Travel and leisure marketing: Are you taking advantage of the rise in same-day mobile bookings?

March 23, 2012

The Hotel Tonight app has been downloaded by more than 800,000 iPhone users.

A variety of new mobile tools and apps cater to procrastinators and locals

If your hotel or resort property’s website isn’t optimized for mobile, you could be losing out on the growing market for same-day bookings.

According to a recent story in USA Today, online travel agencies are introducing a rising number of booking tools and features geared towards people who book a room on the day of their stay.

The statistics indicate this phenomenon is not just a passing trend

  • 60% of mobile bookings on Priceline are for the same day
  • 65% of Orbitz’ mobile bookings are same-day reservations versus 14% for desktop computers
  • Marriott recently reported that 50% of its same-day bookings came through the mobile channel
  • More than 800,000 iPhone users have downloaded Hotel Tonight an app featuring daily hotel deals

Who are these people and why do they wait until the last day to book?

They include:

  • travelers who don’t like to plan
  • long-distance commuters working late
  • homeowners without electricity
  • travelers whose flight are cancelled
  • suburban deal seekers
  • couples celebrating anniversaries

Should your travel brand take advantage of this new trend?

  • Hotel Tonight reports that participating hotels like their service because they don’t have to commit a minimum number of rooms
  • Given that an average of 40% of rooms go unbooked each night, why wouldn’t you explore this new opportunity?

How much of your bookings are coming through same-day mobile reservations?

Tell us how this new trend is affecting your business and what you’ve learned so far.

3 Comments | iPhone Apps, Mobile marketing, Travel and Tourism Marketing, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

10 travel destinations share their Facebook marketing secrets

March 21, 2012

The Grand Junction CVB offered a Facebook coupon for a local vineyard.

10 easy-to-implement suggestions to increase engagement from CVBs and resorts around the country

How do successful travel and destination brands keep their Facebook fans engaged every day?

To find out, we studied the Facebook pages of CVBs and destinations around the country. Here are 10 tips from some of our favorites:

1. Ask fans to name their favorite attraction.

Branson, Missouri got 30 likes and a couple dozen comments after posting this question.

2. Offer your current fans an incentive to help you attract new fans.

Glenwood Springs, CO  gave away free passes to a local attraction and a night in a local hotel if their fans would spread the word and help them pass the 6,000 fan mark.

3. Give them a coupon from a local merchant.

Our client Grand Junction, CO, which positions itself as the epicenter of Colorado Wine Country, offered their Facebook fans this coupon for a local vineyard.

 4. Offer them a gift card to shop at your stores.

During the holiday season, Downtown Boulder, CO offered a $500 gift card good at participating local merchants.

5. Use a TV news-style video to report on upcoming events.

Once a week, Estes Park, Colorado puts out a news-style video with an anchorperson reporting on events for the upcoming weekend.

6. Post a QR code linking to deals at local merchants.

Estes Park recently posted this QR code that links to a local jewelry store’s deals.

7. Post a newspaper or magazine article, and ask for feedback.

VisitDenver recently posted this article from a local magazine, 5280 on Denver neighborhoods, then asked its followers if they agreed with 5280′s characterizations of each neighborhood.

8. Invite your fans to give you ideas for your annual travel guide.

The New York Tourism Board invites their Facebook fans to share their favorite places to stay and shop, and promises to include a few in an upcoming edition of the New York State Travel Guide.

9. Invite locals to post their videos of local scenery and activities.

Our client Wind River Country recently posted this video from a local video production house featuring heart-pumping footage of prime local snowmobile terrain.

10. Offer a giveaway from one of your sponsors.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort got their sponsors Subaru and Marmot to put up the money for this giveaway.

Those are a few examples of what other destinations are doing. Now tell us what’s working for you.

2 Comments | Facebook, Leisure Services, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and tourism marketing: Alabama tourism focuses on food as a destination

March 19, 2012

This famous Decatur BBQ joint is one of the featured eateries in the campaign.

In 2005, the Alabama Tourism Department created  ”The Year of Alabama Food” campaign to draw attention to Birmingham’s culinary delights.

The campaign proved so successful, that 7 years later, the state’s tourism agency has decided to bring it back.

