TRIGGERFISH

We are being brave little fishes!

Hello everyone

The Triggerfish girls have decided to do something both daring and charitable and we would really appreciate your support!

Becky, Shivani and Victoria are going to abseil down Battersea Power Station to raise money for the Stroke Association, the only charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by strokes across the UK. We are very pleased to be doing something to help this worthy cause but we’re not going to lie we’re petrified (especially Victoria)!

This daredevil esque feat of exceptional courage will take place on Saturday 19th November (and will finish in the nearest pub) the 100ft abseil is taking place in one of London’s most iconic land marks and as well as testing our bravery we would love to raise £1500 for the stroke association.

So please help us face our fears and donate here

It’s all about Polpo!

Well I recently sampled the small Soho based Venetian bacaro restaurant that is Polpo, having lived in London for over a year I thought it was high time I experienced what all the fuss was about! The low-ceilinged 18th-century building, located on Beak Street did, I am pleased to say, live up to my expectations. Though I do think it helped that having read some reviews by the kings of cuisine Jay Rayner, Giles Coren and AA Gill that I had some ideas of what to expect.

Unfortunately I did not take AA Gills advice that Polpo is perfect if you are young and want a cheap, good, fun date restaurant…in fact I don’t think the apple could’ve fallen further from the tree (to which of course I am to blame) having decided to take my own dearest Mother, who being such a travelled foodie is not the easiest woman to please, neither is she the biggest fan of queuing and confined spaces! So why then did I decide to take her to a small, crowded, noisy Venetian restaurant which rather inconveniently does not take bookings!? Skipping over the thought processes of my decision I have to admit it was a risk worth taking.

On arrival at the jam packed restaurant a rather hip looking young lady, the kind who looks like she belongs in an Amy Winehouse video or one of those bars in Shoreditch where you’re sure everyone dressed from the same wardrobe, told us we would have to wait 45minutes for a table. To which I turned and smiled nervously at my Mother asking “is this ok?” sensing the tension the girl rather helpfully suggested we have a drink downstairs in their Campari bar to which we churp ‘oh yes that sounds good’. Half a bottle of wine later and a few rather scrummy appetizers we were both feeling a lot happier (or should I say merrier) and even being inspired and noting down ideas to re-create a little goats cheese, walnut and honey starter back home. 

When we do finally get escorted to our table upstairs another panic hits as I notice we will be practically sitting on the laps of our dining neighbours, normally another issue for my Mother. Although on this occasion surprisingly no remarks. ‘Thank god for the wine’ I think and promptly start perusing the menu as if nothing is out of the ordinary and quietly trying to work out how I might manoeuvre my way out should I wish, heaven forbid, to use the ladies room.

However the food and experience on a whole were very good and the price shockingly healthy for central London. Jay Rayner’s thoughts on Polpo made me laugh when he said that ‘a restaurant in the capital which doesn't feel like it's trying to knee you in the groin while lifting your wallet ought to be praised.’

Everything we tried was delicious, however I would definitely recommend their Polpette (meatballs) and their smoked salmon, horseradish and dill crostino. I’m also sure the staff have a very strict application process “no tattoos no job!” of course I couldn’t care less if they’re all as tattooed as Fall Out Boy as long as they are friendly and the service quick, to which both were delivered. Having experienced Polpo I am now very keen to try out Polpo’s sister restaurants Polpetto, Spuntino and da Polpo as I have decided that as long as you know what to expect Polpo is definitely worth the hype!

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The human side of the internet?

Social media is becoming an ever present topic in our day to day lives. People are spending more time on social media platforms, using it for work purposes, talking about it and reading about it. Although there are still a few ‘cave men’ out there who think Twitter is the omnipresent chirpy annoyance from one of our feathered friends! Back in the real world more and more of us our living our lives through the net, predictably this has led to a bombardment of opinions based around the positive or negative effects all this action on the net is having on our lives.

