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Archive for March, 2010

Press trips don’t come much better than this!

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

One of the perks of working with global clients is that we occasionally get an invitation to visit some far-flung destination whilst accompanying a journalist or two.  So imagine the excitement when Martell announced they wanted little old me to take some journalists out to Hong Kong to witness the unveiling of a new visual identity and a stand-alone boutique at the Hong Kong International Airport.

The decadent and luxurious boutique has been designed to reinforce the brand’s heritage and premium credentials and will allow all Martell promotions to be instantly recognisable by travellers and shoppers.  The focal point of the boutique is the ‘Discovery Table’ where customers can learn more about the brand’s history and production methods.   There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony with no fewer than eight people taking part including Patrick Ricard, Lionel Breton (chairman & CEO, Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët) and Thibaut de Poutier (managing director, Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free).  Melody Ng of The Moodie Report was one of the first to write up her experience of the opening. 

After the opening ceremony we were invited to an amazing dinner in Hullett House, formerly the Marine Police Headquarters and one of Hong Kong’s old colonial buildings. Pre-dinner Martell cocktails were served (the Martell Strawberry was my favourite) and then we had a delicious French-inspired five course meal, each course paired with Martell’s finest blends. 

Makes a sandwich at my desk feel more than a little mundane!

Social media revolution in the travel industry

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

As Arctic winds sweep the country, bringing yet more snow (what happened to the sunny spring days of just last week?), Focus PR’s thoughts are turning to holidays…and no doubt yours are too!

Recent research shows that the travel industry is facing a social media revolution with almost 70% of people surveyed preferring to book their holidays online rather than through a travel agent – no real surprises there.  However, what is more surprising is that middle-aged travellers are the trendsetters in shaping consumers’ views on the best holiday destinations and accommodation. Even more surprising is that the 16-24 year old age group is most likely to visit a travel agent to book their holiday.

Brits have greater trust in recommendations from complete strangers than experts in the travel industry, holiday brochures, journalists or TV travel shows (it’s enough to make Judith Chalmers weep).  We rely on recommendations online as an extension of word-of-mouth advice from our friends, family and colleagues.  And it seems that everyone’s a critic these days: 30% of over 16s have written a review of a holiday online, increasing to almost 40% of over 25s.  The majority of these reviews have been about hotels and places to stay (34%), followed by countries to visit (25.6%) and airlines (24.7%).

A great example of people power in action and woe betide a holiday company (or any other kind of business) which doesn’t monitor online buzz about its products and service.   Social media can be a great way to listen to and engage with consumers; get it right and it could be transformational.

Sister Act sale!

Monday, March 29th, 2010

It’s fair to say that we do, at Focus PR, enjoy the occasional spot of retail therapy, so thank heavens for our favourite online event sales club (and lovely client) www.vente-privee.com which, with irresistible savings of 50-70% on top quality fashion and lifestyle brands, never fails to sate our shopping appetite whilst simultaneously helping us to save the pennies – what’s not to love?!

Leading the way in the event sales sector, vente-privee.com plans to reveal more ‘lifestyle’ sales in the UK (e.g. entertainment) as the market here continues to grow, emulating the success of similar sales in its native France. News of one such sale has already got us all in something of a foot-tapping frenzy, as hot tickets to the all-singing, all-dancing West End smash hit Sister Act the Musical are set to go on sale early next month, offering incredible savings on amazing seats.

Starring Sheila Hancock and US actress Patina Miller and co-produced by Sister Act original Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act is a divine musical comedy not to be missed. The sale starts at 6am on 7 April 2010 and closes at 11pm on 10 April 2010, with tickets available to purchase for performances between Monday 19th April 2010 and Wednesday 30 June 2010 (at The London Palladium). 

To become a member of vente-privee.com, register for the Sister Act sale and all forthcoming lifestyle sales, please visit www.vente-privee.com. Membership is free and we are reliably informed that future sales really are set to stretch the imagination… Watch this space!