The $1 million marketing effort will feature the popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die”, an Alabama BBQ Hall of Fame, and an Alabama Restaurant Week.

The campaign will focus on state dining treasures like Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, the original Wintzell’s Oyster House in Mobile, and dozens of other favorite eateries.

The state decided on this direction because they realized they don’t have beaches or major theme parks to attract tourists.

But local chefs and food trends have attracted visitors from around the region to the state for its great food and chefs.

Fine dining in Birmingham is the jumping off point, but to take the concept statewide, state tourism officials came up with a theme that also highlights country cooking, barbecue and seafood.

Since its inception in 2005, the popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die,” has become so popular it’s updated annually.

In fact the state distributes 200,000 brochures on the subject through state welcome centers and local chambers of commerce each year.

Many restaurant owners in the state who have made the list proudly display the designation on the windows of their businesses and mention it in their advertising.

The 2012 “Year of Alabama Food” campaign will feature a 30-second TV spot and a website–yearofalabamafood.com –that includes directions to restaurants across these the state.

There’s also a big social media push, with a Facebook page, Twitter feed, and blog posts from many of Alabama’s top chefs that include recipes of some of their favorite dishes.

The blog will also have a section where visitors can take pictures of and post comments about the places they visited and the dishes they tried.

Throughout the year, “The Year of Alabama Food” will also highlight food festivals and events around the state.

In August, restaurants throughout the state will offer fixed-price lunch and dinner specials during the inaugural Alabama Restaurant Week.

What do you think of Alabama’s efforts to use food as a differentiator? What are you doing to differentiate your travel brand from your competitors?

If you’re interested in reading more, here’s a link to the “100 Alabama dishes” brochure. 

Leave a Comment » | Marketing Leadership, Restaurant Marketing, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: The latest research on increasing your Facebook engagement rates

March 16, 2012

Your Facebook fans will "like" you more if you follow a few simple guidelines.

To get more fans to engage with your travel and leisure brand’s Facebook page, answer these 5 questions.

Buddy Media recently did a study of the Facebook engagement rates of 200 of their best clients.  Their findings will help you answer 5 questions most travel and leisure marketers have about this subject:

  1. What are the best times to post?
  2. How long should my posts be?
  3. What days should I post?
  4. What words will drive the most “Likes” and Comments?
  5. What words and phrases drive the highest engagement rates?

1. When should I post?

  • 60% of posts analyzed by the study were published between 10 am and 4 pm.
  • Yet brands that posted before or after business hours achieved engagement rates 20% higher than the average.

2. How long should my posts be?

  • The Buddy Media report found that the shorter the post, the more fans read it.
  •  In fact, posts of 80 characters or less had a 27% higher engagement rate. Ironically, they only accounted for 19% of all posts.

3. What’s the best day to post?

  • The Buddy Media study found that the less people want to be at work the more they are on Facebook!
  • For the Travel and Hospitality industry, Buddy Media found that the highest engagement rates occur on Thursday and Friday. On average, they are 18% higher on those days.
  • The lowest engagement rates occurred on weekends and Wednesdays.

4. What are the best words to use to drive “Likes” and Comments?

  • The Media Buddy study found that direct requests work the best.
  • To drive “Likes” or Comments,  just ask directly for them to “like” your page, or comment on your post.
  •  The study found that “Liking” a post or page requires the least amount of effort, and if you tell them to do it they will.
  • Key words that scored the best were simple action words: “Like”, “Take”, “Submit”, “Watch”, “Click”, “Post”, “Become a Fan”, “Share”, “Watch”, “Visit”.

5. What are the best words and phrases to use to drive the highest engagement rates?

  • When running a contest or other promotion, soft sell keywords work better.
  • Use words like “event” and “winning.” Avoid more direct words like “contest” or “promotion.”
  • Ask questions. Posts that end with a question have a 15% higher engagement rate.
  • Questions that start with “Where” ,”When”, “Would” and “Should” have the highest engagement rates. Questions that start with “Why” have the lowest engagement rates.

You can download the complete Buddy Media report here. Then tell us what’s working to drive engagement rates of your travel and leisure brand.

