A Reason to Be Hopeful in 2012

The ongoing process of recognising that much in our Western Capitalist system is ill and needs mending does help focus the mind on priorities and reasons for doing what we do. For me, working in travel distribution and marketing is really about connections - my connection with great people all over the world, and the easier connection we can help facilitate for people who want to travel and explore different cultures, experience how others live and expand their horizons.

Dragon Head by Ai Weiwei

The search for connection is probably best exemplified in the quick and unprecedented expansion of the Asian tourism market over the past few years, led by China the Dragon. With 2012 being the year of the Dragon, we should expect this giant flying lizard motif to be displayed everywhere we look (So I am starting this trend now). With it comes another double digit growth of China's outbound tourism and a new waive of younger (and older) Chinese travelers who are no longer content to sit in coaches for 12 hours snapping famous sites from behind a tinted window. The confidence that comes with experience and growing disposable income is now translating into demand for more diverse and culturally insightful travel experiences. Access to information, thanks to the investment in excellent internet infrastructure in China, allows Chinese to research and plan independently of travel agents or guide books. They now take to travel forums to hear about other tourists' experiences, monitor destinations and brands on social media and add their own views and opinions online. They look for travel partners online and group  together to negotiate discounts on travel accessories, flights and packages.

To understand how China's growing clout is dramatically affecting the tourism sector, we need to observe the changes that South East Asia has been going through over the last 5 years or so. China is now the top market for most SE Asian countries and the top spenders in most of the Asian countries (all the way to Australia and New Zealand too!). Products and services no longer need to be exclusively tailored to Americans or Europeans - they are now being customised to Chinese tastes and preferences. And Asia's experience will be replicated in North America in Europe in the near future (provided we don't shut the gates but actually invite visitors to spend their money here with easier visas and better, targeted marketing and promotion).

So, as I count over 6 years since ChinaContact launched to communicate the opportunity that the Chinese tourist market represents, I hope that you will take this contemplation period to think what is your strategy and action plan to be relevant for Chinese visitors. Contrary to what you may think, that is not the exclusive domain of multinationals or large wealthy countries with millions to spend on promotion. The internet levels the playing field to a great extent (bearing in mind the internet sites popular in China are indeed different to the sites we flock to in the West) and you can take advantage of that.

With this in mind, the Travel Distribution Summit Asia provides a golden opportunity. With major companies from Asia and international speakers including from China, this is an excellent education and networking event. The Summit this year will include dedicated discussions and workshops on China aimed at all levels of familiarisation with the market. So it is a great entry point but also a good step on the way to implementing your China and Asia strategy. I am planning to hold a market entry workshop focused on how to utilize online marketing and social media to build brand and grow revenues in China.

I will be presenting alongside 75+ other industry leaders from brands like Qunar.com, Google, Malaysian Airways, IHG, Air Asia X,  Hilton, Expedia, Starwood, Lufthansa, Priceline, Facebook, Air New Zealand, Groupon, Shangri-La, Lufthansa and TripAdvisor to name just a few. You can see the full summit agenda and speaker line-up here: http://events.eyefortravel.com/travel-distribution-summit-asia/agenda.shtml

Hope to see you there and have a great Dragon year.

Roy

Roy Graff is Managing Director of ChinaContact, a boutique market entry and business development service which offers insight, strategy, marketing and distribution in the Chinese market since 2005. Roy has been intimately involved with China's tourism industry since the year 2000 and spent 3 years in China developing the independent travel division of gta before returning to London to launch ChinaContact. He has assisted national and city tourism boards, hotel chains, tour operators and technology companies with their China strategy and execution. Roy speaks fluent business level Mandarin Chinese.

A New Look for eyefortravel.com

After a long wait, I’m very excited to launch the new look www.eyefortravel.com site.   Please let me/the team know your thoughts!

We’ve opted for a more intelligent layout for our news, reports and events that enables you to navigate the site by the topic you are interested in.   Topic areas include:-

•         Mobile and Technology
•          Social Media and Marketing
•          Revenue and Data management
•        Distribution Strategies

You can also use the top right hand search bar to search for keywords related to the topic you are exploring.

There’s a never a dull moment in the travel industry and you never know what’s round the corner.   One thing’s for sure, we’ll be here to provide the latest business intelligence you need to drive forward your business in 2012 and beyond!

Mobile Social Networking Is On the Rise

Ever been bored on your commute to work and checked your favourite social networks on your phone?  If so, you are not the only one.

The prolific rise of smartphones has led to more and more consumers accessing popular social networking sites on the move.  It’s a key trend that’s only set to grow in popularity as access to smartphones and the necessary technology continue to improve.

A recent study by comScore found that in September 2011, more than 60 per cent of those surveyed posted status updates on their mobile devices.

