Social Media and the Hospitality Industry: Holding the Tiger by the Tail

Abstract

Hospitality industry executives and managers have been scrambling to work through the ever-shifting maze of social media, with a goal of staying in greater touch with customers, strengthening brands, and improving sales. Presentations and panel discussions at the 2010 Cornell Hospitality Research Summit, held at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, made clear both the remarkable potential of a well-drawn social media strategy and the hazards of ill-considered tactics. Without doubt, a customer relationship management strategy calls for hospitality firms to be active in social media, but the question remains regarding exactly what activity is appropriate, and what will offend consumers. In particular, hospitality operators must integrate their marketing efforts with social media—a process which will require new approaches to marketing.