Regardless of their industry or competitive landscape, businesses must always ensure that they continue to provide outstanding customer service and be on the lookout for new revenue channels while discovering different ways to innovate and evolve. These advancements were mostly anchored on digital transformation in recent years, with the digital shift undoubtedly hastened by the global pandemic.
As a recognized leader in the Hospitality and Property Management Industry, Discovery Hospitality Corporation (DHC) was recently invited as the sole Philippine representative to the prestigious APAC Digital Travel Summit, held in Singapore, to share the company’s insights about optimizing commerce market channels and tech innovations.
Maximizing Tech
According to Discovery Hospitality’s Vice President & Head of Digital Marketing and Branding, Blessy Townes, the function of social media is no longer limited to the exchange of communication but has recently diverged into the area of Social Commerce.
“Social commerce is the ‘new normal’ of social media marketing. The pandemic has changed the way we use the Internet, and has transformed social media from a social networking site to a social selling platform,” Townes noted. ” Social media marketing is now merely a skill required to manage social commerce,” she added.
Focusing on social commerce allowed Discovery to create a more connected customer experience with patrons, and potential guests, of their hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other attractions. “Like our name suggests, it’s really a matter of discovering new ways to engage through existing digital channels,” Townes pointed out. “We recognize the disruption of Social Commerce in the hospitality space. It has created its own ecosystem and touchpoints for us to engage with the customers: from Interest, to Research and, ultimately, Conversion,” she expounded.
Innovating Customer Experience
One of Discovery Hospitality’s ways to achieve this is to step into the metaverse through one of its resorts, Discovery Shores Boracay. They recently launched “Bogart and Friends” in the popular Roblox Metaverse, making them the first Philippine Resort to utilize the app in its engagement efforts. “Doing so enabled us to provide our guests with an enhanced experience through challenges that were rewarded with real-life prizes,” she further explained. In Discovery Hospitality’s presentation, the gamification initiative inspired APAC hoteliers how the lucrative yet often daunting Metaverse can enhance the customer experience and brand affinity in the Hospitality industry.
Launched in May 2022 to promote brand love, “Bogart & Friends”, starring Discovery Shores Boracay’s mascot, Bogart the Bear, is a miniature loyalty program for kids that allows them to virtually experience the resort. Players of the metaverse game can earn coins and badges, and trade them for real-world perks when they visit the property.
Through the effective adoption of such emerging platforms and technologies, Discovery Hospitality continues to innovate the customer booking journey and beyond so that for every step of the booking decision their properties are top of mind. This also allows the group to tap into a wider array of market segments, further attracting the attention of different age groups such as millennials and Gen Zs to engage with their properties.
Since 1999, Digital Travel APAC has been regarded as Asia’s leading summit for digital travel leaders. Their top-level conferences allow attendees to learn from, network, and collaborate with leading heads of eCommerce, Customer Experience, and Digital Marketing throughout the world. Discovery Hospitality Corporation, a trailblazer in Filipino hospitality, has been a repeat presenter on topics such as Website Traffic Acquisition and Conversion Optimization since pre-pandemic.