Tag Archives: google

Royal Caribbean and the next wave of communication

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By Tom Stieghorst
When cruise lines have something to say to the world, there are a growing number of channels to deliver the message.

An example is the Google Plus Hangout session that Royal Caribbean International used to tout its entertainment program on the Quantum of the Seas.

I wasn’t familiar with Google Plus Hangout, although a (younger) work acquaintance said she used it heavily to plan her recent wedding. It is a mash-up of several Google products that enables 10 people to have a video exchange, while being able to display content on the Internet and holding a simultaneous chat conversation with a (world) wide audience.

I think we’re going to see more of these and less of traditional announcements, media briefings, press releases and the like.*TomStieghorst

They allow for both the social media component, important for attracting users who swim in that ocean, and a lot of multimedia morsels, such as videos, live webcasting and audio.

Royal reached several audiences at once with its Hangout, including past passengers, the media and interested travel partners.

Those audiences were reflected in the half-dozen people that Royal picked to participate on video feeds, such as an editor from Backstage magazine and a Crown & Anchor Society member.

Also included was a social media “influencer” (someone who is tracked and followed by many devotees of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like) and a former Royal cast member who has moved on to a touring production of “The Book of Mormon.”

It was evident throughout that the Hangout was aimed in part at recruiting new performers. Broadway singer Kristen Chenoweth, the Quantum’s godmother, lent her credibility to the effort, describing how Royal’s entertainment innovations work for the performers as well as for the guests.

Nick Weir, vice president of entertainment at Royal, noted that unlike Broadway, entertainers don’t even have to take a taxi to get to their jobs on a ship.

Las Vegas entertainers were also in Royal’s sights. Weir and Chenoweth twice mentioned the Hyde nightclub at the Bellagio Hotel, which hosted the chat. Along with a full-length Broadway production of “Mamma Mia,” the Quantum will offer acts such as Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns, a band popular in Las Vegas that will appear remotely on video screens in Quantum’s Two70 lounge.

So the Google Plus Hangout, for those who saw it, provided an intriguing new launch pad for Royal’s Quantum entertainment package. Royal may have been first to explore it, but I’m guessing it won’t be the last.

Ryanair tumbles down Google rankings following site revamp

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By Travolution

By Travolution

 Ryanair’s website was sent tumbling down the Google results rankings for important search terms following a revamp that was meant to boost the airline’s brand image and make it easier for customers to book flights.

Ryanair had top ten positions in Google’s search rankings for terms such as “flights to France”.

But in recent weeks it has tumbled down the rankings, and searches for many relevant terms no longer include Ryanair in the top 100 results, according to data from web analytics company Intelligent Positioning.

Internet analysts believe the search problems are an unintended consequence of the revamp of the website, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

“They’ve screwed up big time,” said Sam Silverwood-Cope of Intelligent Positioning, a web analytics company told the FT. “There’s going to be a hell of a lot of traffic that they’re missing.”

When Ryanair restructured its website in March and April, it created a new set of URLs, but failed to correctly redirect the old pages. This resulted in Google seeing the defunct pages, and awarding a lower ranking, according to the report.

In response, Ryanair said that most of the 1.2 million hits a day on its website were from direct visitors, rather than those who came via search engines. It said bookings this quarter were about 5% higher than the same period last year.

According to Hitwise data provided by Intelligent Positioning, Ryanair gets about a fifth of its web traffic through search engines.

Ryanair said it was in the process of migrating various old website pages to its new site and it expected to be able to regain first page rankings on important search terms once completed.

“Until the site settles down, there will be a temporary drop in organic search positions on certain key search terms,” the carrier said. “We anticipate that it will take a week or so for things to bed down properly.”

The website overhaul was a central part of Ryanair’s strategy to rebrand itself as a friendlier, more caring airline and win back lost custom. It unveiled a preview of its new-look website a few weeks ago – highlighting that the number of clicks needed to book a flight had fallen from 17 to five.

Gerald Khoo, transport analyst at Liberum, told the FT that struggles with search engine optimisation could have a financial impact.

“There clearly is an issue that they don’t appear where they’d like to [in the search rankings],” he said.

Google’s Dan Robb to join Tui Travel mainstream division

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Google’s Dan Robb to join Tui Travel mainstream divisionTui Travel has appointed Google’s industry head of travel Dan Robb as the first digital marketing director for its mainstream sector.

Robb will join Tui on July 1 and will target driving the mainstream division’s digital marketing and “growing the group’s position as a leading digital business”.

Nick Longman, managing director of distribution and online for Tui’s mainstream sector, said: “Digital marketing is core to our digital and online modernisation strategy.  It is therefore important that we have the very best people in the business to make sure we capitalise on the opportunities available to us.

“Dan brings with him a wealth of experience and is uniquely placed to ensure we get the most out of our relationship both with Google and other leading digital companies.”

Robb said: “I am delighted to be joining Tui Travel. The group is at an exciting point in its digital journey and I look forward to bringing my experience to the team and helping to further drive its digital growth.

“While I will miss Google and the great team we have in Google Travel, this is a fantastic opportunity and I look forward to joining in July.”

Robb has worked at Google for the last nine years, leading the development and growth of the search engine giant’s travel team. Before that, he worked at Associated News for seven years.

Robin Frewer, director of travel and finance at Google, said: “Dan has made a fantastic contribution and has played an important role in educating the industry over the past nine years. This is an opportunity for him and also reflects Tui’s understanding that digital will become ever more important for their business.

“Dan will challenge the Tui business and encourage it to move at a greater pace.”

Frewer said that he had previously hosted Tui Travel chief executive Peter Long and mainstream managing director Johan Lundgren at Google’s head office in San Francisco, as the travel giant looked to develop its digital strategy.

And he confirmed that Ru Roberts had been appointed internally as Robb’s replacement: “There are always succession plans in place at Google, and Ru will be heading up our ‘holidays team’ and leading our relationships with the tour operators. Dan is a senior member of the team, but we have some excellent people in place and some new faces coming in to ensure there is a seamless transition.”