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In recent months, we’ve been introduced to a growing number of other hospitality apps via new and long-term customers. It’s exciting to see the value our customers get from connecting more data sources into Stampedes and we want to enable more of it.&nbsp;



To do this, we’ve launched a new app marketplace to make it easier to centralise more customer data in Stampede. As part of this, we also released a new Developer Portal to create an easier way of connecting new data sources.



This is a truly open marketplace for hospitality apps to get interconnected. What we mean by that is it moves beyond the realms of outdated file transfers and account managers manually handling the data behind the scenes on behalf of operators. It&#8217;s real-time so data moves smoothly between apps and Stampede as it happens.



In this update, we&#8217;ll look at how the new marketplace can enhance your marketing efforts and also how app developers can use it to build connections with Stampede, delivering more value to their operators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-operators">For Operators</h2>



The hospitality industry requires smart tools that can streamline complicated operations and help the business grow. The app marketplace connects your external data sources into a single system.



By centralising marketing data apps all in one place, the platform offers greater visibility and easier access to the data. This enables operators to manage their data more effectively, making sure all aspects of their marketing are in one place, they can save time without needing to manually import and export data from various systems. This also lowers the GDPR breach risks of handling customer data.



By connecting other hospitality apps and data to the ecosystem, operators can supplement their current tools by leveraging Stampede&#8217;s suite of marketing, data analytics, and automation. For example connecting your table booking platform and order-to-table app into Stampede, along with existing tools in there, helps you streamline repetitive tasks, saving you precious time and resources.



Apps already on the marketplace include OpenTable, Roller, and Storekit. Integrating with these applications, and others provides a substantial boost to your marketing campaigns by simplifying operations and making data more accessible.&nbsp;



This makes it possible to create a flawless, end-to-end marketing strategy that can be tracked in real-time. By monitoring all marketing performance data in one place, companies gain critical insight into which strategies and tactics work, and which do not, saving time and helping inform smarter decision-making.



Here is a sample of apps currently available for integration:



Mailchimp Campaign Monitor Airship Storekit Loke Toggle ResDiary OpenTable Roller Access Tonic / DesignMyNight Zapier Stripe Paypal HartPMS



<a href="https://product.stampede.ai">Log into your account,</a> click your account icon on the bottom left hand menu and head to the App Marketplace to set up your connections.



If you would like to request another app for the Marketplace, get in touch with one of our team.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-developers">For Developers</h2>



Stampede&#8217;s portal offers a dedicated space for app developers to connect their products via Rest API.&nbsp;



Developers can access open-source tools and an extensive knowledge base that provides comprehensive support to ensure their apps operate smoothly.&nbsp;



Head to <a href="https://developer.stampede.ai">developer.stampede.ai </a>to find out more and begin an integration. There you can learn which sources of data to transfer into Stampede such as guest contact details, order information and venue information to aid marketing segmentation.



This ecosystem provides developers with the necessary support to create connections to Stampede, which is vital in growing their businesses and providing value to their clients.&nbsp;



Our in-house development team are also on hand to help. We are currently looking to recruit new app partners, please <a href="https://stampede.ai/partners">contact us</a> if you are interested in working together.

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A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

Gone are the days when having a website was a “big deal” and creating a business Facebook page was an advanced social media strategy. Now, social media marketing has become far more complex and there are countless platforms to choose from.&nbsp;The strategy of marketing one’s business online has also evolved. Where we once communicated messages that were “salesy” and persuasive, today’s consumers prefer a more conversational and down-to-earth tone.&nbsp;In fact, this is why many companies have completely adapted their entire <a href="https://creativeclickmedia.com/company-culture-social-media/">company culture to fit in with the new social media-oriented world</a>.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Company Culture?</h4>



Company culture can be defined as the personality of a company. In essence, a company’s culture creates the entire environment in which work takes place. It consists of many elements, including the work environment, a company’s mission, values, ethics, expectations, and goals.



For example, some organisations prefer teamwork and endorse casual attire. While others have a more traditional and formal management style where a suit and tie are still a requirement.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Why Does Company Culture Matter?</h4>



Company culture is one way of keeping employees happy. A happy business is generally a thriving one. If candidates know what your company culture is like before they apply for an open position, then they are going to be more willing to embrace it and stick around.&nbsp;



Also, workers tend to enjoy work more when their opinions and values are consistent with those of the workplace. This forms a great foundation for productivity and team spirit.&nbsp;



When an employee appreciates a company’s culture and feels akin to it, then they are more likely to be proud ambassadors of their workplace. Having such team players on your workforce is a very important component of a successful modern-day social media campaign.&nbsp;



The next section delves into why.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">The Importance of Reflecting Your Company Culture in Your Social Media Strategy</h4>



When it comes to social media, you can use your <a href="https://www.toprankblog.com/2017/05/company-culture-instagram/">company’s culture to send engaging messages</a> to your audiences to let them know who you are, what you have to offer, and why! It adds a personal touch to your marketing – a personal touch that consumers have come to appreciate and acknowledge.&nbsp;



The characters your employees, the core values of your business, and the moments of euphoria that are experienced when goals are reached. All this contributes to the giant tapestry of your workplace.



But, while your culture may be fun and positive, if you haven’t found a way to show this energy that your company radiates, then social media is the place where you need to turn your focus. &nbsp;



One thing that social media captures is the personification of an organisation’s culture. Whether you are a retailer or are in the hospitality industry. Portraying the positivity and happiness of your workforce on social media not only fosters further positivity, but another bonus is that it’s great for recruiting other employees whose values are the same.



If you’re not sure how to incorporate your company culture into your social media marketing. Here are five ways to make it happen.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Get Employees to Participate</h4>



If your company culture is one that embraces new ideas and encourages employees to be team players, then you will have no problem including your employees into your social media marketing strategies. Ask workers to share the company’s posts to their personal pages. Emphasise how important it is to engage with audiences who respond to posts.&nbsp;



You could even set challenges for your team where employees get points for the posts they like, share or comment on. The one with the most points could win a prize, perhaps?



Once you have your employees participating in your social media campaigns, then the next suggestions will easily fall into place.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Be Human</h4>



We understand that you are trying to promote your business and sell a product or service. Audiences, however, respond much better to messages that contain a human element. The more casual you are (as opposed to being formal and corporate-like), the more likely you will put your company in the limelight to get the exposure it needs.&nbsp;



You can humanise your posts by:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Including faces in your posts. Feature your team leaders and employees and remember to tag them.&nbsp;</li><li>Adding positive emotions to your social media content. Posts that include humour, intrigue, pride, warmth, hope and curiosity are more likely to be shared.&nbsp;</li><li>Making audiences feel like they are a part of your team and the fun company culture you have created. Use terms like “let us” and “join us” in your content.</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Celebrate Employees. Give Them the Limelight</h4>



Share the achievements of your employees on social media and give them praise for their accomplishments. When you let your followers and customers know you’re proud of your team, then it leaves the impression that you are a company that cares about its staff as well one who works hard to deliver an excellent product or service. &nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Tell Stories and Give Sneak Peeks into What Happens “Behind the Scenes”</h4>



Share your company’s culture with the world. Tell them stories about your day and give them sneak peeks into “what’s to come”. Keep them engaged by keeping stories real and personal. 



For example, if your hotel has just received a new shipment of luxury bathroom amenities, share a picture of your staff eagerly adding them to guest bathroom shelves. Or what about a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-video-marketing-can-boost-your-restaurant/">live video</a> of your busy kitchen team preparing Sunday lunch?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Engage and Respond</h4>



If your company’s culture is one that takes the consumer seriously, then responding to inquiries and comments is key.&nbsp; Remember, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-importance-of-digital-word-of-mouth/">social media is meant to be a two-way street</a> (with emphasis on the word “social”)! This means that you need to engage with followers and respond to any messages promptly.&nbsp;



Audiences will appreciate your friendly responses and your business’s culture will be kept positive. When a social media strategy reflects the core essence of a company (it’s culture), then it’s more likely to attract the attention of readers.



Want to further increase your engagement and interaction on social media channels? Get in touch with us.



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Reflecting Your Company Culture in Your Social Media Strategy

Last year has once again shown us how adaptive the hospitality industry is when it comes to finding ways to keep up and running. New trends have emerged that will continue to play an important role throughout this year. Here are&nbsp;4 key hospitality trends you should include in your strategy&nbsp;for 2022.



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-on-community-engagement">Focus On Community &amp; Engagement</h4>



The pandemic has taught us one important thing:&nbsp;community matters.



This year will see an even bigger focus on community building and customer loyalty. Social media is your go-to tool here for regular engagement. However, email marketing is equally important. Build an email list with your most loyal fans and nurture them with exclusive content and early access offers.



Companies should also adopt a&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-listening-business/" target="_blank">social listening strategy</a>&nbsp;to better understand their audience. Mentions and conversations related to the brand and industry can help to identify certain themes. Those can be used to tailor offerings and attract more customers. For example, anything around #Veganuary is prominent on social media at the moment.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Personalise Your Digital Customer Experience</h4>



Customers expect a personalised experience. This also applies to all things digital. Many common customer touchpoints, such as ordering &amp; payments or menus, have shifted towards digital platforms. 



So, your digital guest experience (including all tech tools attached to it) should integrate seamlessly with your physical, in-venue, experience. Stick to your branding and messaging to make it instantly recognisable for a&nbsp;uniform customer experience.&nbsp;



And don’t forget to pull together&nbsp;customer data from your digital tools&nbsp;to get insights on your customers’ behaviour. This allows you to create an even more personalised experience throughout.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Produce More Video Content</h4>



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://whatsnewinpublishing.com/over-82-of-internet-traffic-will-be-online-videos-by-2022-how-publishers-can-scale-their-content-production/#:~:text=Cisco%20recently%20declared%20that%20by,really%20hard%20to%20keep%20up." target="_blank">By 2022, over 82% of all online content consumed will most likely be in video format</a>. No denying that TikTok is the big winner of 2021 when it comes to short-form video content. Though, many hospitality businesses categorise it solely as an e-commerce platform and struggle to see the benefit it might have for them.&nbsp;&nbsp;



TikTok is a great platform to interact and engage with your audience. Take your customers behind the scenes and share tips and tricks with them. You could pick one staff member to take over the account or feature your different departments.



Big hospitality brands are already using it successfully. Check out&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@starbucksrecipeswithm?lang=en" target="_blank">this account</a>&nbsp;with 2M followers and run by a Starbucks employee who shows how to prepare their bestsellers and more.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Keep Multiple Revenue Streams</h4>



Over the past two years, many businesses have pivoted their strategy as and when they had to. From delivery &amp; takeout to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/4-creative-ways-to-increase-your-meal-kit-sales/">meal kits</a>, co-working spaces and selling groceries or merchandise. The idea is to have multiple sources available so that they can keep trading regardless of circumstances outside their control.



The big question often is whether to keep those parts alongside normal dine-in operations or to drop them. No doubt, they often require extra resources that are not always available.



