DIGITAL BRAND-BUILDING:

HOW TO WIN IN FOUR KEY AREAS

With the events of the past two years transforming the way businesses and individuals use technology to interact, research from on-premise measurement, research and insight company, CGA, shows that the digital touchpoints in people’s brand experiences are more powerful than ever.

New research into the importance of digital reputation explores how hospitality brands can improve their image. Here’s what the experts from CGA and RXM company Reputation have to say about four of the most important channels for brand-building…

1 WEBSITES

Brands’ own websites are the crucial first touchpoint for consumers researching venues. They are where people go to find practical information: nearly three quarters (72%) of those looking for menus do so on a venue’s website, and nearly as many head there to check prices (69%) and opening hours (63%). With COVID-19 still at the front of many people’s minds, they are also important in reassuring visitors about safety and hygiene measures.

Poorly maintained websites can creative negative impressions of brands from an early stage. The research from CGA and Reputation found that more than a third (36%) of consumers have been frustrated by being unable to find the information they are looking for on a venue’s website before a visit, and nearly as many have been frustrated by information like opening hours being out of date (30%), or by a lack of response to an online enquiry (28%).

2 REVIEW PLATFORMS

After visiting websites, consumers often turn to review platforms for the next stage of research. Nearly half (48%) do so on TripAdvisor, which makes it the most important review channel by some distance. Young adults are particularly active here, and more than a third (38%) of 18- to 34-year-olds say they write a review every time or most times they eat or drink out.

On all review websites, recency matters. Well over a third (38%) consider a review to be accurate if it has been written in the last month, while three months is the limit for nearly as many (33%). This shows the importance of driving review volume to keep them relevant to consumers – which means positively encouraging guests to leave them.

It’s also important to respond quickly to all feedback – especially bad reviews. Nearly half (46%) of consumers think a venue can remedy a negative review by responding in a respectful and appropriate way, while a third (34%) think taking action or providing compensation can achieve the same result.

3 GOOGLE

Google dominates many key points of customers’ journeys through brands now. Consumers often use it as an alternative to websites for practical information, as do those who want to get quick star ratings rather than fuller reviews: more than two in five (43%) use the search engine to find ratings, putting it 10 percentage points clear of TripAdvisor (33%).

This makes it crucial to do everything possible to optimise Google search results, especially by staying on top of Google My Business details. Making regular updates to the information, even if there isn’t much to change, can help: Reputation research suggests it can make brands nearly three times more likely to be reputable, and increase views across search and maps by up to 500%.

4 SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media has moved to the heart of brand promotion and recommendation, especially among young adults. More than two in five (43%) 18- to 34-year olds say they would recommend a venue to others through their social media accounts, while well over half (59%) say they are much more likely to visit a venue if they see someone they know post about it. As with review platforms, it is important to address any negative comments on social media, and to take discussions offline if at all possible. It’s also worth setting up key word alerts for serious complaints on social media feeds, so that brand owners can de-escalate problems before they damage a brand.

The exclusive research from CGA and Reputation was based on a survey of 2,000 nationally representative consumers. For more about the research and its insights into how brands can improve their digital reputations, visit www.cgastrategy.com ■