Travel cross-media Category

Much ADO about Media: 2011 Predictions

January 2, 2011 at 3:41 pm

Category :: Advertising , Android , App Stores , Applications , Automobile crossmedia , Brand Marketing , Business Models , Buzz , communications , Creative , cross-media , eBooks , Email , Email crossmedia , Event Coverage , Facebook , Financial , Google , Home Appliances , Instant Messaging , Interactive Crossmedia , International Strategy , iPhone , Location Based Services , Maps , Marketing , mcommerce , Media Planning , Mobile Adveritising , Mobile Applications , Mobile Browsing , mobile commerce , Mobile Communications , Mobile Content , Mobile Development , Mobile Internet , Mobile Marketing , mobile music , Mobile Search , Mobile statistics , Mobile Strategy , Mobile Video , Mobile website , Movies Crossmedia , music , Nokia , OOH Crossmedia , Outside Japan , Physical Crossmedia , Print Crossmedia , Products , Radio Crossmedia , Search , SEO , Social connect , Social Media , Social media advertising , statistics , Strategy , Travel cross-media , TV Crossmedia , TV Shows crossmedia , Twitter , VOIP , Web crossmedia , Website Tools , WhitePaper , Widgets , Wireless Data

We have entered 2011 and I have to say the first decade did fly by rather quickly for us in the mobile industry. I am a big fan of JWT and their things to watch deck. I thought I would share it and highlight the top 10 in my mind for those realigning and creating a mobile strategy this year.

JWT: 100 Things to Watch in 2011

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Tourists on a Shoe-String? No more heavy Guidebooks….it is all Going-Mobile!

December 23, 2010 at 8:17 pm

Category :: App Stores , Applications , Location Based Services , Maps , Travel cross-media

As we all gear-up to fly out for the 2010 end of the year holiday season, are we grabbing that large guidebook and throwing into our suit case or travel bag? Are we getting the iPhone App, iPad App, or even Kindle version instead.

I saw this article on how Tourism Thailand ( TAT) is moving over to mobile and it brought back a nostalgic moment for me any my life. In 1984 when I was a third year Engineering Student at the University of Illinois, I had the chance to study/ teach abroad in Thailand. For me the Lonely-Planet Book for Thailand- written by Tony Wheeler ( at that time) was a bit of Bible or sorts for my survival. Back in the Bangkok summer of 1984, it was like the wild-wild west for me. I actually did contract Typhoid Feaver, and had many unique stories to tell, but that Lonely-Planet guidebook was something special in my overall discover and journey of the Thailand countryside. The guide book lent it self for shoe-string travelers like myself to take notes, tear-off pages to share, and send in information that would better the book. It was one of the first collaborative community projects of its time. What happened Lonely Planet? I guess you lost the Tony Wheeler type characters of that day? Times had changed as well with global digital communications and the Internet of the 90′s, but it is something for me in my late teens to experience that was a slice in time right before the global World-Wide-Web.

Now as see all of this going Digital, that distant feeling of going to such a far away different place at that time has really changed as we experience tourism/travel and back-packers of the day…. I remember reading about this unique noodle place tucked in the back-alleys off of Sukumvit Road, and getting there with this diagram map to a Tuk-Tuk driver only to find the exact description of the Snake-charmer and old man siting on the corner adjacent to that Noodle shop.

Now we will be navigated with Google maps on our iPhone Lonely Planet App…. Not much Analog left in that experience…..:(

Tags :: Lonely Planet , mobile Tourism , Thailand tourism , Travel

Yippee…Delta expands Wifi to Jets in 2011!

November 29, 2010 at 1:43 pm

Category :: Applications , International Strategy , Travel cross-media

I learned about Delta’s decision to add WiFi now to its regional Jet Service. It appears the Virgin domino strategy has worked! This is big news for all of us that like to work when we are flying. I do not know what they will do about Skype or video calls over Wifi, but being connected during those several hours when flying is exactly the service I like as a business traveler.

This will bring a new breath of fresh air to iPad, smartphone Apps as now we will start to see the in-flight entertainment services moving to those opportunities as well. Just think of the future shopping potential? Duty Free when you fly with one-click of the button….

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Delta Expands WI-Fi to Regional Jets ( Wifi Net News)

This is a big shift in in-flight Wi-Fi: Delta is taking a big move in expanding its already extensive Wi-Fi coverage. Delta committed to full mainline fleet coverage—these are the larger planes that carry more passengers and typically fly longer routes—but regional jets seemed less likely. Shorter routes with smaller numbers of passengers would make it seem quite difficult to get a return on the investment.

Nonetheless, Delta has plans to put Gogo Inflight Internet on 223 of the Delta Connection subsidiary and partner aircraft. The planes have between about 65 and 76 seats, according to Delta’s press release. More critically, all the planes have first-class sections, and the commitment appears to be put Wi-Fi service on all routes with first-class service.

It’s possible that the investment is relatively low compared to the customer loyalty it may engender. Those who want continuous Internet access across a route, and who are more likely to buy or upgrade into first class may be so valuable that the amount realized in additional seats purchased and higher fares (as regional service is often not as competitive as national routes) is where the revenue comes from to balance the accounts.

Delta currently has over 700 mainline aircraft in operation, and 549 of those have Internet service installed. The regional jets will receive Internet service during 2011.

Tags :: delta , duty free shopping app , inflight wifi , iPad , virgin

Now this is a Check-In! when Hotel room keys go mobile!

May 26, 2010 at 12:34 am

Category :: cross-media , Location Based Services , Travel cross-media

Holiday Inn just launched a mobile solution for room keys going mobile. I spent a considerable time today on Foursquare and although I have been overwhelmed by the grown, what I found disturbing was the lack of content for each of the places. Companies like Yelp and other joined the bandwagon of “Check-in” but they come with considerable content. Unless the Foursquares of the world figure out a strategy to get users to post more tips and content, I just do not know how sustainable it will be.

With that said, the concept and leadership they created with the concept of “Check-in” and the database of places is clearly the next wave in location based services and mobile. Seeing Holiday Inn take this initiative to further the entire process and build a complete engaging solution around the entire concept of ” Checking-in” without customers even going to the front desk is the usage case of mobile cross-media that is where mobile is powerful.

eCommerce and other conversion techniques exist for mobile, but the creativity of taking a brand and enabling a “full experience” that is truly convenient is where I like seeing mobile going.

At CTIA I stayed at the Hilton Hotel Convention center, and there were Foursquare banners all over the lobby to “Check-in”. The vision was there as well and seeing Hotels and the travel industry now embracing mobile in its full form shows the power of the mobile device.