Mobile social networking users also engaged with brands on their mobile devices, as 44.3 per cent reported reading posts from organisations, brands, or events, and a similar percentage (41.6 per cent) reported reading posts from public figures or celebrities.

This represents an interesting key shift in consumer behaviour.  Social media users are more comfortable than ever before in sharing information about their lives, and also expect instantaneous access to information and purchasing no matter where they are in the world.

Travel brands in particular should also be aware the increasing trend to watch video via tablet and mobile platforms.    A report by VideoMind Video Index found that, on average, tablet viewers watched videos nearly 30 per cent longer than when watching on their desktop — and were more than twice as likely to complete an entire video.

Video is known to increase conversions dramatically for travel brands.  It would therefore be very worthwhile for travel brands to consider the importance of video when planning their mobile strategies.

Want to find out more?  We’ll be discussing these key and more at EyeforTravel’s upcoming Social Media & Mobile Strategies for Travel conference, March 5-6, San Francisco.  Click here for more info or feel free to email me – gina@eyefortravel.com .

Nominate your brand for the Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards

Does your brand have an innovative mobile strategy?  We all know that mobile is going to play a vital role in future travel customer communications yet our recent research found that only 38% of travel brands have a basic mobile friendly website.

At EyeforTravel, we believe that those brands who are investing their valuable time and resources to drive forward successful mobile strategies (and pave the path for others to follow) should be rewarded.

 EyeforTravel’s inaugural Mobile Innovation in Travel awards will take place in San Francisco, March 5-6.   The categories are :-

• Best Mobile Travel App
• Best Mobile Website
• Best Mobile Strategy

Make sure you nominate your favorite brand online now (before December 30^th).

Good luck!

By Gina Baillie

Tablets Top Holiday Consumer Wish Lists

When the iPad first launched in January 2010 I have to admit I was a little sceptical about the concept of the tablet.  Why did we need them?

Less than 2 years later and they’re a must-have item.  According to recent research by PriceGrabber posted on Mashable.com, 79% of consumers would rather receive a tablet than a laptop this holiday season.

Amazon, Nokia, Samsung, HP, Dell and more, all have launched their own often more affordable tablets allowing tablets to not just be for the higher income consumer.

There are well over 100,000 apps for the iPad but many brands have been slow to release apps for tablets for a number of reasons -  namely cost and uncertainty of market reach.  Like mobile apps, it’s no longer just a question of designing for one operating system.  With Amazon’s Kindle taking tablet apps for Android mainstream, it would be foolish not to research the pros and cons of designing for other OS also.

But how are travel brands progressing with reaching the tablet user? 

At EyeforTravel’s Online Marketing & Social Media in Travel Summit earlier this autumn in Amsterdam, Adam Goldstein, Co-Founder & CEO, Hipmunk shared his advice on apps.  Hipmunk successfully launched their first iPad app earlier this year.

Adam suggested –

•  Not to do a tablet app by itself – the tablet market will not outgrow mobile
•  If you have a mobile website and a tablet app then not having a mobile app too would be a mistake
• Don’t forget to regularly update your mobile and tablet apps – it may be a reoccurring expense but it’s worth it to continue consumer engagement and usage
•  Consider the marketing of your app – if done correctly having a tablet app can lead to free PR and increased brand awareness

Other points which travel brands should consider is the fact that tablets can handle more rich media than mobile apps.   They are often used in the more ‘fun’ research and planning stages of the consumer travel lifecycle.  This makes them a great platform to inspire and engage customers (I’ve found research on conversion to be too limited to comment at this stage).

What’s also interesting is the opportunity for travel brands to use tablets in other innovative ways.   For example, more and more travel brands are using tablets during the actual travel experience. 

British Airways recently piloted a scheme to give cabin crew iPads to handle passenger management in-flight, allow crew to identify where each customer is sitting, their Executive Club status and any special meal requirements, and also to give them a “greater understanding” of previous travel arrangements.

In the hospitality space, Design Hotels’ Eccleston Square hotel in London was the first hotel to have an iPad in every room.  The iPads are used to control the room temperature, lights and curtain control, in-room dining orders, restaurant booking, spa reservations, housekeeping, as well as information about the hotel and the local area.  

With other hotels and travel brands looking to follow suit, I think we can safely say the tablet is here to stay!

If you’re a travel brand who has had a successful experience of working with tablets then let me know!  Email gina@eyefortravel.com

By Gina Baillie

Taking the Guesswork Out of Social Media and Mobile Strategies

I recently conducted a survey of over 500 APAC travel brands to find out what’s keeping social and mobile marketers up at night. The findings show that despite 68% of companies claiming to have deployed mobile and social media initiatives, more than half admit that they are unsure how to ‘define, achieve and measure success’

Despite recognising the benefits and potential of both of these enfants terribles  in the online travel industry, marketers were frustrated by a lack of practical know-how, fear of failure and the diaspora of social and mobile channels, platforms and analytical tools to gauge success.

