Rising Mobile Bookings, Big Data, and More: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest

Looking for the best hospitality marketing, e-commerce, and distribution posts from around the web? Then you’ve come to the right place. Without further ado, check out this round-up of posts that looks at rising mobile bookings, Big Data and more as part of my Hospitality Marketing Link Digest series. Enjoy:

1. Criteo recently released its latest “Travel Flash Report” [PDF link] highlighting how customers buy travel today. The big takeaway: Mobile is huge. If you don’t want to read the whole report, Mobile Commerce Daily notes the skyrocketing mobile booking demand despite the lack of optimized experiences and Hotel Marketing highlights the 20 percent increase in mobile travel bookings in the first six months of 2014. Finally, Tnooz offers its summary of the rise of mobile bookings captured in the Criteo report, too.
2. Speaking of mobile bookings, Tnooz also uncovers how mobile at a global hotel powerhouse is boosting the bottom line, with a look at IHG’s recent moves in the space. Great read.
3. Luxury Daily explores Luxury Collection’s entry into e-commerce to bring hotel experience directly to consumers.
4. Another Tnooz article examines how one DMO makes better decisions through travel big data that underscores some points I made in a recent post called “The Truth About Data-Driven Marketing.” Good stuff when you get the chance.
5. Travolution mentions that restaurant bookings on TripAdvisor go live after Lafourchette buyout and explains what that means for travel marketers. I’ve tried to explain what in the world Priceline and TripAdvisor are up to in the past (and recently took a look at Google’s plans for hotel distribution. The bottom-line is that intermediaries will continue to drive up your costs and these recent consolidations simply provide them more pricing power. It’s important you protect yourself.

You may also want to review the tips in my recent presentation Digital Marketing Directions: Three Trends Shaping 2014 Hospitality Internet Marketing. I’ve presented this talk to a number of hospitality and travel-related organizations and you might find it valuable for your business, too:

Finally, you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile web and what it means for your business, including:

• Holy Crap! Mobile’s Even Bigger Than You Thought
• How to Use Emotion and Storytelling in Digital Marketing
• 4 Lessons You Need to Know from Google’s Affluent Traveler Report
• What’s the State of Hotel Reputation Management?
• 10 Essential Lessons Learned From HSMAI’s Digital Marketing Strategy Conference
• What in the World are Priceline and TripAdvisor Up To?
• It’s Time You Take Mobile Seriously. Here’s Why
• What Expedia’s Leaders Can Teach You About Digital Strategy
• The 4 Rules of Social Marketing for Hotel Marketers