Capturing Mindshare
By Jeff Weinstein, Editor in Chief -- HOTELS Magazine, 5/1/2007
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LIKE IT OR NOT, the Internet is fast changing the model of business journalism (or as we call it, B2B publishing). Creating a great print product is still our bread and butter and an important part of our publishing equation—but it is no longer enough. Today’s emphasis and the focus for the future is online. Demographics are shifting and, like you, Gen X and Gen Y hoteliers are more and more becoming our target audience. Readers’ desire to receive more information online increases every day, which makes capturing mindshare a tricky proposition. As a result, we continue to create more online products, which we hope you appreciate and use to help you better do your jobs. I want to take some time to tell you more about some of our newer products.
In March at the Berlin investment conference, I carried around a new editor’s tool: a digital voice recorder, which actually looks like a Taser (stun gun) and required me to explain myself at several airport security checkpoints. I used the recorder to conduct interviews with Kurt Ritter, Andy Cosslett, Ian Carter and Tom Keltner. Instead of transcribing the tape, writing a report and waiting at least a month to get them into print for your reading pleasure, I came home, downloaded the interviews to my desktop, forwarded them to my Webmaster and had them available for review online inside of a week of my return from Berlin—and even that I consider a slow turnaround, but for a first try, not bad. You can find the interviews at www.hotelsmag.com/interviews/ and the goal is to update this space at least once a week with interviews of top executives and hoteliers making news. By the time you read this, I expect to have at least one or two more interviews available for listening in MP3 podcast file format, downloadable to your desktop or MP3 player. If I may be critical of my first attempt at podcasting, I think the interviews were a bit too long, but I just could not help ask as many questions as possible when I am one-on-one with thought leaders the likes of Ritter, Cosslett, Carter and Keltner. Nonetheless, expect shorter versions going forward.
Another new feature at hotelsmag.com I expect to have ready by the time you read this is a blog section. I have already signed up one of the industry’s most outspoken executives and insiders to blog. He is very relevant and always ready with a cogent—if not humorous and controversial—message for and about the global hotel industry. This blog, and what I hope will be many others from global industry leaders, will be updated at least once a week and include a tool allowing you to respond with comments that, I hope, create healthy dialogues on timely topics.
And if that is not enough, let me tantalize you with one more new product. I am sure many of you receive our daily e-mail newsletter. At this date, close to 40,000 people read HOTELS’ Daily News Service, and if you want to get the free product, go to hotelsmag.com and look for the sign-up link. Now we have launched a niched, monthly newsletter called HOTELS’ Food & Beverage Bites. Senior Editor Karyn Strauss is writing the newsletter that will include, among other things, features about hot new restaurant concepts, profiles on top chefs and F&B managers, menu and promotional ideas and news about hotel F&B people on the move.
This is just the beginning of HOTELS’ online development. We will be redesigning our Web site shortly and continually adding new features in our never-ending attempt to capture your mindshare. I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please don’t be bashful. Send me an e-mail with your ideas.
Jeff Weinstein, Editor In Chief
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