Marketing manifesto for the travel industry - Jeff Jarvis

Media insider and professor Jeff Jarvis is as an evangelist for the new area of media communication. At last year's "Video on the Net Conference" he gave a presentation addressing the future of the TV industry. Jarvis ended his keynote with a mind boggling manifesto about the future of marketing communications in general. Since this manifesto is also inspiring for other industries, see my quick interpretation from a tourism angle: 

1. The Internet is the ultimate choice machine.
2. It has become a tool to control consumption AND the creation of media.
3. The question no longer is: Who is king - content or distribution? Because the answer is: trust & consumption are.
4. Control is futile: if you give people control they will use it, if you don't, you will lose.
5. People who love your product are your best friends in the world.The question is, how do you enable them. Not how do you get a message out with them, but how you let them speak.
6. They market your product and create the message why to buy your product. And they will put the message out for you

How does this relate to the travel & tourism industry?

• The Internet is the ultimate choice machine.

-> Consumers have more choices than ever, if your offer is not compelling, the next one is only a click away. Add consumer-generated reviews to that and you might well have to rethink your quality standards and business model all together.

• It has become a tool to control consumption AND the creation of media.

-> You are not in control of the creation of media anymore. Anybody with a cell phone becomes a multi media creator, regardless of your approval. Maybe starring your hotel, service or destination for the rest of the world to see on Flickr, YouTube and Tripadvisor.

• The question no longer is: Who is King - Content or Distribution? Because the answer is: Trust & Consumption are.

-> Yes your content is still important, but you are not the only one creating or distributing it anymore. That is why building trust by offering valuable content and connecting with your potential customers as well as with each other is more important than ever. Your hotel is not the best in town? Your destination is not as hot as others? Don't pretend they are. Be truthful and your costumers will appreciate and trust you. Focus at what you are really good at. Let costumers make a choice based on all the information necessary and available.

• Control is futile: If you give people control they will use it. If you don't, you will lose it.

-> Give up control over content and marketing messages. With so many ways for customers to consume and connect you cannot control it anymore. If you try to, delivering your message the way you were used to, will become increasingly difficult. Integrate content created by your costumers into your marketing materials and message. British Columbia is a pioneer for this. Answer questions that arise regulary. Provide the orientation necessary for costumers to plan their holiday. Partner with businesses that offer the best services for your costumers, not the highest provision to you. Your customers and your staff are your greatest stake holders. Try to keep politics outside of tourism.

• People who love your product are your best friends in the world. The question is, how do you enable them. Not how do you get a message out with them, but how you let them speak.

--> Surrender control over the content created about your product, service or destination. Instead encourage your friendly customers to spread the message for you. Let that premise encourage you and your staff to deliver the best service you can. Create your own league of ambassadors for your company. Connect with them. Ask them where they want to post their future contents and for their process of information. Search Flickr, Google and Travel 2.0 sites for relevant content. Link to it from your website.

• They market your product and create the message why to buy your product. And they will put the message out for you.

-> They know why your product is worth bying. Don't alienate costumers by pretending you are something you are not. Granted, some will love certain features, that others don't. But don't pretend your destination is a great shopping hot spot, when the stores are not open on Sundays (as is the case in Vienna). Focus on what really have to offer. Try to enable the happy costumers to spread the word, by telling the truth and attracting the right kind of people. Or by preparing those who are not, for the reality of their deliberate decision.

What's your take on the challenges the tourism industry is facing? I would love to hear your point of view. Your comments in English, German, Spanish and French are welcome. While I will continue to blog in German, I plan to add some key posts in English in the future.

Read Jeff Jarvis' entire speech (most of it regarding the TV business) on his blog.
Watch the Video at Brightcove. Via Gapingvoid.