social media- - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T20:40:47Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/social+media-Booking.Com’s Fun ‘Booking Epic’ Campaign and Video Raise the Bar for Travelershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/booking-com-s-fun-booking-epic-campaign-and-video-raise-the-bar2014-01-20T14:39:58.000Z2014-01-20T14:39:58.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008814479?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><br /> <strong>Turning the mundane, frustrating experience of booking a hotel online into a fun moment, is an act of legerdemain that only Booking.com is probably able to pull off.</strong><br /> <br /> Take a look at their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjYUb42X4zE&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">YouTube</a> commercial to see what I mean. It’s wry, funny and self-deprecating.<br /> <br /> It’s a spoof on hotel TV commercials that in and of itself, is a smart TV commercial for Booking.com’s new U.S ad campaign: “Booking Epic.”<br /> <br /> But we have come to expect these sorts of creative approaches from the company that’s the largest brand in the global online accommodation sector.<br /> <br /> Last year it won the coveted Adrian Award bestowed by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for its first U.S advertising campaign, ‘Booking.yea’, which, Chief Marketing Officer, Paul Hennessy said reflects their commitment to helping travelers experience ‘the delight of the right’ with their accommodations.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814699,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814699,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="225" alt="9008814699?profile=original" /></a><br /> The new 2014 campaign builds on that success. The “Booking Epic” experience is designed to delighting consumers and “raise the bar for travelers.”<br /> <br /> <strong>The company, with 25 different varieties of accommodations, 400,000 properties in 193 countries, asks travelers to share even the smallest detail that went into making their accommodations epic. Or “Epic.”</strong><br /> <br /> What could that be?</p><p>It could be the cashew nuts.<br /> Or the complimentary breakfast.<br /> How about the minbar, or the incredibly powerful hair dryer?<br /> Or…<br /> <br /> <strong>It’s pretty self-explanatory, but clever, because people don’t book a hotel room, they book an experience</strong>. They book a story.<br /> <br /> The campaign was created by Wieden+ Kennedy Amsterdam Creative, and the theme is simplicity itself: A successful hotel stay is shaped by thousand of little and often weird details that Wieden+Kennedy directors say cause travelers across the globe, to glow.<br /><br /> The video itself is airing from January 14 on across the United States as a compelling component of “Booking Epic” showing people getting in touch with what they really like and want about their hotel stay.<br /><br /></p><p></p></div>Will New Social Technologies Take the Pain Out of Booking?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/will-new-social-technologies-take-the-pain-out-of-booking2013-06-05T12:56:49.000Z2013-06-05T12:56:49.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771663,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771663,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="500" alt="9008771663?profile=original" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/dispatches/2013/02/26/online-travel-survey-consumer-satisfaction-airlines/1947331/" target="_blank">USAToday</a> reported that online travel companies "lag behind e-commerce retailers...in delivering a positive consumer experience." <span style="font-size:13px;">No surprise here.</span><br /> <br /> For anyone who has tried booking travel that involves a flight more complicated than flying from Point A to Point B, the explanation is obvious. And it's obvious even for those who travel only from Point A to Point B.<br /> <br /><strong>Using one of the many flight-finding, online travel agents or tools, is a horrific process. Nothing seems to work simply.</strong> <br /> <strong>Posted prices and availability are too complex and frustrating.</strong> <br /> <strong>Customers' needs for specific, helpful answers are nonexistent.</strong><br /> <br /> Laura Bly, writing for <em>USAToday,</em> referred to a Customer Satisfaction Survey that said customer satisfaction with the online booking process fell 2.6% to 76, the steepest decline of all measured categories.<br /> A score of 80 is considered "solid," and while the decline may not be dramatic, it's the trend that's troublesome to the sector.<br /> <br /> In a recent New Media Travel article (<a href="http://newmediatravel.com/the-travel-agent-is-dead-long-live-the-travel-agent/" target="_blank">The Travel Agent is Dead; Long Live the Travel Agent</a>), we reported a Reuters story that said <strong>bookings from old-fashioned travel agents were up an impressive 12%, the implication being that the pendulum may be swinging away from online travel agents.</strong> And, we hear, a consortium of travel agents has actually financed a low-cost airlines, believing<br /> doing so will increase their own profits.<br /> <br /><strong>Travel Agent Activism?</strong><br /> <br /> The reasoning is that travel is an emotional experience that goes far beyond renting a car or booking a flight. And online travel agents and engines simply do not do a good job in meeting those needs.<br /> <br /> New technologies and innovative upstarts may.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.foreseeresults.com/" target="_blank">Foresee</a> , a company that measures customer experience) said that the average customer doesn't really distinguish between online travel companies like Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity.<br /> <br /> But NBC says that Google continues its foray into satisfying travel-specific search results.<br /> <br /> American Airlines has a new fare system that stresses bundling of services based on personal preferences. And <a href="http://pintrips.com/" target="_blank">Pintrips</a> is a new technology that allows travelers to save searches and do side-by-side comparisons.<br /> <br /> <strong>The new online travel technologies are designed to help, not hinder the travel planning experience. If Amazon and others can personalize the online buying experience, online travel agencies can, and should.</strong> <br /></p><p></p></div>Brands Trump Customer Service in Social Media Usehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/brands-trump-customer-service-in-social-media-use2013-04-09T11:30:00.000Z2013-04-09T11:30:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008765680,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="440" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008765680,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008765680?profile=original" /></a></p><p>In spite of the reports suggesting social media is the way to connect with and service customers, it just may not be true.<br /> <br /><a href="http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/the_future_of_customer_service_and_social_media" target="_blank">Hotelmarketing.com</a> reports that <strong>62% of customers are looking for more support through social media.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>But brand reputation and promotions still top the list of how companies use social media.