Regardless of their industry or competitive landscape, businesses must always ensure that they continue to provide outstanding customer service and be on the lookout for new revenue channels while discovering different ways to innovate and evolve. These advancements were mostly anchored on digital transformation in recent years, with the digital shift undoubtedly hastened by the global pandemic.
Discovery Hospitality Corporation (DHC) was recently invited as the sole Philippine representative to the APAC Digital Travel Summit, held in Singapore, to share the company’s insights about optimizing commerce market channels and tech innovations.
According to Discovery Hospitality’s Vice President & Head of Digital Marketing and Branding, Blessy Townes, the function of social media is no longer limited to the exchange of communication but has recently diverged into the area of Social Commerce.
“Social commerce is the ‘new normal’ of social media marketing. The pandemic has changed the way we use the Internet, and has transformed social media from a social networking site to a social selling platform,” Townes noted. “ Social media marketing is now merely a skill required to manage social commerce,” she added.
“We recognize the disruption of Social Commerce in the hospitality space. It has created its own ecosystem and touchpoints for us to engage with the customers: from Interest, to Research and, ultimately, Conversion,” she expounded.
One of Discovery Hospitality’s ways to achieve this is to step into the metaverse through one of its resorts, Discovery Shores Boracay. They recently launched “Bogart and Friends” in the popular Roblox Metaverse, making them the first Philippine Resort to utilize the app in its engagement efforts.
Launched in May 2022 to promote brand love, “Bogart & Friends”, starring Discovery Shores Boracay’s mascot, Bogart the Bear, is a miniature loyalty program for kids that allows them to virtually experience the resort. Players of the metaverse game can earn coins and badges, and trade them for real-world perks when they visit the property.
