COMMENT IN MY OPINION
I’ll always remember my first day as a 17-year-old marketing student.
I recall worrying I had inadvertently
stumbled into a natural-history seminar instead of a marketing lecture. My lecturer had kicked off the lesson with a picture of Charles Darwin, famous for his contributions to the evolutionary theory of species – not what I expected in a marketing lesson. “It is not the strongest of the species
that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives,” my tutor quoted. “It is the species most adaptable to change that survives and thrives." He instructed us to substitute the
word species for brand or organisation and then predicted that if we remembered that quote throughout our careers, we would never be left behind by market developments.
Social media is no fad It’s a lesson I've always kept in mind over the years. It has enabled me to alert clients to the influence of travel bloggers as far back as 1999. Social media, I can remember telling a well- known travel principal in 2007, is not a fad, it will change everything. And perhaps few industries have seen the evolution of the landscape change as dramatically as the travel and hospitality sectors. From dynamic packaging to online travel players, from the emergence of low-cost airlines to the surge in growth of the wellness, adventure and luxury segments, the one constant has been change. And that’s why lately I have found myself evaluating the newest thing
in travel marketing and talking to my clients about it.
Competitive advantage ‘Living in the now’ is the latest phrase – and it’s been pioneered by live-streaming platforms such as Meerkat, Periscope, and now, Facebook Live. If the names and the concept are new
to you, rest assured, it is the next big thing in travel and the brands and tourist boards that embrace it will get a huge advantage over their competitors. Looking through someone’s holiday
pictures, or video clips on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, is not enough. Today the sharing economy demands you share your experiences live with loved ones, giving them the chance to see iconic sights and being part of it through your eyes. Sharing a real-time sunrise from a hot- air balloon, witnessing the live thundering of a waterfall or feeling the excitement of a friend's first sight of the Serengeti
Live in the now and see your offering evolve
The future of travel lies in real-time sharing
STEVE DUNNE
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, BRIGHTER GROUP
will be as big a part of a holiday as photographs once were. Of course, you might think that if I see
Victoria Falls through my friend’s eyes I may not want to go myself, but experts say it’s about inspiration – living in the now heightens the desire for experience. Some travel brands have already
started to embrace live streaming in their marketing – Royal Caribbean International and Skyscanner spring to mind – but for a vast chunk of the sector it is still a channel to be harnessed. Whether you're an agent, tour
operator, hotel or tourist board, start to think about embracing the now in your customer sales and marketing. As Charles Darwin would have said
if he were a marketing man: “It’s the brands most adaptable to change that survive and thrive.”
FOR MORE COLUMNS BY STEVE DUNNE, GO TO:
TRAVELWEEKLY.CO.UK
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travelweekly.co.uk 23 June 2016
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