</strong><br /> <br /> Econsultancy reported a while back that the retail industry has the highest percent (45%) of customers using social media as their "voice," and contacting (and getting) support through social media tools.<br /> <br /> <strong>Travel and hospitality come in third, with an unimpressive 34%.</strong><br /> <br /> Could be that travel industry professionals are too busy promoting the virtues of their properties to actually ask what their customers want, Or to answer questions and provide quality, individualized advice.<br /> <br /> And unfortunately, the disconnect between what customers want and what companies emphasize is actually growing.<br /> <br /> You can’t blame travel suppliers and companies for their myopia.<br /> For too many years they’ve had a Pavlovian response to their brands: promote them, and get around to taking care of customers later.<br /> <br /> But using corporate social media muscle to promote brand and not to give the people, their customers, a voice, is very wrongheaded.<br /> <br /> <strong>If it's true that travel suppliers don't make themselves available to support and sustain their clients, to listen to them, one has to ask why.</strong><br /> <br /> One report suggested that the disconnect may be the result of top brass not knowing how to use social media.<br /> <br /> <strong>Seventy-three percent of corporations and companies said they would “use social media for customer service,” if they understood the tools available to them!</strong><br /> <br /> Now there's a problem waiting for a solution.<br /> <br /> image/courtesy davidhallsocialmedia.com<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /></p></div>Travel Companies That Make Twitter Matterhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/travel-companies-that-make-twitter-matter2014-04-29T16:13:32.000Z2014-04-29T16:13:32.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008842088,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008842088,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" alt="9008842088?profile=original" /></a></p><p><br /> For a long time now we’ve been preaching how fun and engaging Twitter is…and yet questioned how effective it is when applied to the travel market.<br /> <br /> Then along comes a report in <a href="http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/how_3_innovative_travel_brands_found_success_on_twitter" target="_blank">HotelMarketing</a> by way of an interesting account in <a href="http://sproutsocial.com/insights/find-3-innovative-travel-brands-succeeding-twitter/" target="_blank">SproutSocial</a> highlighting three innovative travel industry success stories on Twitter.<br /> <br /> <em>Increasingly, Twitter, it seems, is playing a key role in the critical stages of travel: research, mid-travel engagement and post-trip reviews/feedback.</em><br /> <br /> Of the 25,000 tweets analyzed, a huge 33% directly addressed tourism and travel with the ten most frequently asked questions having to do with where to go, where to sleep, what activities to see…and finding a hotel.<br /> <br /> <em>Enter Loews Hotels (@Loews_Hotels) with its new social reservations system.</em> It allows guests to book stays directly through Twitter: No calls, no online booking, reports SproutSocial. <br /> <br /> Customers use #BookLoews in a tweet to @Loews_Hotel and a professional travel planner from the hotel will tweet a link back to a secure chat connection and you’re in, and off to the kind of hotel stay you want to stay in.<br /> <br /> <em>Since so much travel anxiety is all about flights (missed, delayed, costs), UK-based Leeds Bradford Airport (@LBIAirport) has taken some of the worry out of flight planning with its Twitter-oriented app.</em> <br /> <br /> Jennifer Beese, writing for Sprout Social says that travelers using the airport send a direct message (DM) to @LBIAirport using the word “flight” followed by the traveler’s flight number. Leeds will then send a steady stream of flight updates until the plane has arrived or departed. <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008842664,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008842664,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" alt="9008842664?profile=original" /></a> <em>And finally, in the genre of “Where Shall I Go” tweets, South African Tourism (@GoToSouthAfrica 54K followers; 13.9K following) invited travel bloggers to explore four different itineraries covering all of South Africa. This #MeetSouthAfrica campaign produced 10,000+ tweets funneled through 3.7 million Twitter accounts.</em><br /> <br /> The numbers matter, but what matters more is that the tweets were all about the people the bloggers met, their intimate and not so intimate experiences, personal stories..basically life in South Africa. <br /> <br /> <em>In case, of course, a traveler ever wanted to know about the country, or was thinking of traveling there, #MeetSouthAfrica provided more compelling images and information for less money to more people than a single full-page ad.</em></p><p></p></div>How Facebook Will Dominate Our Travel Impulseshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/how-facebook-will-dominate-our-travel-impulses2013-12-05T15:17:47.000Z2013-12-05T15:17:47.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008812654,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008812654,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="412" alt="9008812654?profile=original" /></a></p><p>If you’re looking for a sales job in travel, now might be the time to approach Facebook.<br /> <br /> <strong>The giant social media site is on a mission to elbow its way further into the travel space and has been reorganizing its sales force.</strong><br /> <br /> As <a href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/wooing_travel_industry_will_be_facebooks_key_focus_in_2014/" target="_blank">HotelMarketing</a> reports Facebook has been recruiting for travel sales representatives as it looks to turn travel, one of its fastest growing verticals, in to one of its biggest. Next year, 2014, is the target year.<br /> <br /> <strong>All those images, and stories and happy travelers’ tales posted minute by minute on the site really do stimulate dreaming and planning about travel.</strong><br /> <br /> So, while sales efforts will still be country-based, the new emphasis will be on narrow verticals, especially travel.<br /> <br /> <strong>A recent study by research agency Sparkler, show that Facebook already enjoys prominence in the critical five stages of travel: dreaming, planning, booking, experiencing and finally, reflecting.</strong> <br /> <br /> And of course posting.<br /> <br /> Impressively, <strong>52% of the site’s users said that when they view Facebook, they already “started dreaming about a holiday even when they didn’t have one booked, and that 95% use Facebook for travel related activities prior to going on vacation.”</strong><br /> <br /> It seems that the pictures and comments of friends and families intensify the desire to travel, stimulate the “dreaming and planning” stage more than TV ads and mailers of empty beaches.<br /> <br /> See <a href="http://newmediatravel.com/no-more-boring-hotel-web-sites-please/)" target="_blank">New Media Travel’s No More Boring Hotel Websites</a> for more on the failure of empty hotel rooms, lobbies, guest rooms to stimulate travel.<br /> <br /> As a result, <a href="http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/facebook-says-wooing-travel-industry-will-be-key-focus-in-2014/4008746.article" target="_blank">MarketingWeek</a> quoted Andy Pang of Facebook UK as saying he hoped travel companies will now see how important it is to advertise on the site.