CONSUMER GENERATED CONTENT: : LEARNING FROM THE INNOVATORS

By: Gregory Saks

March 18, 2007

When making travel decisions, consumers listen to one another. In total, consumer generated content (CGC) already influences $10 billion a year in online travel bookings. Consumers are increasingly embracing their peers’ voices online: 20% rely on CGC when planning travel, and they consider this content more credible than reviews from professionals or information from the brands themselves.

To understand how marketers can create a strategy for getting involved in the conversation, Compete analyzed the effectiveness of three innovators in the travel category that have already embraced CGC:

• Sheraton Hotels pushed its standard website booking functionality aside, transforming into a social platform revolving around a “Global Neighborhood”


• Southwest Airlines launched a promotion to involve consumers in its marketing campaign through a contest for creating the best “Wanna Get Away” commercial


• TripAdvisor has become the single largest source of consumer-generated travel reviews online, with over 5 million consumers sharing in an ongoing dialogue

Key Findings:

• In many situations, consumers will welcome brands to participate in the conversation


• CGC can have a direct and positive impact on eCommerce performance


• Brand advocates are hard to come by, but have a significant ability to shape the effectiveness of CGC campaigns

As CGC in travel matures, marketers are asking two questions when considering CGC initiatives: How much control should I seek to maintain over the conversation, and how much exposure among travelers is appropriate? These initial questions will help define the direction of CGC campaigns, but the real questions is: how can these strategies be executed successfully?

MORE FINDINGS FROM COMPETE'S CONSUMER GENERATED TRAVEL CONTENT STUDY