Blog homeThe discussion over on Travel Rants about user generated content is still active.
One point that needs breaking into a new discussion is what are Trip Advisor?
Couple of choices
- A website with trusted reviews that consumers flock to in order to assist with product evaluation as part of their purchase decision
- “Dream content” - ideal for “pre trip” surfing for entertainment purposes. Escape your cubicle for a few minutes while dreaming about your next trip. Fun, informative, but not crucial to the purchase decision.
Of course it is probably a combination of the two. Yes you can probably point out research that says that TripAdvisor etc are an integral part of a consumer’s research phase…… but perhaps this discussion has been framed by the content websites for their own purposes. Perhaps we trust TripAdvisor because we are told to trust TripAdvisor.
[For more information about framing a discussion read the WikiHow article on how to persuade people with subconscious techniques]
Take another example - an airline.
By adding additional flight partners - and commercial product (like hotels, car hire, holiday packages) - an airline would no longer be “just an airline” but an online travel portal. The revenue multiplier (in terms of valuation of a company) is much higher for a web based travel portal than an airline….. so through diversifying their website airlines may, on paper, increase the value of their company.
I wonder whether TripAdvisor’s value is higher as a trusted review source rather than a travel infotainment website. No wonder they would want to frame all research and conversations around trust if this was the case.
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