However, it’s not just businesses that have adopted and changed, so have customers. Despite being keen to go out for a meal, the majority would like to have those additional offerings as a fixed part of their favourite venues. Get your customers involved and ask them what they want to see from your businesses this year.&nbsp;

4 Key Hospitality Trends To Grow Your Business in 2022

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stampede-announces-springo-acquisition-as-part-of-post-lockdown-growth-plans">Stampede announces Springo acquisition as part of post-lockdown growth plans &nbsp;</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marketing-software-businesses-combine-forces-to-target-new-it-channel-partners">Marketing software businesses combine forces to target new IT channel partners</h3>



Edinburgh, UK, 5th July 2021&nbsp;–<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__stampede.ai_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=G04Hl4mHwuXumE4aLNQwjtCNczRSFK_l5Aipin3BtgA&amp;m=f1O2zrmhKcO9y6J2mqnPsZqLjonrR764RHtxnzOpLCE&amp;s=zsSreC1usrxjVNVUD7fAXZnVkKCq7vOSaKp3lWFxoIA&amp;e=">&nbsp;Stampede</a> has today announced its acquisition of fellow hospitality software startup, Springo, in a bid to strengthen the business and reach new hospitality customers worldwide. Stampede launched its first global reseller programme in November 2020, and has purchased Springo for its IP, notable channel customer-base, and ICT experience – which will help Stampede expand throughout the UK and beyond via new IT resellers.&nbsp;



Springo, like Stampede, is a data capture, digital marketing and customer engagement software business specialising in the hospitality sector. Both specialise in giving brick-and-mortar businesses access to the digital tools and services of big online brands. They have helped hundreds of hospitality businesses bounce back after COVID, and it is hoped that their combined forces will allow Stampede to reach even more venues. As part of the deal, Springo founder and director, Jay Ball will join Stampede as a non-executive director and minority shareholder. Springo’s employees will also join Stampede’s team. Jay brings a wealth of ICT, channel and business leadership experience to Stampede, having founded his first business, DataKom, in 2007 – which he sold in 2019 for a multi-million pound exit.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;



For existing channel partners like Invisinet and 7Hospitality, the Stampede platform represents a quick and easy way to increase monthly recurring revenues, while adding high demand products to their line of business.&nbsp;Following the Springo deal, Stampede is actively seeking new reseller partners, especially those with a high volume of clients in the retail and hospitality industries, as well as clients struggling to digitise multiple sites quickly/remotely.



“Jay has a wealth of experience in the telecoms space and we’re delighted to bring him and the rest of the Springo team on board with Stampede,” said Patrick Clover, Stampede founder and CEO. “Like Stampede, Springo has been helping hospitality businesses bounce back after an extremely difficult 16 months. By combining our technology, resources, expertise and customer-base, we believe we can reach even more businesses that need our support. Post-lockdown, I expect a lot of hospitality businesses to maintain some of the digital elements of the customer experience that were adopted this year out of necessity. There is a real opportunity for channel partners working in this space to make the digital hospitality experience as seamless as possible for customers and venues alike, which is exactly what our platform delivers.”&nbsp;



“We built a brilliant platform that was very successful, and combining our software means we can now offer far more to Springo and Stampede customers and resellers,” said Jay Ball, Stampede’s new non-executive director. Stampede is one of the UK’s leading hospitality software businesses, and we want to bolster their efforts to bring digital tools to the physical businesses that need them most. Springo has great experience selling to the channel, we understand their pain points and what they expect from their software partners. We bring this expertise to Stampede and believe it will give them the extra firepower needed to be successful in this industry.”



Resellers that want a demonstration on how&nbsp;Stampede&nbsp;and its partner programme works should contact Owen Rees Channel Development Manager <a href="mailto:owen.rees@stampede.ai">owen.rees@stampede.ai</a> <a href="tel:+447519390920">07519 380 920</a>



Benefits of the&nbsp;Stampede&nbsp;platform for hospitality customers include:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Capture customer data instantly when customers connect to guest Wi-Fi or register via QR code</li><li>Track repeat customers with connection data and build new loyalty schemes and promotions (the success of which can be tracked in real time)</li><li>Generate more reviews across platforms like Google and TripAdvisor (customers can be contacted within an hour of leaving a physical venue encouraging them to leave a review)</li><li>Introduce digital stamp card schemes and let customers earn rewards</li></ul>



About&nbsp;Stampede



Stampede&nbsp;was founded by software developer and tech entrepreneur, Patrick Clover, to enable physical venues to engage with their customers more easily and effectively, and understand them better. From the independent coffee shop to global brands with thousands of sites &#8211;&nbsp;Stampede&nbsp;provides a level of customer insight previously only available to large corporations. It offers business owners better information on their customers through improved engagement and insights into consumer habits.

Stampede announces Springo acquisition

The acceleration of technology over the last decade has left <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/a-guide-on-current-hotel-industry-challenges/">no industry untouched</a>. With an explosion of online travel agencies (OTAs) creating both opportunities and threats for independent hotels. The process that many customers now use to choose and book a stay away from has changed beyond all recognition. There are still ways to encourage direct bookings vs OTAs and plenty of reasons to do so, which we will explore in this article.&nbsp;







On the one hand, OTAs offer a unique channel for promotions and market access. The volume of traffic they command gives independent hotels the opportunity to get offers out in front of thousands of potential customers who might never otherwise encounter their service. 



On the other hand, competition is often ferocious. Many independent hotels find this becomes a disheartening “race to the bottom”. The only winners in this scenario are those willing to cut their profit margins to the bone. With some operators apparently willing to boost occupancy at almost any cost.&nbsp;



The obvious benefit of direct bookings is the fact you won’t have to pay a commission to a third party. It’s all between you and the customer, giving you far more scope to make a healthy profit. Also, you have full access to your customers&#8217; data, which otherwise would stay with the OTA. Allowing you to get back in touch with your guests.



With this in mind, let’s explore some tried-and-tested ways that you can boost your direct bookings and drive up profits for the months ahead. 



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-tech-friend-or-foe-for-independent-hotels/">https://stampede.ai/blog/new-tech-friend-or-foe-for-independent-hotels/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">User-test your website</h4>



Did you know that <a href="https://www.edhotels.com/80-hotel-bookings-made-mobile-devices/">up to 80%</a> of hotel reservations are made from mobile devices? Despite this statistic, many hotel websites make it difficult to make an online reservation from a phone. User test yours to make sure that you can easily and quickly make a reservation from your smartphone &#8211; if you’re not getting as many direct bookings are you would expect, this could be a prime reason.&nbsp;



Customers are increasingly impatient. If your website isn’t properly optimised for mobile or lacks a touchscreen-friendly booking engine, then they will abandon their attempt to reserve a room at the first hurdle. Similarly, test that your website loads quickly. As many as <a href="https://www.pegs.com/blog/10-reasons-why-hotels-must-embrace-mobile-optimization/">49% of visitors</a> will abandon your website if it doesn’t load within 8-10 seconds.&nbsp;



Finally, the phone number on your website should be a clickable link for mobile users. So that they can call you with one touch rather than having to dial the number manually. Again, the easier you make it for people to get in touch with you, the more calls you will get. It sounds simple, and it is… But it’s surprising how many don’t take this basic step of testing their website as a customer would have to use it. 



Make sure that you check your website from a user perspective regularly. At least once per month &#8211; and it should also be the first thing you do if you notice a sudden fall in direct bookings that wasn’t expected.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Make full use of Google My Business</h4>



Speaking of resources that are often not taken full advantage of. Have you registered your hotel on <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/business/">Google My Business</a>? It’s free, and it’s packed with a host of tools that you can use to help you get more visitors to your website. Ultimately, more direct bookings as a result. Not only will visitors to your area see a full detailed listing on your business when they search for “hotels” within Google Maps, but you can also display special offers, weekly menu updates, photos, and much more.&nbsp;



Again, although this tool is available to all hotels, it’s surprising how many don’t take full advantage of it. Make your Google My Business page a “favourite” on your browser and set a weekly reminder to add new content to it. Respond to reviews that you receive; even negative ones can be turned to your advantage with a little skill.&nbsp;



Keeping your Google My Business page updated with seasonal opening times, latest menus and special offers will boost the overall traffic your website receives. As well as increasing it’s SEO ranking (increasing the likelihood of getting to that coveted front-page-of-Google result for certain keywords!)&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Take advantage of changing habits by using Influencer Marketing</h4>



People’s leisure habits have changed remarkably over the last decade. In 2011, traditional TV consumed over 4 hours of time per day on average, whereas social media consumed just 90 minutes. By 2021, it is estimated that this statistic will have been turned on its head. With traditional TV relegated to less than one hour per day, and social media accounting for over 3 hours!&nbsp;



You can take advantage of this change by utilising <a href="https://goatagency.com/">Influencer Marketing</a>. This method of getting your hotel’s brand in front of a new audience allows you to micro-target very specific demographics. It can often be surprisingly cost-efficient when compared to other forms of advertising. Best of all, you can tie in a special offer to your influencer marketing campaign. This allows you to accurately measure the exact return on investment.&nbsp;



This marketing route lifts you right out of the run-of-the-mill comparisons that afflict OTA websites and allows you to package a stay at your hotel as an experience in its own right, rather than just a convenient stopping-off point to grab a quick sleep before heading out again.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Capture the email address of drop-in visitors &#8211; and turn them into repeat customers!&nbsp;</h4>



Did you know that a major source of direct bookings could be literally walking in (and out) of your front door as you’re reading this? Every day, people use your reception and bar/restaurant for business meetings, as a place to catch up with their emails or grab an after-work drink with colleagues. By utilising <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">WiFi marketing</a>, you can capture their email address and entice them to return with some carefully selected offers. 



Want to learn more about WiFi Marketing? Get in touch.



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These drop-in visitors could be your best source of direct bookings, as they already know the location of your hotel. They have had a chance to sample your friendly, efficient service. Thus, they are more likely to be tempted to return by an offer of a free extra night or a free room upgrade. Best of all, when you email these previous visitors, you are not competing with anyone else for their attention. You have direct access to their inbox, and a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/email-marketing-tips-for-the-hospitality-industry/">carefully-crafted email campaign</a> can be used to woo them to return again, and again!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Bringing it all together&nbsp;</h4>



We’ve explored four different methods, from basic to advanced, for helping balance the volume of direct vs. OTA bookings your hotel receives. While the proliferation of online competition might appear disheartening for independent hotel owners, there are ways you can turn the tide in your favour. Which combination will you choose to make your next year more profitable and rewarding?



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/10-tips-on-nurturing-customer-loyalty-in-the-hotel-industry/">https://stampede.ai/blog/10-tips-on-nurturing-customer-loyalty-in-the-hotel-industry/</a>



Stay tuned for more articles to help you grow your business. Or join our email list to make sure you never miss out.&nbsp;

Direct Vs. OTA Bookings – Getting the Right Balance for Independent Hotels

Gift card sales have skyrocketed over the past years with customers being keen to support their local businesses. Though,&nbsp;how many of your sold gift cards have actually been redeemed yet? Fact is,&nbsp;<a href="https://enjovia.com/make-more-restaurant-profit-with-vouchers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">customers spend up to 72% more than the actual value of the card when they redeem it</a>. 



