his is a rough road. If his is a rough road, mine’s a rough road.”
But what schools are talking about George the most, according to Evans?
“The most? I’d say it’s like five schools that’s really on the same pace right now,” Evans said. “Oklahoma, LSU, I talk to some of the Alabama coaches, Auburn is starting to pick it up, and Ole Miss.”
Though George said Texas communicates with him often, Evans didn’t seem as aware of that based on his answer.
“Texas sends a little flyer or whatever, do what they can.” Evans said. “I don’t know if they’re communicating with Damieon. They’re communicating with me, but as soon as we get on the phone, my first question is, ‘Has Damieon been talked to yet?’ I don’t like when people just, if you know if we’re coming together, I just don’t like us being apart.”
Evans has a top 15, but has six he knows will be there for him in the end.
“I’m strongly considering at least six. We know the path we’re going down, we just need to pick the school.”
“Tennessee,” Evans said. “That [visit] was a big game changer. Tennessee, honestly, I thought Tennessee was grass country. I went up there, that’s a whole city. And their facility, that’s the best facility I’ve ever seen. Besides like Alabama’s. People say [Texas] has a lot of money, but you literally have to go to Tennessee, drive around Tennessee. It felt like home on the visit.
“Texas, Texas will be there.
“LSU will be there.
“Georgia will be up there.
“Alabama? I don’t know yet. I don’t talk to them a lot.
What about Oklahoma or Texas A&M? “Maybe Oklahoma,” Evans said, noting he likes OU’s offensive line recruiting better than that of the Aggies.
Evans and George believe they can accomplish their educational goals anywhere.
“I want to be a surgeon, and he wants to coach, but he hasn’t really decided yet,” Evans said. “It’s where we find a home, where we find it comfortable.”
But distance is going to matter.
“Yes,” Evans said, when asked if distance from his Houston home matters. “I mean, come on, I’m not getting my grandma on three flights.”
Texas quarterback commit Hudson Card is recruiting Evans hard, and has been emphasizing the distance aspect.
“He says you can go to the league from anywhere. You put up your numbers, put up your stats, let’s go, do it in your backyard, you don’t have to leave the state to do it.”
But it’s not a state pride thing.
“I’m trying to take care of my family. I’m not worried about what anyone’s opinion is. I’m going to take care of my family and do right by them.”
What’s next?
Evans and George were supposed to visit Clemson, but had to postpone that trip. They would like to make it to the Tigers’ spring game on April 6.
The read
Among local recruiting experts, Texas is seen as the likely destination for Evans. And based on his desire to play with George, perhaps LSU should be considered a strong contender as well. Both schools fit with with Evans’ desire to play close to home.
But it is too early to discount any schools within driving distance or a short flight.
Wherever Evans goes, he’ll have made an informed decision thanks to the research he is doing.
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May 19 2020 “Untitled”
Let’s see where this takes me. I am committed to bring you a subject on my (almost) every day journals but today is an exception. Usually i come up with the ideas while sleeping and i remember them til I wake up and the idea gets lost. i should grab a piece of paper and write them down! Silly me...
It’s almost the end of the fifth month and summer is around the corner, which means I’ll be in good spirits. Man, gotta love warm weather. This could be an exaggeration on my part but trust me on this: 95% of New Yorkers do not like summer. Sometimes my brain can’t discern about the sentence I just wrote. What’s not to like? The sun, that summer breeze, you can basically can go anywhere without wearing a ton of layers of clothes, the beach (if it’s outside the US even better -the caribbean- ahhhh) hanging out with friends, shows, etc. That feeling I anticipate since January of that warm breeze is priceless. Sumner is here to stay. Although I have to wait til late May to experience such feeling, Californian and Floridians feel warm weather for most of the year. I envy people living in those states. Now here’s your chance to ask me: Why don’t you move then? Good question! you get 10 points for that. I cannot drive. I have not learned yet. I got behind the wheel back home in 1997, before even moving but once I migrated to America, it was all put on the side. NYC has this facility to move around so driving is not essential on the Metro area. On the suburbs, for instance, you need a car. Say, Westchester (there’s an inside joke I started with my former coworker about calling that County FUCKCHESTER just to mess up with my former boss), Long Island, Staten Island -to give you some examples- you are in the need of a car to drive around. That’s the main reason I haven’t moved to another state, but I wouldn’t rule it out (Jersey is not far out either, but I would like to get away from the cold weather that plagues the tri-state area for 9 months).
