Travel digital iq 2011

© L2 2011 L2ThinkTank.com© L2 2011 L2ThinkTank.com

TravelSCOTT GALLOWAYNYU Stern

A P R I L 2 6 , 2 0 11A ThInk TAnk for DIGITAL InnOVATIOn

®

A ThInk TAnk for DIGITAL InnOVATIOn

http://L2ThinkTank.com

CLInIC nYU Stern 05.20.11

http://L2EmergingMedia.eventbrite.com/

While Facebook dominates the social media landscape, a multitude of other digital platforms have emerged that provide fertile ground for brands to:

• Reach new consumers

• Run creative experiments

• Explore new forms of digital expression and consumer online behavior

These platforms range from the bold experiments of incumbent behemoths (Facebook Places and Google’s Boutiques.com) to smaller players who are gaining traction (Foursquare and Tumblr) to new entrants with small, passionate user bases (Pinterest, GetGlue, and Layar).

This half-day intensive Clinic will help managers and senior marketers identify the relevant platforms for their brands and prioritize incremental investment in the long-tail of social media.

Emerging Digital Media PlatformsThe Long Tail of Social Media

http://l2emergingmedia-TravelIQ.eventbrite.com

http://l2emergingmedia-TravelIQ.eventbrite.com

© L2 2011 L2ThinkTank.com 3

Want to know more about your brand’s ranking?COnTACT US

DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

The Social Web The rise of social media presents a fresh set of opportunities

and challenges to hotels, airlines, and cruise lines. Although

two thirds of customers are influenced by online user reviews,

only nine percent of the brands in the Index offer reviews, or

any form of user-generated content, on their sites. Social-shar-

ing tools, live chat, and customer service via social media are

more common, but are still employed by less than half of the 89

brands analyzed. As brands debate the merits of transparency,

online travel agents (OTAs) and comparison engines, includ-

ing Expedia, Orbitz, TripAdvisor, and Kayak, fill the void with

authentic reviews and pricing clarity. Brands have paid a steep

price for staring at their navels while intermediaries give the

consumer what they want. Of the 10 most-trafficked travel sites,

only one, Southwest, belongs to a supplier.

I n T R O D U C T I O n

Killer App: The internet Massive choice coupled with a product that can be distilled to zeroes and ones makes

the Internet a killer app for the travel industry.

While e-com’s share of U.S. retail stands at 5.9 percent, travel garners 38 percent of revenue

from the ether.1 The browser is the booking agent of choice for 87 million Americans, however

the industry dedicates a meager seven percent of its marketing budgets to digital channels.2

Many iconic travel brands struggle to leverage the online environment.

The Empire Strikes BackBrands are starting to fight back. From Delta’s fully integrated

Facebook booking to Four Seasons’ active customer service

via Twitter, brands are beginning to recapture lost ground and

move to the center of the customer conversation.

In December 2010, American Airlines announced it would by-

pass the central reservation system that supplies flight informa-

tion to popular OTAs, opting to develop its own technology that

provides additional customization for passengers and travel

agents. Expedia responded by indicating that it would not be

renewing its contract with the airline and refused to integrate

the new system. Although the two parties came to an agree-

ment in early April, the dispute is a signal that brands will not

just roll over online.

1. U.S. Department of Commerce, February 2011

2. eMarketer, April 2011

mailto:info%40L2ThinkTank.com?subject=Inquiry%20-%20China%20Study



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

= BRAND WEBSITE

I n T R O D U C T I O n

Digital iQ = Shareholder ValueOur thesis is that digital competence is inextricably linked to

shareholder value in the travel industry. Key to managing and

developing a competence is an actionable metric. This study

attempts to quantify the digital competence of 89 global airline,

hotel, and cruise brands. Our aim is to provide a robust tool to

diagnose digital strengths and weaknesses and help managers

at travel brands achieve greater return on incremental investment.

Like the medium we are assessing, our methodology is dynamic,

and we hope you will reach out to us with comments that improve

our approach, investigation, and findings. You can contact me

at [email protected].

Sincerely,

SCOTT GALLOwAY

Founder, L2 Clinical Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern

TRAVEL BOOkInG

Online Marketing Share by Channel1

0%

40%

60%

80%

AIRLINES

100%

20%

31%33% 34%

41%44%

46%

59%56% 56%

69% 67% 66% 59% 56% 54% 41% 44% 44%

E CRUIS LINESHOTELS

2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010

= ONLINE TRAVEL AGENT (OTA)

1. “Nothing But Net,” J.P. Morgan, January 2011


mailto:scott%40stern.nyu.edu?subject=Inquiry%3A%20Specialty%20Retail%20Digital%20IQ



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

A B O U T T h E R A n k I n G S

Site - 30%: Effectiveness of brand site.

•Functionality&Content(75%)

• Site Technology • Site Search & Navigation • Reservations • Flight/Hotel/Cruise Information • Checkout & Special Offers • Customer Service • Rewards/Loyalty Programs

•BrandTranslation(25%)

• Aesthetics • Messaging & Interactivity

Digital Marketing - 30%: Marketing efforts, off-site brand presence, and visibility on search engines.

•Search: Traffic, SEM, SEO, Web Authority

•Email:Frequency, Content, Social Media Integration, Promotion

•DigitalMarketingInnovation:Presence, Innovation

•BlogPresence:Mentions, Sentiment

Social Media - 20%: Brand presence, following, content, & influence on major social media platforms.

•Facebook:Likes, Growth, Post Frequency, Ability to Transact, Responsiveness

•Twitter:Followers, Growth, Tweet Frequency, Online Voice

•YouTube:Views, Number of Uploads, Subscriber Growth, Content

Mobile - 20%: Compatibility and marketing on smartphones and other mobile devices.

•MobileSites:Compatibility, Functionality, Ability to Transact

•SmartphoneApplications:Availability, Popularity, Functionality

• iPadIntegration:Marketing, Applications

METhODOLOGYCATEGORIES

140+ Genius Digital competence is a point of competitive differentiation for these brands. Sites are more than just transactional. These brands have creatively engineered their messaging to reach travelers on a variety of devices and online environments.

110-139 GiftedSites are highly functional. These brands typically are active in mobile and social media, are visible on top search engines, and offer email marketing.

90-109 AverageDigital presence is functional yet predictable, and innovation efforts are uninspired and lack ambition. Boilerplate marketing.

70-89 Challenged These brands bare-bones sites provide only basic functionality. Digital campaigns are an after-thought. Demonstrate an inability to activate their social communities and many are missing from mobile.

<70 Feeble These brands are digitally off the map. They are marked by poorly designed sites and a failure to leverage digital to market to consumers. Mobile and social media are not meaningful elements of their strategies.