Adam Gopnik lately discussed within his article “How the internet gets inside us” in the New Yorker, that through our increased use of the net we are losing a sense of proportion. In Stylist magazine Alix Walker recently argued in her piece “Tweet freedom” the internet has “made us slaves to its power. And completely unable to live in the now.” I do agree to a certain extent that an obsession with living through the net has made us forget how to just stop and see life as it is. Instead of tweeting about an amazing sun set perhaps we might appreciate it more by merely...appreciating it!  But then again isn’t that what social media is for, to share our life experiences? 

In “How Social Media is Having a Positive Impact on our Culture” on Mashable.com Josh Rose argues “The internet doesn’t get inside us, it shows what’s inside us...The machine does not control us. It is a tool.” I agree with Rose that we use the internet as a tool. We use it as a tool to get closer to people and ultimately to share life’s experiences regardless of how banal they may seem to the Twitter critics out there. I do appreciate that not everyone gets why someone might be interested in Joe blogs tweeting about just having the best cup of tea they have ever had but that’s just it, you don’t have to be interested or find it interesting, what we should marvel at is not the cup of tea but the entity that is social media and its ability to connect us and bring us together regardless of how tenuous or dull these links might be. 

The arguments for or against social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook are all highly motivating and worth taking note of, but I think what we need to remember is, that even though we are increasingly sending out messages electronically, the thoughts behind them are inextricably and essentially human!

Victoria

Does anyone ever listen to customer feedback?

I’ve just returned from a beautiful holiday in Kerala, India. Kerala is now overtaking Goa on ‘Indian destinations for a leisure beach break’ and Kerala Tourism’s presence at World Travel Market 2010 was quite prominent within the Asia pacific division. Bearing this in mind, you would have thought Kerala Tourism would have briefed the popular hotels and tourist attractions in Kerala on providing immaculate service, especially the ones mentioned in its hotel guide which was handed to me at WTM.

I clutched this hotel guide protectively with me whilst on my travels as 3 of the hotels we were staying in were detailed in it. I was proudly showing it off to my parents and telling them all about the hotel before we arrived to each. Being promoted by Kerala Tourism I was expecting bliss with 5* service and facilities. As a travel PR, the one thing I felt I wouldn’t need to do on this occasion is to check Trip Advisor and as our itinerary had been booked by a top end travel agent I trusted them completely. How. Wrong. Was. I. After the second hotel that missed our 5am wake up call, along with other mishaps, I decided that i needed to seek comfort and unity from TripAdvisor to see if other’s had written the same.

TripAdvisor users confirmed our observations but there was nothing we could do now. I wanted answers instead. Challenging the hotel staff was something they weren’t used to and offered measly excuses as to why they missed our wake up call. One excuse used was, ‘we tried to call but your phone was broken’. Gobsmacked! If they knew it was broken then why did they not run to our room and knock on the door (it was only a 35 room resort, not really the London style 750 bedroom hotel!).

A few hotels later we stayed at one which took over an hour to serve us 3 dishes of food. No one came to check on us or let us know the food was on its way. When we asked, the staff said 10 more minutes – it turned out to be 20 more. When the bill came we were ready to kick up a fuss again. The experience of being in a luxury holiday resort just wasn’t as tip-top as we had expected it to be. When quibbling the bill the waitress stood there with a moody look on her face – maybe she wasn’t used to confrontation by tourists? We asked to see a manager which took another 10 minutes. The manager looked like a waiter (at this point I had no clue what kind of circus act we were part of), who shockingly stood there and shrugged his shoulders, showed no authority and said that we must pay as the bill has gone through the system and that he could offer us a discount the next day! I was more than happy to act out my reasons for not paying in full and after much hard work reasoning, we were allowed to bypass the drinks bill.

