Time is Money
Anyone who has used the internet to shop in Britain, North America and Continental Europe cannot fail to be impressed with the variety available, level of service and delivery options. And I wonder with the recent change of ownership, branding and appointment of new management in some of our distribution and supermarket outlets has not presented an incredible opportunity to better serve up to 500,000 long stay visitors that we attract each year. Especially for first time visitors staying at our vast choice of villas, condominiums and apartments and who are unsure of what is available and pricing on certain consumables, at least prior to arrival.
What prompted these thoughts was the appointment of Judith Wilcox as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TriMart Inc. Her vast knowledge of the tourism industry gained with Virgin Atlantic and more recently, one of our largest villa rental agency, could provide a unique insight in developing better synergies between our suppliers and overseas visiting customers. While there have been various local websites in the past, perhaps now is the time to take this marketing medium to a much higher level with the means to research product offerings prior to homeland departure, pay online with a credit card and delivery to coincide with the visitor’s arrival. It is also potentially a great promotional vehicle to expose more locally made items and build better brand awareness to a much larger marketplace.
While we are often depicted as an iconic destination for the rich and famous, let none of our tourism planners be lured into the illusion that the vast majority of our visitors are not increasingly demanding value-for-money. This will become even more critical as we transition from the peak winter season into the long eight months of summer, if the additional airlift attracted is going to be sustained. From a business operation aspect in many cases we appear to be light years behind many developed countries in the area of e-commerce. By now we should be able to order and pay for so much more online, including electricity, water, all government taxes and licences, postage stamps etc. There seems to be little alternative to queue in line for up to an hour to deposit cheques in most of our banks, but it should not, as it recently did take four hours to renew a vehicle tax disc, because the licensing authority had decided, without telling it’s ‘customers’, the rules had changed.
It seems the phrase ‘time is money’ isn’t understood by many of our service providers and this will have to change if we hope to emerge intact from the current financial challenges. Of course there are notable exceptions. We can pay our phone/internet bills online and we can order a very limited choice of everyday supplies, but it’s far from the ‘norm’. Often it means hanging on a telephone while a check is made if the item is in stock, then writing a cheque for payment on delivery or at the end of the month.
All these transactions require time while this precious commodity could be spent far more productively, both from a consumer and suppliers perspective.
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A defintion of money:-
Money is a non-tradeable, non-ingestable, measurable, recyclable, usable, socio-psychologically tractable to, physical commodity – and the only one of its kind – that carries denominations for purposes of its users creating its own uses ( at the same time) out of their own incomes, revenues and transfers – commercial and financial transfers – etc.
Taken from the fourteen fundamental principles that the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC) has so far evolved concerning money and its various uses in a number of known and unknown contexts in Barbados.
PDC
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A defintion of money:-
Money is a non-tradeable, non-ingestable, measurable, recyclable, usable, socio-psychologically REACTABLE to, physical commodity – and the only one of its kind – that carries denominations for purposes of its users creating its own uses ( at the same time) out of their own incomes, revenues and transfers – commercial and financial transfers – etc.
Taken from the fourteen fundamental principles that the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC) has so far evolved concerning money and its various uses in a number of known and unknown contexts in Barbados.
In the earlier PDC post above, under this thread, the word should have been “REACTABLE”. Well, so much for the use of modern technology in regard of the so-called auto-correction software in computers, smart phones, etc.
PDC
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Adrian
‘it recently did take four hours to renew a vehicle tax disc, because the licensing authority had decided, without telling it’s ‘customers’, the rules had changed.”
OUCH
There can be no doubt that eCommerce is playing an increasing role in marketing and in driving efficiency in business.
Sandals is a good example.
Once the consumer decides on the Sandals property he/she wants to visit, he/she pays using eCommerce, by booking and paying via his VISA, Mastercard or Amex card online. His/her payment is sent to a Sandals bank account in Canada, the USA, or Panama. Sandals then sends money (electronically) to cover wages and local purchases as and where required; and retains the rest to pay for corporate overheads (like advertising) and profits to the shareholders (the Stewarts).
But, eCommerce (including online advertising) is not the be-all and end-all of Sandals’ efficiency/success.