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

CRUISEHOTEL

D I G I TA L I Q R A n k I n GAIRLINE

Rank Brand Category Digital iQ Class Description

1 DELTA Airline 168 GeniusFrom mile high check-ins on Foursquare to Facebook booking, Delta’s digital efforts are first in class

2 SOuThWEST Airline 165 Genius SWA’s superior marketing translates across digital touch points; strongest site in the Index

3 AMERiCAn AiRLinES Airline 158 GeniusContent-rich site, strong Twitter and Facebook following, and efficient mobile app help AA soar

4 W hOTELS hotel 149 Genius “Welcome to Wonderland” delivers W experience straight from your browser

5 hiLTOn hotel 143 GeniusManaging more than 530 properties on one site is no small feat; 22 percent ROI through mobile channels

6 WESTin hotel 141 Genius Amazon storefront allows enthusiasts to purchase the Heavenly bed online

7 COnTinEnTAL Airline 140 Genius Facebook frequent flier enrollment and international mobile check-in give Continental lift

8 LuFThAnSA Airline 139 Gifted MySkyStatus posts your flight coordinates to Twitter or Facebook from the air

9 FOuR SEASOnS hotel 138 Gifted Luxury leader buttresses customer service excellence via Twitter

10 inTERCOnTinEnTAL hotel 137 Gifted Insider iPad app boasts local concierge recommendations for more than 120 destinations

10 JETBLuE Airline 137 Gifted 1.6 million Twitter followers may come for deals, but stay for responsive customer service

12 hYATT hotel 136 Gifted Site leads in function and findability

13 BRiTiSh AiRWAYS Airline 135 Gifted Carbon offset add-on when booking signals innovation around sustainability

13 ROYAL CARiBBEAn Cruise 135 GiftedCommunity reviews, YouTube videos, and mobile app offer consumers a buffet of digital options




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

D I G I TA L I Q R A n k I n GCRUISEHOTELAIRLINE


15 FAiRMOnT hOTELS hotel 134 GiftedEveryonesanoriginal.com social community allows guests and employees to share their stories, pictures, and videos

15 KLM Airline 134 GiftedSocial darling of the industry is not afraid to take risks; surprise campaign rewarded Twitterers with personalized gifts while they waited to board

17 ShERATOn hotel 132 Gifted Sheratonbetterwhenshared.com features guest stories from across the globe

18 MARRiOTT hotel 131 Gifted A giant in search, but doesn’t score as well on social media platforms

19 CAThAY PACiFiC Airline 130 Gifted Prolific presence on YouTube boosts Asia’s airline leader; iPad app profiles airline employees

20 AiR FRAnCE Airline 129 GiftedFacebook fan base increased almost 400 percent from February to mid-March on the wings of F-Commerce

21 hOLLAnD AMERiCA Cruise 127 Gifted One of the few luxury cruise lines aggressively purchasing search terms on Bing

21 QAnTAS Airline 127 GiftedExtends a warm Aussie welcome to site visitors with top-notch customer service and informative airport guides

21 uniTED Airline 127 GiftedBrand is in transition and it shows; site’s strong transaction-functionality is handicapped by dated aesthetics

24 LE MÉRiDiEn hotel 126 Gifted“LM 100” serve as brand ambassadors online, but Facebook presence doesn’t extend to properties

24 ViRGin ATLAnTiC Airline 126 Gifted The Innovation Zone showcases the best in travel mobile apps

26 OMni hotel 124 GiftedScores points for mobile apps and Facebook responsiveness, but luxe feel fails to translate online

27 MAnDARin ORiEnTAL hotel 122 Gifted Site customer service lags luxury peers, but makes up ground on social media

28 AiR nEW ZEALAnD Airline 119 GiftedRico campaign on YouTube is one of the most playful in the industry, but poor site functionality keeps brand from taking off




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel



28 LuxuRY COLLECTiOn hotel 119 GiftedLimited social media presence hurts, but brand gets marks for destination guides and ability to search hotels by “pursuit”

28 ST. REGiS hotel 119 Gifted Individual properties are on Twitter, but the brand hasn’t checked in

28 uS AiRWAYS Airline 119 Gifted Highly functional but otherwise forgettable site

32 EMiRATES Airline 118 Gifted Brand YouTube channel includes link to booking

33 DiSnEY CRuiSE LinE Cruise 117 GiftedSocial media sweetheart’s fanatical following on YouTube buttresses entire Disney travel empire

34 AiR CAnADA Airline 115 Gifted Connects Canada to the world, but is not connecting with passengers via social media

35 RiTZ-CARLTOn hotel 110 Gifted Interactive Facebook page garners five stars but bland site fails to deliver

35 SinGAPORE AiRLinES Airline 110 GiftedCabin Experience videos on site highlight each class of service, including menu and entertainment options

37 nORWEGiAn CRuiSE LinE Cruise 109 Average Engages cruise community through user reviews and Facebook countdown clock

37 SOFiTEL hotel 109 AverageFacebook page has grown fast on heels of strong app that allows guests to interact with individual properties

39 KiMPTOn hotel 106 Average Boutique chain scores innovation points offline, but is still figuring out social media

40 KOREAn AiR Airline 105 Average Features one of industry’s only video newsletters

41 WALT DiSnEY WORLD RESORT hotel 104 Average Social media presence brings Disney magic to life, but no photographs of rooms on site

42 FROnTiER Airline 103 AverageStrong synergy between site, print, and social media but will need more than its “spokesanimal” mascots to woo fans online




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel



43 ViRGin AMERiCA Airline 102 Average Hip brand is not part of the cool crowd online

44 CunARD LinE Cruise 99 Average Facebook presence and YouTube videos suggest brand is willing to extend its regal heritage

45 ETihAD AiRWAYS Airline 98 AverageExperience Etihad provides virtual tours of the luxury cabin, lounge, and transportation services

46 WALDORF ASTORiA hotel 96 Average Inconsistent site varies by property, but scores points for translating on a mobile device

47 ShAnGRi-LA hotel 95 Average Strong mobile and social media efforts keep brand out of the challenged ranks

48 SWiSSôTEL hotel 94 Average Facebook ski jump app attempts to tap into gamification phenomenon

49 LOEWS hotel 93 Average Seamless booking and strong customer service, but brand lacks digital differentiation

50 ThAi AiRWAYS Airline 92 Average Limited site functionality and social presence make Thai just average

51 JOiE DE ViVRE hotel 90 Average Attributes more than 1,000 bookings to tweets and Facebook posts

52 ThE LEADinG hOTELS hotel 89 Challenged Broken links show lack of digital leadership

53 SOuTh AFRiCAn AiRWAYS Airline 88 Challenged Poor technology and outdated information leaves site at the gate

54 JW MARRiOTT hotel 87 Challenged Limited social media outreach suggests brand forgot the turndown service

55 JuMEiRAh hotel 86 ChallengedMy Jumeirah virtual space allows guests to customize their travel and site browsing experience

55 LinDBLAD ExPEDiTiOnS Cruise 86 Challenged Clunky reservation system renders visitors queezy




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel



55 PEninSuLA hOTELS hotel 86 Challenged Visually appealing site falls flat on functionality

58 BAnYAn TREE hotel 84 Challenged Brand gets needed boost from high engagement and growth on Facebook

58 RELAiS & ChÂTEAux hotel 84 Challenged Site lacks functionality, but iPhone app delights

60 KEMPinSKi hotel 82 Challenged Europe’s oldest luxury hotel chain seems stuck in the digital Dark Ages

60 QATAR AiRWAYS Airline 82 Challenged Public company with a private Twitter account?

62 P&O CRuiSES Cruise 81 Challenged Cruise webcams score points for “Britain’s favorite cruise line”

62 RAFFLES hotel 81 Challenged Strong aesthetics provide only partial reprieve from dated and glitchy website

64 CRYSTAL CRuiSES Cruise 78 Challenged Brand site remains docked without e-commerce capability

64 SEABOuRn Cruise 78 Challenged Luxury feel but limited social media presence

66 MORGAnS hOTEL GROuP hotel 77 Challenged Lifestyle content differentiates brand; UrbanDaddy partnership amplifies message

