Interview with Joshua Olayer of the Grand Hyatt Kauai

I’ve been vacationing at the Grand Hyatt Kauai for fifteen years, so in anticipation of our trip this year, I Liked the resort on Facebook and immediately took notice of their efforts there and on Twitter. Joshua Olayer, the resort’s Social Ambassador, was asking guests what they’d like to see on the Facebook page, snapping poolside shots of “Lauren and Jena… handing out some tasty cool treats” and posting photo-quiz teases – in short, adding the human touch. While it’s not hard to keep folks happy in paradise, it is obvious that guests are enjoying the opportunity to bond with the resort in these social media channels.

I reached out to Joshua, who graciously agreed to sit down with me over piña coladas and discuss my favorite topic, social media response. More Today Show than 60 Minutes (hey, I was on vacation after all), we discuss the strategy behind his new position, corporate oversight, tools, scalability, and get another perspective on how companies are building loyalty with social media response.

Yes, it’s my dream-job; strolling around the balmy, eden-like grounds, iPad in hand, helping people with social media.