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Beating ad fatigue with empathy-based marketing
Mashaal Ryan MarketingWhen businesses think of marketing, it's mostly for bolstering the bottom line. However, when customers think of it, marketing can be annoyingly exhausting. Myriad marketing channels have created an atmosphere of constant bombardment. You have most likely received 10 spam emails in the last hour and every single website you go to has ads covering it. While it is natural for businesses to want their brand and campaigns to shine, there is a lot of data out there that says people are sick and tired of ads. However, there is a solution! It’s called empathy-based marketing.
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How to build a culture of trust
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementToxic employees can infect other staff and bring down morale. The negative cultures they create can bring down the organization. But short of firing everyone and starting again, how do you build a team that trusts each other? Here are three steps to repairing the damage and building a culture of trust.
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How do you help staff climb a career ladder when there isn’t one?
Anne Rose RetailOne of the issues that concerns small retailers is staff turnover. Human resources is the largest expenditure a retailer has to contend with, and when you add the cost of training and a less-efficient employee during training, you want to do everything you can to reduce turnover. But turnover is especially problematic when your staff consists mostly of entry-level employees earning minimum wage or close to that: cashiers, stockers, floor clerks, etc. What career ladder is there to motivate a cashier to stay cashiering at one store?
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How to find low prices during travel’s dynamic pricing era
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementMarriott is set to introduce dynamic pricing to its Bonvoy rewards program in the coming weeks. Effective in September, travelers will need to spend 14 to 33% more reward points in exchange for an award night when a hotel is busy. Meanwhile, travelers may also receive a discount on an award night when a hotel has low occupancy. Dynamic pricing is a common tactic in revenue management, and allows service firms to respond to consumers’ fluctuating demand for the perishable inventory with a fixed capacity. The airline industry has been using dynamic pricing for decades.
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With Hurricane Dorian on the way, it’s imperative to be prepared
Damon Sayles Facilities & GroundsAs it continues toward the southeast coast of the United States, Hurricane Dorian has become national news. And the closer it gets to the Florida coast, the scarier it becomes. According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian could threaten the Bahamas and then hit Florida during Labor Day weekend. Per forecasting, Dorian is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane. Central Florida could be a major target, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a State of Emergency.
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CFOs reveal their employees’ most outrageous expense report submissions
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIf it's your job to monitor and approve expense report submissions, you may have noticed an uptick in employees trying to submit inappropriate requests. According to a recent survey by Robert Half Management Resources, 56% of chief financial officers have observed an increase in unsuitable expense report submissions during the last three years. There are at least two factors contributing to the rise in inappropriate expense report submissions.
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3 takeaways from the recent Business Roundtable statement
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhy should small businesses care about the recent statement from the Business Roundtable? After all, the lobbying group represents some of the largest and most powerful companies in America and thus is not necessarily representative of the thoughts, feelings and challenges of our country's smaller organizations. However, before moving on to the next headline, business and HR leaders should consider these three takeaways.
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5 ways to harness the power of microinfluencers
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingWhen you think of social media marketing these days, one of the first things you probably think of are influencers. But the most beneficial influencer for your brand definitely doesn't have to be a celebrity with a massive amount of followers. Microinfluencers — who have fewer than 10,000 followers — are often extremely important in terms of directing their fans to niche brands and products. These influencers are often ignored by advertisers, which is a huge mistake. Working with them can definitely position your brand in a desirable and highly lucrative way.
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Safety issues and trackability in personal care product packaging
Michelle Pudlo RetailThere are already certain concerns we have about quality when purchasing personal care products, but there are also several safety concerns pertaining to the manufacturing and packaging of these products. Personal care products may be referred to as "cosmetics" by law, but they consist of much more than fragrance and makeup products. Cosmetics can refer to everything from body wash and shampoo to toothpaste and skin lotions. While millions of consumers use personal care products on a daily basis, there are certain safety measures that they often lack that put consumers at risk.
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Concerns about online hotel scams grow
Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementFor years, hoteliers have lobbied Congress to act against growing online scams that lead to fake confirmations of reservations, unnecessary fees, customer harassment, and deal a significant blow to hotel brands. It seems that their calls are finally being heeded. A bipartisan bill, the Stopping Online Booking Scams Act, has been reintroduced in both chambers of Congress to combat online hotel booking scams. If passed, hotel scams would become punishable by law, and scammers would find it harder to get away with their schemes.
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