66 OCEAniA CRuiSES Cruise 77 Challenged Average website functionality and limited social media usage places Oceania in steerage

66 REGEnT SEVEn SEAS CRuiSES Cruise 77 Challenged Subtle reservation box on site is easy on the eyes but loses points on conversion

66 WARWiCK inTERnATiOnAL hotel 77 Challenged Limited community suggests social media late arrival

70 COnRAD hotel 75 Challenged Fails to step out of shadow of larger Hilton brand online




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel



71 OBEROi hotel 74 Challenged No email opt-in limits online communication

71 PREFERRED hotel 74 Challenged Strong loyalty program fails to unite brand online

73 WinDSTAR CRuiSES Cruise 73 ChallengedGenerates more traffic than most luxury cruise lines, but without booking capability what is it worth?

74 OnE&OnLY hotel 72 Challenged Elegant site is hampered by poor functionality

75 SiLVERSEA CRuiSES Cruise 71 Challenged Social sharing hints at digital aptitude, but no booking capability causes IQ to sink

76 AZAMARA CLuB CRuiSES Cruise 68 Feeble Destinations dominate on gorgeous site, but social media efforts have yet to embark

77 TAJ GROuP OF hOTELS hotel 67 Feeble Lackluster social media impairs India’s luxury leader

78 PARK hYATT hotel 65 Feeble Limited stand-alone social media presence and hard-to-find site hinder differentiation online

79 ASiAnA Airline 64 Feeble Limited unique visitors and page rank hurt brand

80 ROCKRESORTS hotel 62 Feeble No customer loyalty program and limited social media use constrain hospitality online

81 SEADREAM YAChT CLuB Cruise 61 Feeble Mobile presence prevents shipwreck, but limited transaction-capability damages IQ

82 REGEnT inTERnATiOnAL hotel 54 FeebleInaccurate, text-heavy site coupled with social media absence leaves this brand trailing its peers

83 AiR ChinA Airline 52 FeebleDated website and lack of social media presence limit brand in U.S. market, but mobile effort provides a boost

84 PAn PACiFiC hotel 51 Feeble One of a handful of hotel brands that has ignored Twitter




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel



85 ROSEWOOD hotel 50 FeebleURL architecture assures each property can stand alone but fails to yield economies in search, traffic, or authority

86 hAinAn AiRLinES Airline 48 Feeble One of the few airlines with no mobile offering

87 ORiEnT-ExPRESS hotel 45 Feeble Without online upgrades hotel chain risks digital oblivion

88 JAPAn AiRLinES Airline 36 Feeble Outdated site and lack of social media leaves the brand sitting on the tarmac

89 SWAn hELLEniC Cruise 31 Feeble Facebook launch in February may put some needed wind in its sails




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

AVERAGE DIGITAL IQ &

PERCEnT OF BOOkInGS OnLInE

By Category

60

AIRLINES

80

90

100

110

120

70

20%

10%

30%

40%

50%

60%

0%

113

97

86

E CRUIS LINESHOTELS

48%

30%

9%D

igita

l IQ

Sco

re

% o

f Boo

king

s O

nlin

e

k E Y F I n D I n G S

Selling is KnowingThere is a direct relationship between the average Digital IQ

by category and the percentage of purchases made online.

Nearly half of Airline bookings are made online. The 29 airlines

studied registered an average Digital IQ of 113, and 62 percent

of brands were classified as Genius or Gifted. The Cruise

category lags the industry, and generates only nine percent of

its bookings online. Cruise lines posted an average Digital IQ

of 86 and six of the 16 brands in the Index do not provide basic

e-commerce capability.

What’s next? Look for increased personalization of

consumer interactions with hospitality brands, based

upon past preferences and current online behavior.

This mass customization will cut across all digital media as the

consumer researches, purchases, takes part in, and reflects upon the

travel experience.

—Stuart Levy | Assistant Professor, Dept. of Tourism & Hospitality Management, The George Washington University School of Business

”

“


DiGiTAL iQ

110-139

DiGiTAL iQ

70-89

Lufthansa

Four Seasons

InterContinental

JetBlue

Hyatt

British Airways

Royal Caribbean

Fairmont Hotels

KLM

Sheraton

Marriott

Cathay Pacific

Air France

Holland America

Qantas

United

Le Méridien

Virgin Atlantic

Omni

Mandarin Oriental

Air New Zealand

Luxury Collection

St. Regis

US Airways

Emirates

Disney Cruise Line

Air Canada

Ritz-Carlton

Singapore Airlines

The Leading Hotels

South African Airways

JW Marriott

Jumeirah

Lindblad Expeditions

Peninsula Hotels

Banyan Tree

Relais & Chateaux

Kempinski

Qatar Airways

P&O Cruises

Raffles International

Crystal Cruises

Seabourn

Cruise Line

Morgans Hotel Group

Oceania Cruises

Regent 7 Seas Cruises

Warwick International

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

Oberoi

Preferred Hotels and

Resorts

WindStar Cruises

One&Only

Silversea Cruises

DiGiTAL iQ

>140

DiGiTAL iQ

90-109

DiGiTAL iQ

<70

Delta

Southwest

American

W Hotels

Hilton

Westin

Continental

Norwegian Cruise Line

Sofitel

Kimpton

Korean Air

Walt Disney World Resorts

Frontier

Virgin America

Cunard

Etihad Airways

Waldorf Astoria

Shangri-La

Swissôtel

Loews

Thai Airways

Joie de Vivre

Azamara Cruises

Taj Group of Hotels

Park Hyatt

Asiana Airlines

RockResorts

SeaDream Yacht Club

Regent International Hotels

Air China

Pan Pacific

Rosewood Hotels

Hainan Airlines

Orient-Express Hotels

Japan Airlines

Swan Hellenic

4

2

6

8

Genius Gifted Average Challenged Feeble

3.4

4.24.0

4.9

6.2

Min

utes

0

AVERAGE TIME On TRAVEL SITES

by Digital IQ Class



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


BifurcationThe dispersion of Digital IQ demonstrates that the prestige travel

industry does not follow a traditional bell curve when it comes

to digital innovation. A remarkable 41 percent of brands were

classified as Genius or Gifted, however an additional 43 percent

were Challenged or Feeble. The dispersion of scoring suggests

the winners are pulling away from the losers when it comes to

online aptitude.

There is also a relationship between Digital IQ and the amount

of time users spend on the brand site. Genius and Gifted brands

register average user time of 6.2 minutes and 4.9 minutes,

respectively, while users spend only 3.4 minutes on the sites of

Feeble brands.