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Time to unlock your hidden revenue with a personalised gift card reminder campaign using our simple 5 step recipe.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1) The Data</h5>



For this campaign, you need to access your&nbsp;gift cards buyer data. The data should include the purchase date and gift card status, i.e. redeemed or unredeemed.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2) The Trigger Event</h5>



Now segment your data into customers&nbsp;who have purchased a gift card but have not redeemed&nbsp;it yet.&nbsp;



If your gift cards come with an expiration date you can use this as a trigger event, e.g. set up an automated reminder campaign for the month before.&nbsp;



Otherwise, you can choose the timeframe that works best for you. Ideally, you would run this sort of campaign during quieter times to further boost bookings.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3) The Messaging</h5>



Your gift card reminder message should go straight to the point.&nbsp;Keep it simple with a strong call-to-action&nbsp;at the end. Also, use your subject line to tell your customers what your email is about to increase your open rates.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4) The Offer</h5>



There’s no need for an additional offer in your campaign.&nbsp;



However, you can use your customers’ attention to&nbsp;promote certain events&nbsp;or&nbsp;fill in for last-minute cancellations&nbsp;with a prompt to book quickly due to limited availability.



Here&#8217;s how your gift card reminder email could look like:



Subject line &#8211; [Name] have you redeemed your gift card for [company] yet?



Don’t forget to pay us a visit and redeem your gift card!



Why not come by this weekend? We’ve got [event] coming up and only limited space available. So better be quick!



Book Your Space Now



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-the-outcome">5) The Outcome</h5>



You certainly don’t want to miss out on all this&nbsp;additional revenue&nbsp;coming with your gift card redemptions. So, keep on top of your gift card sales and make sure customers redeem them in time.&nbsp;



Besides, for many gift card holders this might be the first time at your venue. This is your chance to exceed their expectations and turn them into repeat customers.



Be sure to keep an eye out for our next part of this series on how you turn customers into regulars across all your venues.



Take your&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/gift-cards/#gifting" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gift cards</a>&nbsp;to the next level and go digital.&nbsp;<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with one of our team to find out more.

Unlock Hidden Gift Card Revenue: The Next 5 Step Recipe [Part 3/5]

Data from the <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/ishybridworkingheretostay/2022-05-23#:~:text=More%20than%20three%2Dquarters%20(78,had%20fewer%20distractions%20(53%25).">Office of National Statistics</a> suggest that the number of people who regularly work from home has doubled since pre-pandemic times.



As the novelty of working from home wears off, demand for public spaces that offer a social yet productive working environment will grow.



If you own a coffee shop with plenty of space then you are in a prime position to take advantage of this demand. You already have many pieces in place to set up a good coworking space.&nbsp;



With <a href="https://drinkycoffee.com/coffee-statistics/">coffee shop revenues still below pre-pandemic numbers</a>, this could be an excellent opportunity for coffee shop owners to recover and diversify their income.



Here we will go through the necessary steps to accommodate paid coworking customers in your coffee shop.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Assess Demand for Coworking Space</h5>



Before you plough time and money into setting up your coffee shop for coworking, you should first try to find out how likely it is people in your local area would be willing to pay to work at your premises.



There are a few ways of doing this. They include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Look online if there are any coworking spaces in your area. If there are some then it&#8217;s very likely that there is demand for these types of spaces in your local area.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Take note of how regularly people work at your coffee shop. Many of these people would be willing to pay a small fee to work there if you can provide a more productive space.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Put up a comments and suggestions box in your shop with a sign above it saying &#8211; “We are thinking of offering coworking with ergonomic furniture and high-speed internet. Would any of you be interested in this?” Check how many people have expressed interest over a four-week period</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>If you have some sort of online access to your customers (active social media account or <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">email list</a>) then simply ask your customers on there.</li>
</ul>



It&#8217;s really important that you get some sort of interest in coworking before you make any moves to implement it in your business.



Do not assume that a lack of competition in your local area means that you have found an underserved market. In ninety-nine per cent of cases, a lack of competition means a lack of demand.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Designating a Space for Coworking</h5>



Once you have decided that you are going to offer coworking at your premises, the next step is to decide which part of your coffee shop you are going to set up a coworking space. And how much of your premises will be designated for coworkers.



When it comes to deciding where in your shop you want to have your coworkers, you should remember that one of the biggest needs of working people is for their environment to be quiet.&nbsp;



Therefore you should try to select a space that is as far away from any of the noisiest areas of your shop as possible.&nbsp;



If you have the means to have a physical barrier between the coworking space and other areas of your shop (say an upstairs area, for example) then this is ideal.&nbsp;



It may also be worth investing in a sound system that allows you to exclude music from your designated coworking space while still having it piped into other areas of your premises.



You also need a dedicated space big enough to meet your demand from coworkers.



I’ve found that during working hours, about one-fifth of your customers will be coworkers. So try to dedicate around that proportion of your seated area to coworking.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-deciding-on-pricing-and-terms">3. Deciding on Pricing and Terms</h5>



Coworking is usually either priced as an individual fee per day, or as a monthly fee that covers a certain number of hours per month.



You are also going to have to decide what is included in this fee. Are coworkers entitled to unlimited food and drinks as part of their fee, or will this be sold separately?



In my experience, the best way of pricing out coworking at a coffee shop is to offer a monthly fee for a certain number of hours. Allow one meal, unlimited drinks and a selection of unlimited snacks as part of this.



Offering free food and drinks as part of your terms gives you a real competitive advantage over coworking spaces. While many coworking spaces do offer complimentary snacks and drinks, these won’t be of the same quality as ones freshly prepared by you.



While you may not be able to offer meeting rooms and private phone booths at your coffee shops, your ability to offer superior food and drinks should make you more appealing to freelancers and solo workers.



When it comes to pricing, current rates (2022) for coworking tend to be around £75 &#8211; £100 for part-time (2-3 days a week) and £125 &#8211; £180 for full-time (5 days a week).



The main variable for this cost is location. So if you are based in London then it&#8217;s likely you will be at the top end of this scale.



Of course, you will have to experiment with pricing and find the sweet spot between profitability per head and demand.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-getting-the-required-infrastructure-in-place">4. Getting the Required Infrastructure in Place</h5>



To have any chance of being competitive in the coworking market you will need to offer customers:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ergonomic padded chairs with armrests</li>



<li>Tables of a suitable height to work at&nbsp;</li>



<li>High-speed, reliable <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">guest WiFi</a> that can handle multiple users at the same time</li>



<li>A quiet environment</li>



<li>A means of <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">communicating with existing</a> customers</li>



<li>Opening hours during regular office hours (and ideally longer)</li>
</ul>



Many coffee shops are unlikely to have the required table and chairs, or the internet.&nbsp;



It is imperative that you invest in these things before you offer coworking.&nbsp;



Offering a bad coworking experience due to insufficient infrastructure can damage your reputation and ruin your chances of being seen as a viable coworking option by local people going forward.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-marketing-yourselves-as-a-coworking-space">5. Marketing Yourselves as a Coworking Space</h5>



In my experience, the best way of marketing yourself as a coworking space is to try and rank for the term: “coworking space in [your location]” on Google.



So long as you narrow this down to your really local area, say “coworking space in Hackney” rather than “coworking space in London”, then you have a decent chance of ranking due to a lack of competing coworking spaces in this area.



To optimise your website for this keyword, just do the following:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Set up a dedicated page on your website for your coworking where you talk about your offering and terms. Make sure this is titled with your target keyword.</li>



<li>Add that you offer coworking in your business description and services in your Google My Business account</li>



<li>Add that you offer coworking on some areas of your website’s homepage</li>



<li>Look around if there are any online directories dedicated to coworking spaces and sign yourself up for these.</li>
</ul>



You will not rank for coworking-related keywords immediately. However, if you follow these steps you should be appearing in these searches within a couple of months.



Other ways that you can market yourself as a coworking space include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Having a sign outside your premises</li>



<li>Making social media posts about it and asking your followers to share it</li>



<li>Emailing existing customers on your email list</li>



<li>Taking out an advertisement in the local newspaper (this is always cheaper and more effective than you expect it to be)</li>
</ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-thoughts">Final Thoughts</h5>



The rise of remote working after the pandemic has meant that the part-time coworking space market will certainly grow in the next few years.



Coffee shops are in a prime position to take advantage of this as they can set up a coworking space without core changes to their business operations. All they need are a few tweaks to be able to compete with (often overpriced) dedicated coworking spaces.



If you have a large premise, then this could be an excellent opportunity for you to increase and diversify your income.



This article was written by Oli Baise. Oli helps run London-based coffee shop The Coffee Traveller. He writes about all things coffee and the coffee industry in his blog <a href="https://drinkycoffee.com/">Drinky Coffee</a>.

How to Set Up a Coworking Space in Your Coffee Shop

There’s no denying that loyal customers are a key revenue driver for any business. Their <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-loyalty-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">average spending is up to 67% higher compared to new customers</a>. More than ever, hospitality businesses should now up their efforts to increase customer loyalty to secure a steady revenue flow.&nbsp; A well-established way to get customers coming back and increase sales is by offering loyalty stamp cards. Collecting stamps at each visit and getting rewarded for it, what’s not to like about it?&nbsp;



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



But how many of your customers are actually filling and redeeming their cards? And how long does it take them to obtain a full one?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-problem-with-loyalty-stamp-cards">The problem with loyalty stamp cards</h4>



Getting customers to sign up for your stamp card is usually an easy task, keeping them coming back to use the card is another story. All the initial excitement and interest in collecting stamps tends to wear off over time. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811621000082" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The average rewards program gets a redemption rate of only 13%.&nbsp;</a>



Using stamp cards will increase the chances of a customer coming back, but it can’t be relied upon entirely as a way to keep them coming back for more.



The key action here is to keep customers engaged on a frequent basis in a variety of ways, so they get their stamps too. Let’s uncover some loyalty card secrets.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-keep-customers-engaged">How to keep customers engaged?</h4>



First of all, you have to stay front of mind with your customers. They probably have many loyalty cards from various different places. So it’s on you to regularly remind them that they have a stamp card from your place as well. It’s all about actively encouraging them to come back more often.



Also, when creating your rewards, focus on these questions:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Are they obtainable? Your average visit frequency helps you to determine the ideal number of stamps needed for a full card</li><li>Are they attractive? Which type of reward would your customers want? Are they worth collecting stamps for? Are your rewards relevant to your business?</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-email-sms-marketing-campaigns">Email &amp; SMS marketing campaigns</h4>



As ever, email and SMS marketing are a great tools to keep your customers interested and stay on top of their minds. It’s all about a friendly nudge to remind them of their loyalty stamp cards.



