Comments for Marketing on the Smart Web http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress Travel & Tourism Marketing in the Age of Web 2.0 & Beyond Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:47:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on The complicit customer by JEB http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/08/06/the-complicit-customer/#comment-247 JEB Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:23:38 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/08/06/the-complicit-customer/#comment-247 Your points are valid, David, as they describe the difficulty of product differentiation at the actual experience level. The issue is not so much that passengers in different seats pay a different price and should be treated differently for that. It's hardly possible and everyone knows - or should know - that if you pay for business class or a superior room / suite you then get a different experience. The issue is more about the fact that in today's market, where everyone is looking for the cheapest price - myself included! - the economics don't work for the provider. That in itself would be fine if people realized - as I do - that the first class experience can't be provided at economy pricing. If more people were willing to pay a higher price the economics would change. It would also mean fewer full flights but with higher revenue per seat/flight. A recent article about the "good old days" of flying made that point. The overall experience was more pleasant because fewer people were flying as the prices were high. It's highly unlikely those days will ever return and we'll be stuck more or less where we are and pay for our pillows, blankets, peanuts and checked bag......! Your points are valid, David, as they describe the difficulty of product differentiation at the actual experience level. The issue is not so much that passengers in different seats pay a different price and should be treated differently for that. It’s hardly possible and everyone knows - or should know - that if you pay for business class or a superior room / suite you then get a different experience.

The issue is more about the fact that in today’s market, where everyone is looking for the cheapest price - myself included! - the economics don’t work for the provider. That in itself would be fine if people realized - as I do - that the first class experience can’t be provided at economy pricing. If more people were willing to pay a higher price the economics would change. It would also mean fewer full flights but with higher revenue per seat/flight.

A recent article about the “good old days” of flying made that point. The overall experience was more pleasant because fewer people were flying as the prices were high.
It’s highly unlikely those days will ever return and we’ll be stuck more or less where we are and pay for our pillows, blankets, peanuts and checked bag……!

]]> Comment on The complicit customer by David http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/08/06/the-complicit-customer/#comment-246 David Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:48:30 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/08/06/the-complicit-customer/#comment-246 Fair point in a way Joe, but in the airline case there is also a structural problem in how the service is provided. They can't make a flight on time for those who paid more and late for those who paid less; the cabin crew can't tell if the person in 18a paid a different fare from the person in 18b. The MEANS are them for to know, in principal, but imagine the practicalities! Should they be nice to 18a because they paid $20 more and spill coffee on 18b? They can't squeeze some seats EVEN closer to the one in front, just because you paid less. Similarly for a hotel - they can't make the room smaller, although perhaps they could change the sheets every other day - IF that were made plain at time of booking. The structural problem is that the "service increments" are at a much grosser level than the "fare increments" - and some service elements apply equally no matter what you paid. In any event, simply managing varying "service increments" might cost more than not bothering? Not sure how these issues can ever be fixed. PS- thanks for correcting my dates for the Great Depression! Motto - always re-read carefully before hitting "post"! Fair point in a way Joe, but in the airline case there is also a structural problem in how the service is provided. They can’t make a flight on time for those who paid more and late for those who paid less; the cabin crew can’t tell if the person in 18a paid a different fare from the person in 18b. The MEANS are them for to know, in principal, but imagine the practicalities! Should they be nice to 18a because they paid $20 more and spill coffee on 18b? They can’t squeeze some seats EVEN closer to the one in front, just because you paid less.
Similarly for a hotel - they can’t make the room smaller, although perhaps they could change the sheets every other day - IF that were made plain at time of booking.
The structural problem is that the “service increments” are at a much grosser level than the “fare increments” - and some service elements apply equally no matter what you paid. In any event, simply managing varying “service increments” might cost more than not bothering? Not sure how these issues can ever be fixed.

PS- thanks for correcting my dates for the Great Depression! Motto - always re-read carefully before hitting “post”!

]]> Comment on Are we there yet…..? by Phil http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/07/07/are-we-there-yet/#comment-238 Phil Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:57:40 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/07/07/are-we-there-yet/#comment-238 I hear you. With all of the advancements with interactivity and user interfaces (insert iphone here) I am confident that we are getting close to the point where the average consumer can intrinsically understand how to engage with travel technology. Close! I hear you. With all of the advancements with interactivity and user interfaces (insert iphone here) I am confident that we are getting close to the point where the average consumer can intrinsically understand how to engage with travel technology. Close!