DIGITAL IQ DISPERSIOn

%ofOrganizationsperDigitalIQClass

GEniuS

33%

8%

17%

27%

16%

GiFTED

AVERAGE

FEEBLE

ChALLEnGED




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

DIGITAL IQ vs . YEAR-OVER-YEAR ChAnGE In

AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE

(Hotels with Published Data: 2010 vs. 2009)


Digital iQ = Pricing PowerThe recession forced the prestige hotel industry to slash its

room rates. Our analysis demonstrates a positive correlation

of 0.60 between Digital IQ and 2010 versus 2009 changes in

Average Daily Rate among the nine hotels with published data,

suggesting hotel brands that are more digitally competent have

been able to rebound faster.

innovation Silos?Examination of Digital IQ across portfolio companies sug-

gests travel industry conglomerates are good at leveraging

economies of scale online across multiple brands. The average

Digital IQ dispersion of parent companies in the industry was

40 points, versus a dispersion of 77 points across parent com-

panies in the 2010 Digital IQ Index®: Luxury and 47 points in the

2010 Digital IQ Index®: Beauty.

With six brands in the study, Starwood highlights the benefits of

an organization-wide approach to digital. All of the company’s

brands sit on the same site platform, providing enhanced SEO,

cross-sell opportunities, and best-in-class customer service

without compromising the distinct identity of each hotel. Star-

wood has taken a similar approach on Facebook, where the

company boasts a page for nearly every property. Each page

highlights unique features of the property, brand, and desti-

nation while leveraging community engagement tactics and

content from across the Starwood organization.

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

5% 6% 7% 8%

Dig

ital I

Q

% Change in Average Daily Rate

0% 2%1% 3% 4%

Correlation = .60




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


AVERAGE DIGITAL IQ BY PORTFOLIO COMPAnY

Organizations with More than One Brand

FEEB

LECH

ALLE

NG

EDAV

ERAG

EG

IFTE

DG

ENIU

S

70

40

90

110

140

170

Starwoo

d Hote

ls &

Resor

ts Wor

ldwide

n=6

Carniv

al Cor

pora

tionn=

5

Marrio

tt Int

erna

tiona

l

n=3

Hilton W

orldw

iden=

3

Fairm

ont R

affles

Hotels

Inter

natio

nal

n=3

Air Fra

nce–KLM

n=2

Apollo

Glob

al Man

agem

ent

n=2

Hyatt

Hotels

Corpo

ratio

nn=

2

Royal

Caribb

ean

Cruise

s Ltd.

n=2

United

Contin

ental

Holding

s

n=2

Virgin

Groupn=

2

The W

alt D

isney

Compa

ny

n=2

AVG IQ

131

AVG IQ

89

AVG IQ

109 AVG IQ

105 AVG IQ

103

AVG IQ

66

AVG IQ

101

AVG IQ

134

AVG IQ

114

AVG IQ

132

Disparity

30

Disparity

66

Disparity

44

Disparity

68Disparity

53Disparity

5

Disparity

23

Disparity

71

Disparity

13

Disparity

24

AVG IQ

111

Disparity

13

AVG IQ

102

Disparity

67

CRUISEHOTELAIRLINE




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

Leading travel brands recognize the opportunity to

use digital and social media as more than a booking

channel. Genius brands use their websites and social

media communities to extend and enhance the customer service

experience; creating deeper connections with travelers and allowing

guests to experience the quality of their customer service before,

during and after their stay.

—Melissa Dowler | Chief Marketing Officer, ISM


The hareAlthough travel brands sped to the front of the pack with

commerce-enabled sites, analysis across airlines, cruise lines,

and hotels suggests progress in the digital medium has slowed.

Nearly 40 percent of travel brand sites fail to incorporate video.

Less than half provide an online customer loyalty or frequent flier

program. Only 28 percent have some form of social sharing, and

just 20 percent incorporate the Facebook Like button.

While prestige travel is largely built around customer service,

only 17 percent of the brands in the study offer live chat.

Southwest, the leader in site scoring, provides a glimpse into

the future of brand travel sites, blending function, technology,

and community.

SITECONTENT&TOOLS

%ofBrandSiteswithandWithouttheFollowingTools:

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Online LoyaltyProgram

SocialSharing

Video

28%

20%

9%

17%

72%

80%

62%

45%

38%

OnlineBooking 93% 7%

55%

91%

83%

Facebook“Like”

Live Chat

UserReviews

= YES

= NO

”

“




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

under Review Although two-thirds of consumers report being influenced by

traveler-generated ratings, only nine percent of the brands in

the study offer reviews on their sites.3 Even among those of-

fering reviews, most segregate them from the booking experi-

ence or sanitize the feedback. Examples include Fairmont’s

Everyone’s an Original microsite or Kepinski Hotels, which

link to pages on TripAdvisor. Although laggard in other dimen-

sions, the Cruise category has been the first to embrace guest

feedback, and four brands include user reviews. Traffic to sites

that incorporate user reviews grew 24 percent, versus seven

percent for those without reviews, suggesting user-generated

content provides more authenticity and traffic.

The increasing Cost of SearchIndustry revenues are up significantly following the recession,

but traffic to the 89 travel brand sites in the Index is down eight

percent year-on-year. One of the reasons is the increasing cost

of paid search, one of the industry’s primary traffic drivers.

Of the brands in the Index, 72 percent engage in key-word

purchase on Google, and 64 percent purchase terms on Bing.

Average cost-per-click search advertising was up 21.3 per-

cent in the travel industry January 2010 through January 2011,

suggesting it is becoming increasingly expensive for brands to

compete for prime search engine real estate.4 Google’s April

acquisition of ITA, a software company that powers the majority

of flight fare search on brand sites and travel portals, provides

additional cause for pause, and many predict search engine

marketing pricing will continue to skyrocket.


IMPACT OF SITE FEATURES On TRAFFIC GROwTh

(March 2010–March 2011)

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

YES NO YES NO

User Reviews Social Sharing

Traf

fic G

row

th

0%

24%

7%

17%

6%

3. “Top Traveler Technology Trends,” PhoCusWright, August 26, 2010

4. Company Blog, EfficientFrontier, February 4, 2011




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

Hospitality companies should not view OTAs as com-

petitors. Rather, they can be strategic collaborators

and super-marketers. Recent research termed the

“Billboard Effect” demonstrates that hotel exposure on OTA listings

can drive significant additional booking traffic though brand websites.


While many travel sites have evolved into purely

transactional platforms, your customer may have

just come from your competitor’s site. The best sites

communicate a unique brand experience in a way that doesn’t inter-

fere with the transaction.

—Bob Minihan | Chief Creative Officer, ISM


The Online itineraryThe average online consumer visits more than 20 sites while

researching travel online.5 Examining the upstream and down-

stream referral sites across the 89 brands reveals that social

media, online travel agents such as Travelocity and

Expedia, and competitor sites factor considerably into this

sample set.

In addition, brands are driving significant traffic to and from

Facebook. Of the brands in the Index, 78 percent registered

Facebook as a top-eight source of referral traffic, and on aver-

age Facebook drove seven percent of traffic to brand sites.

Even more staggering, 90 percent of the brands recorded

Facebook as a top destination site after leaving the brand site.