Upon checking out of the hotel I wrote notes in their proud guest book and whilst waiting for the driver, I had a peek at previous comments.  Comment after comment mentioned various versions of the poor service in the restaurant. Shouldn’t comments like this be a kick to the management to get their staff fixed up and providing the 5* service their guests pay for? Reams of TripAdvisor feedback said exactly the same. This was poor. Very poor.

So in light of this experience – I want to know, how many travellers take in the feedback from TripAdvisor when booking and how many hotels actually look at the feedback they are being given and act upon it and make changes.

Also, maybe Kerala Tourism needs to reassess the hotels it promotes or have stern words with them.  Kerala was a beautiful country and I will highly recommend it as a destination but I offer 3 pieces of advice when travelling to India:
1. Research on TripAdvisor as it will probably be the truest insight you will receive
2. Travel companies have ‘favourites’ and there is a fair bit of ‘back hander’ business being carried out for comission, so challenge the hotels they pick for you
3. Always wear a seat belt in India – driving around is like one big bumper car race!

Shivani

Twitterlution

Last week I read an article in the Evening Standard by Ian Birrell titled “Can Twitter and the internet start a revolution?” and it got me thinking how the gargantuan growth of the micro blog is most definitely a force to be reckoned with! The piece picked up on the growth of political protest launches through Twitter. Birrell commented that they demonstrate the “emerging power of social networking as a force for protest, disruption and anarchic chaos”. Through online networking sites such as Twitter, it is fair to say, social activism has been reinvented.

Using the protests against tax avoidance outside Topshop, Oxford Street, last week as an example, Birrell illustrated how protests in the digital age have speed, scale and unpredictability on their side. There has been an emergence of people up and down the country arranging politically orientated meet ups and demonstrations organised through the micro blogging site Twitter. The rise of and accessibility to the worldwide web across the globe has opened doors to a new world of instability and chaos from sources like online terrorism and identity theft. The recent growth of political protests within online social networking sites has orchestrated a new avenue through which the internet can be utilised as a portal for anarchy or revolution, however you might like to look at it...

In October this year a piece appeared in the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell called “Small Change- Why the Revolution Will not Be Tweeted” Gladwell argued that the kind of activism associated with social media isn’t built around strong enough relationships claiming the “platforms of social media are built around weak ties...weak ties seldom lead to high-risk activism”. To this I disagree; surely personal bonds online emanate from a shared cause. You don’t have to know someone’s shoe size or favourite tipple to feel like you have a relationship with someone. Surely the most important thing is to have mutual beliefs and a common cause for action - shared values are not a thing to be sniffed at!

Whether it be used as a force for good or bad, through online social media, we are living in a social revolution; the dawn of online social activism is upon us!

Victoria

Honey I shrunk the text!

I couldn't help myself the other day when questioned about the validity of social media!

Click here to read my blog.

Andrew

 

From space bar to mini bar – online world fastracks the hospitality industry

Earlier in the year and not for the first time, travel review website TripAdvisor caused controversy in hospitality PR circles when it published the list of the ‘Ten Dirtiest Hotels’. The lists were broken down into regions and sent to the 30 million or so TripAdvisor users signed up worldwide.

 

As you would expect, the named and shamed establishments were far from pleased with their inclusion, not least the proprietor from Blackpool whose hotel topped the European list. TripAdvisor’s methodology, he protested to the Independent, was to consider 35 anonymous reviews which, by the way, were all written before he had the chance to refurbish.

 

Would a journalist assigned to review the hotel have been any more lenient? Would they have chosen to mention the fact that although the hotel was allegedly dirty, a refurbishment was being planned? Unlikely.

 

Although Chirag Khajuria of the two-star Grosvenor Hotel could have been forgiven for his apparent anger that rather than being unfavorably reviewed by a pen pusher, he had been panned by mere mortals – his customers.

 

The truth is that the customer power wielded by Web 2.0 and the blogosphere comes with no responsibility. Customer reviewers and bloggers have very little editorial constraints; they only answer to themselves and their readers.