Alright, for me is a bit different. I usually go for longer bike rides on summer. I rode to Coney island (something I wanted to do for the longest). It wasn’t a far ride. Seeing the beach and the horizon brings a lot to ponder. My dad has a concept about talking to the ocean. To leave it there, all behind and come back refreshed to the city. By doing that, believe me, your thoughts become clear and breathing that fresh air from the ocean makes your lugs crave for more pure quality air. The little things, man... the little things. I don’t usually need much these days. Most of us need the essentials to go around and about. All I need is technology -my gadgets- which has varied from time to time. Usually, most will say a phone. True, but not for the purpose you are all thinking about. Since I bike ride, I need the radio (which broadcast talk radio -mainly sports- and music) Since I pick on photography, my camera is essential as what I can capture. You never know what can happen around you. Now I see the world in a different perspective, as a photographer. More than locations, composition, colours, things around me. I recently missed on a bike/bus driver argument while I was waiting for the red light to become green. 20 seconds, that’s all it took. I realized once the argument was over. Next time, bring the camera strap. Photography has given me such freedom to express myself. Although i;m not near my full potential, I have become better and better on every single shot I take. I hope one thing in the uncertain future: I can photograph my future girlfriend. She could become my muse. Good idea huh? She will have good quality shots instead of “cellphone selfies”. You missed out on that, former girlfriend.
I will miss my next vacation. This pandemic shifted everything on a 180 degree turn. I was destined to go and visit a country i visited before (won’t spoil it by revealing where) because i still intend to go within a year. By now, I would have been making sure I had everything for this trip but no, not this time. This is when planning becomes unclear. I heard someone saying “do not plan anything because you’ll see God laughing at you”. Sarcastically as i can be, it’s true. We all depend on a higher power to get things according to plan. That’s the main reason most of the time I prefer to shut the fuck up than telling people my next move. Once i know is a complete, concrete idea, then i spill the beans, otherwise, this guy will remain quiet.
Writing all this might seem scattered but this tool -for me- is to decompress what’s going on inside this maze i call my mind, Pardon me if I get you all shifty on subjects I randomly bring here, but it seems to make all the sense when laid down. I would not welcome anybody inside my mind since is a complex place. Writing, at least, can untie 1 or 2 knots of confusion. I know there are millions of people feeling the same way I do and if this brings them a sort of solution and a window of clearance to their thoughts, I’ll be an happy camper. Til the next one,
-jaime
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Lyft team steers towards open self-using tech (Update)
New Post has been published on https://mediafocus.biz/lyft-team-steers-towards-open-self-using-tech-update/
Lyft team steers towards open self-using tech (Update)
US experience-proportion startup Lyft on Friday committed a new team focused on speeding up its effort to create a self-using automobile platform, which would be open to use by other organizations.