% of Brands

To Brand Site

% of Traffic

Upstream Traffic Downstream Traffic

% of Brands % of Traffic

40%

20%

80%

60%

100%

11%

6%3%

90%

52%

35%

7%5%

2%

81%

47%

29%

From Brand Site

0%

TOP8REFERRAL&DESTINATIONSITES: TRAVELBRANDSITES

Upstream and Downstream Traffic to and from

Social Media Sites, Online Travel Agents, and Competitor Sites

= SOCIAL MEDIA SITE

= ONLINE TRAVEL AGENTS (OTAs)

= COMPETITOR

5. “Refining the Travel Search Process,” Compete & Google, December 15, 2009

”

”

“

“


2 Hoursor Less

2-6 Hours

7-12 Hours

13-24 Hours

Over24 Hours

Does NotRespond

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

0%

4%

16%

27%

21%

15%16%

BRAnD FAn POST RESPOnSIVEnESS

Across 85 Brand Facebook Pages

(March 2011)



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

The Web is Dying & Facebook is ThrivingAnother reason for diminishing traffic to brand sites is the

maturation of the web and the rise of Facebook. In 2001, the 10

most-visited sites on the web accounted for 31 percent of U.S.

page views, in 2006 it was 40 percent, and it is now 75 percent,

suggesting the medium and long tail of the web is decreasing

in importance.6 Facebook alone accounts for 12.3 percent of

all consumer time on the Internet.7 Facebook usage is nearly

ubiquitous across the travel category, and all but four brands

feature at least one dedicated page. During the first quarter

2011 measurement period, travel brand Facebook communities

grew an average of 20 percent.

Your customers already spend their time on Face-

book, so targeting them there is more efficient and

effective than driving them to custom-built social

networking portals. Facebook continues to enhance its flexibility for

custom fan page and application development, making the social

networking site an increasingly attractive option for brands.



6. “The Web is Dead, Long Live the Internet,” Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff, Wired Magazine, August 17, 2010

7. “The 2010 Digital Year in Review,” comScore, February 8, 2011

”

“




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


Social Media ManagementTravel brands take a variety of approaches (marketing, custom-

er service, commerce, etc.) when it comes to managing social

media across properties and regions. Almost half of the Hotel

brands had more than one account on Facebook and Twitter.

Four Seasons maintains accounts on both social media

platforms for each of its properties. Norwegian Cruise Line

maintains separate pages by region, including specific pages

for Argentinean and Brazilian passengers. Nine percent of

brands on Facebook and 12 percent of those on Twitter have

no centralized accounts, opting to let properties manage their

own social media efforts.

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES

Across All Brands

10%

20%

30%

50%

40%

0%

33%

49%

9%8%

48%

28%

11% 12%

Facebook Twitter

TwIT TER COnTEnT

%ofBrandsonTwitterwiththeFollowing:

News/Info

Deals

Contests

CustomerService

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

83%

65%

46%

52%

17%

35%

54%

48%

= BRAND PAGE & PROPERTY/ REGIONAL PAGES

= BRAND PAGE ONLY

= NO PRESENCE

= PROPERTY/ REGIONAL PAGES ONLY

= YES

= NO

Regional Twitter page for Four Seasons’ Beverly hills location




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


= 50,000 FACEBOOK

LIKES

0 100% 200% 300% 400%

377%Air France

239%RegentInternational

144%British Airways

54%P&O Cruises

53%South African

Airways

45%Cathay Pacific

39%One&Only

39%Frontier

34%Air New Zealand

32%Hyatt

American

Lufthansa

Emirates

United

Royal Caribbean

Air France

JetBlue Airways

Disney Cruise Line

Southwest

Walt DisneyWorld Resort

5,699,438

1,330,073

471,787

315,803

265,751

255,970

226,926

178,146

136,385

514,793

TOP10BRANDS: FACEBOOKLIKES

(March 2011)

TOP 10 FASTEST-GROwInG FACEBOOk ACCOUnTS

(January–March 2011)

Drove significant “like” growth. Fans guessed the location of the “photo of the day” to be entered into a sweepstakes for 30 pairs of round trip tickets. Chance of winning increased by inviting friends to enter.

AIR FRAnCE TRAVEL ChALLEnGE




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


BEST INTWEET: TOP10FOLLOWERS

(March 2011)

TOP 10 FASTEST-GROwInG TwIT TER ACCOUnTS


= 25,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS

0 20% 40% 60% 80%

83%@AIRNZUSA

70%@WindstarCruises

58%@SAAUSA

47%@RelaisChateaux

42%@MarriottHotels

38%@AirCanada

32%@jumeirah

26%@AzamaraVoyages

25%@Lufthansa_USA

23%@EtihadDeals

@JetBlue

@SouthwestAir

@VirginAmerica

@UnitedAirlines

@AmericanAir

@Delta

@WaltDisneyWorld

@continental

@USAirways

@BritishAirways

1,606,910

1,088,473

170,452

163,660

163,084

142,552

127,301

118,444

105,233

95,797




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

TOP10BRANDS: TWEETSPERDAY


= 1 TWEET

Korean Air

Windstar Cruises

Hilton

Peninsula Hotels

Ritz-Carlton

JetBlue

Virgin Atlantic

Sofitel

Four Seasons

Hyatt

35.0

29.5

24.6

15.4

12.2

12.1

11.6

11.5

11.1

10.4

Surprisingly, many travel brands are not utilizing

Twitter and Facebook to quickly address consumer

complaints. Companies cannot afford to simply

“dip their toes” in the social media current—they must dive in with a

“listen, react, and engage” strategy.



Rapid ResponseSeventy percent of U.S. hoteliers monitor guest reviews on

their own and third-party sites weekly at a minimum.8 Although

third-party review sites, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, used to

be consumers’ soapboxes of choice, Facebook, and Twitter

have taken their place. Across the 85 brand Facebook pages in

the study, four-in-five travel brands respond to customer service

inquiries.

On Twitter, brands are not as proactive, and less than half

are actively responding to customer service concerns. While

adoption has been mixed, many brands are using social

media responsiveness as a point of differentiation. The Palms

Hotel, which was not included in the study, integrates guest

Klout scores, a measure of influence on Twitter and Facebook,

directly into its registration system and provides upgrades to

guests with substantial online influence.

8. “Best Practices for Maximizing Your Hotel, Online Revenue, and ROI”, HSMAI Foundation & Vizergy, June 2010

“

”




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


The Travel ChannelAll but eight brands in the Index maintain a YouTube channel.

For many brands, YouTube merely provides another platform

for television commercials, flight safety demonstrations, and

promotional videos. However, a few organizations are pushing

the boundaries of viral video. Disney Parks’ YouTube channel

features 576 videos about the magic of Disney, including a

user-generated musical marriage proposal that has garnered

more than 3.6 million views. The majority of Air New Zealand’s

playful videos feature sassy spokespuppet, Rico, who flirts with

flight attendants and raps with Snoop Dogg.

