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Turn OTA Lookers into Bookers
How Improving Your Look on OTAs Can Drive
Direct Bookings
vfmleonardo.com facebook.com/vfmleonardo @vfmleonardo
September 25, 2013

Vice-President,
Best Practices, Online
Merchandising
VFM Leonardo Inc.
Darlene
Rondeau
@darlenerondeau

Founder, RockCheetah
Robert Cole

Managing Director,
Marketing Programs,
Best Western International
Glen MacDonell

Founder, RockCheetah
Robert Cole

Major OTA/Meta-search Travel
Studios
• Powerful Machines
– Production
– Distribution
– Promotion
• Create Stars
– Develop Talent
– Showcase Leaders
– Create Opportunities
• Sell The Product
– Right Script
– Right Casting
– Right Direction
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures (All Rights Reserved)

Major Forces in Travel
• Priceline | $51.3B Mkt Cap | 36.4M US UV’s
– Booking.com | Agoda | Kayak | RentalCars.com
• Expedia | $7.3B Mkt Cap | 40.6M US UV’s
– Hotels.com | Hotwire | Venere | eLong | Trivago
• TripAdvisor | $10.6B Mkt Cap | 43.8M US UV’s
– JetSetter | CruiseCritic | SeatGuru | GateGuru
• Google | $300.8B Mkt Cap | 192M US UV’s
– ITA Software | Zagat | Frommer’s | Waze
• Apple | $425.0 B Mkt Cap | 600M Credit Card #’s
– See iTravel Patents | Starwood & Hipmunk iOS7 Apps
Statistics:Yahoo! Finance & C Image Credit: RKO Radio Pictures (All Rights Reserved)

Intermediaries Love Media
• Expedia Brands
– $870 Million Total Advertising Spend 2012
– Average $22.28 Core Ad Spend per Room Night
• Priceline
– $1.27 Billion Online Spend 2012 (38.6 % Increase)
– 2.6% of Google Search Advertising Revenue
– Priceline Offline Ads $35 Million in (US Television)
– Average $11.50 Core Ad Spend per Room Night
• TripAdvisor
– Considering $50 Million Television Campaign
Data: Susquehanna International Group, Priceline/Expedia & Bloomberg | Image Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (All Rights Reserved)

OTAs & Meta-search Rule Mobile
Rank Travel App Type Downloads Satisfaction Rating
1 TripAdvisor Meta-search 23.3 Million 8.5 / 10
2 Hotels.com Online Travel Agency 13.0 Million 7.5 / 10
3 Kayak Meta-search 12.1 Million 8.0 / 10
4 Booking.com Online Travel Agency 10.9 Million 8.0 / 10
5 Hotwire Online Travel Agency 8.4 Million 6.2 / 10
6 Expedia Online Travel Agency 7.0 Million 6.5 / 10
7 Priceline Online Travel Agency 5.4 Million 6.0 / 10
8 Travelocity Online Travel Agency 2.9 Million 3.7 / 10
9 Hotel Tonight Online Travel Agency 2.8 Million 8.2 / 10
10 Orbitz Online Travel Agency 2.3 Million 7.0 / 10
11 Agoda Online Travel Agency 2.1 Million 8.1 / 10
12 HRS (iHotel) Online Travel Agency 2.0 Million 5.3 / 10
13 Airbnb Online Travel Agency 2.0 Million 7.3 / 10
14 Trivago Meta-search 1.6 Million 4.9 / 10
15 Hipmunk Meta-search 1.3 Million 8.0 / 10
16 IHG Hotel 1.1 Million 7.5 / 10
Data: Xyo.com, PhoCusWright & RockCheetah | Image Credit: Dimension Films (All Rights Reserved)

Purchase Path Is Not Short or Straight
Data: Millward Brown Digital/ Expedia Media Solutions | Image Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (All Rights Reserved)

What Sites Do Travelers Choose?
When Comparison Shopping Leisure Business
Expedia.com (E) 42% 44%
Hotels.com (E) 39% 36%
Travelocity.com (E) 37% 34%
Google 35% 25%
Priceline.com (P) 32% 27%
Orbitz.com (O) 29% 31%
Hotwire.com (E) 25% 26%
Specific Hotel Brand Website 23% 25%
Kayak.com (P) 17% 24%
AAA.com 15% 15%
Data: Google Travel Study. May 2012. Ipsos MediaCT | Image Credit: Warner Bros. (All Rights Reserved)