]]> Comment on This is a sad state of affairs by Maggie http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/07/08/this-is-a-sad-state-of-affairs/#comment-235 Maggie Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:25:00 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/07/08/this-is-a-sad-state-of-affairs/#comment-235 That is a staggering number of vacation days not to take. Comparing this with Tim Ferris's 4 Hour Work Week shows us that some Americans have managed to bring free time, purposeful leisure and travel into their lives. There are certainly no simple solutions to ever longer working hours and each of us have to find our own work/life balance. That is a staggering number of vacation days not to take. Comparing this with Tim Ferris’s 4 Hour Work Week shows us that some Americans have managed to bring free time, purposeful leisure and travel into their lives.

There are certainly no simple solutions to ever longer working hours and each of us have to find our own work/life balance.

]]> Comment on Google Lively by Robert Kingston http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/07/08/google-lively/#comment-234 Robert Kingston Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:36:59 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/?p=475#comment-234 I wouldn't say it's competing for attention. It's another tool for webmasters to embed on their websites - think of it as a platform allowing users site owners and brands to connect with each other. As for Growth, It's only been available since yesterday so give it a week or two and it will be riveting. I wouldn’t say it’s competing for attention. It’s another tool for webmasters to embed on their websites - think of it as a platform allowing users site owners and brands to connect with each other.

As for Growth, It’s only been available since yesterday so give it a week or two and it will be riveting.

]]> Comment on Who can you trust? by boomergirl http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/15/who-can-you-trust/#comment-214 boomergirl Wed, 07 May 2008 12:36:36 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/15/who-can-you-trust/#comment-214 I take any traveler review whether it is traditional or from "peers from a wider social network" with a HUGE grain of salt. What's good for the goose is not always good for the gander. My best friend is my own research which pulls in all of the above and then some. To date, I have not been stung. I take any traveler review whether it is traditional or from “peers from a wider social network” with a HUGE grain of salt. What’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander. My best friend is my own research which pulls in all of the above and then some. To date, I have not been stung.

]]> Comment on Social Applications dominate the web by Claude http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/30/social-applications-dominate-the-web/#comment-213 Claude Wed, 07 May 2008 11:29:03 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/?p=456#comment-213 congrat for your new blog template I have also a new blog and will switch step by step from Les Explorers. Suggest you use ShareThis plugin for Wordpress and Gravatar BTW, look at this great blog from a professor at Harward Business School http://tinyurl.com/3scu9u best regards from sunny Marseille Claude congrat for your new blog template

I have also a new blog and will switch step by step from Les Explorers.

Suggest you use ShareThis plugin for Wordpress and Gravatar

BTW, look at this great blog from a professor at Harward Business School
http://tinyurl.com/3scu9u

best regards from sunny Marseille

Claude

]]> Comment on Predicting flight delays by Predicting flight delays : Tips from the T-List http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/16/predicting-flight-delays/#comment-212 Predicting flight delays : Tips from the T-List Mon, 05 May 2008 17:53:24 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/16/predicting-flight-delays/#comment-212 [...] tool for travelers as we head into the summer season. This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...] [...] tool for travelers as we head into the summer season. This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...]

]]> Comment on Who can you trust? by Who can you trust? : Tips from the T-List http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/15/who-can-you-trust/#comment-211 Who can you trust? : Tips from the T-List Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:04:22 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/15/who-can-you-trust/#comment-211 [...] becoming increasingly important and influential as well. This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...] [...] becoming increasingly important and influential as well. This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...]

]]> Comment on The future web is the grid by The future web is the grid : Tips from the T-List http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/2008/04/07/the-future-web-is-the-grid/#comment-210 The future web is the grid : Tips from the T-List Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:51:36 +0000 http://buhlerworks.com/wordpress/?p=443#comment-210 [...] Tags: grid, intelligent web This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...] [...] Tags: grid, intelligent web This article was originally posted on Marketing on the Smart Web.You can read and comment on the original article [...]

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