The San Francisco based enterprise earlier this yr introduced what it billed as the world’s first open self-riding platform, inviting automobile manufacturers and rival autonomous navigation systems to plug into the network. “In the years beforehand, we will retain to carry the arena’s main automobile and generation agencies onto this single platform to serve a national passenger community,” Lyft vice chairman of engineering and previous Google govt Luc Vincent stated on the internet submit. “We are not taking into account our self-using division as a side challenge; it’s core to our commercial enterprise.” Lyft is devoting an in-residence division to self-riding technology, consistent with Vincent. The group may be based in a Silicon Valley facility referred to as “Level 5 Engineering Center” and its ranks will grow in coming months, the organisation stated. Lyft operates in 350 cities in the US and plans to run its personal self-driving automobiles on the network, which partners can be loose to use and analyse from. “Because we are doing all of this on an open platform, it won’t simply enhance Lyft’s self-driving device,” Vincent said. “It will boost up our partners’ efforts, too.” Driverless destiny Lyft introduced ultimate month that it would start checking out independent ridesharing in Boston under a partnership with the technology startup autonomy. The two agencies will collaborate to analyse “all elements of making sure a passenger’s consolation and protection” in self-using cars, a joint statement about the alliance stated. Lyft’s flow follows a similar attempt by means of Uber, which has been using self-sustaining vehicles in a take a look at software in some US cities. Earlier this 12 months, Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent Alphabet, reached an agreement with Lyft to check self-riding automobile technology, according to the corporations. Waymon and Lyft are allies against ridesharing large Uber, which is racing to increase its very own self-riding vehicles. “We’re searching ahead to operating with Lyft to discover new self-driving products as a way to make our roads more secure and transportation extra available,” a Waymo spokesman informed AFP at the time. Waymon and Uber are currently engaged in a sour prison dispute. In February Waymo filed a lawsuit claiming that a former supervisor took technical facts while he left to launch a competing challenge that was later acquired with the aid of Uber. Most important automakers and several different era companies have been investing in developing independent using, contending those systems will get rid of the vast majority of road injuries. Apple is modern to have obtained a trying out permit in California. German luxurious carmaker Daimler and vehicle components provider Bosch has introduced plans to paintings collectively to create absolutely driverless motors within the following couple of years. US-primarily based Tesla is also stepping up efforts, as are several Chinese technology firms and the principal US, Asian and European manufacturers.
Self-Driving Cars Set to Rule Wall Street
Aswan, Egypt.
It became a four-lane street within the centre of the Egyptian barren region. It changed into the baking hot.
And my taxi had broken down.
I changed into a fool to take this taxi to start with. The ramshackle vehicle gave the look of it would destroy down at any second.
However, I needed to get to the Aswan airport rapid, and this was the only taxi I may want to locate. So, I jumped in.
My driver seemed a piece shifty, and I’d been warned to watch out for setups wherein I may get robbed, kidnapped for ransom or extorted for money.
And now I changed into within the middle of nowhere with a driving force I failed to consider.
The driving force became looking to get the car started once more. I saved searching all round to see if this become a setup. Was I approximately to get robbed… Or kidnapped?
Luckily, not anything took place. The driving force literally wired the auto into starting again. It sputtered a pair more times before we were given to the airport, however, I made it thoroughly. Still, the driving force’s face sticks in my head… And in my gut, I understand I were given lucky.
But very quickly, we won’t want to fear approximately the individual of the man or woman using an automobile… Or the reliability of the automobile.
That’s because self-riding cars have long gone from a wacko sci-fi-like concept that the majority believed would take 10 or 15 future years… To something that we’re seeing on streets these days.
The Next Leap Forward in Tech
Last week, experience-share business enterprise Uber added its self-using vehicle in Pittsburgh. Uber’s vehicles are Volvo XC90 SUVs retrofitted with electronic components that lead them to self-riding.
Now, it’s nevertheless early inside the development of this generation. Uber’s vehicles will definitely be manned via someone who can take manage of the vehicle when it hits a state of affairs that it is no longer programmed for or if there is an emergency. It’s a chunk like an autopilot on a aircraft with someone on the controls just in case.
Uber’s self-using initiative goes to have 100 vehicles as taxis in the streets of Pittsburgh. If you use the Uber app, you can get a self-using automobile sent to you the equal way you do now when placing a trip request.
Uber is looking to check the generation on passengers, pedestrians and other drivers in real-life, actual-time conditions… And get information to regulate and enhance anybody’s enjoys of using those cars.
Self-Driving Cars: More Than a Fad
Many humans are sceptical about self-driving motors ever working out. They believe that it is a technological fad. And if it does work out, it’s going to take 20 or 25 years to pan out.
Personally, I trust that self-riding automobiles turn into a usable truth in the next 3 to five years. For positive, it will be a novelty in the beginning, like many new generation studies of the beyond. However, the benefit of being capable of taking a car journey to your destination while not having to worry about site visitors, routes, weather hazards, injuries, Avenue rage, infection, boredom or potential threats from the motive force is a powerful factor that is going to make self-using cars a large hit product.
By a large hit product, I imply that it’ll take off and be something that humans take to within the equal way that people took to the iPhone and iPad.
And certainly, the inventory market agrees with me.