Here’s some inspiration for your campaigns to keep customers committed:



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-them-to-collect-more-stamps">Get them to collect more stamps:</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>&#8220;How many more stamps do you need? &#8211; a fresh batch of &#8230; arrived today, and we know how much you love them. Come by to get yours.&#8221;</li><li>“&#8230; more stamps to go. Come by today to get one extra stamp for every &#8230; “</li><li>&#8220;Special weekday deal &#8211; earn double the stamps when you buy &#8230;&#8221;</li><li>&#8220;Flash offer &#8211; Buy 1, Get 1 free on all cocktails from 6pm-9pm.&#8221;</li></ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-them-to-redeem-their-full-stamp-card">Get them to redeem their full stamp card:</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>&#8220;Still haven&#8217;t redeemed your stamps?&#8221;</li><li>&#8220;Got a full card? You&#8217;re owed a free …, come by today and enjoy &#8230;&#8221;</li><li>&#8220;Don’t miss out on our special freebie for all redeemed stamp cards this month.&#8221;</li><li>“Your chance to win. All redeemed stamp cards from this month will enter a special prize draw.”</li></ul>



By the way, are you still using paper loyalty stamp cards? Everything we’ve said before is massively improved by going digital. Save money and gain more loyal customers faster with digital stamp cards.



<a href="contact@stampede.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> to find out more about our digital stamp card solution.

How to Maximise Revenue from Your Loyalty Stamp Cards

Do you own or operate a restaurant? If so, then you&#8217;re likely always on the lookout for ways to increase customer loyalty, revenues, and long-term growth.



One of the best solutions that could help with all these goals is having a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/what-is-a-hospitality-crm-system-a-full-guide">Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system</a> in place.



CRMs can vastly improve marketing efficiency by providing restaurants with clever tools to create campaigns that personalise every interaction between your business and customers.



In this blog post, we&#8217;ll discuss how restaurants benefit from using an integrated CRM solution.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-how-a-crm-system-can-help-increase-revenue-for-restaurants">Understanding How a CRM System Can Help Increase Revenue for Restaurants</h2>



Restaurants are always searching for ways to increase revenue and attract repeat customers. One solution that has proven effective is investing in a restaurant CRM system.



By using a CRM, restaurants can <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-common-data-integration-flaws-in-hospitality-tech">collect and consolidate customer data </a>in one place to gain a comprehensive understanding of their clientele. This allows them to grow a customer profile by using different data sources and digital touchpoints. Sources could be coming from your Guest WiFi, your order &amp; pay app or your table booking software. So they can better tailor experiences to the needs and preferences of individual guests.



Additionally, a restaurant CRM solution allows for data-driven decision-making, enabling restaurants to make strategic choices about marketing campaigns, menu offerings, and more.



By automating and streamlining many operational tasks, a CRM also frees up staff time. This allows them to focus on providing exceptional customer experiences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-and-segmenting-your-audience-with-a-crm-system">Identifying and Segmenting Your Audience with a CRM System</h2>



As a restaurant owner, identifying and segmenting your audience is crucial for a successful marketing strategy. With the help of a CRM system, you can better understand your customers, their behaviour and how they have interacted with your venue.



You can create segments based on specific characteristics, such as demographics, purchasing patterns or preferred menu items.



Additionally, you can combine data from different sources, such as your table booking system, your Guest WiFi or your loyalty program. This will help you gain even deeper insights into your customers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-personalised-marketing-through-a-crm-system">Benefits of Personalised Marketing Through a CRM System</h2>



When it comes to restaurant marketing, nothing beats the power of personalised marketing through a CRM system.



Once you’ve segmented your data, you can tailor your marketing efforts to each individual customer. This helps you create more targeted and personalised email and SMS campaigns that resonate with customers and make them feel valued.



As a result, you can grow a loyal customer base that feels a strong emotional connection to your brand. When customers experience a personalised experience from your restaurant, they&#8217;re more likely to return time and time again.



This means that you can increase repeat visits, boost customer spending and ultimately grow your restaurant business.



Personalised marketing through a CRM system is a valuable tool that can help you differentiate your restaurant from competitors and build long-lasting customer relationships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-takeaways">Takeaways</h2>



Overall, the benefits of using a <a href="https://stampede.ai/amaze">restaurant CRM system</a> are numerous, serving as a valuable tool for driving revenue growth and improving customer satisfaction. You can understand customer behaviour, segment your audiences, and receive invaluable insights into customer preferences and habits.



By leveraging the insights provided by a reliable CRM system, restaurateurs are able to create long-term relationships with customers while optimising their digital marketing strategies.&nbsp;



Many restaurants have successfully used a CRM to leverage their business operations and generate better results for their companies. Restaurant owners and operators should therefore seriously consider investing in innovative technologies like a CRM system.

How Restaurants Benefit From A CRM System

What&#8217;s the first thing that comes to your mind when visiting a hospital or emergency waiting room? A clean, well lit, area to sit? Access to staff? How about WiFi?

Access to WiFi in waiting rooms is one of the recommendations in a <a class="" href="http://www.rcem.ac.uk/RCEM/News/News_2017/RCEM_asks_Emergency_Departments_to_meet_50_standards_to_ensure_quality_emergency_care.aspx">report justreleased by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine</a>. WiFi in hospitals and patient waiting rooms is categorised as a &#8220;Developmental&#8221; standard in the RCEM report. Services in this category aren&#8217;t required for patients and staff but serve as goals over and above services in the &#8220;Fundamental&#8221; category, such as access to a TV and a properly staffed waiting area.<img decoding="async" class="" style="width: 700px;" title="Stampede Hospital wifi" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/hospital-wifi.jpg" alt="Stampede Hospital wifi" width="700" data-constrained="true" />
As Dr. Taj Hassan, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, explained when the report was released: “We have also suggested some initiatives and ideas for departments to develop for patients, that we hope will add just that little bit extra to patient experience.”
By combining their Guest WiFi experience with a <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#analytics">WiFi analytics tool,</a> hospitals and waiting rooms can go even farther in enhancing the patient experience. What&#8217;s the average wait time a user spends in a waiting area? What&#8217;s the gender breakdown? Are users accessing the WiFi on mobile, tablets or laptops? This last insight would further enhance the waiting room experience. For example, if a hospital noticed that more guests are <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/articles/wifi-in-hospitals">accessing hospital WiFi</a> over mobile or tablets, USB sockets for recharging would be a simple and quick waiting area upgrade, leading to an enhanced patient experience. How about a quick survey on a branded splash page before users log in? Helping hospital and waiting room staff understand their patients and their families needs.
Work for a hospital and want to improve your patients experience?
Do you have any experience you would like to share? Please leave it on the comments below.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://stampede.ai/get-started">Click here to get started.</a>

WiFi in Hospitals – Improving the Patient Care Experience

In 2019, <a href="https://stampede.ai/press/raising-the-bar-a-stampede-report/">Stampede research </a>revealed that the number of pubs and bars in the UK had increased for the first time in a decade – while the wider hospitality sector was also in great shape. The same year, <a href="https://storekit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">storekit</a> made headlines for its cheapest pint in London Tube map, which took hundreds of hours to create. Fast-forward two years, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-integration-with-storekit/">Stampede and storekit</a> were now business partners and wanted to assess the same ONS UK business count data source to better understand the impact of COVID on UK hospitality business numbers.&nbsp;



The good news is that the hospitality sector has been remarkably resilient – despite tremendous uncertainty and disruption. In fact, there are now more registered hospitality businesses in the UK today than in March 2019 or March 2020 – according to ONS data based on Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 5601, 5602, 5603, 56210, 56290, 56301, 56302. These codes cover restaurants, takeaways, cafes, mobile food stands, catering businesses, clubs, pubs and bars registered to Companies House.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1016" height="796" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-21110" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2.png 1016w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-300x235.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-768x602.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-150x118.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-592x464.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-77x60.png 77w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ONS-Data-Table-Jan-2022.2-115x90.png 115w" sizes="(max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px" /></a></figure>



* Licensed Club data includes venues from the following subcategories: Discotheques (licensed to sell alcohol), Night-clubs (licensed to sell alcohol), Social Clubs (licensed to sell alcohol), Working mens clubs (licensed to sell alcohol).



The food sector saw almost universal growth in terms of business numbers, with restaurants, takeaways, catering businesses and mobile food stands all growing in number between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The only decline was among businesses classified as “other food service activities” – which covers airline, school, university, office catering. With many of these industries closing down during the pandemic or reducing use/occupancy, this is hardly surprising.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MyVa9FOI2cA5dZqY7tDQvyMsSgiZT6SkAIE4N5yLUewG1UBYl35ipuBCbddV9TwrhDKD5Ez0wpBJNDGo9gadY7BNk5JW4Ylk0XaW6pxbsyd7YvSI6RkAmka5H8eMoSvqGU3akMoU" alt=""/></figure>



In less positive news, we saw a decline in the number of UK pubs, bars and clubs between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. This is the continuation of a decade long downward trend, despite a small surge in 2019, but the steep net loss of -1300 pubs between 2019 and 2021 is noticeable.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1TBlY8JHqAzwEW8XoVsYkwvrdnUHAzRSeTopAKLBOD3zDMGnZGLO5XlsHfIB6NYe_NyRz2O2YvCzwaY_KkKLnLdtfSvAJqOBJqiSCm1eir6LiIRHbqtsXpWCZgtILjoEkww9dXkD" alt=""/></figure>



It’s clear that drinks-focused businesses such as pubs, bars and clubs have all suffered more from the COVID restrictions than restaurants&nbsp;



With 6,985 registered clubs in 2021, from a high of 10,040 in 2010, it’s entirely possible that the UK will soon have less than 5,000 clubs, especially if COVID disruptions continue and capacities do not reach their maximum potential in the years ahead. This could lead to clubs struggling financially.&nbsp; To speak to Stampede and storekit, please get in touch via email at <a href="mailto:contact@stampede.ai">contact@stampede.ai</a>

The UK’s irrepressible hospitality sector: 2022 Industry Growth Report

Vertical: The Future of Video Content for Digital Marketing

For decades, hospitality businesses have trusted in the power of human labour to keep their venues running. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises more efficient operations and better-personalised experiences for their customers.&nbsp;



But while AI has comes with huge benefits &#8211; from automating mundane tasks to better understanding customers’ needs &#8211; it also poses potential drawbacks.&nbsp;



Before you decide whether or not integrating AI into your hospitality operations is right for you, take some time to consider both the pros and cons we lay down in this blog article.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ai-is-used-in-the-hospitality-industry">How AI is used in the hospitality industry</h2>



AI is being used in a variety of ways in the hospitality industry, from chatbots that assist with reservations to orders to automated systems that streamline check-in and check-out processes and marketing and sales automation.



It also comes with the ability to predict customer needs and preferences, which can help with recommendations, personalised service and upsell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-advantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Key advantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Increased operational efficiency and productivity</h4>



With AI, businesses are able to streamline their operational and administrative processes and automate tasks. This allows for a significant increase in productivity and better resource management.