Celebrate What Makes You Unique
• Compelling Descriptions that Explain How You:
– Make the Guest Feel Special
– Simplify the Traveler’s Life
– Satisfy Guest Needs Better than Competition
• Engaging Images Showing Your Hotel in Action
– Is a Building Exterior the Most Important Sales Benefit?
– Why is the Property Empty?
– Are Interior Design Shots more for Hoteliers or Guests?
• Relevant, Guest Oriented Video Content
– InterContinental’s Concierge Video Guides Offer Local Tips
– Four Seasons Buenos Aires – Films Gala Events
– Best Western Plus Sedona – Destination, Hotel & Guests
Image Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (All Rights Reserved)

Effectively Communicate Message
• What Story Are You Telling?
– Different Channels May Require Different Messages
– Tailor Message to YOUR Audience Through THEIR Platform
– Not an Update & Forget Environment
• Use All Available Tools & Across Major OTAs
– OTA Resources Often Used by Meta-search Sites
– TripAdvisor Support Hotelier Video Posts
– Google Business Photos - StreetView Virtual Tours
• Google Knowledge Graph is a Game Changer
– Hotel Images Prioritized at Top of Search Results
– Photo | Rating | # Reviews | Street Address
– At Present, More Relevant List than Hotel Price Ads
Image Credit: Gracie Films (All Rights Reserved)

Looking Good Will Attract Attention
• Important Segments Deserve Targeted Images
– LGBT
– Families
– Honeymoons
• Engaging Images Showing Your Hotel in Action
– Proper Orientation – Understand Cropping Methods
– Appropriate Sizing – Different Resolutions Are Important
– Descriptive Titles, Captions & Tagging
• People Stay in Hotels
– Guests Enjoying Key Points of Differentiation
– Guests Naturally Interacting with Staff
– Guests Interacting with Other Guests Image Credit: Twentieth Century-Fox (All Rights Reserved)

True Love or Marriage of Convenience?
• OTAs/Meta-search Drive Volume
– Strong Traffic & Advertising
– Dominate Mobile Platforms
– Tactical Promotion Capability to Shift Share
• Quality Presentation Across Guest’s Preferred
Channels
– Try to Convert to Hotel Direct or Guest Preferred Channel?
– Want Best Opportunity for Conversion – Across Channels
– Does Not Mean OTA/Meta Should Take Priority Over Direct
• The Studio Never Overshadows the Star or Project
– Ignoring OTAs & Meta-search Shifts Share to Competitors
– Need to Leverage Channel to Your Benefit, Not Just OTA’s
– Must Focus on Setting Common Goals & Mutual Benefits
Image Credit: Buttercup Films (All Rights Reserved)

 OTAs and meta-search are important distribution
channels that must be properly managed
Key Takeaways
 Withholding quality content from these channels
will not drive more travel shoppers to your website
 No matter what type of property you are, working
with OTAs and meta-search sites can maximize
occupancy & profit

Syndicate your Story
on the industry’s largest network of travel sites
Reach
Millions
with visual stories
across the travel
industry’s leading
syndication network

Managing Director,
Marketing Programs,
Best Western International
Glen MacDonell

Over 4,000 Properties in 100 Countries

A Competitive Landscape

OTA Market Share Continues to Grow

BEST WESTERN PREMIER
Eden Resort & Suites - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

 Tell your story, your way
Key Takeaways
 Share a consistent message across platforms
 Fish where the fish are

Be Present
where consumers are shopping
Share your Story
In a consistent, engaging way across third party websites with VBrochure.
Amplify your message on VNetwork, including all of the GDSs, corporate and
review sites, and of course, the most popular OTAs.

 About VFM Leonardo
It’s a Wrap…
 Recording of this webinar
◦ Share it with your colleagues
 Invitations to upcoming webinars
◦ Topics include maximizing your web presence on stepping
it up on social media, planning for 2014 and more!

Questions and Best Practices