That’s why you are seeing stocks related to self-driving motors consisting of Nvidia shoot up by using 175% within the closing 12 months. Another fulfilment tale is Mobileye, that is up eighty% because of February.
The keys to self-riding vehicles are sensors and records… After which computer systems to manner this records. These matters form the essence of a revolution that’s taking place right now referred to as the Internet of Things mega fashion. And it’s going to exchange the manner we transport ourselves around the arena.
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Is Hotel Loyalty Overrated?
This article originally appeared on Tambourine. Key Takeaways: * Hotels can’t grow market share by targeting existing customers * In today’s modern environment, even your most loyal guests will shop around * Its vital to focus on boosting your exposure to new audiences --- For years, marketing gurus and experts have taught hoteliers to focus on driving more bookings from their loyal customers. On the guests who book at least a few times in the year. Admittedly, this seems like one of the smartest and most sound hotel marketing strategies around to boost direct bookings – market to the people who already know and love you. The plethora of guest data you now have at your fingertips makes marketing to this current base of customers even easier and seemingly foolproof. However, new research may be proving otherwise…. In his book, How Brands Grow, Professor Byron Sharp of The University of South Australia, applied statistical analysis to sales data to find what truly drives a company’s success. His conclusion sent shockwaves through the marketing world: ”Your customers are customers of other brands who occasionally buy you.” Companies can’t grow sales numbers in a significant way by focusing on loyal customers, but instead must focus on “light buyers” who buy products (ie: book a room at your property) relatively infrequently. In other words, loyal guests are not your ideal target audience. Single booking guests are. To move the needle on your hotel’s growth, you must attract NEW guests, instead of relying on loyal customers to keep coming back. Single Bookings Spur Hotel Growth Sharp cites Coca-Cola as an example of a successful global company that grew, not from Coca-Cola lovers who purchased and consumed the soda everyday, but from the millions of people who only drank it just a couple times a year. Several other brands have come to rely on steady and strong sales from the masses that only purchase their products occasionally, with long breaks in between when these same customers would purchase from competitors. And lets face it, OTAs, the culture of flash sales and last minute deals has made the travel industry one of the least loyal markets. In fact, 50 percent of American Airlines’ 2015 revenue came from 87 percent of its customers who only flew AA just once that year. bOverall, data from Phocuswright suggests that – other than elite members – most travelers do not prefer to book direct through hotel websites. Many travelers do not seem to care much about the hotel brands, as long as they can get the perception of good value by booking through OTAs. However, most hotels today focus on past customer data and ways to reach and re-sell their existing customers. After all, selling to your own guests appears low-risk, dependable, and the quickest way to boost revenue. Wrong, says Sharp. He contends that the expense and effort that brands employ to market to their own customers is largely ineffective. “Loyalty programs do practically nothing to drive growth,” Sharp said. The Painful Truth: Guests Shop Around Companies largely over estimate just how loyal their customers really are. The McKinsey Global Institute has been studying consumer decision journeys (the often erratic path people take as they move along from brand awareness to purchase), since 2009. Their studies show that the key to top-line growth is understanding the behavior of modern consumers. Their research uncovered that even your most loyal hotel guests, including members of your loyalty program, consider booking at other hotels more often than you know. Over the years, McKinsey found the bond that customers have with their favorite brands has been slipping. Active engagement in loyalty programs slipped by 2 percent. Plus, 58 percent of loyalty members don’t even use the program or take advantage of benefits after they sign up. Why aren’t travelers as loyal as they once were? More choices and new technologies. With all the channels and travel sites at a guest’s fingertips, it’s easier than ever before to research and book travel reservations. Hundreds of mobile apps open up a world of hotel options where guests can view and compare prices and amenities, read guest reviews and size up hotels side-by-side. Also, people are more clued in to what their family and friends are buying, loving, referring (and disliking!) via social media. All of these of distractions and online triggers can cause even your best hotel guests to shop around. And, suffice to say that in today’s digital world, people can’t help but consider more options. Social Media Engagement: Not As Vital as You Thought? Modern customer decision journeys are also challenging the notion of engaging your “loyal” hotel social media followers. According to Forrester Research, people who join and ‘like’ Facebook brand pages hardly ever interact or click on them thereafter. Their research shows the