 

From this freedom also comes an opinion base free from loyalties and allegiances. Respected bloggers whose online outlet is their main passion remain fiercely independent, while Mr V Disgruntled is unlikely to mince his words on TripAdvisor following a disappointing weekend trip to Weston-super-Mare.

 

The sheer ferocity of comments posted in scathing reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor is something to behold. Many journalists are happy to stick the knife in when necessary, but are unwilling to twist.

 

Another issue, and one which worries many in the hospitality industry are the external influences that websites such as TripAdvisor are subject to. The online free-for-all means that some establishments have had their name tarnished as the result of foul play on the part of their competitors, who set about writing bogus reviews.

 

While both the traditional print-led media will continue to have its followers, the social media-driven online review system gives customers access to an unprecedented volume of word-of-mouth opinion.

 

The lines in the battle for print and online PR have been altered over the past decade, but the main objective for hotels and other hospitality businesses must remain the same. Ensure a customer leaves satisfied and you will enjoy repeat business; reviews will then look after themselves.

 

Richard

 

Square Meal Venues & Events 2010

Me and my fellow Triggerfishes have just returned from the Square Meal Venues & Events Exhibition. It was my first time at the Exhibition, well actually it was my first exhibition of any kind. Even though I do not have any prior experience of this kind of event I can honestly say all future exhibitions have a lot of work to top this one! For those of you who do not already know Square Meal Venues & Events Exhibition is a collection of the hottest venues in both central London and around the country which takes place once a year, over two days, at the Old Billingsgate.

On arrival at the event we were ushered into the under belly of the exhibition, the ground floor, which reminded me of some eerie yet informative catacombs, the colourful stands within showcased anything from prop suppliers to event organisers dressed as doctors. As we gradually made our way up to the first floor of the exhibition we were greeted by Center Parcs’ picturesque stand, complete with water fountain and forest creatures. From then on we moseyed on round the stands which I found fascinating and visually very inspiring. Stands which have stuck in my mind particularly are etc venues which had a colourful, comfy and revitalising stand due to their highly convenient cappuccino machine and sofa to match. The Alice in Wonderland themed Shakespeare's Globe stand also impressed me and the Dorchester Collections stand complete with a real moss covering!

 

As we made our way on to the second floor we were greeted by the hospitality provider Keith Prowse whose stand I have to say was my favourite. Perhaps however I am being biased as I did also happen to bump, conveniently, into Pat Cash and Annabel Croft who were hanging out with the friendly team at Keith Prowse.   

 

I was amazed by how large the event was and impressed by how well it was all run. After receiving my name tag weeks ago in the post I assumed it would be just a boring old name tag which does what it says on the tin. However little did I know each stand had a scanner which they could use, with your permission, to scan your name tag ensuring they automatically had your contact details for future reference. No review of Square Meal Venues & Events 2010 would be complete without my mentioning the sheer gargantuan level of freebies at the stands, from tapas, wraps, makeup, cocktails, cakes, champagne, chocolates…the list goes on and on.

 

I have to say I have been blown away by the exhibition and its diverse range of exhibitors and really inventive and dazzling stands. All I can say is check out our photographs on our facebook page here and bring on next year!

 

Victoria

 

What’s in a name?

I was doing a Google search the other day on ‘Triggerfish’. 

 

The first result that came up first reminded me of our company values; the reasoning why we are called Triggerfish. 

 

We often get comments “it’s a great company name” and we are occasionally asked the reason why we are called Triggerfish.  About a year ago we even had a phone call from an advertising agency asking if they could call themselves the same name!  I was very close to saying “when you’ve seen a bandwagon it’s too late’’!  Instead, I politely explained the confusion it may cause.  And so, off went the ‘bright creatives’ to either pick on another company or to actually think for themselves!

