The OTAs Aren ’ T evil ; they ’ re just really good at giving customers what they want . n
The traditional cusTOmer jOurney is anything but traditional . check out more hOTels Disruptors news at hotelsm . ag / hOTeLSDisruptors www . hotelsmag . com December 2015 HOTELS 21
Global Update : Profile
TheDisrupTOrs
The Disruptors addresses issues ranging from the impact of emerging booking channels and metamediaries to how to best implement new strategies related to mobile technologies and social media .
BreeDing innOvATi
The OTAs Aren ’ T evil ; they ’ re just really good at giving customers what they want . n
We ’ ve all heard how much Expedia spends on marketing ( nearly US $ 3 billion last year ), but I recently heard the OTA giant cite another impressive number : it has close to 50 different versions of its website , and of those ideas being tested , only onethird work , one-third are things consumers don ’ t really care about and the rest outright fail . I thought of this when I read that Amazon halted its Destinations travel service .
It is extremely hard to present a compelling value proposition and get consumer ’ s attention . How can hoteliers compete with OTAs when the largest online retailer has been unable to penetrate this lucrative market ?
Hoteliers must become more nimble and create a culture that breeds innovation . You may not be able to test 50 different sites or features , but that doesn ’ t mean you can ’ t learn from OTAs .
Hotel brands talk about how they need to “ own the customer .” Conversely , Expedia talks about empathizing with consumers . Focus on delivering value for guests and earning their trust , not just during the stay , but also through the shopping and booking process . Don ’ t worry about trying to own consumers ; give them a compelling reason to type in brand . com and not Google or Expedia .
Realize that ’ s not always going to happen . When it doesn ’ t , consider the OTAs a great acquisition channel and mitigate the costs by retaining customers . Patrick Bosworth , DuETTO , San Francisco
WhAT keeps mArkeTing execs up AT nighT ?
What keeps hotel digital marketing executives up at night ? New entrants : Ironically , many of them can ’ t get through to the gatekeepers and key digital agencies because of their poor sales approaches , or they simply don ’ t understand the hotel industry .
Attribution : A customer shops across channels and may use multiple devices . ROI should be assessed broadly enough to confirm strategies are working . The amount of work it takes to measure each line item of each specific online campaign may just not make sense unless it generates an actionable strategy .
Personalization : Technology is making it easier to accomplish . The hotel industry must catch up with other industries that have perfected mass customization . Content on your website is the best place to start .
Big data : It ’ s a struggle and presents intertwining issues that require a well thought out master plan and the technology to support it .
Metasearch : Metasearch engines are emerging into a hybrid – an OTA and a meta . The digital ecosystem has to be considered when designing your hotel or hotel company strategy . Bob Gilbert , HSMAI , McLean , Virginia
The traditional cusTOmer jOurney is anything but traditional . check out more hOTels Disruptors news at hotelsm . ag / hOTeLSDisruptors www . hotelsmag . com December 2015 HOTELS 21