This is the official iPhone app for PhoCusWright@ITB. This conference within a conference is part of the ITB Berlin Convention and is where the European travel industry gathers to discuss, debate and define the future of e-commerce and innovation’s impact on how consumers search, shop and buy travel. The app includes a conference program, speaker bios, a Berlin city guide and access to the PhoCusWright...
In a recent post, we reviewed Rue La La, the boutique shopping club positioned as a marketing distribution partner for travel and experiences. Over the past year, Rue La La has entered the travel marketing space and made a name for itself promoting high end hotels and destinations to its wealthy (and primarily female) membership. To dig deeper, we interviewed one New York luxury hotel that offered...
If you or your significant other is a big shopper, you have undoubtedly heard about online boutique shopping clubs like Rue La La or Gilt Groupe. These popular sites offer an exciting channel for purchasing stylish apparel and even travel. Rue La La was launched in April 2008 and began offering high end fashion and lifestyle items to members-only clientele. They promote discounted products for a limited...
The mission of airlines and hotel companies is to provide a satisfying and safe travel experience (the ‘how’ of travel). Travelers, on the other hand, are primarily interested in the activities they will participate in when they reach their destination (the ‘why’ and ‘what’). These two paradigms are not so much misaligned as they are symbiotic. This is why the travel industry as a business...
Paul Clark, Chris Wheeler and me (photo: Geoff Moore) The Torch Relay is a great event to connect people with the games across the country. A perfect vehicle to extend the exposure beyond Vancouver and showcase all of British Columbia around the world. But like pretty much anything else related to games, access is tough when you’re not a sponsor or accredited media. About a year ago we worked...
The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are starting today! It’s been a crazy few years and I’ve learned a lot. It’s been a good ride and a good time to share some of our activities and learning. Let’s start at the beginning. Our marketing objective to leverage is to turn games interest into destination interest and action. Our online strategies are: Maximize exposure Drive...
Among the immense volumes of content and entertainment we consume on a daily basis, finding one item that promises to have a lasting impact on our culture is truly a story of a needle in a haystack. In the case of the Avatar blockbuster we are only beginning to see the story unfold. Looking back it’s easy to see the true impact of other movies. Imagine Star Wars’ impact on the technologies we take...
After suffering through a year that PhoCusWright analyst Jake Fuller called “one of the worst years for the hotel industry since World War II,” the global hospitality industry is searching for a 2010 outlook and looking for signs of hope in the numbers. The data, however do not paint the pretty picture that most were hoping for. Forecasts have been cautiously described as ‘less bad,’ but effectively...