Where digital meets travel + lifestyle … A collection of can’t-miss news from this week. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox every Friday.
Many brands are looking for ways to use Instagram to boost sales, and Starwood is diving right in. The hotel's Tribute Portfolio is partnering with LiketoKnow.it to allow users to book stays by tapping images posted by paid fashion influencers on Instagram. The process is not completely ironed out, but it’ll be interesting to see how the hospitality industry’s answer to the “Shop Now” button develops.
JCPenney and social network Pinterest have teamed up for Mother's Day to create physical, digital pinboards that will showcase apparel, beauty and hair inspiration at 10 of their stores in malls across the U.S. The plan is to catch the eye of the modern American mom in search of head-to-toe looks. Sheeba Philip, VP of marketing strategy and communication, noted that "the Pinterest activation goes deeper -- we're not just entertaining, we're giving meaningful content for [moms'] lives."
Even though the “media” part of social is well taken care of, the “social” piece is often overlooked. On average, brands receive a staggering 10,968 inbound messages across Twitter and Facebook each year -- but only 10.7% get responded to. Too many companies are basing their content strategies around so-called timely events (e.g., Oreo at the Super Bowl or Arby's and Pharrell's hat at the GRAMMY Awards). Although relevant and timely posts are beneficial, it is still extremely important to speak often to your audience.
In an attempt to stay on top of burgeoning platforms, Condé Nast Traveler launched its popular, annual hotel “Hot List” via Snapchat. The snaps lived on the magazine’s Snapchat story for 24 hours and announced 13 winning U.S. hotels. Later in the day, the full list was released on the CNT landing page. “It has evolved from something we were just exploring to something that feels like a storytelling tool,” said CNT Digital Director Brad Rickman. “It feels very editorial right now, very experimental.”
Apply today to be Queen Elizabeth’s Social Media Editor. Pro tip: Pics of corgis get tons of likes.