 

Over the last ten years we’ve seen an emergence in companies with ‘fish’ in their title.  Now I’m not insinuating anything or suggesting ‘when you’ve seen a bandwagon’ but some of the names seem completely futile and without any resonance.  ‘Mad as a box of fish’, etc…  Do a Google search for yourself and see what comes up!  Perhaps the complete lack of meaning to the company name signifies what people think of their own values?

 

Number one Google search for Triggerfish is entitled: “Triggerfish attack’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSyt-iTPFM

 

So, why are we called Triggerfish?  Triggerfish are brightly coloured fish that exhibit, for a fish, a high level of intelligence; they also have the ability to learn from past experiences.  These brightly coloured highly distinctive fish are fiercely defensive of their territory and defending their own.  The ebuliant fish are said to be bottom feeders and survive on a diet of sea bed dwelling crustacean. 

 

So, put into context around our own company name Triggerfish Communications.  We are a collective of individuals each with our own distinct personality.  We are fiercely loyal and defensive of the territory that we operate in, be it our clients, media or each other.  Our strong personalities are backed with business acumen and best practice learned over the years.  As for being bottom feeders… think of it more as showing respect and humility.

 

So, if you delve deeper there is actually quite a lot in our company name.

 

Andrew

     

The best gift is the present

Recently I flicked past this quote on a website and since reading it, it has been fixated in my mind, so much so that everything I now do makes me refer back to it.

 

The quote:

 

“When you run so fast to get somewhere,

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day

It’s like an unopened gift thrown away.”

 

So many of us are busy living our lives but how many of us are actually living them?  It’s the second line of the quote that really dug into another part of my brain – the bit about having fun whilst on the journey towards your goal.  I’ve recently looked forward to so many things and each day I kept reaching forward to make those events happen or arrive more quickly.  I never even batted an eyelid to think that I wake up, do what I need to do because I have to, use my time to look forward to whatever it is that I am striving for, go to sleep then do the same the very next day.  Only after reading the quote it helped me realise that I was missing out on all of the other wonderful things that were occurring around me during the time that I was waiting for the special days to hurry up and arrive.  We all do this and we forget that the day isn’t going to go past any faster just because we have our focus on something else more interesting or exciting – we still have to endure the 60 seconds, 1 minute, 1 hour, 24 hours etc.

 

With packed schedules in our daily lives we easily turn to the accessible objects available to us such as Twitter and iPods to fill our days.  We envelop our day with Twitter and Facebook to tell the world what we are up to and fiddle with iPods repetitively flicking through our songs to fill our time while waiting for the bus to hurry up or when we are rushing to the train station for example. However, as the quote says, we are throwing away all of the things we could see and achieve between point A and B, often things which make the end goal more enjoyable.

 

As great as technology and different social media tools are, we are ALL so engrossed in them that we revolve our lives around them.  Instead of using them as ways to enhance the fun we are having in our normal daily lives we have made them our life.  Rather than talking to friends by picking up the phone, we will write on their Facebook wall or send them a blackberry message – we’re missing out on so much by not picking up the phone and interacting in a verbal form!  That is where the fun lies – taking the time to chat and gossip, unearthing information which often won’t be plastered online for the world to see.

 

I’ve just been on holiday to Morocco purely to relax and I did just that – all forms of communication were switched off for the entire week which gave me the chance to put the fun back into my life, catch up with the girls till the early hours of the morning and making up for lost time that I had totted up due to rushing around trying to get my work done!  Oh what an eye opener it was!  I’ve come back a changed person.  I wanted my gift back; the very same gift that I had thrown away, all because I was too busy to unwrap it properly over the last few months.

 

I’ve got plenty of examples up my very long sleeves of the times I’ve run so fast and not stopped to enjoy the here and now.  Keep your eye on your goal and get excited about it, but instead of filling up the time in-between by diverting attention to other forms of entertainment and tasks, slow down and actually enjoy the present, which you will see will be the real gift when you reach your goal.

Shivani