<br /> <br /> <strong>Leaving nothing to chance (or consumer choice), the Facebook team is looking to improve ad targeting so travel brands can address “travel intenders,” consumers who may not even know they are planing to travel,</strong> but will more easily do so, once they engage the travel advertising on Facebook.<br /> <br /> And so it goes.<br /> <br /> image/Drew Meyers</p></div>Death by Too Many Reviews: When is Enough Enough?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/death-by-too-many-reviews-when-is-enough-enough2013-10-31T19:02:03.000Z2013-10-31T19:02:03.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296580884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="450" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296580884,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="9296580884?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Reviews do matter. A report by <a href="http://blogs.sas.com/content/hospitality/2013/10/24/pricing-in-a-social-world2/" target="_blank">SAS</a> noted that <strong>positive reviews (less so TripAdvisor-based rank and brand), followed by lower price were the most important influencers of choice.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>And lower price or higher ratings don't overcome the impact of negative reviews.</strong> <br /> <br /> <strong>But even in America, it's possible that more isn't better.</strong><br /> <br /> Writing reviews is almost a national pastime. Writing reviews on everything and saying pretty much what we want and being rewarded by some sort of badge or other "atta boy" recognition is the zeitgeist.<br /> <br /> I review, therefore I am.<br /> <br /> But the report from <a href="http://marketing.trustyou.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/4951/p/p-0057/t/page/fm/0" target="_blank">TrustYou</a>,in conjunction with NYU's <a href="http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/tisch.html" target="_blank">Preston Robert Tisch Center</a> of Hospitality, ( says <strong>travelers have written 9% fewer reviews than they did the same time last year.</strong><br /> <br /> <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Other conclusions:</span><br /> <br /> • The reviews are giving marginally higher scores<br /> • It is significantly more difficult to score five stars than a year ago<br /> • <strong>Review fatigue is definitely setting in based on a sample of 250,000 reviews of US-based hotels across 25-plus sources</strong><br /> <br /> What this means, apparently, is that with fewer and fewer review, each becomes a bit more important pressuring management to be ever more thoughtful in its responses. They are on notice to "constantly monitor and improve, which shows through in user-generated feedback."<br /> <br /> It seems management is listening: their response rates have increased by double-digit percentages, the report says, "sending travelers a clear sign they are being heard."<br /> <br /> The markets with the highest "TrustScores," ("TrustYou's aggregate score out of 100 from all reviews written worldwide") gives New York (90.50), Orlando (88.98), and Chicago (88.12) the highest TrustScores.<br /> <br /> The most improved markets are Tampa-St.Petersburg (+ 3.6%), New Orleans (+ 3.2%) and Pholadelphia (+ 2.6%).<br /> <br /> Overall, hoteliers have to work harder to "exceed expectations, delight and surprise guests" with a differentiated product and exceptional service.<br /> <br /> <strong>Those hotels looking for five-star ratings are finding the coveted ranking less and less available.</strong> <br /> <br /> <strong>We think that's how it should be. Ratings Inflation has been around too long and is too deceptive.</strong><br /></p></div>Are Travel Marketers Wasting Their Time on Social Media?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/are-travel-marketers-wasting-their-time-on-social-media2013-10-17T17:36:56.000Z2013-10-17T17:36:56.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296580293,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296580293,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="462" alt="9296580293?profile=original" /></a>How surprising is this: I<strong>n the second half of last year, fewer that 1% of visitors arrived at a hotel or travel booking site, "via a social media link or a link shared by by a friend</strong>. So reports <a href="http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/hotel_marketers_wasting_time_on_facebook_and_twitter)" target="_blank">Hotelmarketing</a>.com<br /> <br /> Does this mean hotels are wasting their time chasing the Holy Grail of Twitter and Facebook?</p><p>Could be. We love our friends' photos and status updates, the report goes on to say, and it's very true that social media platforms and channels do develop loyalty.<br /> The contests do lead to deeper branding, <strong>but, it seems, all that presence and activity don't lead to proportionately to increased bookings.</strong><br /> <br /> What does? It seems to depend on the industry. <a href="http://www.imediaconnection.com/printpage/printpage.aspx?id=33254" target="_blank">IMedia Connection</a>, a marketing site, reports that science, business, news and entertainment visits prompted by links from other sites (blogs; social media sites) jumped from 9% in August 2011 to an average of 32% in August 2012."</p><p><br /> But the "voice-of-customer surveys" also shows that the same kind of connectivity growth did not apply to the hospitality/travel business, especially hotels. They lag behind. In fact, the number of visits that come from search engine results or typing in a URL ranged between 55 and 61% - vs. the 1% of visitors arriving at a hotel or travel booking site by way of a social media channel or link shared by a friend.<br /> <br /> <strong>The apparent conclusion of the study is that "social media noise" matters less when booking a holiday or a hotel, than the "informed" or "perceived impartiality" afforded by key word searches and personalized</strong> <strong>research</strong>.<br /> <br /> Interestingly, as iMedia point out, other industries like the automotive industry also benefit less by social media presence and more by targeted, SEO searches.<br /> <br />Again, how come? It seems car buyers are not especially concerned with keeping up with the Smiths, an imperative implied implied in social media. Price, budget and specifications matter more than what friends say.<br /> <br /> But by no means should the travel industry step back from its investment in social media.<br /> <br /> It needs to be aware that spending to optimize SEO, may be as good or better an investment that courting bloggers or counting too much on social media's clout. <strong>As we have said, an integrated approach is critical, where each marketing dollar support the other, especially, it seems, in travel.</strong></p><p></p></div>Travelers Don’t Use Social Media to Complainhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/travelers-don-t-use-social-media-to-complain2011-08-22T18:10:18.000Z2011-08-22T18:10:18.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008637873,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="425" class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008637873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008637873?profile=original" /></a><strong>Travelers Don’t Use Social Media to Complain</strong><br /><br />Would you ever tell a Facebook friend that your stay at a hotel really “sucked,” or can you see yourself going public on Twitter with a rant about some resort’s horrible customer service or food?