The Great WIT DebateFOR THE MOTION

Everything Has Changed:

The legacy “Travel Brand” has lost its relevance

It’s D-E-A-D!

Let’s look at Brands• Here is a great article

from the world of fashion.

• http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/04/op-ed-end-1-billion-fashion-brand.html

Travel Brands have low reputations• This is the top 100 Global

brands as compiled by Interbrands

• The Travel category? • NO PRESENCE in top 100

http://bestglobalbrands.com/2014/ranking/

In Mobile Brand Presence?Singapore - iPhone

• Pure Travel category:• Free

– AirBnB (90)– ScootMobile (98)

• Paid– FlightRadarPro (26)

Singapore - Android

• Pure Travel category:• Free

– iChangi (92)– N/A

• Paid– FlightRadarPro (7)

How can Travel Compete here?

#13 Disney, #23 Amex, #53 AXA, #60 Visa, #81 DHL

Branding is challenged

http://www.marketingtechblog.com/influencer-vs-advocate/

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2014/02/17/140217ta_talk_surowiecki

http://blueeyedleah.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/16-brand-culture-vs-technology-culture-the-irony/

Pay more for higher scores?

• Consumers appear to be willing to pay more for higher rated properties. • This changes the age old paradigm where brand represented that trustable value.

What’s Killing the Travel Brand?

1. Consumers

2. Brands themselves

3. Channels for consumers

4. Changing nature of the Travel brand from retail to technology.

Let’s examine this…

1. Consumers• Consumers have moved

away from the value of the brand to the value of the – fellow consumer/traveller

• TRIPADVISOR as become the value determinant

2. Brands themselves

• Even iconic travel brands such as Orient Express are closing

• http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2014/03/03/the-end-of-the-line-for-one-of-luxury-travels-most-famous-brands/

3. The end of the Travel Agent?• Even the venerable Daily Mail,

quoting UK research firm Mintel

• More important for channels are AGFA – Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon and the technology esp: Mobile.

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2166772/The-end-travel-agent-Holiday-booking-services-extinct-people-web-buy-vacations.html

4. Travel has become a Technology brand type vs a Retail brand type

http://www.vantivemedia.com/brandingtechnology.php

But spare a thought…• Travel brands can do

better than say…… the government

• http://www.ted.com/conversations/19718/are_people_starting_to_trust_b.html

So – I rest my case• Brands in general are changing/declining• Travel has become a technology category• Travel brands are not valuable• Consumers trust other consumers more than

brands• Even Google says so…

Thank you!

timothyo@t2impact.com

timothyo@vaultpad.com