The Olympics is over – it’s time to talk holidays!
From developing breakthrough products for Etihad to reinventing the check-in experience for Jumeirah, we have done a lot of innovation work in the travel space. Along the way, we have spoken to and worked creatively with hundreds of consumers – discussing holidays, hotels, flying, booking sites, tour operators, cruises and much more!
Here are some of the interesting things that we have learnt:
With more choice than ever, consumers need advice
The proliferation of travel brands has given consumers more choice than ever before, and the Internet has made access to services easily and instantly available to all. However, many consumers are overwhelmed by the amount of choice and want trusted, expert advice to reassure them that they are making the right choice. The situation has created two types of consumers – the empowered and the embattled. For the empowered, finding the best deal is a game of skill that makes them feel clever and savvy. For the embattled, it’s a draining and exhausting slog!
Commoditisation doesn’t just happen at the bottom end of the market
‘Commodity hell’ has spread from the supermarket shelves to five-star hotels. It is increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish between luxury travel brands. Consequently, the default for consumers is to choose based on price.
You don’t have to persuade people to go on holiday, you have to persuade them to go with you!
In a crowded and commoditised market, the key to success is differentiation. Brands need to work harder to convince consumers to choose them and differentiate themselves beyond headline pricing that isn’t seen as credible and imagery that has become generic. The best way to achieve this is through engaging and interacting with your customers in order to truly understand their needs and desires.
If you would like to find about more about our innovation work in the travel sector, or discuss the challenges that your brand is facing and how we could help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Arun Malik on 0207 2900290 or email amalik@promisecorp.com
This entry was posted on Friday, 17 Aug 2012 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Branding, Co-creation, Customer Experience, Innovation, Insight, Qualitative research, Service, Strategy.
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