TOP10BRANDS: YOUTUBE

Brand Channels with the Most Upload Views

(March 2011)

American

NorwegianCruise Line

KLM

Qantas

Virgin America

Hyatt

Air New Zealand

Delta

Southwest

Walt Disney WorldResort & Cruises

4,222,536

6,031,820

17,022,148

713,470

858,310

1,052,966

1,172,643

1,586,449

1,666,208

2,841,066

= 250,000 YOUTUBE VIDEO VIEWS

YouTube channels for Air new Zealand

and Disney Parks




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

0 1 2 3 4 5

1.9Continental

1.2Emirates

1.0Air Canada

0.9Southwest

0.9JetBlue

0.8Lindblad Expeditions

0.7Qantas

0.7Hilton

0.7Frontier

0.7Etihad Airways

4.6American


You’ve Got MailSixty-three percent of consumers who receive email from a

travel supplier are more likely to purchase from the brand.9

Even with the rise of social media, email remains one of the

highest ROI marketing tools. Ninety percent of the brands in

the study maintain an email marketing program. Most averaged

only one email every two weeks. American Airlines was the

most prolific, averaging almost five emails a week, more than

2.5 times the number of messages from the next brand.

There is still significant low-hanging fruit in email marketing.

Ten brands that offered email opt-in failed to correspond within

a six-week period. Across categories, 87 percent of email

messaging from brands was not optimized for a mobile device.

25% 50% 75% 100%

Email Opt-in

Welcome Email

90%

66%

79%

13%

56%

10%

34%

21%

87%

44%

Additional Marketing Emails

Link to SocialMedia on Email

Email Viewableon Mobile

0%

EMAIL MARkETInG%ofBrands

= NO

= YES

TOP10BRANDS: AVERAGEEMAILSPERWEEK


AIRLINE

CRUISE

HOTEL

9. “Flying High: Measuring the Value of Email Marketing for the Travel Industry”, Epsilon Data Management, February 2009




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

Mobile applications will be of relatively less

importance, given the increased technological

sophistication of mobile sites along with the limited

number of apps that smart-phone users tend to download.


Genius brands are optimizing their existing sites for

mobile and going further by creating mobile-specific

tools to target travelers.


HOTELS

MOBILE PRESEnCE BY CATEGORY

%ofBrandswiththeFollowing:


An Approved Portable Electronic DeviceIncreasingly, travelers are turning to their mobile devices to help

research, plan, manage, document, and share their travel ex-

periences. Next year, 15.1 million people are expected to book

travel using a mobile device.10 Of the brands in the Index, 56

percent have a mobile site and 48 percent have a smart-phone

application. Twelve brands have apps designed for the latest

must-have accessory, the iPad. Hotels and Airlines are the

most active in the mobile space, with many allowing customers

to book, check in, and track their loyalty points online.

IPhOnE APP CAPABILITIES BY CATEGORY

%ofBrandAppswiththeFollowing:

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%Book Check-In Boarding PassLoyalty

42%

73%79%

14%

63%55%

47%

NA

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%Mobile Site Smartphone App iPad App

76%

6%

61%66%

13%

50%

24%

0%

11%

AIRLINES

AIRLINES

CRUISE LINES

HOTELS

10. “Mobile Travel Takes Off: Emerging Trends and Best Practices for Marketers,” eMarketer, March 2011

”

”

“

“




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

F L A S h O F G E n I U S

AIRLInES SOAR On TwITTER

Nine of the 10 most followed travel brands on Twitter are air-

lines. From the brand perspective, airlines are trying to combat

increasing consumer frustration in the face of rising fees by

proactively engaging their communities.

During Air New Zealand’s “12 Days of Valentines” Twitter cam-

paign, followers were encouraged to respond to the question,

“What is your favorite cuddle position?” Each day the most creative

answer was selected by judges to win a round-trip flight for two on

a Skycouch to Auckland or London. @AirNZUSA grew its followers

76 percent two weeks into the promotion.

To celebrate the inaugural Airbus A380 flight from Germany to

New York City, @Lufthansa_USA Twitter followers were allowed

to select one seat on the virtual A380 seat map. Each day for

four days, one virtual passenger was randomly selected to win a

vacation package to Frankfurt. In two weeks, @Lufthansa_USA

gained 2,000 new followers. The airline also paired the online

campaign with an offline component, a one-day scavenger hunt

in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood to win a pair of round-

trip tickets to Europe, with clues posted on its Twitter account.

Lufthansa utilizes Twitter for flight give-aways

Air new Zealand’s “12 Days of Valentine’s” campaign prompts tweets from its followers


http://twitter.com/#!/AIRNZUSA

https://twitter.com/#!/Lufthansa_USA

http://twitter.com/#!/AIRNZUSA



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


Delta uses Twitter to monitor customer service issues and com-

plaints 24/7, employing its @Delta and @DeltaAssist accounts

to preempt passenger issues. The latter account is particularly

active, rebooking customers’ flights when they Tweet in-flight, of-

fering reimbursements, posting travel advisories, and using real-

time info to adjust on-the-ground operations at boarding gates.

True to its value DNA, JetBlue was one of the first airlines to

embrace Twitter as a platform to broadcast last-minute deals.

Its @JetBlueCheeps account was launched in July 2009 with

tantalizingly low fares ($49 each way to Las Vegas!).

Delta uses Twitter to address both customer service issues and real-time travel information

JetBlue broadcasts last-minute deals

through Twitter

The importance of mobile to the travel category is

right there in its name: mobile. From the moment

your customer leaves Point A on their way to any

Point B, their mobile devices are going to be their primary means of

consuming—and generating content.

—Bob Minihan | Chief Creative Officer, ISM

”

“


https://twitter.com/#!/deltaassist

https://twitter.com/#!/jetbluecheeps



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


PLAYInG OFFEnSE

Taking a page from the playbooks of travel portals Expe-

dia and TripAdvisor, travel brands are attempting to foster

the same sense of community and brand loyalty that the

OTAs have achieved. Norwegian Cruise Line’s online forum,

“Freestyle Voices,” allows past cruisers to post reviews on

the ship and shore excursions. Future passengers can ask

questions about their upcoming trip and start a countdown

clock that doubles as a vehicle for connecting cruisers pre-

embarkment.

Sheraton’s “Better When Shared” virtual community allows

travelers to recount their experiences at and memories of

various Sheraton properties and give advice on local attrac-

tions, dining, shopping, and more to future travelers. With

Facebook sharing and an interactive interface, the microsite

is a good first step to building a digital community. Many of

the posted stories, however, read as little more than adver-

tisements for a specific property’s amenities.

Fairmont’s highly interactive “Everyone’s an Original” is a

more robust community effort, with a large library of user-

generated content across a wide breadth of categories,

including mixology and the 2010 Olympics. Fairmont salts

original content, including recipes from property chefs.

Sheraton has built a digital community through customer’s shared experiences and memories

norwegian Cruise Line allows users to start a countdown and connect with cruisers pre-embarkment

Fairmont boosts community spirit through its interactive “Everyone’s an Original” site

Savvy travel brands provide a forum for customers to

share feedback on their own web and social media

sites. This lets them monitor and participate in con-

versations and scores authenticity points with potential customers.