Before the consumer clicks the button to pay for the vacation he/she has to be sold the product/service via promotion/marketing which includes advertising.
There are many of us who still look to the old media, newspaper and television advertising, when making spending decisions; and obviously Sandals/Beaches recognize that.
Up here in the Great White North, we are being bombarded with newspaper and television ads promoting the “Sandals” brand.
Occasionally the Sandals ads do mention a specific property; but most are generic, directing the reader/viewer to Sandals’ 1-800 number or website to select which of their 17 properties at which they want to book a stay.
There can also be no doubt the marketing might of the Sandals “brand” will cause many in the North American market to re- Discover the Caribbean, at least the 17 properties in the six Caribbean countries included in Sandals’ Caribbean.
Here is an example of the TV ads running now.
Regrettably, we do not see newspaper or television ad promoting the Barbados brand like the Bahamas brand ad I recently saw similar to this one.
Surely BTMI and BTHA should be able come up with an advertising budget to promote the Barbados brand with similar ads.
Or is it the case that (as Minister Sealy said), having just come out of a winter where it was near, if not impossible, to get a room anywhere in Barbados, there is no need to promote the Barbados brand?
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DD, Thank you. Yes! over 4 hours.
After our stay at Sandals Barbados, I signed up to receive all newsletters, notifications etc. Since December 2013 have received absolutely nothing and we booked and paid online and in full.
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The lack of e commerce literacy is a problem across the board. Why do we boast of being computer literate, 2 cellphones per person etc if we can make it work for us in meaningful ways?
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David the average is two phones per
person because the drug dealers have 20 each lol
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The type and number of phones is about status and the need to manage cost between Digi and LIMe.
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@Adrian
If you go to this link:http://commerce.gov.bb/shop/priceapp.php which is the Ministry of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development where by putting in an address, like Grazettes, etc you can select a number of supermarkets, and foodstuff categories where it will give you the price of those products comparatively across the board at the particular locations you have selected, and the fuel costs to drive there. The last time these prices were updated however was 9 Jan 15 (3 months to the day).
Excellent idea, but again poor administration, and management.
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I support Adrian’s neverending marketing ideas.I think its laziness and the manana effect that bajans seem to have adopted.From Ministers down to the least paid ,the laid back-I -will-look-at-it-tomorrow attitude prevails led by the Prime Minister himself.Dullards are in the ascendancy in Bim.The Barrow,Adams,Arthur work ethic has gone.When the top man is firing an all cylinders ,he expects his support team to do the same.What we have is a bunch of wishy-washy goats calling themselves Ministuh.Can somebody say what is outstanding about the performance of Steve Blackett ?Darcy Boyce?Harry Husbands?Patrick Todd?Jepter Ince?Irene Sandiford?Esther Byer?Denis Kellman?John Boyce?Denis Lowe?
The Lashleys?Chris Sinckler?Ronald Jones?Adriel Brathwaite?Freundel Stuart?
Barbados is in so much debt and Stuart and Caricom looking at ganja for hope.
Lord have mercy on us.
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Betta believe it. Time is Money: Lotta time spent, lotta money earned. $1Billion Salary.
“Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, will likely become the first head of a public company to be paid more than $1 billion in a year, Crain’s New York Business reports.
The founder of the private equity firm — who is worth $12.3 billion — received a payout of $690 million in 2014. Given the strong stock market and Blackstone’s successful investments it bought during the financial crisis, Crain’s says his paycheck will hit 10 figures in 2015.”
What a difference a year makes!
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Adrian say it is not true, the hoteliers have not been getting the concessions promised by government for September?
On Monday, 9 March 2015, Barbados Underground wrote:
>
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David,
personally I am not aware of a single hotel, other than Sandals that has been granted even remotely comparable concessions. However, I have asked the BHTA and will post response.
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NO NIS PENSION AGAIN THIS MONTH
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CAROLINE CLARKE March 20, 2015 at 4:18 PM #
NO NIS PENSION AGAIN THIS MONTH
…………………………………………………………………………………
The Prime Minister has given a date, I believe its April 1st. Do you believe that the Political Class who are drawing NIS pensions are affected by this run around?
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