We all use particular brands based on our own personal preferences. Recommendations, past experiences, culture and a well-placed advert can sway our decision towards a particular name without even giving it much thought.
Earlier this year I spoke to Kevin Carl, managing director, digital for travel and transportation of Accenture at a conference about millennials, where the audience heard that younger travellers can be some of the most disloyal to brands. Carl simply
argued that most of those travellers probably hadn't found a brand they liked yet.
Jobseekers can be as picky about which company they work for. According to Chris Baker, Concur's managing director UK&I, Nordics and MEA, prospective job candidates are choosing employers carefully based on company policies and which technology they use,
especially in
relation to the work/life balance. He believes travel managers have the opportunity to use travel policies and their knowledge more effectively to not only attract and retain employees but become a trusted source for all things travel related.
To do that, travel managers need to demonstrate attributes that people look for in a brand they like and continue to use.
- Trustworthiness
- Reliability
- Consistency
- Usefulness
- Convenience
- Cost
- Supportive if something goes wrong
Travel managers also need to learn to market these attributes in the right way. Speaking at the Advantage Business Travel Symposium (an event for UK-based small and medium sized TMCs) Rosy Burnie, office manager of Luvata said she has the advantage of
sitting next to the company's internal communications officer so hears frequently about the methods available. Given that the majority of her travellers are on a manufacturing floor Rosy uses bulletin boards, a television feed and an employee magazine
to publicise the benefits of her programme and preferred suppliers, as well as the company intranet.
I often think compliance is the travel management equivalent term for loyalty. If these new employees care as much as the suppliers say then, in theory, they should accept the company has its best interests in mind and follow the procedures in
place. But the team and technology needs to have the aforementioned attributes and be in line with company culture otherwise they will turn to a brand that caters to their needs outside of the policy.