Moreover, with less manual handling required, there is a reduced chance of human error. Especially when dealing with customer data or uploading and updating spreadsheets, which can be prone to mistakes.



Marketing teams can massively improve their efforts with AI. For example, use data insights to build defined customer segments. The foundation for email and SMS campaigns that really resonate with customers and drive them back to their venue.&nbsp;



With clever <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/hospitality-marketing-automation-playbook">campaign automation</a>, operators can additionally save valuable time and staff can focus on more crucial tasks.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Reduced costs</h4>



With the rise of AI, there are new opportunities for hospitality businesses to cut costs.



Routine and repetitive tasks can easily be automated, saving on labour costs. Besides, by implementing AI, operators can bypass ongoing staff shortages.



It also allows for more efficient and accurate decision-making backed by real data insights. So without relying on guesswork, operators can ultimately reduce unnecessary costs in the long run.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Improved customer experience</h4>



The key to retaining customers is to ensure that they have a memorable experience when interacting with your brand. This is where the use of AI comes in.&nbsp;



Businesses can create a much more personalised and tailored experience that is based on customers’ preferences and behaviours.



Moreover, AI can help to connect all of a customer&#8217;s interactions with a brand across various digital channels. This contributes towards a more unified and seamless online experience.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Better forecasting</h4>



In today&#8217;s fast-paced environment, having accurate and timely forecasts can mean the difference between success and failure.&nbsp;



AI has the ability to analyse vast amounts of customer data in a second and provide insights into revenue opportunities that may have otherwise been missed.&nbsp;



Perhaps even more importantly, AI can predict market trends, giving businesses an edge in their strategic planning. By leveraging the preciseness of forecasting, businesses can make smarter decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately, increase their bottom line.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-main-disadvantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Main disadvantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



Although AI has the potential to take business operations to the next level, it comes with its share of disadvantages that should also be considered.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;1. Impersonal service</h4>



One major issue with AI is the loss of the human touch. Whether it&#8217;s automated customer service systems or self-checkout kiosks, these rather impersonal experiences can negatively affect customer satisfaction.



AI systems can never fully replace human intuition and judgement, which can also lead to errors and inaccuracies in service.&nbsp;



No doubt, the human element is vital to creating a warm and welcoming environment. It&#8217;s through genuine connections with staff that customers feel valued and it&#8217;s those connections that keep them coming back time and time again.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. System failure</h4>



Running a hospitality business is a complex task that requires a lot of moving parts to function well. The success of operations depends heavily on all of the systems working properly.



Unfortunately, when these systems fail, they can cause serious disruption to the entire operation. Rooms may be double-booked, orders may be lost or misplaced and customers may be left waiting for extended periods of time.



As a result, unsatisfied customers and negative reviews can quickly pile up, causing lasting damage to the business.&nbsp;



To mitigate the risk of system failure, it’s important for hospitality operators to have a plan in place in case their AI tool breaks down. By being proactive and prepared, they can ensure a seamless experience for their customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Technological limitations</h4>



The hospitality industry requires technology tools that cater to their particular needs. Customer interactions happen both online and offline. Generic AI tools might not align with their specific requirements and might therefore create more work than taking off the workload if not set up properly.



Even with the right technology tools to hand the various systems used need to interact and talk to each other. Without those <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-common-data-integration-flaws-in-hospitality-tech">integrations</a>, the data flow is disconnected and operators are not able to generate a single customer view.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. High implementation costs</h4>



The implementation of these tools often comes at a high cost, making them unaffordable for smaller venues. This situation has forced operators to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding if it is worth investing in AI tools.&nbsp;



While AI can bring about significant returns, it may not be a worthwhile investment for all businesses. However, as technology continues to advance, we may see a rise in more cost-effective solutions that cater to a range of budgets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summary">Summary</h2>



In conclusion, there are pros and cons of using AI in the hospitality industry that should be taken into account.&nbsp;



Technology can be used to save money, increase efficiency, improve customer experience and enable more precise forecasting. However, many operators are still struggling with the lack of human element when it comes to dealing with customers and their needs.&nbsp;



Furthermore, technological limitations should not be disregarded as they might also cause certain problems when it comes to adapting AI to existing processes.&nbsp;



Finally, before making any investments in AI, operators should evaluate the costs associated with them as this could highly affect their financial situation.&nbsp;



All factors taken into consideration, applying AI technology correctly can prove extremely beneficial for restaurants and the hospitality industry in general.



Make sure to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/ai-in-hospitality-marketing-a-complete-guide">check out our full guide</a> exploring AI for hospitality marketing.

The Pros And Cons Of Using AI In Hospitality

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New version software now live!</h2>



Discover V4.0



<a href="#webinar-video">Watch our Webinar below</a>



After lots of hard work, we&#8217;re happy to announce the fourth iteration of our software platform is now live



The new version includes:



&nbsp;A totally redesigned user experience making the software faster and easier to use than ever.



An overhaul of our marketing suite including changes to the interface as well as improved functionality in the email builder.



Enhanced insight and statistics within the software providing more detail that you can use to grow your business.



Our Lastest feature &#8211; <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/introducing-stories/">WiFi Stories</a>



WiFi Stories allows you to promote news, offers, events and more in a dynamic way.



Check out our webinar below for more information or contact our team below for a 1-to-1 demo.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://stampede.ai/contact/">Book A Demo</a></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div id="webinar-video" class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Product Update Webinar | Stampede" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j0m4R1SXXqM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Webinar script&nbsp;</h4>



Welcome &#8211; 0:00



Dashboard overview &#8211; 0:36



Stampede’s new dashboard layout makes V4.0 extremally easy to navigate with all your key customer data pulled into one place.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Reports and analytics</li><li>Reviews</li><li>Marketing campaigns</li><li>Branding/login</li><li>Amount of people in your venue</li></ul>



Analtyics &#8211; 2:24



Find out who and when your customers are in your venue with our improved analytics and graphs



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Male/Female</li><li>Opt-ins vs opt-outs for marketing</li><li>Customer Timeline Graphs&nbsp;</li></ul>



Branding/login &#8211; 3:27



With our new editor and layout &#8211; building your business splash page has never been easier



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>View what your business splash page will look like on a mobile device</li><li>View GDPR terms</li><li>Edit data capture on the same page as design to see real-time updates&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Customise your splash page like a professional with our easy to use editor&nbsp;</li></ul>



Marketing automation &#8211; 4:30



Stampede’s marketing automation feature has undergone a redesign so you can track and implement a number of different campaigns quickly and efficiently to ensure you are reaching a return on investment.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Compare campaigns</li><li>Cash value ROI tool</li><li>Send limit</li><li>Create audiences</li><li>&nbsp;“And” rule to send multiple campaigns to customers</li><li>“Or” rule for more targeted campaigns to customers&nbsp;</li><li>Send SMS and email campaigns</li><li>Stampede’s email builder has lots of new features to create eye-catching emails&nbsp;</li></ul>



Reviews &#8211; 8:31



The Reviews tool has an easy to use filter system so you can manage all your reviews in one place efficiently. The review email template has also undergone a modern upgrade that autofill images and text from your splash page to create a stylish, branded design automatically&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Filter based on website or time&nbsp;</li><li>Email template upgrade</li></ul>



Stories &#8211; 9:41



WiFi Stories allows you to promote news, offers, events and more in a dynamic way. On your Connect account, you can now create tiles for individual promotions and messages, that will be shown to returning visitors to your venue, after they login back into the WiFi. Each tile will be shown for 12 seconds before moving on, with a countdown timer along the top.



You can track impressions from the Stories and track clicks and interactions on these in the Connect platform, alongside our improved dashboard, analytics, and other marketing tools.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>How to create stories</li><li>How to track impressions</li></ul>

Connect Version 4.0

Instagram Stories vs. Reels. Here’s how and when to use them

Our Marketing feature has been getting a serious overhaul behind the scenes in recent weeks. We’re pleased to share with you details of this in our Autumn product update.



Highlights include:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Intelligent targeting and list building based on other customer interactions</li><li>Faster, easier template building and management</li><li>A simplified campaign builder &#8211; start to send in 4 clicks.</li><li>More detailed campaign reporting than ever</li></ul>



The momentum behind the updates came directly from the feedback from dozens of our users. So many have been increasing their use of our digital marketing in the last 18 months and their feedback has gone straight back into this latest release



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/marketing-update-2021-campaigns2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/498/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8wOS9tYXJrZXRpbmctdXBkYXRlLTIwMjEtY2FtcGFpZ25zMi0xMDI0eDQ5OC5wbmc=" alt="Stampede's new marketing campaign dashboard" class="wp-image-20438" width="1024" height="498"/></a><figcaption>The new Campaigns Dashboard</figcaption></figure>



<div style="height:50px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



Let’s take a walk through the refreshed system to see what’s new:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addresses-and-domains">Addresses and Domains</h3>



<meta charset="utf-8">When you first try the new Marketing campaigns, you’ll be asked to verify your sender domain. This new feature improves the deliverability of your emails but also helps to reinforce the presence of your brand within your customers’ inboxes.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/marketing-2021-update-domains.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/813/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8wOS9tYXJrZXRpbmctMjAyMS11cGRhdGUtZG9tYWlucy0xMDI0eDgxMy5wbmc=" alt="marketing update 2021 domains" class="wp-image-20432" width="768" height="610"/></a></figure></div>



<div style="height:50px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customer-lists-and-segmentation">Customer Lists and Segmentation</h3>



The way that you choose recipients of your emails has been given some seriously special treatment. Our advanced segment builder lets you deliver high impact, personalised marketing that drives repeat visits like never before.



To help you get started, we’ve created over 30 unique customer segments to inspire your next campaigns and drive revenue from your mailing list. And it’s all powered by the data Stampede helps you collect.



Take a look at some examples:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>People who’ve rated your business 4 stars or higher via Reviews</li><li>Customers who’ve bought a Gift Card but haven’t redeemed it yet</li><li>Loyal fans who are close to filling up their digital Loyalty card</li></ul>



&#8230;plus hundreds more segments when you start to mix and match the possible combinations! And these of course will automatically update as you collect additional customer data from various sources within Stampede.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/marketing-update-2021-segments2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/635/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8wOS9tYXJrZXRpbmctdXBkYXRlLTIwMjEtc2VnbWVudHMyLTEwMjR4NjM1LnBuZw==" alt="The brand new segmentation menu within Stampede Marketing" class="wp-image-20439" width="768" height="476"/></a><figcaption>A sample of the ready-made segments</figcaption></figure></div>



<div style="height:51px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-email-design-and-templates">Email Design and Templates</h3>



So, what about the emails themselves? Mailchimp users will be pleased to know that you can now directly import your templates and simplify your marketing systems. There’s also a fresh library of email templates from our in-house experts for you to choose from.