Leave a Comment » | Facebook, Leisure Services, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and Leisure: 12 new ways your travel brand could use QR codes

March 14, 2012

San Antonio's River Walk uses QR codes on a self-guided tour

As specialists in 5 to 9 brands, travel and leisure clients are always asking us for advice on the latest technologies. Today I’m going to address three questions many travel and destination brands are asking about QR codes:

1.  Why should I use QR codes?

QR codes are a great way to connect prospective guests who are offline to information about your brand that is online. Just make sure your site is mobile-friendly, as people scan QR codes with their smart phones.

2. What are some of the ways hotels and destinations are using QR codes?

The key to successfully integrating QR codes into your marketing program is to ensure they offer some kind of value add.  In other words, you have to give guests something they do not yet have.

Mike Supple, Sr. Social Media Manager at Milestone Internet Marketing offers several ways hotels are successfully using QR codes to add value to the guest experience:

  • Guest Reviews: Create a mobile review page and link it to a QR code on the hotel bill to encourage guests to write a review while their memories are still fresh.
  • Restaurant Reservations: Leave a QR code on a sample menu to your restaurant, and link it to your OpenTable or Yelp page so guests can make a reservation.
  • Property Map: If you’re a large resort, display QR codes around the property and link them to a map that shows guests where they are and how to get where they are going.
  • Fun and Games: Create weekly treasure hunts linked by signs with QR codes that lead your guests through the best parts of your property.
  • Promotional Offers: Put QR codes in ads or brochures linking to special discounts only available through that QR code.

Patrick Landman from TNooze  believes guests are getting tired of having deals and offers thrown at them from every direction. Instead, he recommends that you use QR codes to provide a better guest experience. Some of Patrick’s recommendations include:

  • Use QR codes in cards in their rooms, notices on elevators, at the concierge desk and at message boards in the lobby with tips on where to dine or what to do on their stay.
  • Drive guests to a promotional landing page, not just your hotel website.
  • Include a call to action that tells guests exactly what to do. Example: “Scan this code for our latest restaurant, shopping and tourist tips.”

3. What are some interesting ways travel brands are using QR codes?

In a recent blog post, Troy Thompson, from Travel 2.0, cited three interesting ways travel brands are using QR codes:

  • The San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau uses QR technology on its self-guided River Walk tour to deliver additional content like photos, videos and historical information.
  • The Glendale AZ CVB puts a QR code on their door that directs after-hours visitors to their mobile site.
  • To celebrate National Arbor Day, New York’s Central Park  created the World Park campaign using QR codes. The campaign is explained in the video below:

How is your hotel or destination using QR codes to market to your guests? Share your examples with us and we’ll use them in an upcoming post.

Leave a Comment » | Digital Marketing, Leisure Services, Mobile marketing, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: What can signature events do for your destination travel brand?

March 12, 2012

Buffalo Bill Days attracts thousands of people to Golden, CO every year.

Signature events can be the lifeblood of your destination travel brand, and attract a following that returns year after year.

The Philadelphia International Flower Show (IFS) wrapped up another successful year of operations awhile back.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, this 182-year old institution is the world’s largest indoor flower show and one of the premier horticultural events in the U.S.

The 8-day event attracts tens of thousands of gardeners and horticulturists to the city, uses 25,000 hotel room nights, and generates $61 million revenues and $8 million in city, state and federal tax revenue.

It also has a ripple effect on tourism year round, because these visitors share their experience of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Convention Center with hundreds of thousands of friends and colleagues.

What could your signature event be?

Think first about what is different and special about your brand, and build your brand and your events around that positioning.

Our client the Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau is surrounded by some of the region’s finest wineries and vineyards, so it bills itself as Colorado’s Wine Country.

Each spring, the city attracts thousands of visitors from across the Rocky Mountain region to its Spring Barrel Tasting event.

Every fall, the city attracts thousands more to the Colorado Mountain Wine Fest.

We positioned another client, the City of Golden, CO as the home of the two-hour vacation because visitors driving from Denver can enjoy a great mountain escape in just a couple of hours.

Every summer Golden promotes Buffalo Bill Days and 3 other signature events that help reinforce this positioning and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to town.

Need some more ideas on how to use events to reinforce your brand’s position?  Consider these examples:

  • Traverse City, Michigan sponsors the National Cherry Festival every July.
  • Hannibal, Missouri has the National Tom Sawyer Days.
  • Roswell, New Mexico sponsors its annual UFO Festival.