<br /><br />It seems, says <a href="http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/social_media_as_a_customer_service_channel_still_nascent" target="_blank">Hotelmarketing.com</a> that although we’re big users of social media, and often inclined to grouse to our friends about a bad trip or lousy airline service, in reality, only 2% of those surveyed said they express their specific, negative feedback about an airline or trip via social media, especially Facebook and Twitter.<br /><br />Most, it seems, level their gripes at the customer service department, or through a hotel’s web site or an email and even by phone.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Partly, says <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008495" target="_blank">emarketer</a>, the feeling is that the social network-driven complains are “undirected, so they often go unanswered.” And only one out of four consumers who complained, says the web site, actually got a response back, specifically from an airline. <br /><br /><br />While directly complaints to a brand directly is still the preferred way to give feedback (most always negative), that is no reason for the brands to relax their vigilance and stop listening to their customers.<br /><br />For now, Social Network users, says emarketer, are primarily discussing and comparing prices.<br /><br />After that?<br /><br />• The users talk about sales and special deals (54%), give advice ( 50%) and provide feedback to a brand or retailer, 53%<br /><br />Interestingly, only 36% of social network users polled said they use social media tools to connect with customer service.<br /><br />The tendency to contact a retailer (hotel, airline, resort, ) may be small, but only in travel.<br /><br />Respondents say that they are more likely to use social media to direct negative comments about household products, healthcare and pharma. <br /><br />But the trend is decidedly toward looping travel into the social media-complaint broadcast.<br /><br />This gives travel providers and suppliers a chance now, in the early stages, to connect with customers and develop a loyal following.<br /><br />But will they?</div>Visual Storytelling Critical for Travel Industry Social Media Successhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/visual-storytelling-critical-for-social-media-success2013-06-12T12:06:11.000Z2013-06-12T12:06:11.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771290,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="245" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008771290?profile=original" /></a><strong>If it's true that 1-minute of video is worth 1.8 million words, then hotels and travel destinations may have found the "holy grail" that converts the grazing online process of looking at hotels, to actually booking them.</strong><br /> <br /> And there isn't a hotel or destination in the world that isn't seeking the business alchemy that converts lookers into actual customers.<br /> <br /> Generally, the hotel's website is held responsible for making this magic happen.<br /> <br /> Of course service that exceeds the client's demands, location, price, all play a role in determining what drives travelers to become clients.<br /> <br /> But the website is the portal. <a href="http://newmediatravel.com/no-more-boring-hotel-web-sites-please/" target="_blank">New Media Travel</a> has written about how boring hotel web sites typically are, and <a href="http://vfmleonardo.com/" target="_blank">VFM Leonardo</a> recently presented a <strong>webinar called, "Why is Visual Storytelling so Critical for Social Media Success Today?"</strong><br /> <br /> While most of the webinar contained run-of-the-mill information, there were some real insights.<br /> <br /> I think it was Greg Oates, travel editor at <a href="http://www.200rooms.com/" target="_blank">200Rooms</a>, that said guests are not looking for content from hotel websites. They are looking for stories they can relate to. A solid marketing concept. <span style="font-size:13px;">They want to see the hotel in a context that shows the value of choosing that particular hotel, an emotional decision that takes price into consideration, but goes way beyond price into the realm of value, a "feeling" or connection about a property.</span><br /> <br /> Oates wasn't asking hotels to dress up their websites with "pretty photos." He was asking hotels to post images that tell a story, and illustrated his point with a hotel's endearing image of a mom and child mirroring each other in a innocent, sweet stretching pose.<br /> <br /> <strong>Basically, he was saying that a client doesn't "book a hotel," but "books a story."</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>We have always questioned why hotels still show empty rooms, pools and lobbies. Or guests that are just too beautiful to be real.</strong> Some hoteliers have said they chose these innocuous pics because they want to play it safe, don't want to offend a potential guest by showing, say, a racially mixed couple or a family, in case a potential client may be childless. Or worse, doesn't like kids.<br /> <br /> But with 46% of adults taking and posting photos, hotels have an exceptional opportunity to tell their stories, to show what the hotel is all about, what matters to it, via a clever mix of professional photographs and crowd sourced ones.<br /> <br /> Pinterest and Instagram, of course, are terrific tools for hotels. And as <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabruckler" target="_blank">Melissa Bruckler</a>, e-commerce consultant, pointed out, with the <strong>dominance of mobile applications, the smaller screen demands less copy and more images.</strong><br /> <br /> There was one glaring omission with the webinar however: Video was never mentioned, or maybe mentioned once.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/travelvideo" target="_blank">Travel Video PostCards</a>, which provides short-form video to the travel and publishing industry, believes, as someone said, all hotel and destination websites should open to and with a video - not text or copy. Or limited text and copy.<br /> <br /> <strong>What are the "take aways"? </strong><br /> <br /> Show a story, don't tell.<br /> <br /> Use images designed to make sure your guests take part in your hotel's values and experiences.<br /> <br /> Use visuals to get clients involved and sharing</p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>image/courtesy archiscene.net</em></span></p><p></p><p></p></div>Airbnb 101: Using Social Media's Hottest "Places to Stay" Sitehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airbnb-101-using-social-media-s-hottest-places-to-stay-site2013-05-29T11:14:32.000Z2013-05-29T11:14:32.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771088,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008771088,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="450" alt="9008771088?profile=original" /></a></p><p><strong>Airbnb 101: Using Social Media's Hottest "Places to Stay" Site</strong><br /><br />By <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101319510328215069934/posts" target="_blank">Angie Picardo</a></p><p>with <a href="http://www.newmediatravel.com" target="_blank">Kaleel Sakakeen</a>y<br /><br />As <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> says, "Find a Place to Stay."