For the more technical among you, we’ve made improvements to the HTML email code builder. With auto-complete and syntax highlighting you’ll find it easier than ever to make and change your email templates.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-campaign-reporting">Campaign Reporting</h3>



Now for the numbers bit &#8211; reporting. It’s got all the metrics you’d expect, plus all the ones you’re really here for. Unlike other email marketing providers, Stampede is geared to get you more customers and track those customers when they return. You can even see exactly how much revenue a campaign brings in within the reporting suite. Simply enter the average spend per head and the system does the rest for you. That&#8217;s the beauty of having all the tools connected in the same platform.



No more wondering if, and what is working for your marketing team. We’ve closed the loop when it comes to your digital marketing so you can track the results of your efforts more easily and build upon what works best for your business.



As you can see this was no small update, and we’ve only just skimmed the surface here. All these features are live now in Stampede, you can log in and use them right away If you’d like to talk to us about upgrading to start using it click here.



We look forward to seeing all your future email campaigns &#8211; happy sending!

Better Marketing For All

A more effective ways to run Meta ads for hospitality

4 Ways CRM Data Can Be Used in Day-to-Day Service by Your Staff

How to Use Segmentation to Increase Guest Engagement in Hospitality

Introducing Quick Campaigns

Snap Box – Stampede Network Application

Stampede-Meta Audience Connect: Simplifying multi-channel marketing strategies

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

New Features & Updates – September 2023

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

Instagram is all about image. Whether you’re an individual giving a sneak peek into who you are and what you enjoy or a brand looking to engage with new customers, Instagram is the perfect platform to showcase what makes you unique.&nbsp;Keeping the wordcount minimal, you may have noticed that this social platform makes photos and illustrations a priority. Instagram is an entirely visual medium that, if used correctly, can hook audiences so that they become loyal followers.&nbsp;One way to engage your customers is by creating an Instagram Theme.







We believe the most successful Instagram accounts are ones that keep to a particular theme. A theme helps to emphasise a brand’s identity and it also adds to the visual appeal of an account. This helps followers so stay intrigued and engaged.&nbsp;



Further read from our blog &#8211; <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-take-perfect-food-image-for-instagram/">https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-take-perfect-food-image-for-instagram/</a>



Before we delve into how you can create an engaging Instagram theme that will work for your business, let’s review what an Instagram theme is, exactly.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">What Is an Instagram Theme?</h4>



A theme allows you to add consistency to your profile. It’s all about being deliberate with your posts so that you create a “personality” on Instagram that best reflects who you are and what you want to share. To develop a theme that will work for you, first consider what your audiences will find appealing as well as what will best reflect the personality of your business. 



Think of your brand’s colours and the type of messages you would like to communicate (for example, are you a restaurant that likes to keep things fun and trendy or are you an accountant who needs a more formal and serious approach)? Once you know what type of theme you should have, you can use Instagram’s tools to create it. You can use filters and other effects to design a style that works for you.&nbsp;



To help you to draw some inspiration for your own account, we’ll take a look at some different Instagram theme ideas and how they can be applied to engage your customers.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8 Instagram Themes to Make Your Feed Unique and Engaging</h4>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme One: Consistent Colour Palette</h4>



This is probably one of the easier themes to create and requires little work other than ensuring you stick to a certain colour palette when designing your posts. A consistent colour scheme will automatically present your feed in a cohesive way whilst enhancing the overall aesthetics of your feed.



When executing an Instagram colour palette theme, it does not mean that every post needs to be one colour only. Instead, you can post content that always contains an element of the same colour. This alone will show consistency and generate a theme.&nbsp;



Check out this Instagram account for an example of a consistent colour palette: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trivago/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/trivago/?hl=en</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Two: Grid Tile Effect</h4>



This theme requires a little more strategic planning but if you get your layout right, you will certainly knock the socks off of your followers.&nbsp; The idea is to create a larger image or a design on your Instagram feed using individual posts.&nbsp;



This type of theme can have a great impact on audiences and adds tons of intrigue to your account. What’s important to remember with this theme, however, is that each individual post will need to make sense on its own. This way, it will still communicate a relevant message to audiences who have not clicked on your profile.



Find a grid tile effect on this account: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/juniperoats/">https://www.instagram.com/juniperoats/</a>



As a side note, if you choose to go with this type of theme, you will also need to remember to post in groups of 3 so that your design never shifts out of place.



Special tip: The easier and quicker option to create this grid tile effect is to split one big image into individual tiles. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Three: White Borders</h4>



Adding white borders to your posts is a clever hack that will make your Instagram feed look more like a photo album or brochure. It’s also another strategy you can use to create eye-catching patterns.&nbsp;



Instagramers have been using this technique for yonks so that they do not have to crop portrait or landscape posts to fit into the square template. Now it is a thematic option that can be used to add intrigue to a feed.&nbsp;



That&#8217;s how the effect of the white borders could look like on an account: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lady.austin/">https://www.instagram.com/lady.austin/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Four: Black and White</h4>



Posting your content in monochrome is another way to maintain a cohesive Instagram theme. This creates quite a “moody” atmosphere, however, so we would only suggest this theme to alluring brands that don’t need colour to communicate a visual message. &nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Five: Flat Lay</h4>



This theme is great for restaurants who enjoy showcasing their dishes. Here, you don’t have to use colours or patterns to create a theme. Instead, you can use a consistent “flat” style of photography. &nbsp;



You can easily create this “flat” look by photographing products from above.



An example of the flat lay theme can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aldiuk/">https://www.instagram.com/aldiuk/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Six: Horizontal Lines</h4>



Another way to catch a person’s attention is to create a pattern using horizontal lines that stretch across an Instagram feed.



An example of a horizontal-type theme can be viewed at the following Instagram account: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/personaljournalapp">https://www.instagram.com/personaljournalapp</a>



This theme (like the grid tile effect), requires you to post in bundles of three again. This means it will take a bit of prior planning.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Seven: Vertical Lines</h4>



This theme is applied similarly to the horizontal theme, just, well, vertically! Many prefer this look to the horizontal layout, however, because it draws the eye downwards &#8211; which naturally encourages scrolling!



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Theme Eight: Checkerboard</h4>



A checkerboard theme is created by alternating different types of content. This effect works well if you post a lot of text posts.&nbsp;



View an example of this type of theme at: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thefemalehustlers">https://www.instagram.com/thefemalehustlers</a>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/rock-your-restaurant-with-wifi-and-instagram/">Creating an Instagram account that engages</a> audiences and supports your brand through an Instagram theme, is one way to ensure that your social media marketing strategy is ultimately refined for the best results. 



If you want to know more about how you can nurture your social media efforts and draw in followers, why not chat to us here at Stampede about <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">WiFi marketing</a> and how it can enhance your marketing efforts? 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

How to Create an Engaging Instagram Theme

Planning, importing data, reporting. These are the bread around the meat of your marketing campaigns (i.e. the fun bit with all the actual content).



In most platforms, campaign reporting often creates more questions than answers, is hard to understand and difficult to navigate.



Likewise, importing CSV lists is often a major frustration for marketers across the board.



It can be so much easier to plan and iterate on your email campaigns, and we’ll prove it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-new">What&#8217;s New?</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Segments</h3>



Create new segments in one click from past campaigns.&nbsp;



Target just the openers, or just the clickers to double-down on conversions with a tailored follow-up campaign.



Navigate to a campaign, head to the reports and you’re one click from a new audience segment.



Follow-up campaigns to engaged, but not converted, customers are hugely effective at increasing conversions.



Try it now.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Planning</h3>



A small but critical part of your campaigns. When should you send them? Normally this takes months of testing to get answers.



To get you an answer now, we’ve added a new AI-powered helper to give you better insight into the best send times for your business.



You can now see the best day of the week and time of day to send emails for maximum performance, based on your past campaigns.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reporting">Reporting</h3>



From what we’ve seen out there, these tend to be quite rubbish.&nbsp;



With this latest update, our campaign reports provide the detail that so many miss, giving you valuable insight in seconds&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Improved conversion attribution reports show real spend at your venue via walk-ins / bookings / gift card sales / online orders</li>



<li>Full email click maps help you pinpoint the most popular content in your campaign, so you can optimise future emails and boost your click-through rate</li>



<li>Quick breakdowns of Most engaged contacts and top clicked links, make it easy to see what performed best and who your biggest fans are</li>



<li>Export reports to CSV for further analysis. Handy if you need to send them on to third-parties outside your organisation, or merge with other data.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-imports">Data Imports</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>CSV uploads are way faster with bigger files. Merge and move lists faster. If this has been holding you back from switching email platform, it’s time to reassess.</li>



<li>Auto-emails will tell you when an import is done. Hit “Upload” and get back to designing the email whilst your audience populates.</li>



<li>Field mapping: also faster.</li>
</ul>



All of this is now available on your Stampede account, so<a href="https://product.stampede.ai"> get stuck in.</a>&nbsp;



If you need any help you can reach our team on <a href="mailto:support@stampede.ai">support@stampede.ai</a> or visit our Knowledge Base

For most web forms, the rule for the optimum number of fields is simple: less is more.&nbsp;For&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/avoid-these-3-common-guest-wifi-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WiFi sign-up</a> forms, however, the answer isn’t as straightforward.&nbsp;



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



It’s about finding the sweet spot between ensuring a smooth&nbsp;customer experience&nbsp;and leveraging Guest WiFi as a&nbsp;clever marketing tool&nbsp;to increase revenue and boost loyalty.



Unfortunately, a lot of times, WiFi sign-up forms fall into one of the two categories below.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-case-1-too-many-fields">Case 1: Too Many Fields</h5>



If your sign-up has a large number of fields, the log-in becomes&nbsp;time-consuming.&nbsp;



The outcome: customers either start filling in wrong information to speed up the process or quit before even finishing.&nbsp;



Always remember that your customers are looking for a&nbsp;quick log-in experience. They don’t want to scroll through pages to fill in the form to get WiFi access.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Case 2: Not Enough Fields</h5>



The opposite is the case with not adding enough fields to your form. If you just ask for an email, you’re&nbsp;missing out on useful data.&nbsp;



You might still be able to reach them via email, but you are very limited in crafting personalised messages. Hence, your&nbsp;conversion rates will be very low.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">The Ideal Number That Converts</h5>



What does the ideal WiFi sign-up form look like then?&nbsp;



Use a minimum number of fields to remove friction, but ensure you get all the data you need.&nbsp; The graph below helps you visualise how the number of fields impacts both the customer experience and the value of the data captured. You can see that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/priceonomics/2017/08/10/analyzing-conversion-rate-data/#4e7225402365" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">4-5 fields is the optimum</a>&nbsp;number.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/data-capture-graph.png"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/498/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wOC9kYXRhLWNhcHR1cmUtZ3JhcGgtMTAyNHg0OTgucG5n" alt="" class="wp-image-22085"/></a></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



So, start by thinking about what you want to do with the information. How do you want to&nbsp;segment your data&nbsp;and what kind of campaigns&nbsp;do you want to send?



Must-have fields:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Email address</li><li>First name</li><li>Date of birth</li></ul>



Nice-to-have fields:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Phone number</li><li>Last name</li><li>Postcode</li><li>Custom questions, i.e. reason for visiting, how did you find us …</li></ul>



With a carefully chosen custom question, you can create some&nbsp;specific audience groups&nbsp;with ease, such as Students. Then you can do more targeted customer research.



