Changes are coming to Google Responsive Search Ads. Here’s what that means for hotel teams, including those that work with Screen Pilot. WHAT’S CHANGING Starting June 30, 2022, Google Ads is removing the capability to create or edit expanded text ads. Existing expanded text ads will continue to serve alongside other responsive ads, however, we will not be able to adapt these with new offers or messaging moving forward. With this change, the platform and advertisers will rely much more heavily on responsive search ads for PPC performance. Definitions: Expanded text ads: Paid search ads with f ..read more

No brand wants to broadcast into a void. A new report from Sprout Social looks at the social media usage trends of some 30,000 of its customers over the past year to understand when content was most, and least, engaged with. When messaging via social media, regardless of the platform, the strategy should always be to engage as many people as possible to amplify the message and maximize its reach. Afterall, there’s a lot of potential reach out there, with nearly 4 billion social media users around the world, and the average person bouncing between seven different social networks each month. Whi ..read more

Freedom and peace are the fundamental enablers of travel. Screen Pilot is proud to support the Hospitality for Peace Ukrainian Relief Campaign, an alliance of hotel tech companies providing direct aid to those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. The Screen Pilot team has long been active and passionate about supporting an array of charitable causes, including animal welfare. We would like to thank the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for the work it’s doing in Ukraine. The immediate needs during times of conflict are typically focused on the safety of the people involved. IFAW’s wor ..read more

Americans want bathtubs, free breakfast and family friendly amenities, and are less concerned about free Wi-Fi or a robust business center. A new report from Hotels.com is shedding light on how travelers’ search patterns and preferences have changed over the course of the pandemic. The review compared internal search data on its U.S. sites and mobile app from January 1 to February 7, 2022 with the same time period in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Here are the key findings from the report.   Trending Up Family Friendly Amenities Family travel is back in a big way this year, with renewed interest i ..read more

Screen Pilot has achieved 2022 Premier Partner status in the Google Partners program. The recognition marks the eighth consecutive year that Screen Pilot has received the elite designation reserved for just the top 3% of Google Partners in the U.S. In January, Google recognized the achievements of top-performing digital marketing partners across the globe by awarding Premier Partner status as part of its updated Google Partners program. The Google Partners program has undergone significant changes for 2022, including redefining what it means to be a Premier Partner through new, advanced progra ..read more

It’s 2022, and at no other juncture has social media held such potential to drive new business for hotels. A new Hotel Business Review featured article authored by our own senior visual experience manager, Arielle Rubenstein, outlines the approach Screen Pilot is taking to prime hotels and travel brands for post-pandemic success. Click here to read the full article at HotelExecutive.com. Did you enjoy the read? Get original hospitality industry insights delivered to your inbox. Sign up to receive Screen Pilot’s #TrendingNow Newsletter. The post Social Media Matters: Data-Driven Strategies for ..read more

A new report on U.S. travel outlines what we might expect from the year ahead. While the data collated by hospitality technology firm SiteMinder suggests that travel still won’t yet mirror what it was prior to COVID-19, neither will the year ahead be as disruptive or restrictive as the past two. Screen Pilot has identified ten key stats that speak to America’s appetite for travel, the health of hotel metrics, and broader tourism trends.   Occupancy, ADR, RevPAR to Rise The year 2022 will see a 13% increase in occupancy, 6% increase in ADR, and 19.7% increase in RevPAR across the US. Domes ..read more

Screen Pilot’s founder and CEO, Tom Dibble, reflects on 15 years in travel.  In the travel industry, the comeback is stronger than the setback. Screen Pilot turned fifteen this year. In a different time, our agency would have marked the occasion with revelry. Instead, we observed with a small, appropriately distanced gathering and a few Purell handshakes. Despite the muted milestone, I can’t help but reflect on the past with anything but gratitude, and look forward with anything but enthusiasm. When Screen Pilot formed in 2006, digital touchpoints were still relatively limited. Google was ..read more

A new travel trends report from Expedia Group offer fresh insights and a look at the ongoing recovery in travel. The report took into account Q3, 2021 traveler data. Here are five quick takeaways from the report.   Business travel is building momentum. As professionals around the world begin to return to the office, many are also returning to the road. Globally, business travel demand in Q3 was up more than 40% quarter-over-quarter, and up more than 110% compared to Q3, 2020, according to the report. Paris, Chicago, London and New York reigned as the top-booked destinations for business t ..read more

As if 2021 didn’t already have enough change to it, both Facebook and Apple released major adjustments in how they allow third parties to track user activity. Beginning in January, Facebook drastically reduced the attribution window for conversion tracking on paid social ads. A few months later, Apple implemented a feature that requires users to opt in or out of ad tracking. As both of these announcements came with their fair share of confusion, we want to set the record straight by clarifying what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how we’re responding in order to continue to deliver the most accura ..read more