<br />And with participants in 34,183 cities in 192 countries, it's small wonder that the site has become the "go to place" for places to stay. And what may make the popular short term rental site even more popular, is its clever inclusion of neighborhood guides for cities all around the world, just in case a traveler is unsure where to travel to.</p><p>Features like this, and a site that's blessedly clear, clean and easy to use, doubtless is why its user base of millions of guests seem content and happy with Airbnb.</p><p>If you’re like me, you've used Airbnb and lived through a friend’s experience vicariously. Many, I hear, have perused the reviews on a few locations, but never really made the commitment and clicked “Book now.” With over 5 million nights booked, there’s no time like the present to make the dive into the world of Airbnb.</p><p><strong>What's really fascinating here, as <em>Fast Company</em> reported, is sheer the horror 15 A-listed investors feel when they realize they passed on Airbnb's pitch. The site generated 500 million in transactions in 2011, becoming, "a disruptive force in the stagnant hotel industry, and a major driver in the shared economy."</strong> </p><p>While Any time is a good time to Airbnb, experienced travelers have suggested the following as the best uses of the site.</p><p><strong>Go on a Staycation</strong>. Travelers needn't go farther than a few blocks to find a cool interesting property on Airbnb. Spend a weekend in a loft in a new neighborhood on the other side of town; it’s a great way to escape the mundane without ever leaving the city limits.</p><p><strong>Make it Yurt so good</strong>. Properties on Airbnb go way beyond the typical double bed with mini-fridge standard of hotel chains. Explore non-traditional abodes. Guests can live out seafaring yacht fantasies or spend the night in an inspirational artist’s retreat out in the woods.</p><p><strong>Save those Marriott rewards for another day</strong>. When traveling, budgetary concerns often steer travelers to book run of the mill, cookie cutter hotels instead of the cool boutique inn bursting with history. Airbnb offers a variety of affordable options full of character in the most expensive cities in the world, so guests can afford to experience all the city has to offer.</p><p><strong>Make use of that second bedroom</strong>. When deliberating on whether to join the legions of Airbnb hosts, ask potential hosts should answer three questions: do they have the space, do they have the time, and do they have the patience?</p><p>Once the decision has been made to host, remember to keep it legal, keep it clear, and keep it safe. Travelers should take advantage of the messaging, reviews, and identity verification functions on the site so there are no surprises, and above all: have fun.</p><p>image/courtesy sfappeal.com</p><p><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101319510328215069934/posts" target="_blank">Angie Picardo</a> is a writer for <a href="http://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/question/how-detailed-do-i-need-to-be-in-setting-financial-goals-18" target="_blank">NerdWallet</a>, a financial literacy website where you can find advice on saving money while you travel and setting financial goals .<br /><br /></p></div>Is Social Media Killing the Destination Travel Article?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/is-social-media-killing-the-destination-travel-article2013-05-22T17:41:14.000Z2013-05-22T17:41:14.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008767653,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008767653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="220" alt="9008767653?profile=original" /></a></p><p>If <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-gelber/new-york-travel-show-2013_b_3086652.html" target="_blank">HuffPostTravel</a> can declare that the "Old Travel Show is Dead, Long Live the New York Travel Festival," then we might be right in declaring that "Travel Destination Articles Are Dying, Long Live Social Media Travel Content."<br /> <br /> So, when a senior editor at <a href="http://technorati.com/" target="_blank">Technorati</a> told me that, going forward, all travel-related content had to have a social media spin, had to be presented via a Social/New Media filter, I knew the travel content game had changed. No more colorful destination pieces?<br /> <br /> And then I read about a Travel Trends Blogger Conference in New York this month, further proof of the nichification of travel content, and the trend toward travel trends.<br /> <br /> <strong>And then this: Travel Writing is Dead</strong> from the nihilistic publication <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/gb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/the-death-of-travel-writing/&usg=__soRWnrMGTuESRpiHuOjWgWuaCNk=&h=165&w=500&sz=32&hl=en&start=1&sig2=yhuCO3oty6Bnze6YOhMvjQ&zoom=1&tbnid=z3NSrZwmOn86hM:&tbnh=43&tbnw=130&ei=sumYUZfyI9HH4APSloGIAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddeath%2Bof%2Btravel%2Bwriting%26safe%3Doff%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CCwQrQMwAA" target="_blank">3am Magazine</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong>No more straining for appropriate adjectives and stumbling over cliches.</strong><br /> <br /> Technorati, after all, has millions of unique visitors a month, and while the content site is not especially known for its travel articles, the <a href="http://technorati.com/lifestyle/travel/" target="_blank">Technorati Travel home page</a> is petty vibrant with article Tweets typically running in the 20-50 range in any 24-36 hour period and many, many Facebook shares.<br /> <br /> <strong>Personally, I had been noticing the movement away from high-page views for destination content</strong> (The 'Wow' of the Caribbean), and the increasingly high numbers of page views for travel articles with a travel news/trends/social media orientation. like <a href="http://newmediatravel.com/social-media-powers-family-travel-trends/" target="_blank">"SocialMedia Powers Family Travel Tends"</a>. In many cases the disparity was dramatic.<br /> <br /> It seems descriptions of blue waters, great dining experiences, famous landmarks, cozy inns, and distant places can be found almost anywhere in our totally Googleized world. Friends and friends of friends share images and tales on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, and the many review sites.<br /> <br /> But content on family travel trends or how new technologies will enrich travel or how airline booking sites can personalize their information and flex with a customer's specific travel needs, are more sought after.<br /> <br /> For us, our "<a href="http://newmediatravel.com/is-socialgraphics-travels-next-big-social-media-thing/" target="_blank">Is Socialgraphics Travel's Next Big Social Media Thing</a>" simply generates more comments and engagement.<br /> <br /> <strong>On the other hand, content on how a specific Caribbean island reaches out to its visitors and co-creates the island travel experience through social media works.</strong></p><p>It's simply more relevant to today's traveling digital natives who are "in touch," and sharing useful, relevant information at every stage of their decision-making process and travel experience. They are co-creating travel, and today's travel content reflects that change from the passive travel article, to one that highlights the engaging, Social media dynamic of travel today.