engagement rate of a Facebook brand page is generally 7 out of 10,000 users and for Twitter the rate is 3 out of 10,000. This lack of engagement is even worse for hotels who fail to produce compelling, fresh, authentic social content every week 24/7/365 McKinsey noted that most customers aren’t aware of, and simply not interested in, the differences between your brand or your competitor next door. And, those guests who do have a brand preference may decide to book with another hotel brand if it happens to be cheaper that day. This fickleness shows that single-bookers (again, the ones who are really driving your success) don’t think of your property as remarkable, or even unique. They’re also not likely fans of your brand, on social media or anywhere else. It’s no surprise then that these buyers aren’t interacting with your brand on social media channels. Engaging and enticing “loyal buyers” to reengage with you is necessary, but hardly a silver bullet. In addition to trying to push your existing audience to engage with your hotel on social channels, focus on boosting the broad awareness of your hotel experience instead. Then, get creative about translating the broad awareness to actual hotel consideration by creating interactive content on your hotel website, including destination guides, Chat-with–the-Concierge tools, and powerful galleries of user-generated photos. Other industry leaders have perfected this concept, for example: L’Oreal offers make-up tutorials instead of simply touting their products, while Charles Schwab offers basic financial planning lessons and investment calculators, in addition to showcasing their products. Hotel Marketing’s Critical New Battleground The shiftiness of guest loyalty suggests hotel marketers need to focus more on the moments when guests are INITIALLY considering which hotel to book (known as the initial consideration set). According to McKinsey, the players in the initial consideration set are twice as likely to be booked versus the ones that pop up later in the guest’s decision-making process. This confirms the need for hotel marketers to win travelers’ attention at the very beginning of the booking journey. And, drastically changes the dynamic of marketing mainly to guests who have previously stayed at your property, a tactic that hotel marketers have counted on for years. When marketing to loyal hotel guests, normally you focus in on a narrow collection of high-value customers, then use your marketing budget to retain them. In contrast, when marketing to grow your hotel’s exposure in the initial consideration set, you need to cast out a wider net to reach people who have little or no knowledge of your property. Boosting Exposure Is Vital to Boosting Growth So, if marketing to and engaging with your current customers doesn’t drive growth at your property, what will? What will reach people who don’t need you and don’t know you, so that when they are ready to book, your hotel springs to mind? Advertising, answers Sharp. “Advertising works best when it doesn’t try and persuade, but merely makes us remember a brand at the moment of purchase,” he said. Advertising opens people’s eyes to your hotel. For instance, by keeping their beverage brand in people’s minds, Coke ads increase the probability of people buying their product by such a small margin that consumers hardly notice it. Which is why most consumers claim they are not swayed by advertising. When crafting advertising experiences, think of your two audiences: 1st Audience: Guests who enjoyed at stay at your hotel in the past, but who have not booked since then. According to McKinsey, these lapsed guests hold high potential since they have some knowledge of the brand, even if their experience was several years ago. You just need to find out why they never returned or if their habits or lifestyle have changed. 2nd Audience: These are the travelers who have no experience with your hotel. They may not understand what you offer, have never considered staying with you before, or perhaps have pre-conceived notions about your guest experience. For both audiences, the solution is to create a unique story and innovative new services, products and news to stay top of mind. Continue to build new packages, guest experiences and amenities to drum up excitement. Conclusion While the significance of boosting exposure to new audiences is hardly a cutting-edge concept, research confirms that it now requires new focus. Both Sharp and MGI don’t suggest ignoring your most loyal guests to make room for new customers. Rewarding and retaining these repeat guests is still important. In fact, 42 percent of purchases are from customers who had purchased from that brand before. However, focusing your hotel marketing budget on mainly retaining guest loyalty is a risky move since today’s shop-around mentality means you’ll lose more guests than add new ones. Instead, boost your hotel’s growth by focusing more on creative products and services for the 87 percent of consumers who are likely to leave your compset in favor of trying out yours. About Tambourine Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 33rd year, is located in New York City and Fort Lauderdale. Please visit: www.Tambourine.com Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Request Information from this organization Please click the link below to request more information from the organization or company featured in this article.
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