We’d love to hear how you are positioning your leisure brand, and what kinds of signature events and conventions you are creating or attracting.

1 Comment | Events, Leisure Services, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: Do your guests need help prioritizing their free time?

March 9, 2012

This book could help you grow your share of market.

The book 168 Hours makes a convincing argument that Americans lack the skills to manage their free time. Could you help them find more time for your travel or leisure brand?

Helping prospective enthusiasts prioritize their free time.

Is your travel and leisure marketing targeted to people who say they are just too busy to add one more activity to their life?

Laura Vanderkam’s fascinating book 168 hours: You Have More Time Than You Think shows you exactly how much free time people really have. And how they can prioritize their lives to get the most out of their free time.

168 Hours shows people that they aren’t short of time.

They just choose not to prioritize their time to fit in all the activities that are important to them.

Laura’s point is simple:  Everyone gets 168 hours a week to fill with whatever they see fit. If you subtract time for eating, sleeping and working, there are still about 50 hours a week left.

And it’s everyone’s job to manage their own time according to their own priorities.

Laura offers her readers 5 ways to get control of their time.

1. Figure out where your time goes.

2.  Determine what you’re good at.

  • If people invest their time in what they’re good at, Laura says they’ll use their time more efficiently, and feel more satisfied.

3.  Choose work that makes you happy.

  • When people like what they do, Laura says they can get into a zone, enjoy themselves and get more done.

4. Cut back on TV.

  • The latest Nielson figures confirm people watch 35 hours of TV a week. But studies show people get more enjoyment out of spending quality time with friends and family.

5. Take control of your calendar

  • Laura suggests people find time to do the things that are important to them by looking through their time diary cutting out time wasted on urgent but unimportant tasks.

If you’re the marketer of a travel or leisure brand, use this book to build your market.

  • Discuss the book with your customers  via your facebook page, discussion boards on your website and other social media tools.
  • Create a contest to encourage your users to track their free time and find ways to spend more of it with your brand.
  • Give away the book to contest winners, along with your products.

What are you doing to help people find the time to enjoy your travel or leisure brand?  Tell us about it.

Leave a Comment » | Leisure Products, Leisure Services, Trends | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel marketing: What the revitalized bus travel industry can teach you about reinventing your travel brand.

March 7, 2012
Photo of Megabus

New intracity bus lines like Megabus, Bolt Bus and Vamoose are changing bus travel.

A new generation of express bus carriers are reinventing a once-dying industry, and rewriting the rules of travel marketing along the way.

Christine Whittemore of Simple Marketing Now recently wrote an insightful piece on the rise of the new bus travel industry that appeared in the blog Marketing Profs.

Some of her insights are worth repeating for marketers of travel and tourism brands in need of some serious reconstruction.

People stopped riding buses for a variety of reasons:

  • High prices compared to trains and planes.
  • Inconvenient schedules.
  • Discomfort.
  • Safety concerns.

But a new generation of brands like Megabus, Bolt Bus and Vamoose are changing the way intracity bus service is delivered, and attracting daily riders by the tens of thousands.

To overcome the concerns that have kept people off buses for the past decade, these brands have also upgraded their service with:

  • Newer buses.
  • More professional drivers.
  • Pick up points that don’t scare off professional people.

These new brands are also going head-to-head with trains and planes to offer travelers services that meet or beat the standards of air and train travel, including:

  • Free wi-fi.
  • Power outlets for laptops.
  • Lower pricesRewards programs for frequent travelers.
  • More convenient schedules.
  • More leg room.
  • Reminders of how eco-friendly modern buses are.
  • Using Twitter, Facebook and other social media to dialogue with their customers.

Are you the marketer of a travel or tourism brand in a segment of the industry that is stagnant or in decline?

If so, ask yourself what the revitalized bus travel industry could teach you about how to reinvent the way your customers view your travel or tourism brand.  Could you:

  • Make your product more cost-competitive?
  • Offer more choice and convenience?
  • Invest in newer technology and infrastructure?
  • Make your brand more directly competitive with newer categories?

That’s what the bus travel industry has taught us about brand revitalization. Tell us what you’ve learned from this or another industry. By the way, you’ll find Christine’s complete post here.