</p><p></p></div>Now No Need to Fly With People You Don't Likehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/now-no-need-to-fly-with-people-you-don-t-like2013-02-27T12:30:00.000Z2013-02-27T12:30:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008751500,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="490" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008751500,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008751500?profile=original" /></a></p><p><strong>It's an axiom among those of us who fly: You never know whom you'll be sitting next to.</strong><br /> <br />Could be a fascinating character from some terrific movie, your next love or, more likely, someone you really, badly want to get away from.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://newmediatravel.com/never-sit-next-to-boring-people-again/" target="_blank">New Media Travel</a> reported on the idea of <strong>"Social Seating Solutions"</strong> (<em>Never Sit Next to Boring People Again</em>), so the idea of selecting one's seat mate has been around for a while. But the enabling tool hasn't been very successfully developed or employed. And there was always concern for invasion of privacy, even though these programs are always "opt in".<br /> <br /> But now, says <a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2244428/travelers-fly-high-with-social-seating-solution?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+clickz+%28ClickZ+-+News%29" target="_blank">ClickZ</a>, a marketing and news site, <strong>travelers can successfully look at information about their fellow passengers using social network profiles.</strong> ClickZ writer Melanie White says the new software allows passengers to see who will be on the flight..before purchasing tickets.<br /> <br /> <strong>Want a co-passenger with a Klout score above the average (40)? Interested in rubbing elbows with a seat mate who has tons of Twitter followers...or someone who matches your social interests?</strong><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.seatid.com/product/" target="_blank">SeatID</a> has a <strong>cool, demo video that explains just how it works, and how one's privacy is protected.</strong><br /> Airlines have to sign on, but the company is quick to assure travelers that it doesn't integrate its data with those of the participating airlines.<br /> <br /> <strong>The heart of the new program is SeatID's ability to use information from Facebook, Linkedin and other platforms to let passengers check out people with similar interests on a given flight and book a seat accordingly.</strong> It is, says SeatID, " an elegant savvy way to meet new and like-minded passengers."<br /> <br /> Because it's "opt-in", both passengers must be using the same tool before they can actually connect.<br /> <br /> SeatID CEO, Eran Savir, says he wants to "inject a social networking experience into the traditional ticketing process (creating) a new class of customer service."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/travelers_fly_high_with_social_seating_solution/" target="_blank">Hotelmarketing.com</a> reports that Ukrainian airline <a href="http://america.aerosvit.com/us.html#geo" target="_blank">AeroSvit</a> is a user, but a quick look at its web site couldn't confirm that.<br /> <br /> Still, if the product prevents flying with boring people, it might just work<br /> <br /> image/courtesy sodahead.com<br /> <br /><br /></p></div>Lights, Action...Social Media: Movies and Travelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/lights-action-social-media-movies-and-travel-12013-01-31T22:00:00.000Z2013-01-31T22:00:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008749884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008749884,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="522" alt="9008749884?profile=original" /></a></p><p>A funny thing happened on the way to the movies.<br /> <br /> <strong>Forty million international movie-goers opted to travel to a place where a movie they loved was shot.</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/52784/40-millions-international-tourists-chose" target="_blank">Travel Daily News</a> (TDN) reports that these travelers made their travel plans and chose their destinations based on a movie they saw in 2012. Obviously, as TDN says, filming in a destination is "clearly a very efficient driver for attracting new visitors."<br /> <br /> <strong>Makes sense. As <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/11/29/social-media-movie-marketing/" target="_blank">Mashable</a> reported, old Hollywood had its star system and magazines. New movieland has its Twitter, Facebook and multiple mobile devices.</strong><br /> <br /> Although movies have always shown trailers, studios are now using Facebook and Twitter to show their trailers, creating special web sites to screen the previews, and creating "viral alternate realities," using location-based services.<br /> <br /> And "crowdsourced screening locations" is another way the movie industry can turn a $15,000 dollar-to-make <em>Paranormal Activity</em>, into a $150 million dollar success. Movie execs at Paramount used Facebook to get fans to ask for a showing of the movie in their areas.<br /> One million fan requests snowballed into major box office receipts.<br /> <br /> But, what's cool is how movies boost travel and tourism.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://tci-research.com/" target="_blank">TCI Research</a>, which helps the tourism and travel industry with marketing and branding, noted that regions and cities that make movie-making easy through tax credits and support, will reap travel rewards by attracting first-time visitors, young travelers and multi-generational travelers.<br /> TravelSat. which benchmarks a destination's competitiveness, noted that since 1 in 10 visitors out of a hundred, would chose a destination based on a movie they saw, stronger links between the movie and travel and tourism industries makes big sense.<br /> <br /> Even though using movies to promote a destination is a relatively indirect marketing strategy, in comparison to a vigorous, more direct Social Media marketing campaign, it's an effective one, especially among the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries.<br /> <br /> <strong>What are the stand-out movies that most contributed to tourism's coffers?</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.aswetravel.com/movies-that-created-tourism-boom/" target="_blank">As We Travel</a> cited a few that created a tourism boomlet.<br /> <br /> • <em>Mamma Mia!</em> did wonders for Greece, and <em>Lord of the Rings</em> and <em>Narnia</em> gave New Zealand tourism a huge boost.<br /> It seems the mayor of the Greek island of Skopelos, the setting for Mamma Mia!, said the phones didn't stop ringing after the movie's debut, and the tourism surge actually had the locals concerned about destruction of the island's beauty and quality of life.</p><p>• The small town of Forks, Washington, the scene of the <em>Twilight Saga</em>, experienced <strong>a huge 1000% increase in lodgings</strong> as a result of the movie, and <em>The Beach</em> caused such a massive increase in tourism in Thailand, the area suffered serious coral reef damage and overfishing.<br /><br /> The impact of travel and tourism on a destination is a mixed blessing. <span style="font-size:13px;">Granted, the economies benefit; often the ecologies suffer. The increasing popularity of ecotourism, in part, is a reaction against the inevitable upset huge numbers of travelers cause.</span><br /> <br /> There is no shortage of opinions about the affect other movies have had on choosing a destination. Many say <em>In Bruges</em> was a big motivator to visit Belgium (I loved it) and <em>Braveheart</em> did wonders for Scotland.