Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

The advance of technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones and handheld devices in recent years have enabled us to publish our experience about a product or service through online photo or video sharing and provide a review. Online review websites have also updated their features, making it easier for consumers to attach pictures or videos to their reviews. As both consumers and businesses adapt to the new photo-sharing trend, it becomes crucial to expand our knowledge regarding user-generated photos’ (UGPs’) effect on  online reviews . An empirical study about user-generated photos I worked with a research team in an interdisciplinary project to assess UGPs’ effects on  the helpfulness of hotel reviews . We published our findings in the  Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research . The paper is entitled “Let photos speak: The effect of user-generated visual content on hotel review helpfulness.” The hypotheses We drew from the media richness theory and advanced...

Last week,  COVID-19 cases in the U.S.  hit their lowest rate since September. Deaths were also at the lowest point since April last year. Moreover, close to  60% of adults  in the U.S. have already received at least one dose of a vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  announced on May 13  that: People who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear face covers or maintain a social distance in any setting unless they are required to do so by laws or specific guidelines. Fully vaccinated people can also refrain from testing following a known exposure (with a few exceptions). Some businesses , such as Starbucks, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Sam’s Clubs, Universal Studios, and Disney parks in Florida, have decided to follow CDC’s new guidelines. Fully vaccinated people are no longer mandated to wear a mask in their establishments. The U.S. economy is recovering, with highest job gains in the leisure sector Under a much-improved situat...

            On October 28, 2021 Panera releases their Flatbread Pizzas. The original lineup included a margarita flatbread pizza, a cheese flatbread pizza, and a chipotle chicken flatbread pizza. Although this move looks like it might be a way to boost sales during the pandemic, flatbread pizzas have been in talks for over a year before the release.  Will pizza help with delivery sales?           The strategy behind this move seems to be sold as a way of providing more meal options with clean ingredients that customers can feel better about eating, rather than some other fast-food options. However, this move has seemed to be more of a push to boost their delivery sales. Delivery sales have almost doubled with the launch of the flatbread pizza, and with this increase in delivery orders, overall sales have increased by thirty percent (Ellwanger, 2020). Delivery has been able to take off for many fast-food chains during ...

  Traveling in a Post-Pandemic World If there was one thing the pandemic taught us, it was that everybody became hesitant and unwilling to travel. Shaver (2020) of The Washington Post shared an interesting tidbit in which Americans were actually staying home less during the pandemic, according to research that tracks users' smartphone data.  The quarantine fatigue affected nearly everyone who lived an active lifestyle or loved to be out and about in the world. It was simply not a safe time, and too many regulations were in place that deterred consumers from traveling for leisure. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the travel and hospitality industry. Yet, there is no doubt that people will yearn to travel again when the pandemic is fully lifted. Around this same time, credit card companies have developed unique ways to retain business with consumers who look to maximize rewards and benefits for their journey. A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way ...

Did you wake up one morning and decide that you needed to take control of your life?  Has the thought of starting a business ever crossed your mind?  Are you already a business owner or looking to be one?  These are all valid questions to be considered for people interested in entrepreneurship. The pandemic is very challenging for most businesses, but it also opens up new opportunities for smaller, house-based operations. In fact, a number of small, family-owned businesses have done relatively well during this time. So, I guess the real question is how exactly they managed to bring in new business and at the same time, keep their existing customers. SEO, or search engine optimization, can be one solution to these questions. With everything being online nowadays, it is really up to the algorithm to decide.  What is SEO? SEO’s act as website filters that can help control traffic, all while promoting certain websites and brands through the natural engine. SEO’s suc...

  After over a year of the pandemic, businesses are finally starting to reopen to the public. Businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, are booming a lot more than before the pandemic. Because most businesses have already laid off most of their workers because of the pandemic, they do not have enough manpower to meet the sudden spark of demand. In other words, businesses can’t keep up with staffing needs in order to fill the increasing demand. Unemployment messes with restaurant operations Due to the pandemic, restaurants across the U.S. had to shut down, driving up unemployment. The ongoing pandemic left plenty of people across the world “jobless.” Only certain stores were considered “essential” and remained open. With government aids to the unemployed, some people are making more money than earning the minimum wage even when they are not working. Then, why would people want to go back to work? Undocumented workers do not receive any financial aids or unemploymen...

"Magic is ___________." Back in 2020, the Disneyland Parks closed due to the pandemic and now after almost a year of closure, they are preparing to reopen this coming April 30 th . Disneyland's commercials evoke customers’ joyful memories that they gain at the theme parks with a music loop, Disney characters, smiles, and rides. Disneyland's visitors did not hesitate to purchase tickets to the theme parks.   However, they must follow Health Department coronavirus guidelines. Disneyland's marketing strategy The moment when we see the face of the most famous mouse of the entire world, our ears immediately relate that to happy "Mickey Mouse” joyful music. In the commercial that Disneyland prepared to announce their opening, they used a music loop, images, smiles, and rides ( “Disneyland Resort Magic is Here",  2021 ). Instantly, you are transported to fond memories of collecting the joyful moments that someone may have had at the Disneyland theme parks. ...