One respondent hits the nail right on the head:

‘For all its potential, social media keeps me up at night… It feels a little bit like jumping in at the deep-end without arm-bands and being expected to swim like Michael Phelps ’

And yet, some brands are making good gains and even ROI through such experimentation;

‘Airlines have already started driving distribution through social media - be it Delta selling tickets through Facebook or jetBlue clearing distressed inventory through flash-sales on @jetBlueCheeps. To sustain the growth in the number of fans and activity, airlines need to dedicate significant resources and execute well on the strategy, to make social media work for the business," says Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, a leading airline brand strategy firm.

It’s a similar story with mobile; 85% of respondents claimed that mobile is an essential strategic consideration in 2012, but in stark contrast only 24% had clear-cut strategic roadmaps and budgets in place.  Lack of resources and knowing where to invest (apps, HTML5, Android vs. iOS, smartphone or Tablet?) were the most cited obstacles.

Whilst these results are perhaps unsurprising, what they do reveal is a fundamental gap in know-how and best practice. Companies realize the importance and potential benefits but are unsure how to deploy and execute ‘successful’ social and mobile campaigns.

So I’ve teamed up with leading industry experts from Malaysia Airlines, SimpliFlying and Abacus and will be conducting a free webinar on Wednesday the 23^rd November to address precisely these challenges.

This 45 minute webinar; Drive Real Engagement and ROI from your Mobile & Social Strategies, will serve as a practical ‘how-to’ manual  to launch and ensure successful mobile and social media campaigns for your travel brand.

The Webinar is completely free to join or download – Find out more and book your place here! 

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/842292606

Use the hastag #tdsasia on Twitter.

Best,

Marco Saio

7 Key Mobile Take-Aways from EyeforTravel Amsterdam

Mobile featured prominently at EyeforTravel’s Online Marketing & Social Media Strategies for Travel conference earlier this month in Amsterdam.

Here are my 7 key take-aways from the mobile sessions featured –

1)      Get a mobile friendly website – it’s predicted that by 2015 there will be more searches via mobile than via PCs.  In the last quarter a 59% of travel brands said they did not allocate any budget to mobile.  That’s a pretty worrying statistic!   It’s not that hard to make a website mobile friendly yet not enough travel brands are doing so.  Let’s hope it’s an essential part of all travel company’s e-commerce plans for 2012!

2)      Don’t jump on the mobile app bandwagon without careful thought - it’s essential to understand what you want to achieve from having a mobile app before developing one.   Apps can be a money pit, needing constant updates and consumer engagement tactics to keep customers using it.  They also need strong marketing strategies to make them work. Developing an app should therefore be seen as a long term commitment.  Christelle Chan from Hotels.com said they see it as a way for them to retain valuable customers.  Apps also serve a different purpose to a mobile website (read on for more details)

3)      Consider where your customers are engaging via mobile – Hotels.com found that those browsing their mobile website tended be in more of a rush (they were often on a trip or, for example, stranded in the ash cloud) than those browsing through their apps (who were often on the train or at using the app at their leisure)

4)      Invest in marketing your mobile products – all of the speakers at the event emphasized that it’s of paramount importance of marketing your mobile products effectively.  Budget needs to set aside for effective mobile marketing.  Adam Goldstein from Hipmunk highlighted the value of the free PR gained through launching their apps but not all companies can achieve this.   According to David Gelabert from Melia Hotels, 80% of branded apps fail to achieve 1,000 downloads.  Indeed, Hotels.com found nothing happened until they started marketing their app.   App store ratings count and awareness and downloads must be encouraged on a country by country basis.

  

5)      Mobile redefines the search space – The no.1 place for consumers to search online in Europe is through Google.  In the mobile space this is different.  App stores for example act like search engines.   The number of downloads of your app matters.  Marketing efforts must also be tailored to the target countries.  App reviews should be encouraged.

6)      Don’t underestimate the value of the tablet –Laptops and desktops are likely, in some cases, to be replaced in the home by tablets.  Media consumption is therefore inevitably set to increase via the tablet.  This provides an ideal opportunity for travel brands to reach customers at the inspirational stage.  Tablet users have more disposable income and a higher propensity to travel (but of course they are not everyone’s target audience!).

7)      Consider the multi-platform user experience – customers are increasingly likely to experience your brand across different platforms.   Simple things like ensuring that customer accounts are synchronised across multiple platforms can help to improve the customer experience of your brand

Don’t forget that you can stay up-to-date with mobile – follow @eyefortravel on Twitter for updates from across the industry!

By Gina Baillie