”

“


http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=FreestyleForum

http://www.sheratonbetterwhenshared.com/

http://www.everyonesanoriginal.com/



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


KLMSURPRISE In ThE SkIES

KLM introduced a campaign this past holiday season to surprise,

delight, and reward its customers. The KLM Surprise team moni-

tored Foursquare activity at its locations. For each passenger

who checked in, the team searched for corresponding Facebook,

Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts to determine a personalized sur-

prise gift for the customer waiting in the terminal. Gifts included

champagne, notebooks, and a custom itinerary of New York’s

best soccer bars. Not satisfied to stop there, KLM uploaded pic-

tures of surprised passengers to Facebook and monitored con-

versations about the campaign across social media platforms.

kLM uses Foursquare to surprise passengers with hand-selected gifts


http://surprise.klm.com/

https://foursquare.com/klmsurprise



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


KLMDJS On A PLAnE!

In March, a Dutch DJ and filmmaker tweeted disappointment that

KLM’s recently reinstated Amsterdam-Miami flight would depart

one week too late for the annual preeminent Ultra Music Festival.

KLM responded, challenging the duo to find enough passengers

to fill an earlier flight. Five hours later, 150 travelers were signed

up and shortly thereafter were airborne in what became the

Guinness World Record for the world’s highest dance party.

kLM’s in-flight DJ dance party all began with

a tweet


https://twitter.com/#%21/SiedVanRiel/status/29678984915

http://blog.klm.com/fly2miami-first-ever-twitter-filled-aircraft-2/974/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9sHY7xrB2Ac

http://blog.klm.com/fly2miami-first-ever-twitter-filled-aircraft-2/974/



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


AA(ThE)UPWARDLYMOBILEAMERICAN

Leaving its competitors in its airstream, American Airlines has

blazed a path to mobile dominance. American’s mobile foot-

print includes commerce functionality across its mobile iPhone,

iPad, and Android apps. All three apps enable fliers to quickly

book reservations, monitor flight status, check in, and generate

an electronic boarding pass. American’s mobile apps provide

upgrades to the travel experience with offers such as AA sudoku,

terminal maps, and one-day passes to Admirals Club lounges.

American Airlines allows passengers to search, book, track, and even board flights all from their mobile device




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


MAnDARin ORiEnTAL A LUxURY hOTEL In ThE PALM OF YOUR hAnD

Mandarin Oriental’s free iPhone app matches the brand’s reputa-

tion for timely service and a chic aesthetic. Using stunning imagery

from properties around the world, the app features seamless

search and reservation functionality. Users can find a hotel and

immerse themselves in the brand with photos, detailed amenities,

city information, and special offers.

This app provides guests with detailed amenities, city information, and special offers worldwide

Mandarin Oriental’s homepage


http://www.mandarinoriental.com/



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


LuFThAnSA ThE DIGITAL CARRY-On

Combating boredom in the skies, Lufthansa recently unveiled

CloudStream, a social content site. Users can “pack” articles,

music, videos, and other online content for quick access while

traveling. With a browser bookmark, adding content to their

“My carry-on” is as simple as a click and is accessible over any

Internet connection, including Lufthansa’s in-flight Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi

on other airlines, or at home. Additionally, Lufthansa takes the

extra step of curating content feeds across categories such as

art, travel, and business.

This is not the airline’s first foray into enhancing the flight expe-

rience. In 2009, Lufthansa launched the MySkyStatus website

app that sent passengers’ altitude, location, departure, and

arrival updates to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, regard-

less of what airline they were flying.

Lufthansa’s digital carry-on helps

passengers curate content to access

while traveling


http://www.cloud-stream.com/privatepage/2#Home

http://www.cloud-stream.com/#Home



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


WALT DiSnEY WORLD RESORT / CRuiSES MICkEY MEETS ZUCk

One of the most iconic travel destinations in the world, Walt

Disney World has no trouble attracting a massive fan base

on Facebook. Feature-rich tabs include Share Memories, I’m

Going to Walt Disney World, and Epcot® Flower & Garden.

Mickey’s Facebook page offers behind-the-scenes videos, trav-

el advice, and planning resources, and solicits user-generated

content. Antithetical to social media, however, is users’ inability

to post on Disney’s wall.

Share memories and plan your trip through Disney’s

Facebook page


https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld?sk=app_191399614233927

https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


FOuR SEASOnS A SEASOn FOR FAMILIES / FAMILY FOR ALL SEASOnS

Four Seasons has always been synonymous with the highest

quality service, creating a “home away from home.” No surprise

then that the brand’s latest campaign focuses on families and

memories. The recently launched “Have Family Will Travel” blog

offers varied tales from writers who have traveled the world

with family in tow. Featuring rich media, tips, stories, and more,

it’s quickly becoming a go-to blog for the family on the move.

Four Seasons has incorporated the blog as the landing tab on

its Facebook page, unifying its web presence. In conjunction

with the blog, the Facebook tab also solicits guests to upload

photos of their vacation memories to an easy-to-use music

video generator.

The Four Seasons blog has developed a community of like-users who share experiences of traveling with a family in tow


http://family.fourseasons.com/

http://family.fourseasons.com/



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


inTERCOnTinEnTAL ThE VIRTUAL COnCIERGE

Recognizing that a trip starts well before their guest re-

ceives a room key, many hotels offer itinerary-enhancing

content on their sites. Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts

leads the way, encouraging guests to “Explore the Area”

around each property with a variety of virtual services.

Each hotel’s chief concierge has recorded videos featur-

ing spotlights on hotel amenities, dining, local attractions,

shopping advice, and more. Each video is shareable via

email and downloadable for use on the go. Property pages

also recommend the “perfect day” itinerary for that locale.

The “Perfect Day” itinerary

assists guests in making the most

of their stay

InterContinental’s Chief Concierge highlights the area hotspots and can be viewed on the go


http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/concierge/perfectday/washingtondc-thewillard

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/concierge/video/washingtondc-thewillard



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel


DELTA FACEBOOk FRIEnDS wAnT TO FLY TOO

Delta is turning its social communities into customers. Its

sleek “Ticket Counter” feature on Facebook works efficiently,

enabling users to search flights, book reservations, manage

their rewards miles, obtain flight status and check in for a

flight. The app, which requires no installation or application,

drives incremental traffic to Delta.com with call-outs to learn

more about travel advisories, in-flight amenities, and the

SkyMiles program. Code-share partner, Air France, followed

Delta’s lead, launching F-Commerce, resulting in a tripling of

its Facebook fan base.

Delta’s Facebook ticket counter drives incremental traffic to their site


https://www.facebook.com/delta?sk=app_119581404755652

https://apps.facebook.com/deltaticketcounter/



DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

SCOTT GALLOwAY

Professor of Marketing, NYU SternFounder, L2

Scott is a Clinical Associate Professor at the NYU

Stern School of Business where he teaches brand

strategy and luxury marketing and is the founder of

L2, a think tank for digital innovation. Scott is also

the founder of Firebrand Partners, an operational

activist firm that has invested more than $1 billion in

U.S. consumer and media companies. In 1997, he

founded Red Envelope, an Internet-based branded

consumer gift retailer (2007 revenues: $100 million).

In 1992, Scott started Prophet, a brand strategy

consultancy that employs more than 250 profession-

als in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Scott was

elected to the World Economic Forum’s “Global Lead-

ers of Tomorrow,” which recognizes 100 individuals

under the age of 40 “whose accomplishments have

had impact on a global level.”

