Ibis: Relax, We Post

Holidaymakers who yearn for an online break – but still cannot divorce themselves from updating their social media can now hire an 'Instagram sitter'. 

Ibis hotels in Switzerland are offering this quirky service called 'Relax We Post'. 

AccorHotels-owned Ibis want their guests to be fully present on holiday, instead of focusing all their attention on capturing the perfect photo for Instagram. To help, they have launched a ‘social-media-sitting’ service in seventeen properties. 

All guests need to do is share their Instagram log-in details and the sitter will make sure the account is updated during their stay. 

In fact, Ibis have teamed up with over 10 well-known influencers, including Anna Maradan, Cristina Gheiceanu, Pascal Erb and Elay Leuthold – and who will post photos, upload Instagram Stories and even respond to comments on behalf of guests who choose to participate. 

The service is available free of charge to travellers staying at any of the Zurich or Geneva Ibis hotel for a weekend between November 03 and December 02, 2018. 

Bookings can be made through the campaign’s dedicated microsite, where people can also find out more about each social-media-sitter. Prices for an overnight stay, including breakfast, start at $90. 

Philippe Alanou, senior VP of operations at AccorHotels Central Europe, said: “This new service offered by Ibis Switzerland is one of a kind”. That’s for sure! 

Last year, the Conrad Hilton Resort on the island of Rangali in the Maldives, introduced Instagram butlers for guests. These butlers show guests the very best places to take photographs and guide them around 'Instagram Trails', itineraries that take in some of the prime spot for images.

WBI's Melbourne Conference

I arrived Melbourne Airport on Monday morning. I am here in Melbourne for five days and shall be staying at the Ibis Hotel on Therry Street – which offers really great value city accommodation.

The venue of the 23rd International Business Research Conference is at the Marriot Melbourne Hotel at the corner of Exhibition & Lonsdale Streets in the city. My involvement started on Monday itself when I chaired the first session of the Marketing track (11.15 AM-1.00 PM). Later, it was my turn to present my paper “Understanding Consumers’ Intention in Socially Responsible Purchasing in Malaysia Using the Theory of Reasoned Action” at about 4.40 PM. Incidentally, the session chair for the second Marketing track (4.15 PM-6.00 PM) was Dr Azam Pirmoradian (fifth photo, on the left) from the Malaysian office of The Nielsen Company.

Once I was done, I spent time absorbing other participants' addresses. If I have to select the best presentation, it would be "The Role of Shame in Ethical Leadership" delivered by Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration's Julija Bulatova on Tuesday. BTW, Malaysians form a sizeable contingent to this conference.

 

And after my mind had its fill, it was time to quench my thirst. This is Australia after all and I indulged myself in the great beers that the country has to offer!

Boardroom Tussle over Strategy

Accor SA, Europe’s largest hotel operator and owner of the Pullman, Novotel, Sofitel, Mercure and Ibis brands had sacked Chairman and CEO Denis Hennequin (left). On April 23, 2013, Accor’s Board of Directors met at Hennequin’s request with all Directors in attendance and it was unanimously decided that his position would be terminated with immediate effect – and it was all because he had disagreed with the board over strategy directions.

According to a Reuters report, there was disagreement over how quickly Hennequin was selling off assets to boost returns. Accor's top two shareholders, private equity firm Eurazeo (EURA.PA) and US investor Colony Capital, which own a combined 21.4 percent of the capital and command four board seats, want the chain to accelerate the sale of hotels it owns in favor of management contracts or franchises. Additionally, Hennequin had also resisted pressure to split its property holdings from its hotels business.

The company has plans to open 30,000 rooms a year through 2016 and by that time would operate 40 percent of its rooms under franchise agreements and 40 percent under management contracts. Accor will only own or lease 20 percent of the rooms.

Whatever the reason, a boardroom tussle over strategy that resulted in the removal of the Chairman and CEO is a very uncommon predicament.

As Don Sull, Professor of Management Practice in Strategic and International Management, the Faculty Director of Executive Education at the London Business School, and author of The Upside of Turbulence, pointed out that there are rare cases where the strategy may be putting the company at such risk that you may want to consider leaving. These are cases where there are ethical concerns or the company may fail if the strategy is pursued in its current form. If faced with a strategy that is severely flawed or that you just can't comfortably support, you may want to consider quitting (Amy Gallo’s “When you think the strategy is wrong” at blogpage http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2010/02/when-you-think-the-strategy-is.html, published February 04, 2010).

I am reminded that Hennequin was sacked; he didn't resign. So there's more than meets the eye on this issue. Having expressed "reservations" about the plan to speed up the implementation of the so-called strategy, he then summoned the Board. I can only deduce that he must have had grave misgivings. In any case, the information at Accor is sketchy. It is pertinent to note that his predecessor was ousted in 2010 over "strategic differences" with the board as well. I am going to keep tabs on Accor and see what happens next.

In an SPL game yesterday, three goals in 10 minutes secured a 3-1 victory for Motherwell over newly-crowned Scottish champions Celtic.

Gary Hooper opened the scoring for Celtic in the 40th minute but Henrik Ojamaa levelled five minutes later. Michael Higdon put Motherwell ahead from the penalty spot five minutes after that after Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew was adjudged to have fouled Ojamaa just inside the box. And in the 55th minute, right-back Mikael Lustig headed Tom Hateley's cross against his own post with Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster seeing the ball come off him and into his own net.