In the days ahead, managers and employees of the Hyatt hotel chain will be doing favors for some of their customers. Maybe they always did them, but these favors will be different: they will be what Hyatt Hotels’ C.E.O., Mark Hoplamazian, has called “random acts of generosity,” like unexpectedly picking up the tab for your hotel-bar drinks or hotel-spa massage.

For months, I have argued that a down economy can be a great opportunity for companies to try something different or start something new. I don't mean to minimize the pressures and setbacks that are part of unleashing real change in tough times. If all you've got is a spreadsheet filled with red ink and dire forecasts, it's easy to be paralyzed by fear. But if you've got some leadership nerve, and can muster a few good ideas, then hard times can be great times to separate yourself from the pack and build advantages for years to come.

It’s imperative that you begin now to create the digital products that will eventually replace your physical products

The last 15 years in the publishing industry have seen a revolution in marketing channels. Publishers now sell more products and generate more revenue on the Internet than from any other source.

Here’s the Mequoda Manifesto: Over the next 15 years, publishers will transition to delivering exclusively digital products. And that transformation will be twice as gut-wrenching as the shift to online marketing.

Article HIghlights:

* Use your emails to offer a glimpse of your website
* If you have multiple offers, send more than one message
* Personalize the message as much as you can