<br /> <br /> On the other hand, we're glad to see Turkey recovered from the devastatingly negative impact <em>The Midnight Express</em> had on its travel and tourism industry.</p></div>How Tourism Ireland Took Top Social Media Prizehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/how-tourism-ireland-took-top-social-media-prize2011-11-28T21:34:03.000Z2011-11-28T21:34:03.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008669075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008669075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="543" alt="9008669075?profile=original" /></a></p><p><strong>How Tourism Ireland Won Top Social Media Prize</strong><br /> <br />Luck of the Irish?<br /><br />Hardly.<br /><br />It was no surprise to us when <a href="http://www.discoverireland.com/us/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=us_ga_0409_ss_tourism_ireland" target="_blank">Tourism Ireland</a> was tapped as the winner in the “Best Use of Social Media” contest at the <a href="http://www.travolutionawards.co.uk" target="_blank">Travolution Awards</a> in London.<br /><br />Nor were they lucky.<br /><br />We’ve worked under contract with Tourism Ireland producing short-form <a href="http://www.youtube.com/travelvideo" target="_blank">Travel Video PostCards</a>, and they were always way ahead of most every other player in the travel industry in embracing social media opportunities.<br /><br />They were innovative and experimental, very early adopters of emerging social and new media platforms.<br /><br />So we applauded when <a href="http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=2840392" target="_blank">BusinessWorld</a> (and others) announced that Tourism Ireland had beaten Virgin Atlantic, Cunard and Radisson Edwardian Hotels to cop the prize.<br /><br />Their winning strategy was a clever and simple: A Twitter-driven campaign dubbed “My Irish 140” which connected everyone with Irish blood, or who felt connected to Ireland, to Tweet about it.<br /><br />Wisely, the organization organized everything around the iconic 140 characters that are DNA of Twitter.<br /><br />• The contest kicked off at 1:40 AM<br />• Winners using the #makesmeirish hashtag received a 140 hour stay in Ireland<br />• A web page highlighted the best Tweets and suggested 140 tips or things to do in Ireland.<br /><br />This exceptional use of social media netted the tourism board a 3.4 million audience in Great Britain with another 33,000 participants, including some well-known celebs like M.C. Hammer.<br /><br />The success should surprise no one who has been watching travel struggle to adjust to the new marketing realities.<br /><br />Public Relations researcher, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carol.geraghty2" target="_blank">Carol Geraghty</a> reports that since the beginning of 2010 Tourism Ireland has grown its Facebook fan base from 75 fans to more than a half million.<br /><br />This makes Ireland, Geraghty reports, the third most popular tourist board in the world on Facebook, after Great Britain and perennial favorite, Australia.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />In part Tourism Ireland has 19 different Facebook pages in 8 different languages with each page individually tailored to appeal to the emotions of its target audience.<br /><br />German travelers will see the image of Ireland that most appeals to them; Americans will see and experience their preferred image of Ireland.<br /><br />Being able to tap into the emotions of travelers in the “planning stage” of travel is the holy grail of converting lookers to bookers.<br /><br /><br />Rival <a href="http://www.enjoyengland.com" target="_blank">British Tourism</a> has, reports Geraghty, has only one Facebook page and only in English.<br /><br />Mr Brian Harte Head of eMarketing at Tourism Ireland suggested that Ireland sees Social Media as “the lifeboat to take us out of these dangerous (recession) waters".<br /><br />Reportedly, Tourism Ireland allocates 25% of its budget to eMarketing, and is in the process of implementing social games to drive its brand and attract visitors.<br /><br />The “luck of the Irish” sometimes comes down to embracing new technologies and taking calculated risks, even as the competition continues to pursue paragraphs of print.</p></div>When (and Why) Do We Share Travel Information?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/when-and-why-do-we-share-travel-information2011-10-31T19:07:58.000Z2011-10-31T19:07:58.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008662669,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008662669,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9008662669?profile=original" /></a><br /><strong>When (and why) Do We Share Travel Information?</strong><br /><br />We recently did an <a target="_blank" href="http://newmediatravel.com/2011/08/22/travelers-don%E2%80%99t-use-social-media-to-complain/)">article</a> on why social media mavens don’t use their social media accounts to complain about bad service or disappointing travel experiences.<br /><br />Now, according to the marketing company, <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.milestoneinternet.com/web-2/social-media-and-booking/">Milestone</a>, there’s a twist to this thinking.<br /><br />While travelers may prefer to lodge their travel complaints directly to the hotel or destination, it seems travelers are more likely to share information about a purchase they just made.<br /><br />Apparently 40 percent of social media users, especially Facebook users, were likely to share information about an upcoming concert or trip <strong>before</strong> they bought tickets.<br /><br />But that number jumped to 60 percent when a customer or traveler could share directly from the booking or order confirmation page.<br /><br />In other words, more travelers and consumers posted their purchase information <strong>after</strong> they made the booking or purchase than before. <br /><br />What’s happening, says, <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eventbrite.com/social-commerce-2">Eventbrite</a>. an event marketing company, is that people like to show off something cool they purchased...or discovered, hoping others will join them in the discovery. <br /><br />Digital Media Strategist, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/maramaemartin">Mara Martin</a>, says that in the social sphere, knowledge is currency. “Social media has become an outlet to tout your 'heard it first' discoveries before anyone in your network can claim credit. Travel brands need to recognize this and play into this mentality.”<br /><br />Guests who shared (via Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter ) information about a hotel room they booked or trip they took ended up driving 5 or 6 unique visitors, per message, to the hotel’s or destination’s web site.<br /><br />But not all social sharing platforms are equal.<br /><br />Eventbrite posted the following observations: <br /><br />• Sharing on Facebook was four times greater than Twitter. Obviously Facebook has a broader reach, but it seems Facebook contacts “more closely mirror real-world personal relationships.”<br /><br />• And it seems Facebook sharing options like “Like,” Wall Posts or publishing to a Facebook page or event generate more revenue than a Tweet- $1.34 vs $.80.<br /><br />So it seems trusting a friend’s decision, once he/she has posted it, notches up the level of trust in a product or a trip, and that drives more sales.