Chris Lincoln Interviews Daisy Morris

Tell us a little about yourself and what’s important to you, I especially want to hear about your new book which is absolutely storming the industry:

My passion is community building, in a world where people feel more lonely than ever I think it’s amazing that we each have the opportunity to be the connecting thread that unites people through our work, it’s a topic I explore more heavily in my book ‘Community Is Your Currency’. I get excited when I see people forming meaningful communities through their passion. I’ve learned (the hard way) that balance is so key, so I really value my offline time too and encourage anyone looking to get more creative and connected to spend some time in nature, cooking or hanging out with people they love!

Can you discuss the recent social changes that have impacted the hospitality industry and how marketing strategies have adapted in response?

People are craving a slower pace, it’s like we’ve 180’d post pandemic, we went from doing nothing at home and being locked away indoors, to wanting to do everything - weddings, festivals, travel, catching up with friends and I think people want a middle ground now. Health and wellbeing has become such a huge priority for many people (running clubs are the new dating apps so I hear) and so I think people are generally craving more balance. As a result we’re seeing hospitality brands create more meaningful experiences which aren’t just entered around boozing but allowing time for meaningful connections.

In a fast-paced industry like hospitality especially in todays society, personal wellbeing and self-care are often overlooked. How do you prioritise personal wellness within your working life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

This is a really tricky one as it’s so much easier said than done and I know it’s something many people struggle with! Personally, exercise is a key foundation for keeping me feeling energised, and when I’m consistent with exercise I tend to look after myself better across the board - health eating and better sleep etc. I think carving out time to rest and actually do nothing, just be, and just chill is so key too. I think UK culture glamourises ’the hustle’ and being busy all the time, but it’s so important to have down time to rest up.

Could you share some insights into how the concept of hospitality has evolved over time and how marketers can leverage these changes to create more impactful campaigns?

TikTok has completely flipped the switch on how existing and potential guests engage with businesses, 67% of people use Instagram to research a business before engaging with them and over 45% of 18-30 year olds now use TikTok as a search engine, so essentially - people are sizing you up and looking at what people are saying about you before they even think about booking. Having a content strategy that sells an experience over a product is so key, people want to feel and be part of something bigger than a fancy cocktail. The brands I see who are doing a great job of driving pre-booked revenue and generating interest are working on a really solid content strategy and collaborating with brands and creators who align with their business values.

They’re telling stories in ways that feel real and genuine, they spotlight people over product.

With consumers becoming increasingly discerning, what advice would you give to businesses to differentiate their brands and create memorable experiences for guests?

Your people are your best asset. Personality and storytelling  is what makes businesses memorable, it’s literally neuroscience. Leverage the amazing people you have, spotlight them in your content, tell stories about them, let them get creative and share the humour in what you do.

Social media algorithms and user behaviours are constantly shifting. You have a great tag line of “check yourself before your notifications” which I love, what does it really mean to you and what advice do you have for people and their relationship with social media?

I always say social media is the vehicle to connection. It’s about painting a picture about who you are, opening the digital door and letting people in. Likes don’t mean anything if people don’t buy in to you and what you do, you could have a following of 100,000 people who don’t care about what you do, or 100 people who love it and tell everyone and anyone - the difference is the 100 people care about you because you have a story. I also think social media should be fun, we’ve got so caught up in the vanity metrics of likes and follows that we’re focusing so much on the ‘media’, we’re forgetting to be ’social’.

I had the pleasure of working with you before the pandemic, the industry has changed so much since then along with society itself, what major changes have you witnessed that gives you hope for the future?

I think people are sick of zoom and URL interactions that they now want IRL interactions. I think the future is outside and I’m in to it!

How do you incorporate elements of self-care and wellness into your marketing campaigns, particularly in a way that resonates with your target audience?

I always encourage people to be creative and connect with themselves, their values and their own beliefs and I truly believe this work is best done outside of apps and in real life. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and think it’s filled with opportunity but the best ideas happen in real life. It’s a message I always try and promote as much as I can, that’s where ‘check yourself before your notifications’ comes from - are you creating  and ideating from a full cup or from a place of comparison and panic?

Can you share some innovative marketing tactics or campaigns that you've implemented in the hospitality industry to drive brand awareness and customer loyalty?

Collaboration! Don’t sleep on partnerships, especially with content creators, they have so much cultural and community currency with their followers - we’ve seen businesses go viral and become booked up months in advance from strategic content creator partnerships.

What’s next for the Self Hood?!


Honestly, I’m not sure - I’m loving where we’re at and I don’t want to grow too quickly, I’m not afraid to say I still have lots to learn and want to make sure things happen at a pace that feel manageable so we can serve our existing clients in the best way that we can. I am re-releasing my mental health merchandise soon, which will be stoppable via my website www.theselfhood.com