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How to improve Instagram Story ads in 2019
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingAs a social media marketer, you must be adaptable. Think back to last year at about this time. No doubt, you had carefully pinpointed all the tactics that worked best for your brand on social media that year. This year, you hoped to do more of the same! But the leaders of social media platforms had a different idea. Facebook rolled out one of its most substantial algorithm updates in January, which completely derailed brands’ social media plans. With each algorithm update, we find ourselves scrambling to keep up and discover the new "secret sauce." In 2019, don’t let the hunt drive you crazy. Instead, go with the constant.
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What do your written words say about your brand?
Anne Rose MarketingBusinesses frequently invest a lot of energy and many resources into ensuring that their brand identity accurately reflects what they’re about. Misspellings, bad grammar, invented words, misplaced apostrophes can all detract from that carefully crafted identity. I recently passed by a boutique chocolate shop that advertised custom, specialty chocolate desserts, handmade with attention to detail. But glaring at me from the store window was a big sign advertising that they sold chocolate carmels. You read that right: chocolate "carmels."
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Change has come with California’s Federal Milk Marketing Order
Ted Jacoby Food & BeverageThings have changed for milk producers and handlers in the Golden State. Milk marketing in the state is now governed by a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO). The state order administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture will cease to exist. But a predicted rise in blend prices paid to California farmers does not necessarily mean everyone will make more money. The biggest change to come with the implementation of California's FMMO is that milk produced there will be priced based on the USDA's formula, which differs subtly from the old California scheme.
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What to look forward to in 2019 in hospitality
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe holiday season is around the corner. It is a good time for us to review the major events discussed in 2018. A quick overview will very likely inform us what we can expect in 2019. Looking forward, Airbnb and hotels will fight over a bigger battleground in 2019. On one hand, more hotels, including Marriott, have entered the short-term residential rental market. On the other hand, Airbnb introduced two new brands — Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb, which offer many "certified" enhanced services that are usually found in a traditional hotel.
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Travel2020: Airbnb bets on bedding the business traveler
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementAs more and more road warriors turn to Airbnb for their overnight lodging needs, the company is gaining insights into how business travelers travel: where they go, where they prefer to stay, and what they do when visiting a new city — and how those factors are changing in interesting ways. Traditional business travel hubs like London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Sydney are giving way to new corridors of surging growth, especially in Latin America, Asia and Africa, according to the upstart lodging technology company.
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The best wines to serve at an office Christmas party
Connie Ulman Food & BeverageA great party needs great wine. What wines are best served at an office Christmas party? That depends on what food you are serving and if the party is low-key or a lavish gala. I personally like to offer my guests a variety of wines to choose from. Something to remember is that the type of wine glass you choose for your party is as important as the wine you choose. I suggest Spanish wine glasses; they are low to the table yet the sturdy design is perfect for any office party.
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Christkindlmarkts right here at home
Dave G. Houser Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementEurope, and Germany in particular, is justly famous for its colorful Christkindlmarkts. In Germany alone, there are more than 2,000 Christmas markets. The earliest recorded Christkindlmarkt was held in 1434 in Dresden, which still today boasts one of Europe’s largest and most beautiful markets. Being a nation founded and largely settled by European immigrants, it’s not surprising that the Christmas market tradition is alive and well here in the U.S. Here are five of them that best capture the traditional old-world spirit of the Christkindlmarkt.
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Is vertical or horizontal video best for social media ads?
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingAfter Facebook rewrote its algorithm in January, social media marketing plans for the year went out the window. The previous silver bullet for success, video, was no longer prioritized. Instead, live videos, which are more focused on generating engagement as opposed to passive viewership, became Facebook’s new gold standard. But try as they might, many companies struggled as they saw their organic reach continue to drop. That’s been happening for years, but in 2018, Facebook made it clear that this was by design.
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International beauty trends and their impact on the spa industry
Elizabeth Donat RetailOur spa clients can be heavily influenced by the latest and greatest prevailing topics in the beauty world. As of late, it seems like many of the current trends consist of imported beauty routines from all around the globe. K-Beauty, J-Beauty and G-Beauty are all the rage and our clients are just as intrigued as we are. These international beauty care paradigms are shaking up what it means to take care of our skin and actually align quite well with many of the spa practices that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
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U.S. payrolls grow by 155,000 jobs as unemployment holds at 3.7 percent
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNonfarm payroll jobs rose 155,000 in November, down from 250,000 in October, while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.7 percent for the third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In November, the number of jobless workers was 6.0 million workers versus 6.1 million in October. November’s jobs report could be a harbinger of slower growth due to the U.S. and China imposing retaliatory import tariffs. That conflict is on pause now, though existing tariff impacts on businesses and consumers continue.
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