</div>Report Says Travelers More Influenced by Traditional Media Than Social Mediahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/report-says-travelers-more2011-04-01T17:35:30.000Z2011-04-01T17:35:30.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008607862,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="400" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008607862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9008607862?profile=original" /></a><br />Social Media In Travel:Over-Hyped, Under-Hyped Or Who Knows<br /><br />So began the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/social_media_in_travel_overhyped_or_underhyped/">HotelMarketing.com</a> headline, more or less. <br /><br />We’ve often chided the travel industry for not moving fast enough into the world of social media. <br /><br />But we’ve been told that we’re mischaracterizing travel, and been pointed in the direction of Jet Blue’s successful <a target="_blank" href="http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/jetblue-links-loyalty-program-to-facebook-places-rewarding-loyal-customers-with-realtime-rewards">Foursquare loyalty program</a>.<br /><br />And that’s true as far as it goes. JetBlue, Chicago and a handful of other travel brands like Royal Caribbean are effectively engaged in social media.<br /><br />But then <a target="_blank" href="(http%3A//www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/social_media_influence_remains_weak_in_travel/">HotelMarketing.com</a>, which monitors online travel and the hospitality industry, headlined another article, “Social Media Influence Remains Weak in Travel.”<br /><br />A UK advertising firm, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conrad.co.uk">Conrad</a> said that travelers (and thus the industry) “ are most influenced by travel web sites and traditional media like television and print.” <br /><br />It seems that while social media sites like Facebook are extremely popular, they are not considered the best sources of travel planning.<br /><br />Surprisingly, travelers are still more comfortable with newspapers, reviews, travel company web sites and review sites.<br /><br />And that then is the probable reason the travel industry lags so far behind other business sectors.<br /><br />The travelers aren’t buying social media, so therefore, the travel industry isn’t either.<br /><br />While no one says that social media platforms should be discarded as a way to turn “lookers into bookers,” the report cautions that social media should not be regarded as “the dominant force in a campaign.”<br /><br />This is not an age thing.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2011/02/22/4403/social-media-influence-remains-weak-says-conrad.html">Travolution</a>, a travel intelligence company, says age has little to do with the media preferences.<br /><br />Familiarity with technology and skill in using a computer (which are likely age related) determine who uses the internet and accesses social media.<br /><br />That’s stating the obvious, of course. <br /><br />But if the average traveler prefers to get his or her travel and booking information from traditional sources, then travel marketers have to meet the consumer at his buying comfort level, and for now, that doesn’t include much social media.<br /><br />And that’s too bad because retail and other industries are running circles around travel in using social media to drive revenue.<br /><br />So the question remains: Over-Hyped or Under-Hyped? We think the answer will be: In the middle.</div>Are Foursquare’s Mayors Doomed?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/are-foursquares-mayors-doomed2011-02-16T20:14:34.000Z2011-02-16T20:14:34.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008598071,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008598071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="233" alt="9008598071?profile=original" /></a><strong>Are Foursquare’s Mayors Doomed?</strong><br /><br />So, how long will being a Foursquare Mayor matter now that the 6-million strong Location Based Service is moving toward segmentation?<br /><br />In fact, is there any real “grown up” reason to being the “Mayor” of Joe’s Coffee shop? <br /><br />Is there any “grown up” reason to being a Foursquare Mayor of anything?<br /><br />It’s a bit like collecting marbles or baseball cards. It gives the collector a certain ego boost and bragging rights...on the playground. <br /><br />But we stopped collecting marbles and Boy Scour badges oh, around, fourteen, I guess. Probably when we first noticed girls.<br /><br />Unless being the mayor matters in the sense of getting something for the loyalty and persistent “check ins,” like a free latte at Starbucks or maybe a new tool from Home Depot, who cares?<br /><br />But purists say rewarding a mayor would ruin the “Mayoral Experience” because instead of just (?) being a loyal customer, beloved by the staff who appreciate you, the mayor becomes the guy (or gal) seeking a free coffee or some other perk, and that apparently sullies the experience and the joy of being the mayor.<br /><br />But <a href="http://www.ericleist.com" target="_blank">Eric Leist,</a> a noted Foursquare watcher and commentator says in his <a href="http://www.a-g.com/Blogroll/2011/01/foursquare-segmentation-is-here)" target="_blank">blog</a> that unlike Yelp, which lumps all users into an undifferentiated crowd, Foursquare is now following in the footsteps of Whrrl, and is in the user segmentation business.<br /><br />Which may spell the end of mayors.<br /><br />Used to be one could get an, “Overshare Badge” by checking in 10 times in 24 hours.<br /><br />Or earn the “Superuser Badge” by checking in 30 days straight. Or how about the “Superstar Badge” by checking into 50 different venues?<br /><br />All this leads to “check in fatigue,” and Mayoral Inflation. <br /><br />With so many Mayorships, does any of them matter?<br /><br />But it’s about to get worse.<br /><br />Leist notes that Foursquare’s segmentation process will stress badges “that reflect users’ lifestyles more than their specific Foursquare use”.<br /><br />So it’s possible to win the “7-10 Split Badge” by checking into bowling alleys, rewarding the love of bowling more than the multiple visits to the Acme Bowling Alley itself.<br /><br />Or how about the “Fixer Up Badge” earned by checking into hardware stores 3 times. Or the “Fresh Brew Badge” by checking into random coffee shops some 30 times.<br /><br />You’d think merchants would be the losers because by segmenting the audience, there's a dispersion of customers to competitive coffee shops.<br /><br />But retail vendors like Vons ( part of Safeway), are delighted because now they can allow customers to link “their Foursquare accounts to their loyalty cards. <br /><br />Earned the “Gym Rat Badge” by checking into a gym ten times in 30 days? Vons will give you some sort of athletic gift like a power drink or something.<br /><br />Which brings us back to the Foursquare Mayor. <br /><br />How can anyone really be the mayor of so many multiplying, lifestyle-driven segments? <br /><br />There is no mayoral recall in Foursquare, but we suspect that there will be mayoral redundancy.<br /><br />For more, check out Leist’s ten minute <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo-sdqviHOM" target="_blank">video talk</a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008598071,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008598071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="233" alt="9008598071?profile=original" /></a> at the recent Social Networking breakfast in New Hampshire on You Tube <br /></div>