Welcome to B Public Relations’ latest blog series! The (B)riefing will feature a regular roundup of the latest hospitality trends, social media news and general agency updates to provide helpful tips, insight into major platform updates, considerations for future strategies and much more. We hope you enjoy!
Agency Updates
As we bid farewell to summer and look ahead to fall menu launches and holiday planning, we’re diving into what’s trending in the food and beverage world to provide some inspiration through the end of the year. But first, we’re honored to announce that we’ve been named the “Best Midsize Agency” in PRSA Colorado’s annual Gold Pick Awards. As an integrated, strategic communications firm with extensive experience developing and executing public relations, influencer and social media campaigns for clients within the hospitality and tourism industries, we’ve worked tremendously hard to bounce back from the pandemic stronger – and larger – than ever before, and we’re thrilled to receive this recognition.
Trendspotting
While we love a good pumpkin spice recipe, fall lends itself to several seasonal options that are sure to impress. This year, thanks to platforms like TikTok, we’re seeing some more unique takes on classics, from unconventional martinis to beer cocktails. A few of our favorites are below:
Beertails
Micheladas and fruit-infused beers are familiar favorites, but beer cocktails are on the rise. Concoctions like the spaghett with the addition of Campari and pina-cheladas show there are ways to improve upon classics, and this is an easy way to pitch interesting recipes (or share to social media) as we enter the latter half of the year.
Vacation Wine
A fun term for sommeliers to weave into programming, vacation wine invokes a sense of place and can be enjoyed while on a trip or at home to bring back sunnier memories. Maybe it’s a crisp white transporting you to the south of France or a velvety red that sends your mind fireside. As we enter the winter months, we imagine there are some playful activations to promote a somm’s expertise while also highlighting a diverse wine menu.
Itameshi Lives On
Itameshi, the fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine, had a moment in 2023, and boundary (and border) pushing pasta has proven it’s here to stay. Think chopped cheese ravioli, broccoli beef ravioli and malai rigatoni – fusing bold flavors and creative technique to create memorable dishes you won’t find anywhere else. For future menus and collaborations, this is a trend worth capitalizing on.
High-Low Food Combinations
We’ve started to see the caviar fad fizzling out, but anticipate the pairing of high and low cost foods or drinks will stick around. Trends like this are especially fun to brainstorm around since they’re PR-worthy, so it’s worth dedicating time to determine the next best Pringle pairing.
On the travel side, AirBnB released Labor Day travel trends report showing that travelers have their sights set on college towns and fall getaways. With football season upon us, these habits are likely to trend through the season and could be useful for hotels near top universities. American Express recently released its Amex Trendex: Business Travel Edition, showcasing the evolution of travel policies and trending destinations. Highlights include emerging destinations for business travel such as Princeton, NY, Durham, NC, Southwest Michigan, Sacramento, CA, and Honolulu, HI. Blended travel, or mixing business and leisure travel, continues to trend with 80% of business travelers taking time to explore their destination. And finally, travelers (especially millennials and gen Z) are also more willing to pay for comfort, opting for out of pocket upgrades. Other trends of note include:
Destination: Chic Desert Aunt
Gen Z are trading coastal grandma for chic desert aunt in the latest travel and fashion trend. Think boho chic outfits and trips to the red rocks.
Rewarding Sustainable Travel
The New York Times reported on how destinations, hotels and attractions are rewarding tourists for sustainable travel practices – bridging the gap between intention and action. Examples include earning points for partaking in nature attractions, trash collection in exchange for free ice cream or beer, etc.
Demure, cutesy, mindful
Coming off a Brat Summer, Demure is the internet’s response to those craving a more aesthetic approach to life. With the rules being made up as we go, the trend can be applied to anything from fashion to foods and travel destinations. Think meditation session in Moab, eating croissants with a fork and knife and hotel rooms with dainty design details. People are already divided on this one so it may not last long, but it could be a fun trend to jump on for a one-off pitch or social campaign.
Social Media News
We would need a daily blog post to keep up with all of the platform changes happening throughout each week, so we’re focused on bringing the most impactful changes to you on a regular basis.
Meta Introduces Online Learning Catalog for Agencies
New online courses from Meta are geared towards helping agencies achieve better results for clients, covering a range of key topics from creative essentials to campaign objectives and reporting. View the full library here.
Is Instagram Reviving MySpace?
The latest app update allows users to add their favorite song of the moment to their profile, but rest assured the song won’t autoplay when you land on anyone’s grid. Experts who weighed in on this development point to the potential loss of TikTok in the U.S., which has become a key part of music promotion, and IG is positioning itself as the best alternative in the social world.
LinkedIn Latches Onto Video
The noticeable shift from a professional platform to a more approachable platform has left LinkedIn promoting birthdays, life updates and personal debates that you wouldn’t expect from the networking giant. In its latest move, LinkedIn has debuted in-feed video carousels that are algorithmically matched to your interests and activity. While some of the original users might not love the play for attracting younger demographics to a space that was once dedicated to job hunting, sales pitches and team growth, it must be working, because LinkedIn reported in July that 1.5 million pieces of content are now being uploaded every minute.
We Can Now Share 20 Slides in One Instagram Carousel
While we predict individual users will largely use this versus brand due to attention span limits, carousel posts can now have up to 20 photos or videos on Instagram, compared to the previous limit of 10. Still, it’s worth experimenting with engagement levels on posts with more swipes than others.