Extra tip &#8211;&nbsp;enable social media sign-up&nbsp;as the auto-fill option makes it fast and convenient for customers.&nbsp;



Start capturing your data through your Guest WiFi and build your mailing list with ease.&nbsp;<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book a demo</a>&nbsp;with our team to find out more about Stampede.

Unlocking The Secret To Better Data Capture

Customers are loyal for many reasons. And maybe some are not as loyal as you think they are.



Whatever drives your customers back to your venue, it’s important to find out the intention behind it and to create different loyalty segments.



This allows you to market to them on a much more personal level and turn all levels of loyal customers into true brand lovers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Customer Loyalty Matrix</h2>



In general, there are 4 main customer loyalty categories as shown in the matrix below. They differ based on their level of brand attachment and price consciousness.&nbsp;



Let’s take a closer look at each quadrant.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="715" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-1024x715.png" alt="4 types of customer loyalty" class="wp-image-23154" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-1024x715.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-300x209.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-768x536.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-1536x1072.png 1536w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-1200x837.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766-150x105.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-9766.png 1963w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">4 Types of Customer Loyalty</figcaption></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-habitual-loyals">1. Habitual loyals</h4>



This type of customer loyalty falls under the &#8216;simplest option&#8217; category.



They are driven by habit which means they don’t have a&nbsp; specific preference for a certain venue. Often there is no intention to look for an alternative as they are satisfied enough with what they get for now.



A common example is the coffee shop on the way to work. Customers are used to going there but they are no emotional connections to the venue as such.



However, as their loyalty is based on convenience they’re also at risk of switching should they come across a better option. Such as a new fancy coffee place opening up.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Transactional or offer-based loyals</h4>



What’s the ‘cheapest option’ with the best offer? That is what transactional loyal customers are looking for when choosing a venue.&nbsp;



They want to save money, more so now than ever.



Businesses can keep them hooked with regular offers and discounts, though their loyalty is, as is the case with habitual loyals, not related to a specific venue.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Loyalty-program loyals</h4>



The third type of loyalty can be categorised as the ‘satisfying option’.



Customers are engaged and actively interacting with your business based on your loyalty program and previous good experiences.



Despite the fact that their main goal is to climb up the ranks and get rewarded (price sensitive), they are certainly attached to your brand.&nbsp;



They are willing to spend more and chances are high that they tell their family and friends to join your loyalty program.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Emotional loyals</h4>



No doubt, these are your most valuable loyal customers. For them, your venue is the only option.



They are deeply connected to your brand due to ongoing value creation from your side. They identify with you. Call them your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-use-data-to-unveil-your-true-brand-fanatics">brand fanatics</a>.



With high attachment and affinity comes advocacy. Hence they also love to spread the word about your place and attract new customers for you, for free.



This is the category you want all your customers to be in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to move customers around in the matrix</h2>



Based on the matrix, habitual and transactional loyalty can be categorised as passive loyalty. On the contrary, loyalty-program-based and emotional loyalty as active.&nbsp;



The question is how to get customers from a passive to an active level.&nbsp;



Here are some ideas to get you started:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Personalisation&nbsp;</h4>



Customers come with their individual needs and expectations and especially habitual customers tend to also have certain behavioural patterns.



This is when customer data insights come in handy. <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-bring-customers-back-using-customer-data-and-personalisation-part-ii">Use your CRM</a> to build unique 360° customer profiles.



So, for example, instead of sending out a generic’ birthday offer’, dig into your order &amp; pay app data.&nbsp;



Let’s assume a customer always orders an espresso martini. Try this email instead: “Celebrate your birthday with us. The espresso martini is on the house today.”



Adding an extra personal touch can go a long way and convince your passive loyals to switch from a money-driven to a value-driven mindset.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Online &amp; offline experience</h4>



The hospitality industry is special in the way that there are offline and online touchpoints along the customer journey.&nbsp;



To raise brand awareness and value perception you need to provide a unified experience across all. I.e. make your brand recognisable.



This way, passive customers will become more aware of whom they are actually engaging with. Even more so if the overall experience was frictionless.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Gamification</h4>



Gamification can add another fun layer to your loyalty program.&nbsp;



It keeps customers engaged and encourages them to interact with your brand more frequently. Which in turn drives their emotional brand attachment.&nbsp;



Besides, if they have fun they will share it with others, win-win.



Tip: Find some clever gamification ideas <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-gamification-ideas-to-take-your-loyalty-scheme-to-the-next-level">in this article.</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Referral scheme</h4>



A referral scheme is especially useful to move already active loyals to the highest level.



Customers get rewarded for their ongoing loyalty. You can show that you really value them. 



After all, you’ve chosen them to advocate for you, so they feel proud. Which in turn enhances emotional attachment.



Tip: Here’s how you can set up a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/increase-your-footfall-with-a-simple-customer-referral-loop-part-5-of-5">simple referral scheme</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Need help segmenting the different types of customer loyalty from your data? <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-started">Reach out</a> to learn more about <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">Stampede Marketing</a> and how you can use it for personalised campaigns.

4 Types Of Customer Loyalty: How Loyal Are Yours?

[vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image=&#8221;15605&#8243; bg_image_size=&#8221;responsive&#8221; bg_position=&#8221;center-top&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221;][vc_column vertical_content_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_class=&#8221;on-top&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1583792399340{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Our mission is to empower physical businesses with world class digital tools&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:div|font_size:40px|text_align:left|color:%231f2888|line_height:52px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][fildisi_empty_space height_multiplier=&#8221;custom&#8221; height=&#8221;18px&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221;]Since 2015, Stampede has provided businesses with intuitive tools enabling them to grow their business, whilst delivering an exceptional experience for their customers at the same time.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/6&#8243; el_wrapper_class=&#8221;sliders&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1532536140578{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;m-hide&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/3&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;We want to change the way offline businesses engage with customers online&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:right|color:%231d1e2c|line_height:42px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; columns_gap=&#8221;60&#8243; section_id=&#8221;contact&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_gmap map_zoom=&#8221;5&#8243; map_height=&#8221;530&#8243; map_mode=&#8221;multiple&#8221; map_marker=&#8221;15975&#8243; map_points=&#8221;%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Stampede%20Scotland%22%2C%22marker%22%3A%2215975%22%2C%22lat%22%3A%2255.9770448%22%2C%22lng%22%3A%22-3.1731086%22%2C%22infotext_open%22%3A%22no%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Stampede%20Wales%22%2C%22marker%22%3A%2215975%22%2C%22lat%22%3A%2251.479754%22%2C%22lng%22%3A%22-3.1556141%22%2C%22infotext_open%22%3A%22no%22%7D%5D&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Contact us&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:56px|text_align:left|color:%231f2888|line_height:60px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221;]Drop by our Scotland office at: 
Admiral House, 
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Call us on: 
<a href="tel:01315107008">(+44) 0131 510 7008</a>
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Company

A flaw in WPA2, the encryption protocol used by routers to secure networks, <a class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/16/wpa2-wifi-security-vulnerable-hacking-us-government-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has been shown to have a massive flaw</a>, leaving networks across the globe open to cyberattacks.

<img decoding="async" class="" style="width: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/wifi-security.jpg" alt="wifi-security.jpg" width="320" />Let&#8217;s repeat that &#8211; WPA2, which is the wireless encryption standard used to keep wireless networks secure and used by just about every router in the world &#8211; is no longer secure. In super plain terms &#8211; that means that hackers can now spy on, eavesdrop and capture whatever data they want on just about every wireless network in the world.
The exploit, named KRACK, takes advantage of the fact that some of the encryption algorithms used by WPA2 aren&#8217;t quite as random as they should be and, with enough persistance, a <a class="" href="https://youtu.be/Oh4WURZoR98" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hacker could eventually break onto the wireless network</a>. Details of the exploit were revealed by the researchers who discovered it at the website <a class="" href="https://www.krackattacks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Krackattacks.com</a> on October 16.
Here&#8217;s a video made by the researchers that discovered the exploit of how it works.
(Spoiler alert: for the terminally techy only.) 
<iframe loading="lazy" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Oh4WURZoR98" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
This security exploit is present in just about every piece of wireless hardware sold over the past few years &#8211; including that extra fancy internet-connected refrigerator you just bought. Changing your password isn&#8217;t going to do any good.What&#8217;s that? Oh, you think this means you&#8217;re finally going to get around to changing the WiFi password you have hanging on the blackboard above your cash register? Or maybe think of something a little more creative than <a class="" href="https://www.teamsid.com/worst-passwords-2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Password123</a>?
So &#8211; yeah, you could say it&#8217;s bad.
<h3>How You Can Protect Your WiFi</h3>
Ok. So we&#8217;ll cut it with all the doom and gloom. There are a couple of bright spots here to takeaway.
<h3>HTTPS is still OK</h3>
<a class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/16/wpa2-wifi-security-vulnerable-hacking-us-government-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HTTPS (HyperText Transport Protocol Secure) is still secure.</a> This is the type of securityused by most financial and shopping websites like Amazon.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/https-wifi-wpa2.png" alt="https-wifi-wpa2.png" width="244" height="84" />
You know the little lock you see in the URL window when you visit a site? That means that transactions are secured by HTTPS.
So you&#8217;re still good in the hood.
<h3>Automatic Security Upgrades</h3>
Companies that manufacture routers and connection points for use in businesses and public areas have been aware of the exploit for a while and have already started releasing patches and upgrades for their equipment. Companies like <a href="https://forum.mikrotik.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&amp;t=126695" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microtik</a>, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/10/severe-flaw-in-wpa2-protocol-leaves-wi-fi-traffic-open-to-eavesdropping/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ubiquiti and Aruba</a> have been pushing out patches automatically for their networked routers.
<h3>Update Your Router Firmware</h3>
If you have a wireless router you got from your cable provider or one that you picked up at the half off bin in the store, you&#8217;ve got some work ahead of you. In order to fix the security vunerabilities, you&#8217;re going to have to upgrade the firmware in your router, what is known as &#8220;flashing&#8221;.
It&#8217;s not quite as difficult as it sounds. You&#8217;ll need to follow your manufacturers diretions &#8211; which means digging through and finding the instructions for the router in the first place. <a href="https://kb.netgear.com/23442/How-do-I-update-my-NETGEAR-router-s-firmware-using-the-Check-button-in-the-router-s-web-interface" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Here&#8217;s an example</a> on how to do this with a Netgear router.
The good thing is that it&#8217;s typically a pretty fast process. The bad part is that, if you mess up, you could brick your entire router. If in doubt, take the router into a computer repair or IT service shop and have them do it for you.
<h3>Keeping Your Business WiFi Safe</h3>
If you&#8217;re a business owner, you&#8217;ve probably long known about the benefits of offering free WiFi for your customers. But, after seeing the security implications of hacks like the WPA2 exploit, you&#8217;re wondering how to keep your business WiFi safe and secure?
That&#8217;s an excellent question &#8211; because that&#8217;s where Stampede comes in.
No more writing down passwords on a blackboard. With Stampede, customers check into your network with an email or social media login. They&#8217;re securely connected and can surf the web knowing that their data is protected.
Because Stampede works with major manufacturers like Ubiquiti and MikroTik, your routers and access points can be upgraded automagically as soon as a security breach is spotted.
And let&#8217;s not forget <a href="/blog/press/marketing-with-wifi" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">about marketing</a>. With Stampede you can offer your customers a branded login screen to keep your business first and foremost in their mind. You can also use your login screen to <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/articles/wifi-data-capture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">capture customer data</a> for use in building mailing lists or SMS marketing.
Ready to make the switch to safe and secure WiFi? Try Stampede today!
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

WPA2 Breach – Is Your WiFi Safe?

[vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/6&#8243;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2/3&#8243;][fildisi_modal modal_id=&#8221;leave-feedback&#8221;][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/6&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;2/3&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Feedback&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][contact-form-7 id=&#8221;2323&#8243; title=&#8221;Feedback&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/6&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/fildisi_modal][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/6&#8243;][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image=&#8221;15599&#8243; bg_image_size=&#8221;responsive&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;5x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;5x&#8221; columns_gap=&#8221;60&#8243; font_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; el_class=&#8221;try-it&#8221;][vc_column text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1583788662441{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;background-color: #1f2888 !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Check out our news&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:45px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:65px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][fildisi_empty_space][fildisi_button align=&#8221;center&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Go to Blog&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fblog%2F|||&#8221;][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Now Online

[vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;5x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;stories&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#16183f&#8221;][vc_column css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631268993216{padding-top: 30px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Hospitality tools built to grow your business with ease&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631279626658{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;]
Retain your customers using hassle-free, intelligent marketing tools that won’t impact your costs.
[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][fildisi_button align=&#8221;center&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner mobile_width=&#8221;hide&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20722&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1637073665967{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; bg_position=&#8221;left-center&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;email&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20721&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Email Marketing&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187987562{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]It’s the most cost-effective and efficient way to increase your revenue. More than 80% of businesses use email marketing as their primary way to retain customers and keep them coming back.
Restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues should be no different.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fcru-holdings%2F|title:CRU%20Holdings&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]OUR EMAIL MARKETING INCLUDES:
<ul>
<li>Quick customer segmentation</li>
<li>Easy to use drop and drag builder</li>
<li>Ready-made templates based on real successful campaigns</li>
<li>Accurate conversion tracking with unique voucher codes</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image=&#8221;20389&#8243; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_visibility=&#8221;hide&#8221; section_id=&#8221;stories&#8221;][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;CRU Holdings&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:36px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;“Stampede has become such a powerful marketing tool for us at CRU Holdings. It is well designed, flexible and integrates seamlessly with other systems.”&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:25px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.4&#8243; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221;][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;sms&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#edf2f6&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20720&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;SMS Marketing&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23fc3a9b&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187976850{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Reach your customers where they are: on their mobiles and on the go.
SMS marketing has a read rate of 97% within 15 minutes of message delivery.
Send timely, personalised messages for an immediate response &#8211; bring those customers back to your venue.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Flane-7-group%2F|title:Lane%207&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]SMS MARKETING:
<ul>
<li>Keep customers engaged and generate repeat business</li>
<li>Support email marketing and increase open rates by 20-30%</li>
<li>Measure repeat visits and track ROI directly</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; bg_position=&#8221;left-center&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;automation&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; text_align=&#8221;center&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20719&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Automation&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221; el_id=&#8221;automation&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1634053990761{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Keep in touch with customers and build your brand presence, without spending hours on marketing.
Use real customer behaviour to send highly targeted messages that keep customers engaged.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fsignature-pub-group%2F|title:Signature%20Pub%20Group&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]USE AUTOMATION TO:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Send your offers at the right time to the right customers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Build a connection with genuinely personalised messages</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Generate repeat visits and bookings without repeated marketing effort</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;upsell&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; text_align=&#8221;center&#8221;][rev_slider slidertitle=&#8221;Stories Marketing&#8221; alias=&#8221;slider-3&#8243;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Upsell&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221; el_id=&#8221;upsell&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187966021{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Design and launch promotions in minutes, without the cost and wait for printers.
We would have statistics here around how hard it is to track response rates on fliers, but those stats don’t exist! Case in point&#8230;[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fcocktail-embassy%2F|title:Cocktail%20Embassy&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]UPSELL FEATURES:
<ul>
<li>Increase spend per head and spend per visit</li>
<li>Change promotions and offers fast and easily</li>
<li>Save time and money with fewer fliers and posters</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;try-it&#8221;][vc_column css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1584018827046{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;background-image: url(https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/banner-bg2.png?id=15813) !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Try Stampede for free&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%231f2888|line_height:65px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;full-weight&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1584018887988{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}&#8221;]
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Marketing

Introducing: Stories

We recently applied a major update to the system to make managing user roles across multiple brands or locations easier to do. Stampede users have more control over who can access what, and be able to roll out updates and campaigns across multiple locations without having to repeat processes.&nbsp;



Let’s dive in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">People and Locations</h2>



Built in response to customer demand and as a logical step in making the system easier to use for bigger organisations. There are two main elements to organisations: People and Locations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">People</h3>



This is how you assign user roles to people using <a href="https://product.stampede.ai">Stampede</a> at your organisation. Their access to certain features and specific locations is defined with their user role.



Some examples of roles would be Admin, Venue Owner, Marketer and so on, with different rules for each.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Locations</h3>



To allow different access levels, locations have been set up in a tiered system. You might have regional teams who only need access to certain venues, while a head office would want access to all locations. Likewise there might be external IT or marketing partners involved who also need specific access. It can even work at individual site level to enable control at ground level by staff at that venue.



Here’s a quick example to show what it might look like



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Head Office<ul><li>Super User Admin</li><li>Marketing Department</li><li>Region 1 <ul><li>Regional Manager</li><li>External IT Company 1</li><li>Pub 1<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 2<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 3<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li></ul></li><li>Region 2 <ul><li>Regional Manager</li><li>External IT Company 2</li><li>Pub 4<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 5<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul>



In this example, the Super User Admin could be responsible for adding and removing locations, while the marketing team has access to all locations for <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-product-feature-multi-site-reporting/">company wide campaigns and reporting</a>.



Each region might use a different local IT company to handle technical setups, therefore there’s no need for them to have access to the entire network of locations.



If you’re ready to start leveraging this new feature for your teams, or add new locations then <a href="mailto:support@stampede.ai?subject=Organisations%20Setup">contact our Customer Success Team</a> who will take you through it in an online session.

product update-organisations allowing for better control of users and locations within Stampede

Organisations: People and Locations

Black Friday is one of the biggest sale events in the world. Some might question its relevance in the U.K. (it’s rooted in U.S. traditions following Thanksgiving), but thousands of businesses here lean into the demand and prepare a range of strong deals and discounts to ‘launch’ the Christmas shopping season.



Despite its strong association with the retail industry, there are ways that hospitality businesses can, and are, using Black Friday promotions to gain some incremental revenue. Something which is all the more important this year for businesses.



Let’s take a look at some ideas:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gift-cards">GIFT CARDS</h2>



We’re going to start with some low-hanging fruit. Every hospitality business can sell gift cards and it’s something that they can sell online, promote easily and create discounts or deals for. They are a reliable source of revenue regardless of restrictions.



Selling online &#8211; Black Friday owes it’s worldwide recognition to eCommerce. This year lends itself to a perfect storm for online sales on Black Friday, including the lead up to it (Black Friday Week) and the following week (Cyber Monday).



For hospitality businesses, the best solution in the face of this is an online gift card selling system. These can be added to almost any website quickly, and some companies even offer to host a gift card transaction micro-site just for businesses using their system. This enables operators to fire up their digital marketing channels to drive traffic to the website for easy gift card sales.



The added bonus of eGift cards is that they&#8217;re totally contactless and you don&#8217;t need to print, post, design or package anything. And you get to grow your email database at the same time.



Creating discounts and deals for gift cards is remarkably simple &#8211; after all, it’s only one product! Two common ways to do this are discounts and added value.



A discount example would be: 20% off, Get a £30 gift card for £24.



An added value example would be: Buy a £50 gift card and we’ll top it up to £75



Essentially they work the same way, it’s just how customers perceive the value. For Black Friday we’d recommend a discount offer, the event is all about big savings.



A lot of people will be feeling like they’ve missed out on visiting their favourite food and drinks businesses this year. Gift cards are a great way to recapture some of that trade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-merchandise">MERCHANDISE&nbsp;</h2>



From Hard Rock Cafe&#8217;s <a href="https://shop.hardrock.com/en-us">huge catalogue</a> of merch to independent coffee shops selling reusable cups, branded merchandise offers a few opportunities <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/turn-customers-into-fans-with-merchandise/">that we’ve covered before</a>. Black Friday is an ideal promotion to shift some extra units and make space for a fresh batch of stock and any new designed you had planned.



Thanks to lockdown(s) many venues have now got simple eCommerce shops to sell merchandise, among other things. Simple website plugins like WooCommerce for WordPress or standalone systems like Shopify can be set up quickly. These utilise online payments using Stripe or Paypal that are equally quick to wire in.



Many of these off-the-shelf eCommerce tools offer discount code mechanisms that customers can use at checkout.&nbsp;



Setting up a “BLACKFRI20” code and sending it out by email to your loyal customer database is bound to drum up sales from fans who’ve seen merchandise in store but never quite committed to it.



The above also applies if you don’t just sell merchandise. Meal kits, experience vouchers, ready-meals, anything you’re selling using an online shop is fair game for a Black Friday discount.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-takeaway-delivery-and-collection">TAKEAWAY, DELIVERY AND COLLECTION</h2>



Something that 12 months ago would be quite strange to consider in the scope of Black Friday discounts. But as things have moved online en masse, operators benefit from takeaway, delivery and collection resembling retail in the way that people buy them.



Many online ordering systems work just like online shops at the customer side of things. That includes the discount code fields we mentioned before. Apps like <a href="https://www.hungrrr.co.uk/">Hungrrr</a> (used by Brewdog) and <a href="https://www.flipdish.com/gb/">Flipdish</a> are designed to be familiar to customers. 



This familiarity is your friend. You can use it to launch a Black Friday offer in a way that customers will be able to use.&nbsp;



They’ve already bagged a new TV with a huge saving, why not put that saving to good use on a celebratory meal from their favourite places to eat and drink, with another discount too!



Maybe they just spent a bit too long shopping and forgot to start dinner…



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rounding-up">ROUNDING UP</h3>



The rapid adoption of online purchasing behaviour and technology in the hospitality industry is a portal to new opportunities. Gift cards, merchandise and even food and drink ordered online can all be put in to play to give more businesses the benefit of Black Friday. It’s not all about what you sell, simply how you sell it.&nbsp;