HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009 - 17

the hospitality industry and was honored by the President’s Service Award from the Points of Light Foundation. The success of The Power of We led to his second best seller Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience (a third book on civic engagement will be out next May). In today’s ultracompetitive world, there’s only one way that any organization can attract and retain customers, clients, or other followers; and that’s by becoming truly customer-centric, offers Tisch. “It means providing not just a product or service but a total experience, beginning with the first moment that person considers becoming a customer and extending through the months or years until the experience becomes a memory.” The customer challenge has intensified, asserts Tisch. “Today’s traveler is knowledgeable, sophisticated, demanding, and spoiled, and the Internet is helping revolutionize people’s expectations. They know that they have a tremendous number of options in most markets, making customer service more important than ever; it is one way you can ensure people will come back to your property.” He adds: “Unless we as a particular property or as a chain find a way to break through the clutter and really make clear what we stand for in terms of brand and brand perception, then we’re just going to get lost in the morass of all of these hotel products. Every company has its own take on how they perform their service, but because consumers can vote with their feet and go somewhere else to stay, it’s incumbent on us to do it correctly every visit.” Tapping into what’s happening on the cultural scene is a way that Loews Hotels stays at the cutting edge of what interests guests and keeps the buzz about the brand alive. “What sets a company apart is the consistency with which it works on enhancing and improving the overall customer experience, looking for the ‘wow!’ zone in which customer expectations are not only met but exceeded.” An example of that is Home Sweet Loews, marketing savvy, branded programs that are centered on family-style comfort and 16 convenience, such as Loews Loves Pets, Loews Loves Kids and Generation G. Beyond the hotel scene there’s Tisch’s TV show “Beyond the Boardroom,” where he goes one-on-one with the nation’s top CEOs. Viewers get an insiders’ look at names they’ve read about on the business pages, such as American Express’ Kenneth Chenault, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Matthew Blank CEO of Showtime, and Vera Wang. “What has emerged as the common thread amongst all these top leaders is the importance of building a team to grow a business, especially in these difficult times to ensure everyone is working off the same message and is looking at the challenges together.” One to welcome challenges, Tisch served as chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable (TBR), a prominent coalition of chief executives from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry who represented a real voice for a unified travel industry. On TBR’s merging with the Travel Industry Association of America, Tisch says “The time was right for us to take our knowledge of lobbying on Capitol Hill and merge it with TIA and its ability to spread the message about the brand: “the United States of America.” With his continued involvement as chairman emeritus of what is now the United States Travel Association, he will continue to speak out about the importance of a strong travel and tourism industry. Committed to being involved and facilitating change, Tisch has held leadership roles in organizations such as chair of NYC & Company, “New York Rising,” a task force set up to help rebuild the city by reviving tourism post 9/11, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and has served as vice chairman of The Welfare to Work Partnership, among many others. But at the end of the day, what is particularly gratifying to Jonathan Tisch is to work in an environment that is still focused on family, and the ability to carry on the goals that his father and uncle started early on. Although he candidly admits: “I would have loved to be a wide receiver for the NYC Giants (owned by Loews Corporation), but I’ll just have to settle for being treasurer.” At Loews we have used the ability to do things a little bit differently to our advantage, and creativity allows you to get the attention of your clients, your business partners, and the community, and also gives you the opportunity to take chances and think about challenges a little bit differently. J O N AT H A N T I S C H
HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009
