The small matter of an identity crisis
In the last month, I attended two major conferences; both targeted at startup audiences, and both with a focus on technology innovation. One unashamedly boasts about being the largest startup tech conference in the world, while the other wears its startup credentials with a touch of cool abandon. But to hold a lens up to…
The anatomy of an ad: CALM
This ad left a huge impact on me. The trickery of how it initially takes your breath away to make you conclude ‘surely not’…. I was filled with such overwhelming sadness to be complicit in reading the desperate last words of a vulnerable young man. I couldn’t help but feel betrayed on behalf of Jonathan….
The anatomy of an ad: Jeep
For decades, the automotive industry has delivered some of the most creative, jaw-droppingly amazing, and memorable (sometimes for all the wrong reasons) advertising campaigns of our times. The ingenuity used to sell more hasn’t just been the domain of vehicle manufacturers. The automobile supply chain have also given it a valiant effort. No-one more so…
Time for transformation
I’ve been absent… and for a while now. I could give you the usual ‘I’ve been super busy‘ cop-out of an answer, but I won’t. The reality is, life just kept getting in the way. Between wrapping up the last of my freelance projects, returning to full-time employment and the migration and re-build of Spilling…
The anatomy of an ad: Turkish Airlines
With all the geo-political problems Turkey has encountered in the last year, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that Turkish Airlines would roll-out yet another brand campaign fronted by a superstar celebrity to attempt to pull in the tourist dollars. Case in point, the latest outing with the all too predictable ‘Widen Your World’…
Hotels Strike Back: why OTAs are no longer in the drivers seat
As we stride into February, we’re starting to see which of the big hospitality marketing trends predicted for 2017 are beginning to stick. We’ve debated the effectiveness of interacting with guests via mobile-based chat bots, whether we should be increasing marketing spend with digital influencers and have been excited about the potential of VR experiences….
Improving the travel brand experience with guest surveys
For companies operating in service-oriented industries, surveys can provide the means to better understand traveller needs, help improve service levels and gain insight into how to refine the guest experience. The usefulness of the data collected is usually determined by two factors: how seriously the survey’s results are taken within the organization, and how committed…
Battle of the Tourist Boards: the winners and losers at WTM 2016
Earlier this month, World Travel Market (WTM) London 2016 wrapped up to much fanfare. Billed as the most successful WTM to date, over 51,000 attendees packed into the London Excel, to meet with the largest number of exhibitors and buyers ever recorded throughout the show’s 37-year history. I attended multiple days of the show to…
The Travel Tech startups treading new ground
The flagship event of the annual tourism calendar, World Travel Market (WTM) once again arrived in London this week, and the event statistics are staggering. In its 37th year, the 2016 edition is expected to bring together in excess of 50,000 travel professionals, including industry representatives from over 5,000 exhibitors, covering 182 countries and territories….
No Marketing please, I’m a Developer
An aspect of Marketing hugely underrepresented across the content knowledgescape, is material on how to do developer marketing effectively. Despite being the kingmakers of our times, anyone who’s worked in technology designed for this audience, will attest to the fact that Developers are notoriously well known for having an aversion to all things marketing-related. We…