The War Generation, raised on Depression and World War, may have accepted somewhat stoically the difficulties of navigating through an America accustomed to focusing on youth culture, but Baby Boomers have never yet accepted anything anyone has tried to impose upon them and have had the economic might to get their way. As 78 million consumers enter their later years, expect to see sweeping changes in the treatment of greying populations. Intelligent businesses will begin today developing new products and services targeted at this mass of older spending power. READ MORE

OK, let's get down to the bottom of this. Please stand up and raise your hand if you've been "WOW-ed" lately. At the supermarket, dry cleaner, health club or hotel. Where have you had your socks knocked off...and then cleaned, pressed, folded and put away? How about a truly awful experience? Give me a shout out if you've been mistreated, ignored or taken for granted. Where have you had an experience that brought you from a simmer, to a slow boil...and then to a frothing, steaming, spewing cauldron of frustration? What's that you say? You have both types of experience on a regular basis, often from the same company? Well, which one makes a greater impact and sticks with you longer, the gauzy sunshine or the raging volcano? READ MORE

Loyalty programs work. There's no question they affect buying behavior, drive transactions, raise margins and generate valuable data. Total U.S. consumer membership in loyalty marketing programs is over one billion-an average of more than four programs per adult. Maritz says that nearly 90% of Americans participate in some type of rewards program, and most are enrolled in more than one. The sophistication of today's loyalty programs is mind-boggling, and impressive. But as I look at loyalty marketing there are some nagging questions that I just can't shake: What happens to the loyalty when the loyalty program stops? Do loyalty programs really generate true loyalty, or just behavior that looks like loyalty? Could it be that our loyalty programs are deceiving us? READ MORE

For the record, this type of "culture" is defined as "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." Pretty heady stuff, but if you flip open any dime-store business periodical - hospitality industry trades included - you are liable to be overwhelmed with the offhand references to "culture" and its near-ubiquitous impact on the business environment. At this point, "culture" is used as a catch-all proxy for various pitfalls and challenges in any business. READ MORE

In a business environment filled with countless competing hotel brands, the only way you can really win big is by making an emotional connection with your guests. In other words, you have to capture their hearts. Lists of features and benefits alone cannot differentiate your brand and drive revenues anymore. Consumers of the 21st Century are less motivated by the products and services than in the social links and identities that come with buying them. This new reality means that your hotel's marketing strategy must be structured to draw guests into your hotel's tribe. READ MORE