Does the world really need another search engine?

Microsoft clearly thinks so, judging by its efforts today in the UK, where it has taken out a – not cheap by any means – four-page cover-wrap of the Metro newspaper.

The practically blank page on “page one” of the newspaper says asks the question: “Does the world really need another search engine?”

The marketing push for the Live.com engine has now started in earnest, ahead of what is expected to be a pivotal year in 2007 for Microsoft with the launch of the Vista operating system, the upgraded Office suite.

And how much emphasis is Microsoft putting on the Web 2.0 functionality of its product?

Just read the “back page” of the ad campaign in the Metro: “Wouldn’t it be good if search engines gave you more than just a flat overhead view to go with your maps and directions?”

Interesting times in the world of search…

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

An alternative intro

Doug Read, executive director at Metro Newspapers, who coordinated one of our exclusive State of the Nation surveys for the September edition of Travolution, wrote two comment pieces to run alongside the research.

The first we produced in the magazine and here. The second is below…

“First and foremost: congratulations to those who have forged the travel revolution in the last 10 years. Some amazing brands and services developed in record time.

“Meanwhile in the Metro offices… ‘I can’t f**king believe it, I can’t believe they are doing this to me’.

“About 9.20 this morning, my normally calm and thoughtful colleague who occupies the seat two to my right explodes.

“Oh god! Is it her boyfriend, parents, friends, pet, estate agent…Mentally I’m thinking of a list of usual suspects. ‘And now they want to charge me £5 for my damn luggage’.

“OK, relax, it’s only an online travel booking moment. But then across the office comes another shout: ‘Yer, and there’ll also charge you for using your card to book, I think that’s outrageous’.

“Ok we’ll park that conversation there because the language got worse and worse.

“And the really interesting bit about this little outburst?

“Only a week before there were squeals of delight emanating from the same desk when the same person discovered that the price of her particular flight had dropped £200 quid since the last time she checked the availability.

“In that little story lies the most interesting issue our research produced. We had thousands of answers to open ended questions regarding the best and worse things about using the web for booking travel arrangements.

“I just found myself pondering how the travel service on the web might develop in the future.

“By and large the customer is certain they are paying lower prices than before and to about the same degree they like the ease and freedom the web provides.

“However the run away leader in the negative column is the lack of human help, advice and interaction available when booking on-line.

“Which begs the question: with so many firms using low cost business delivery mechanisms that help to drive low cost travel options for the traveller, will the service that wins in the future be the one providing a little TLC? Just a thought...”

The world of the online travel agent is taking a bit of a battering this week. Surely someone can defend them…

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

Virals and High Streets

A couple of intriguing press reports today on trends of the online world and the effect on consumers.

The Media Guardian today [needs registration] reports that the world of viral marketing may not be having the effect on consumers advertising wanted.

Travel companies have been urged in recent months to embrace the so-called Web 2.0 tools such as MySpace, YouTube in order to reach the next generation of consumers.

But research by viral marketing experts Kontraband suggests over half (53%) of consumers do not actually grasp the fact that they are on the receiving end of a commercial message.

Good or bad? Depends on what you're trying to sell, highlight or promote...

Not much chance of anonymity with campaigns on YouTube by Cheapflights in recent months, but Kontraband singled out recent efforts by Reebok and another by Virgin Money as being poor examples.

Meanwhile a front-page splash in today’s Metro reveals that the traditional High Street retailer is on the receiving end of a massive surge to online shopping, with an estimated 2,000 small shops closing each year.

Verdict Research claims total high street spending fell to £122.3 billion in 2005 as UK online consumers spent £8.2 billion, an average of £560 million per head and an increase of almost £130 in three years.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

Soskin and Cheapflights edit Travolution

The September edition of Travolution is taking shape and will be available from September 22.

Recently our guest editor, Cheapflights chief executive David Soskin, has been getting involved and helping out with various parts of what we expect will be a landmark issue for us.

Soskin has been an enthusiastic supporter of our edition, and not just because Cheapflights itself is celebrating a decade in business!

Indeed most industry figures we have spoken to agree it is a good time to recognise the achievements of the online world in becoming a driving force for change in the travel sector.

[It was nice to see the Guardian getting in on the birthday celebrations last weekend when it unveiled its own list of sites that have changed the world]

Our three separate State of the Nation reports have now been completed by the Metro Newspaper, Lorien Research and readers of Travolution and Travel Weekly.

We will also be unveiling the results of another reader survey to find The Influential Ten – a list of the pioneers and innovators of the last ten years who have had the biggest impact on the industry.

As always with a poll the final list of ten luminaries is mildly controversial – there are a few names perhaps not immediately recognisable to everyone and there even some that various quarters of the industry would never have suggested.

In the meantime, ahead of the issue’s publication in three weeks time, we are looking for anecdotes from the last ten years from the rest of the industry.

We hope to re-reproduce as many of these as possible on the Blog and on a special section on the website.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution