Travolution@PhoCusWright 07 - Google takeaway test

Google, for it is here in force, with a dozens of delegates roaming the halls, has set delegates a task to carry out when they leave the land of alligators and Mickey.

Tim Armstrong, Google president for advertising and commerce in North America, said the search giant plotted a list of its "assets" on piece of paper a year or so ago.

The results were a very important exercise in understanding the business and trying to reach every user.

The test for travel companies is to evaluate how many of those assets are joined - or map your products.

Armstrong says: "If you do not know where your assets are connecting with consumers then you will not be able to connect with the Long Tail."

In other words: travel outfits have to offer everything to everybody.

Armstrong admitted Google, for a while, did not.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution