green marketing cop26

Green marketing: Is it all a ruse?

Or is it brands truly demonstrating social responsibility and advocating for change?

What’s happening at COP26?

In a day and age where everyone is constantly becoming a more active member in society, the discourse on sustainability has got louder. Now, more than ever, we are concerned with the environmental issues that are threatening the place we call home.

In a plea to raise awareness around these issues, the United Nations have held an annual Climate Change Conference for almost three decades now. The 26th annual United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) is being held this year in Glasgow between 31st October and 12th November, in order to make reforms a reality. The discussions taking place will hopefully raise awareness and motivate the population to act and react to the climate change crisis.

cop26 climate change

How brands are reacting: Green marketing

Since the conference kicked off last week, marketers have been feeling the pressure to communicate their brands’ sustainable credentials, while still delivering for customers. Everyone is already yearning for positive change and feeling the need to help our planet flourish, rather than continuing to diminish it. In order to support environmental health, many people have begun purchasing socially responsible products, despite their higher cost.

This is where the idea of “green marketing” flourishes. Many companies are turning to this marketing strategy as it helps to hook such consumers in, addressing their social responsibility and, therefore, influencing their purchasing decisions. They do this by advertising their products and services as “eco-friendly”, “zero-waste”, “sustainable”, “organic”, “recyclable”, and so on.

Therefore, some may argue that sustainability has become a deal breaker for many companies, but for others it has been their most sought after marketing strategy.

However, it should not only be promises that brands are making. Businesses should also be following through with everything they are advertising, to help in making the world a better place.

One brand that’s doing it right

Just like Starbucks has done. According to Lesley Vos’ research “Starbucks has been certified by LEED since 2005, but it has moved beyond that by planning to eliminate all plastic straws by 2020 and open 10,000 environmentally friendly stores by 2025″. This is a great initiative that can be seen in Starbucks stores globally.

green marketing

Also, “Starbucks tries hard to engage its community in sustainable issues. It uses green materials for producing, packaging, and delivering its product to customers. As part of its Green Store initiative, the brand also plans to reduce waste and use 30 percent less water and 25 percent less power during production processes”.

Moreover, “the brand designs disposable coffee cups, is involved in recycling and green building, supports farmers and the environmentally sustainable community, and has been hard at work on communicating this message to its target audience”.

This is what it means for a business to successfully implement the idea of green marketing, and in the case of Starbucks, avidly try to make a change to a more sustainable business model. It is not about just labelling something as “sustainable”; it is about businesses illustrating how they can change their missions and practices from revenue-driven to environmentally-aware through processes that have the least impact on the environment as possible.

What are your thoughts on green marketing? Do you think it is just a label and a marketing technique or a plea for change and climate reform?

To learn more about how you can market your brand’s sustainable moves, get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


posh cockney client

What’s New at Posh Cockney? 

Life certainly hasn’t been boring at Posh Cockney lately. Over the past couple of months, we’ve launched shiny new venues, signed some amazing clients, and welcomed some new staff members into the Posh Cockney family. 

New Venue Openings

October saw the birth of Olives and Meze in Soho, a Mediterranean restaurant brand which first made its mark on London in Clapham Common. If you love Mediterranean food, then this is the place for you! Later down the line, we created a fabulous influencer event launching the brand’s tasty new shawarma dish. What could you want more than a room full of influencers and shawarmas? 

Two weeks ago, we opened a second venue for another Clapham-born restaurant. Anglo-Italian pizzeria Eco has served the joys of sourdough pizza in Clapham for almost thirty years, and on 21st October, we introduced them to Kingston upon Thames. Owner Sami and his family said hello to journalists and influencers galore, alongside family and friends, in a successful launch event at the new venue. The Mayor of Kingston even made an appearance, cutting the ribbon to celebrate this new venture for the restaurant. 

posh cockney news

Eco has experienced a lot of buzz since the event, both on social media and in some spectacular press coverage. Watch this space for more exciting updates about Eco coming very soon. 

New Clients 

We are excited to announce that we’ve signed two new clients in the past week. Introducing Tooth Club and Onyx!

Tooth Club is a glamorous celebrity dentist which recently launched their fourth surgery in Hammersmith. Although a slightly different kind of client for Posh Cockney, we are nevertheless ready to bring our expertise to the table for the brand. As a Top 30 Influencer Marketing Agency, we know that we can get everyone talking about Tooth Club. 

Onyx is a restaurant and bar based in Hornchurch, Essex. After taking on Array earlier in the year, we are delighted to be working with another brand based in the same area. We can’t wait to take them to the next level.

New Members of the Family

Over the past month, we’ve welcomed three new full time members into the Posh Cockney family.

Chanelle has joined the team as our new Marketing and PR Manager, Judit is our new Social Media Manager and Alice is our new PR Executive. Having completed some incredible work during their time on the Future Star Programme, we look forward to seeing what else they will accomplish with us.

Future Stars

We have been lucky enough to bring some amazing talent onto the team over the past few months through our Future Star Programme. 

From gaining great press coverage to reaching social media goals, our interns really shine,  hence why we take so many of them on into full time employment at the end of the programme. 

Thanks to the popularity of the Future Star Programme, so many young aspiring PR and Marketing professionals have been able to gain real life experience in the field and get to know what it feels like to lead a brand to success. 

And we’re still hiring! Find out more about the programme here

posh cockney internships

What’s next for Posh Cockney? 

The festive season is a hugely busy time in the hospitality industry. But Posh Cockney is always prepared for it. 

Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal offerings, NYE events and more, as well as huge new venue openings hitting the market in 2022. 

 

Want to get more people talking about your brand? Need help launching a new venue? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


Is Cooking with Bugs the New Future?

With cop26 taking place this month, people are searching for ways to live more sustainably. Is eating bugs the answer?

Entomophagy – Eating bugs 

The world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, thus, sustainable ways to deliver nutritious food to our growing population need to be found. One option that increased in popularity in the past few years is entomophagy, more known as the term for human consumption of insects. Insects are already a valued source of nutrients for 2 billion people. In some parts of Asia and Africa, insects are a fundamental part of the diet. Meanwhile, in the western world, insects are still a culinary curiosity. However, this is changing as it is a taste that western countries want to develop if it is to meet climate targets.

For instance, one of the top restaurants in the world, Noma, has made use of bugs for many years on their menu. Fancy restaurants in France serve up snails – or escargot. Some UK restaurants such as the Mexican chain ‘Wahaca’, have been offering insects in various dishes for a while now. There is also a growing number of start-ups mainly online, that are selling snacks and cooking ingredients based on insects.

Nutritional Value and Sustainability 

When it comes to nutrition, the nutritional profiles of insects differ, as Eat Grub’s founders point out: “Crickets can contain 69% protein and have all essential amino acids. They are high in fibre and vitamin B12, as well as being a great source of iron, calcium and Omega 3 and 6”. Also, grasshoppers and mealworms are rich in protein and contain significantly higher sources of minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium than beef.

In terms of sustainable alternatives to going meat-free, edible insects are most likely the best option. Given the scale of the food supply challenge, the world will need multiple new sources of protein, as lab-grown meats and plant-based diets are already growing. In addition, pound by pound, insects require less land, water, and feed than traditional livestock. Insect farming and processing produce significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. Also, bugs are cold-blooded, they don’t waste energy converting feed into body heat. Bugs take 12 times less food than cows, produce 100 times less Co2, take 1000 times less water to raise, and can be grown anywhere.

Entering the Hospitality Industry

Insects are still unexplored treasures of ingredients. To communicate this with the world, hospitality businesses need innovative food services to further establish the pleasure aspect of bugs in dishes with bug-forward menus. While it is still uncertain if more restaurants will evaluate the environmental impact of their menus, recent surveys suggest that our understanding of sustainability issues continues to grow. In fact, increased messaging around the environmental benefits of greater bug consumption is seen and more restaurants and food services continue to make efforts towards less food waste. 

Chef David George Gordon (aka The Bug Chef) shared some insight on how we might better work with chefs: “With insects, it’s challenging because most chefs in our country don’t have much experience or expertise in that arena. But there are many culinary tricks of the trade that chefs can bring to play, making the dishes they serve look and taste good, regardless of how many legs the ingredients may have. As such, they are important contributors to the process of gaining acceptance for bug cuisine.” Therefore, many chefs might be hesitant to work with bugs simply because they don’t know how yet. This can be changed with a strong educational push.

It may take a while before people accept this new trend, but entomophagy advocates say that a cultural shift is already in the works, particularly among the young and adventurous urbanites who will be setting food trends for generations to come. 

The sustainability factor, the health aspects, are the angles that will make people want to try edible insects. 


Instagram link stickers

Instagram rolls out link stickers to wider user base

Link stickers on Instagram Stories

Back in June, Instagram announced the introduction of link stickers to Stories. Attached links used to appear as a ‘swipe up’ method, allowing the app’s users to link to external webpages from their accounts.

Now, the platform has decided to completely remove this feature, replacing it with a sticker option. This way, users can follow links to external pages through a simple tap. However, since the launch, the feature has only been available to verified users or accounts with over 10,000 followers. This remained the status quo until today.

instagram stories

The good news for small businesses

Instagram has now announced that link stickers will be more widely available than the original ‘swipe up’ feature ever was. The company previously claimed that link sharing is useful in many ways to accounts of all sizes and types, which is why it’s now expanding access to this handy tool.

In the past, link sharing has been largely utilised by creators and businesses who wish to direct their followers to webpages related to their services. Now, it looks like the social media platform has decided to roll out the feature to all users who want to engage with their followers. This will benefit thousands of small businesses and nano influencers trying to grow their audiences.

Instagram said in a statement: “We made this decision based on feedback we heard from the community about how impactful it would be for creators and businesses of all sizes to benefit from link sharing to grow in the same way larger accounts do.”

instagram stories

Safety precautions

Prior to this change, Instagram had previously noted that this kind of decision regarding link sharing needed to be made carefully, as it could affect the app’s safety and integrity. The previous rule which prohibited non-verified accounts from including links in their stories existed to prevent spam and to cut down on potentially fraudulent links.

However, the company will be taking measures to maintain safety within the app. And it’s not as if Instagram will be letting users run wild and free with the feature: the app has stated that accounts found to repeatedly use these links to spread misinformation, hate speech or spam, will lose access to the platform and be blocked from using the feature.

Today’s expansion is the first step in broadening access to link sharing on Instagram for all users. When the link stickers were first announced in June, Instagram noted that they would only be available for posts on Stories and said that it had no plans to bring them to the main Instagram feed or other areas of the app.

Although Instagram still doesn’t allow direct linking in posts, “link in bio” platforms like Linktree, Shorby and Linkin.bio have become increasingly popular over the past few years. However, with this latest expansion, users now have an additional tool to share links through their accounts.

 

If you would like to know more about how to market your business on Instagram, get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


Digitalisation: What does it mean to the hospitality industry?

In this generation, digitalisation has been happening faster than ever, a large amount of physical activity has transformed into a digital format for convenience and efficiency.

What is Digitalization?

According to Brennen and Kreiss digitalisation refers to “the adoption or increase in the use of digital or computer technology by an organization, industry, country, etc. Parviainen et al. stated that “Digitalisation has been identified as one of the major trends that are changing the society and business in the near and long term future.”.

With the impact of COVID-19, examples of digitalisation can be seen everywhere in our daily life; shops have been encouraging consumers to use contactless payment instead of cash; restaurants adopted online ordering strategies to instead staff taking orders at tables; mobile check-in to venues instead of staff check-in; online shopping instead of in-store shopping and much more.

How does digitalisation benefit hospitality businesses?

Decrease in labor cost: With the increasing use of technology and smart gadgets, a lot of human-led work and services can be replaced e.g. booking and order taking. Therefore, businesses do not need to hire as many members of staff and lower costs towards staff training.

Internal efficiency: As mentioned above, technology can eliminate a lot of manual steps e.g. inventory management and data analytics, which can improve business process efficiency, quality and consistency.

Convenient communication: With the use of social media and other communication platforms, messages can be sent to consumers with one click. Furthermore, it makes mass communication easier as well by posting functions that benefit marketing activities such as PR and advertising.

Better accessibility to information: Research has no doubt play a big part in all businesses as it allows companies to know more about their customers, industry, competitors and the latest market trends. This is crucial for them to differentiate and achieve their targets.

Is digitalisation 100% perfect?

Although digitalisation can benefit the hospitality industry in a variety of ways, there are debates towards complete digital transformation.

Digitalisation is not risk-free: There’s no guarantee that technology and digital tools won’t fail. For instance, on the 4th October 2021, there was a social media blackout including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, three of the biggest social media platform. This meant that and businesses that completely rely on social media to communicate lost their channels of communication. Therefore, putting all eggs in one basket is not suggested, businesses should integrate digital in a hybrid format to achieve their goals.

Limited service experience: As stated, digitalisation can ensure the quality and efficiency of business operations, yet this might not suit all hospitality businesses. For some businesses, especially the luxury ones, customer service is generated mainly through the interaction between staff and customers. Friendly services from the staff always boost customer satisfaction; however, this is something that complete digitalised business cannot do as digitalised services are often identical with really low emotional involvement.

To conclude, digitalisation has a positive impact on the hospitality industry yet complete digitalisation is not suggested, businesses should adopt a blended approach to operate their businesses. Posh Cockney is an innovative Hospitality and Lifestyle consultant, get in touch with us today to find out how to utilise digital technology to achieve your business goals.


frankie and benny's rebranding to frankie's

Frankie and Benny’s rebranding: Innovate or die

Frankie and Benny’s rebranding 

News has just been released that Italian-American restaurant chain Frankie and Benny’s is transitioning into more concisely named rebrand, Frankie’s. The family-favourite venue’s new look is said to exhibit a more vibrant feel alongside improved sustainability features.

For many years, Frankie and Benny’s has been best known for its red-green-and-white design and 1950s American diner style interior. Founded by Kevin Bacon in 1995, the lively restaurant has been host to countless children’s birthday parties and family dinners since its establishment.

Frankie and Benny's Rebranding

Despite its more recent start, the chain’s identity has been largely defined by a fictional story, which describes the humble beginnings of the restaurant in the 1950s. Plastered across the venue’s walls and menus is the tale of Frankie Giuliani and schoolfriend Benny, who took over Giuliani’s family restaurant in 1953.

With only Frankie now recognised in the new title, we can only wonder whether this storytelling will continue to remain a significant part of the brand’s identity as it modernises into something “lighter, fresher and brighter”.

The Frankie and Benny’s rebranding will first hit customers in Basildon, where the newly refurbished Frankie’s is scheduled to open at the end of October. Following this will be two further restaurant refurbishments before the end of this year.

The importance of rebranding

Frankie and Benny’s rebranding unfolds after the chain was badly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic last year. Over 100 restaurants were forced to shut across the country, cutting around 3000 jobs.

However, even before the pandemic, the brand was seeing a dramatic fall in sales and profits, leading to closures pre-2020.

After a somewhat failed attempt to save the restaurant by introducing new menus, directors of the brand recognised a desperate need for a refresh. Indeed, for almost thirty years, one singular design has shaped Frankie and Benny’s since its establishment.

But what does it mean to rebrand? The Economic Times defines rebranding as, ‘the process of changing the corporate image of an organisation. It is a market strategy of giving a new name, symbol or change in design to an already-established brand’.

Frankie and Benny's Rebranding

Rebranding can be a critical move for companies in a world of constantly changing consumer trends and desires. Like Frankie and Benny’s, brands can lose their shine over time, especially when they’ve stuck to the same design and message for years. They simply become dated in the minds of consumers.

Instead, brands need to stay relevant if they want to succeed in today’s market. Adapting to design trends, modern societal goals and consumer needs can make the world of difference for a struggling brand. The Frankie and Benny’s rebrand is reported to accommodate the growth of takeaway apps like Deliveroo and Just Eat, enabling customers to experience more modern interactions with the brand.

In some cases, it is not the world around a brand that moves too fast, but the company itself. Brands evolve over time, and often this means they can grow out of their own identity. For brands like these, a rebrand can mean repositioning themselves in the market and therefore exhibiting themselves in a new light. Without rebranding, their original identity can actually hold them back.

Breathing new life into a brand by inventing a more modern logo or changing its slogan also allows marketers to retain the attention of consumers. In fact, rebranding not only retains but grabs the attention of new customers, reaching a whole new audience.

Frankie and Benny's Rebranding

What’s on the horizon for Frankie’s?

The proof is in the pudding when it comes to rebranding. Some of the biggest brands in the world have done it several times: Burger King, Pepsi, Starbucks, Apple – the list goes on.

With all these potential benefits, you’d think Frankie’s is guaranteed great success. But what if it’s too late for this iconic restaurant to be saved? Is the brand still able to cling onto relevancy, or have they permanently lost it forever after waiting too long?

 

Is your hospitality brand in need of a refresh? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


cancelled

London’s NYE fireworks cancelled: What this means for hospitality

COVID-19 strikes again

London’s NYE fireworks display has been cancelled for the second year running, due to remaining ‘uncertainty’ surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite lockdowns being fully lifted and a successful vaccine roll-out, City Hall has suggested that cancellation of the celebration is still a necessary move as we near the end of this unprecedented period.

Many have questioned this decision, comparing the virus-spreading potential of the annual display to other large-scale events which have been permitted since July.

In fact, various sources have reported that an alternative New Year’s party is set to be held in Trafalgar Square, instead. But, with a lack of information made public at present, many non-Londoners are unsure as to whether visiting the capital on the 31st will be worth the trip.

Spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the 2021 celebrations will still be ‘spectacular’, however, it is unknown whether fireworks will be involved in any way.

It’s been some time now since London was the same place it was before the pandemic. Last year, a surprise light show involving drones took place in Greenwich, after the regular display was cancelled due to the second wave of the virus. In the midst of strict lockdown restrictions, the show honoured the NHS, as well as pandemic heroes, like Captain Sir Tom Moore.

London's NYE fireworks

About London’s NYE fireworks display

The idea of illuminating the sky above the Thames first came to organisers as the UK approached the new millennium. Previously, it had been a tradition since World War Two for Londoners to gather in Trafalgar Square and get merry as the clock struck midnight.

London nye

Presented by the Mayor of London, the event is broadcasted worldwide, so individuals all around the world can hear Big Ben’s “bongs” as the UK welcomes in the new year.

Rivalling that of Sydney Harbour’s electrifying display and the Times Square ball drop, London’s spectacle is one of the largest annual fireworks displays in the world. In recent years, over £2m has been spent on the event; however, only £1.5m went towards the toned down show last year.

What’s NYE in London without the fireworks?

With the display bringing staggering numbers of people into the city each year, it’s no doubt that New Year’s is a busy time for businesses in the London hospitality industry. But what happens when you take away this huge event?

Last year, the industry lost billions of pounds throughout the festive period and over New Year thanks to lockdown restrictions. After being placed in Tier 4, Londoners were forced to celebrate the occasion at home, watching what resembled the usual fireworks display on their TVs. Restaurants and pubs were unable to benefit from the holiday as Government guidelines required them to close.

This year, due to the cancelled annual celebration, hotels and restaurants could expect to face losses again, with people less likely to book accommodation in the capital without the display to look forward to.

However, only time will tell what impact the rumoured Trafalgar Square party will have on surrounding London businesses, as we await the release of further information.

One thing that we can take from this announcement is that we’re certainly not yet back to ‘normal’, and businesses will continue to feel the effects.

london nye fireworks

 

Are you worried that the cancellation of London’s NYE Fireworks display may threaten the success of your business? We’re confident we can help. Get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


squid game marketing

How social phenomenon Squid Game is being used as a marketing tool

What is everybody talking about?

If you still have not heard of or watched the new tv series, Squid Game, you must have been living under a rock. But just in case, whilst trying to not give any spoilers, let us briefly introduce it to you.

Hundreds of people with large debts accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a huge money prize. However, the stakes are deadly, as they don’t know there is a catch – losers get killed. It sounds pretty scary and not everyone’s cup of tea, but the lessons from the games are worth the watch. Maybe avoid having children around while the series is on or you could be in for a sleepless night! 

squid game marketing tool

Squid Game as a global phenomenon

Since its launch on Netflix only three weeks ago, the show has experienced increasing popularity, having already been watched by millions of people on a global level.

In terms of social media coverage, the South Korean thriller has become one of the most viral topics of 2021. As of 5th October, over 9 million social media mentions have used the hashtag #squidgame, and over 8 million people have posted content related to the series.

The impact of Squid Game on the marketing world

Marketers saw this as the perfect opportunity to get playful with their brand messaging and take advantage of the social phenomenon.

They took notice of the trend, because being aware of what your audiences are doing and feeling is the key to the success of any successful brand. Therefore, to engage with their followers, some brands quickly started to act by posting content related to the show.

Some of the best advertising campaigns related to Squid Game are by brands, such as, Heineken, Pepsi and Domino’s, pictured below.

heineken squid game

pepsi squid game

squid game

Interestingly, Squid Game even had a positive impact on the fashion industry, according to data from Lyst, as seen by Vogue Business. Consumers are already looking to buy the signature costumes.

Within days of the show’s premiere, worldwide searches for red boiler suits (+62%), retro-inspired tracksuits (+97%), white slip-on sneakers (+145%) and white numbered T-shirts (+35%) have all increased dramatically. Vans, in particular, are the most viewed slip-on sneakers. According to the Sole Supplier, the sales of white slip-on Vans have increased by 7800% since the series’ launch.

What can we learn from this trend as businesses?

Nowadays, to attract and get the attention of more customers, marketers need to observe what they watch, understand the consumer’s point of view and engage with them in every way possible. It is essential for companies to know their audiences, because the better the observation, the better the engagement.

The case of Squid Game shows that even without officially collaborating, any brand can experience an increase in sales and media coverage, and be a part of a trend, if they act fast enough. Companies should not underestimate the power a TV show has over our culture.

What are your thoughts on the show if you’ve seen it? As Halloween is approaching, do you think Squid Game has created the next new costume trend?

 

For information about how your brand can engage with trending topics, get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


Social Media Blackout: What happens when everything goes dark?

In this day and age, everything revolves around social media. People are constantly on their phones from the minute they wake up until the moment they go to bed. Some may call this an addiction, but when everything happens online can you really blame us for being that dependent on social media?

On the 4th of October 2021, the unthinkable happened; Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp went down for more than five hours which is now called the ‘great social media blackout of 2021’. For so many of us who rely heavily on social media and messaging sites to entertain ourselves and communicate with friends, family and work remotely, this blackout was something close to a nightmare.

With remote working and everything being managed through social media this phenomenon ruined the smooth running of many businesses for a whole day. This forced hiatus caused everyone to panic with communication being severed and deadlines being severely disrupted. Jobs in social media and marketing took an involuntary break with everything being down, which interfered with their daily work tasks leaving them in a frenzy. 

Dr Rachael Kent, lecturer in digital economy and society at King’s College London and founder of Dr Digital Health commented on the blackout’s effects on businesses. She said that “on the business front, there’s always going to be a lot of anxiety around not being able to manage and run your business effectively,” and continued to explain that “we live in an always-on, always-available culture that was immediately halted.”

The head of Whatsapp, William Cathcart, also took to Twitter to speak about the blackout where he said that “We know that people were unable to use @WhatsApp to connect with their friends, family, businesses, community groups, and more today — a humbling reminder of how much people and organizations rely on our app every day”.

This goes to show how important social media is nowadays for everything from communication to work, family etc. It plays a vital role in our daily lives and without it we feel incomplete. Especially now that everything’s online and people still work remotely we cannot manage if it’s not up and running.  

What are your thoughts on social media and what did you do when it went dark? Do you think we are addicted or do you think it’s part of our daily routine?


new normal hospitality

The 'New Normal' in Hospitality

The ‘New Normal’

The hospitality industry has been one of the most impacted industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the physical nature of hospitality totally contradicts the social distancing rules put in place over the past year. As a consequence, many businesses stopped their activities during lockdown, while others created innovative solutions to overcome and adapt to the current situation, shaping a ‘new normal’. For example, technology has been taken on as the go-to tool for the majority of hotels and restaurants.

A Digitalised World

For most of the hotels that survived the pandemic, their guest journeys have been re-imagined from being physical to contactless. Because of this, technology has had a major influence during this period. Hotels have had to forcibly invest in high-tech innovations to ride the trend and comply with safety requirements for customers and staff members. For example, establishments have replaced front desk check-in with mobile app check-in. Online communication tools have also become more efficient in terms of meeting customers’ requirements, delivering a high quality customer experience during their stay.

new normal hospitality

Restaurants have also gone digital. Online orders, e-menus and digital loyalty cards are the new upcoming trends for venues. Furthermore, restaurant owners have adjusted their menus and activities according to the new safety-oriented mindsets of their customers. In other words, go safe and show safe.

Many restaurants have provided contactless solutions for customers, such as pulley systems at registers to enable fluent transactions, hand-in and hand-out robots for orders, as well as smart-screen controlled shelves. Shaping the ‘new normal’ is what is required to maintain restaurants’ activity during the pandemic, but it’s also a great opportunity to reconsider implementing more technology into systems in the future, digitalising menus, payments and the store footprint.

new normal hospitality

Hygienic and Ethical Behaviours

Technology is not the only way, however, to survive in this industry after COVID-19. Hygienic and ethical behaviours are also very popular strategies to attract Gen-Z consumers. Subway, for instance, has introduced a new branding strategy capitalising on the tagline, ‘Eat Fresh’. Healthy and ethical activities are driving high value companies in the hospitality industry, especially for mature markets.

The Future of Hospitality

Overall, it seems as though digital methods will continue to stick around in the industry, and that companies already implementing tech solutions in their systems will find themselves ahead of the curve. However, will the hospitality industry completely eliminate human interaction within their activities, or will we create a hybrid of technology and physical contact?

restaurants new normal

 

Does your business need help adapting to the ‘new normal’? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today.