Scott has served on the boards of directors of Eddie

Bauer (Nasdaq: EBHI), The New York Times Company

(NYSE: NYT), Gateway Computer, eco-America, and

UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He received

a B.A. from UCLA and an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley.

MAUREEn MULLEn

L2

Maureen leads L2’s research and advisory group

and has benchmarked and/or developed digital and

social media initiatives for more than 300 prestige

brands. She began her career at Triage Consulting

Group in San Francisco. At Triage, she led several

managed care payment review and payment bench-

marking projects for hospitals, including UCLA Medi-

cal Center, UCSF, and HCA. She has gone on to lead

research and consulting efforts focused on digital

media, private banking, M&A, insurance industry risk

management, and renewable energy economics for

professional firms and academics. Maureen has a

B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and

an M.B.A. from NYU Stern.

R. DAnIELLE BAILEY

L2

Danielle began her career at The Home Depot, Inc.,

where she led a variety of internal consulting engage-

ments focused on supply chain, merchandising,

and in-store process improvement. She went on to

manage the implementation of award-winning mobile

initiatives for several large media clients, including

The New York Times Co., NBC Universal, Disney/

ABC, Maxim magazine, and Zagat. Danielle has a

B.S. in systems engineering from the University of

Virginia and an M.B.A. from NYU Stern.

ChRISTInE PATTOn

Creative Director, L2

Christine is a brand and marketing consultant with

more than 15 years of experience creating brand

identities and marketing communications for aspi-

rational and luxury brands. She began her career at

Cosí, where she developed the brand and oversaw

its evolution from concept through growth to 100

restaurants. Since then she has provided creative

direction for a wide array of clients, including the

launch of Kidville and CosmoGIRL! magazine. Most

recently, she led creative services at ELLE during

the most successful years of the magazine’s history,

developing innovative integrated marketing programs

for advertisers. Christine received a B.A. in Econom-

ics and Journalism from the University of Connecticut

and an M.B.A from NYU Stern.

TAnUJ PARIkh

L2

Tanuj began his career as a project manager at the

Center for Economic Transformation at the New York

City Economic Development Corporation, where he

worked on a variety of initiatives designed to grow

the city’s innovation economy. Tanuj is also the co-

founder and director of UniThrive.org, a peer-to-peer

student lending social enterprise. In 2007, he was

a Kenya-based Fellow for Kiva.org, the world’s first

peer-to-peer lending marketplace for the poor. Tanuj

received his A.B. in government with a secondary in

economics from Harvard University.

CAnDICE MORTIMER

L2

Candice started her career in hotel group sales for

Marriott in White Plains, New York. She then moved

into logistical planning of special events in Miami and

later Lower Manhattan. Candice is a member of the

Professional Convention Management Association

and serves on the International Meetings task force.

She earned a B.S. in hospitality management from

Syracuse University and a will receive a master’s in

tourism administration from The George Washington

University in May.

T E A M : L 2




DiGiTAL iQ Index®:

Travel

GARY LEOPOLD

President & CEO, ISM

Gary is the President and CEO at ISM, where he sets

the vision and serves as lead strategic advisor for all

clients. His thinking has influenced such brands and

destinations as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,

Sheraton, Abercrombie & Kent, American Express,

Hong Kong, The Islands of the Bahamas, Barbados,

Emirates, Harley-Davidson, and more. Gary often lec-

tures at universities, while being regularly published

in leading travel industry publications.

Prior to co-founding ISM, Gary held the position of

Worldwide Corporate Director of Public Relations for

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. Gary is also

the proud recipient of the Albert E. Koehl Lifetime

Achievement Award in travel advertising from the

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International

(HSMAI), an honor he shares with Michael Eisner and

Sir Richard Branson, among others. Gary is a past

President of HSMAI and serves on the board of the

HSMAI Foundation. He is also the current president of

the MAGNET global agency network.

BOB MInIhAn

Chief Creative Officer, ISM

As Executive Creative Director and Partner at ISM,

Bob is responsible for all ISM creative content. His

travel brand experience includes Four Seasons Ho-

tels and Resorts, Emirates airline, American Express

Travel Services, Best Western Hotels, Barbados,

Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, Fodor’s, and

FareCompare. In his previous position as ECD

and Partner at Holland Mark in Boston, ADWEEK

magazine named the agency one of the top 10

creative agencies in the United States. His resume

also includes the title of Creative Director at Arnold

Worldwide and additional brand experience including

McDonald’s, T.J. Maxx, Titleist, Foot-Joy, Pinnacle,

Dreyfus Funds, Citizens Bank, and the Massachu-

setts Office of Travel and Tourism. His awards include

the One Show, Cannes, CA, Mercury, Athena, Kelley,

Obie, and Clio.

MELISSA DOwLER

Chief Marketing Officer, ISM

Melissa brings a wealth of digital and social media

experience to her position as Chief Marketing Officer

at ISM. She is a builder of teams, relationships, and

successful marketing campaigns with a career his-

tory that spans industries, media, and continents.

Melissa offers a dozen years of international strategic

marketing experience to ISM clients, having worked

in London at IMC.UK and Arc Integrated Market-

ing on global brands including Kellogg’s, Tesco,

Shell, and The Government of Jamaica Food &

Drink Exports. In addition to her extensive traditional

marketing background, Melissa has brought innova-

tive digital and social media strategy to brands such

as Reebok and The Drew Company (World Trade

Center, Ronald Reagan International Trade Center,

Seaport Hotels).

STUART LEVY

Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Mangagement, The George Washington University School of Business

Stuart is an Assistant Professor in the Department of

Tourism and Hospitality Management at The George

Washington University School of Business, where

he teaches hospitality industry management and

internet marketing courses to undergraduate and

graduate students. Stuart’s current research focuses

on relationship marketing, mobile technology, and

corporate social responsibility in the hospitality

industry, and his work can be found in academic

publications including the Journal of Travel Research

and the Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing.

Before academia, Stuart worked as a consultant

for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Hospital-

ity and Leisure Practice, and he has also served

in management positions for tour operations and

internet marketing firms. He received a B.S. in Hotel

Administration from Cornell University, an M.B.A

from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. from the

University of Calgary.

T E A M : I S M & GW S B


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05.20.11 L2 Clinic Emerging Digital Media Platforms

While Facebook dominates the social media landscape,

a multitude of other digital platforms and new consumer

behaviors that surround them have emerged. In isolation,

these platforms may not have reached critical mass; but in

aggregate, they provide a fertile ground for brands to run

creative experiments, reach new consumers, and glean

insights into wholly new forms of digital self-expression and

consumer activity.

06 .24.11 L2 Clinic Mobile&Geolocal

Every year has been touted the “year of mobile.” However,

looking back at 2010, predictions and estimates on the

explosive growth of mobile devices, smart phones, and the

ubiquity of mobile web have all reigned true; we are now at

an inflection point.

07.22.11L2 Clinic Video&Celebrity

This half-day immersion explores successful strategies to drive

engagement and brand awareness through the use of online

video and traditional—and untraditional—celebrities.

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Travel digital iq 2011

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