2 Comments | Travel and Tourism, Travel and Tourism Marketing, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

The portrait of the U.S. leisure traveler is changing. Is your leisure marketing changing with it?

March 5, 2012
photo of couple on beach at sunset making heart shape with their arms

Americans love their leisure trips too much to give them up.

A recent study confirms that Americans are finding the money to take more leisure trips. But they are also finding new ways to save on those trips.

If your travel marketing program is targeted to the leisure traveler, we have good news.

According to the Ypartnership’s latest Portrait of American Travelers study, the U.S. leisure travel market is showing signs of stabilizing.

  • The average American leisure traveler took four overnight trips during the past year, and spent an average of $3,500 on travel services.
  • A net increase of 2% of leisure travelers expect to take more overnight trips in the coming year.
  • 11% more affluent households (HH income of $125K+) say they plan to increase their leisure trips this year.

Value will continue to be a popular travel trend.

  • 1 in 3 leisure travelers are waiting for items to go on sale before buying.
  • 1 in 3 are buying fewer “exclusive brands.”
  • Baby boomers, facing the double whammy of kids in college and elderly parents who need care, are cutting back more than other generations.

Leisure travelers are practicing a new resourcefulness.

  • Coupon use, buying generic brands and adjusting the time and location of one’s shopping to get lower prices continue to trend upward.
  • 8 in 10 leisure travelers rank the ability to check for the lowest fares and the lowest price guarantee as the two most important attributes of a travel services website.

Many leisure travelers are making more impulse travel buys, based on seeing a good deal.

  • 1 in 7 have purchased a travel service after receiving an unsolicited e-mail.
  • 4 in 10 who have responded to these e-mails have booked an entire vacation.
  • 3 in 10 leisure travelers have booked a last-minute vacation.

If you’re the marketer of a travel or attraction brand, you can take advantage of the changing habits of the leisure traveler by:

  • Offering more last minute deals.
  • Packaging those deals in e-mail offers.
  • Offering special coupons for shopping and attractions with your last-minute deals.

That’s what we’ve learned. Tell us how your travel or tourism brand is adjusting to the new realities of the post-recession traveler.

You can order the full Ypartnership report here.

1 Comment | Travel and Tourism, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

The world’s best travel brands share their Facebook marketing secrets

March 2, 2012

Jetsetter uses its collection of fabulous photography to attract fans.

Here’s how 5 great travel brands are keeping their Facebook fans engaged.

Wondering how some of the world’s biggest and best travel brands are using Facebook? Here’s are five recent examples:

1. People like to look at beautiful scenery, so Jetsetter uses killer photography.

Jetsetter and other great travel brands are re-purposing irresistible photography of their property’s spas, pools, beaches and local sites to attract and keep fans coming back to see more.

2. W Hotels lets you book your stay right from their Facebook page.

Consumer want travel planning to be easy. So W Hotels lets them book their stay right from their Facebook page.

The booking module is usually located on the main landing page, giving a new twist to the adage that the most effective marketing happens at point of sale.

3.  Terranea Resort refreshes their content often, and makes sure their content refreshes.

To keep your community engaged, it’s important to update your content often.  And mix up the kind of content you put on your Facebook page.
Here’s an example from Terranea Resort of Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA  which reminds people of what a great site it is for weddings by posting videos of weddings.

4.  Everyone loves to be a winner, so Kimpton Hotels gives their fans something to win.

Kimpton offered a free night for a favorite birthday story and photo.

Contests are a great way to keep your community engaged. It could be a free flight, a free night, a discount or free miles. Get fans involved by asking them submit things as part of their entry, like photos, video or feedback. Just make it easy!

For Kimpton’s 30th anniversary, it ran a “Write Here, Right Now” contest where fans could share a favorite memory of a birthday with Kimpton.The top 30 entries won a free night at a Kimpton Hotel

5. Delta believes in sharing news of their most recent improvements.

On Delta’s Facebook page, they share about their new nonstop flights, expanded wi-fi capabilities, and first-class upgrades on regional jets.

Delta shares improvements with Facebook fans.

Those are five examples from great travel brands. Thanks to Lauren Drell from Mashable for her continuing research in this area. Share with us what you’re doing to keep your Facebook community engaged with your travel brand.

2 Comments | Leisure Services, Travel and Tourism, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

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