Bloggle + Resources

There is any number of weird and wonderful days that we all see on social media and on the news - National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, anyone? - but how do you know what’s coming up? And what’s the point of getting involved as a hospitality operator? ‍

Our CEO Dan Brookman has been chatting with Rupert Macfarlane, founder and MD of The Advanced Sales Network, about pre-booking and how the public is likely to interact with hospitality operators in a post-pandemic world.

With every hospitality sector news update there is further proof that while clearly, we are still underwater, and will be for some time to come, there is also a growing number of start-up vehicles building teams and war chests to capitalise on the inevitable fallout.

We all might have hoped that 2021 was going to start a little differently. The news pre-Christmas of vaccines was quickly overtaken by the new variant and lockdowns. Any optimism for launching into a New Year with renewed vigour has quickly been forgotten. We must now, with the vaccinations underway (and seemingly going well), look toward Spring/Summer and prepare to maximise the forthcoming opportunities.

WIth many businesses finding themselves yet again behind closed doors due to lockdown 3.0, we wanted to share some tips and ideas that can be taken advantage of throughout January and February 2021 - helping to keep your loyal fans engaged and spending.

A gift card is always perfect as a last-minute present or if you’re stuck for what to get someone for Christmas - you can’t ever really go wrong. But with many people unable to see their loved ones face-to-face this year, gift cards have also proved to be an easy way to show someone that you’re thinking of them during the locked-down festivities. We’ve delved into the data to highlight some notable December trends.

1-in-5 consumers intend to make a bigger effort than normal this Valentine’s Day, especially Generation Z and younger Millennials, according to a new consumer poll from Toggle and KAM Media.

Toggle CEO Dan Brookman has created a helpful video for Togglers and non-Togglers alike, rattling through 10 top tips in 10 minutes to make sure your business is on the front foot and selling experiences, gift cards and retail products directly to customers online this Christmas.

“We never imagined we’d surpass the £25,000 sold during the first lockdown and generate this kind of revenue just from selling gift cards.”

Whilst Black Friday has become a mainstay event in the UK’s trading calendar, it has only been adopted by hospitality relatively recently. The industry is in a torrid state with the pandemic restrictions biting and revenue streams severely hampered. Pre-sold revenue through gift cards sales and at-home experiences are amongst the few ways operators have been able to generate much-needed cash whilst doors have been closed - alongside pivoting to takeaways and selling retail products directly to customers.

With the new tier restrictions coming into force next week, hospitality operators are having to come to terms with the reality that Christmas trading this year will be very different to a typical festive season.

Want to sleigh your gifting strategy for Christmas and boost your sales during the golden quarter of the year?

Toggle promotions are the perfect way to give your customers some Black Friday discounts (or any discounts for that matter!) Watch our short video, delivered by the Toggle Elf Lorna, to find out how to easily create promo codes.

With the hospitality industry buckling under the weight of Covid-19 restrictions, it has never been more critical for restaurants, bars, pubs and other venues to diversify their revenue streams and sell online directly to customers whilst the doors are closed. Find out what hospitality businesses should be doing to ensure Black Friday isn't pitch black this year.

Christmas is only a short time away and this year it’s more important than ever that brands are ready to make the most of this valuable revenue opportunity.We’ve put together our top tips, including linking out to further Toggle Academy articles, to help you make the most of the opportunity where 60% of yearly gift card sales take place.

Airship & Toggle chief executive Dan Brookman discusses technology in hospitality and how to use integrations as the puppet for gaining powerful data and analysis.