| New York City (May 9, 2005) � The importance of using Behavior Analysis
to effectively communicate your product to current and potential customers
was discussed during the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association
International (HSMAI) Internet Marketing Strategy Conference in New York
City last week. In order to successfully measure customer behavior industry
experts agree that going forward, there is a need for more universal standards
in hospitality as a whole.
The conference took place in conjunction with TravelCom Expo and featured
the formation of the Travel Internet Marketing Organization (TIMO), an
umbrella group and advisory board designed to leverage the synergies between
existing and future special interest groups related to Internet marketing
in hospitality travel and tourism.
Ron Andruff, President & CEO, Tralliance Corporation, presented
an update on the .travel domain name, including the registration and authentication
process for travel suppliers. The keynote address was delivered by
David Johnson, a partner at Peppers & Rogers. He stressed the
importance of leveraging data to learn about your customer in order to
create personalized experiences leading to loyalty.
Two interactive sessions highlighted hot business and leisure topics
and featured a versatile line-up of panelists. Both panels were moderated
by Bill Carroll, Visiting Assistant Professor, Cornell School of Hotel
Administration and CEO of Marketing Economics, a consulting firm specializing
in travel industry pricing, distribution, yield management and strategic
planning.
The first interactive session, titled �Tricks of the Trade: How Suppliers
Measure Performance�, featured the following group of panelists: Tim Claydon,
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, JetBlue Airways; Steve Fitzgerald,
Vice President, Hotel Relations & Operations, Hotwire; Gino Giovannelli,
Vice President, Interactive Solutions, Carlson Marketing Group; and Jens
Thraenhart, Executive Director of Marketing & Strategy for Fairmont
Hotels� Private Residence Club division, Fairmont Heritage Place. Some
of the session�s most intriguing highlights were as follows:
-
Giovannelli noted the importance of identifying the behavior that they
are trying to drive when measuring their current visitors� behavior. Giovannelli
also encourages travel suppliers to take an open channel approach, directing
guests to book their travel whichever way they prefer, discouraging suppliers
from promoting any specific channel or forcing technology on their potential
customers.
-
Claydon brought up the advantage of JetBlue having 100 percent direct bookings
rather than going through any other websites, which allows for more accurate
behavioral analysis and encourages greater communication with their customers,
and accurate feedback. Claydon warned, however, that if suppliers ask their
customers for feedback they should be prepared to listen and act on their
suggestions in a timely manor. �Customers will be upset if you ask them
for feedback and then don�t address any of the issues that they revealed,�
Claydon suggested.
-
Fitzgerald noted the need for more universal standards within the industry,
which would better identify supplier and customer needs, diminishing leakage
and more wholistically measuring results.
-
In conclusion, Thraenhart noted that the true value of measuring performance
in the future is in personalization. Specifically, in understanding and
successfully predicting customer behavior and as a result, building relationships
with your customers that by spending money where your individual guests
value it most.
The second interactive session, titled �Exploring the Metrics Mystery:
Unique Perspectives on What You Should Measure and How to Measure It�,
featured the following group of panelists: John Squire, Vice President,
Product Management, Core Metrics; Daniel Taras, Vice Prisident & Sector
Spec., iPerceptions Inc.; John Ardis, Vice President of Corporate Strategy,
Value Click; Dan Hess, Senior Vice President, Comscore. Some of the session�s
most intriguing highlights were as follows:
-
Squire noted the importance of suppliers focusing on the Customer Lifetime
Value when analyzing the total cost of the campaign that it took to result
in the purchase. For smaller, independent properties, Squire suggested
they identify an analytically savvy employee and help them grow internally:
�If you don�t have an internal person using your metrics, you�re missing
out,� Squire stated.
-
Ardis agreed on the significance of Customer Lifetime Value, urging suppliers
to stop focusing on only the consumers they are converting today. �Collect
information from as many of your guests as possible to help you best understand
and serve your customer and act on what you�ve learned,� Ardis notes.
-
Hess addressed the issue of suppliers being consistent and taking a wholistic
approach with customers, noting that having a great online presence is
important, but in order to obtain customer loyalty they need to make sure
that the customer experience that they are offering is as good from beginning
to end.
-
In conclusion, Taras noted the magnitude of the value of Behavior Analysis
that can help translate data and in turn, predict the user�s behavior.
Suppliers can use this data to understand what content can effectively
capture the user�s attention. �This will help convert the attitude of the
70% of visitors to their web site who are not there to buy, and once they
buy once they are much more likely to buy again. Whatever the cost of that
is, it�s worth it,� Taras explained.
The mission of the Travel Internet Marketing Organization (TIMO) is to
be the global travel industry�s voice as it relates to Internet by increasing
awareness of issues, opportunities and trends as it relates to Internet
marketing and distribution in the hospitality industry. TIMO, which
is chaired by Jens Thraenhart of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Gino
Giovannelli of Carlson Companies, shares best practices of different travel
verticals in different global regions � currently between the Hotel and
the Cruise Internet Marketing committees. Members of the TIMO Advisory
Board will represent the discipline at key industry events and conferences
in an effort to educate senior management and the industry at-large and
will strive to recommend standards that can be adopted and applied on an
industry-wide basis as well as be an advocate for ethical online practices.
HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing
all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on
education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating
trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and
members at 15 annual events. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual
membership organization comprising nearly 7,000 members worldwide, with
38 chapters in the Americas region.
|
