Given the importance of collaboration when deciding one’s travel plans, whether it’s an agent pointing out special offers, a couple deciding where to go on their honeymoon, a group of friends planning their Spring Break in Cancun, or a family working out their details for a reunion cruise, social shopping/social commerce applications like ShopTogether translate perfectly for the travel sector. And once somebody invites their friend to help plan their trip on the site, they won’t be jumping off to another site where they can’t chat, share travel options and decide right then and there. For visitors coming to the site to simply explore ideas about destinations, ShopTogether can also display the most popular locales and packages in real time. You can see how this works on Mattel’s site here: http://shop.mattel.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3824120.
Having immediate second and third opinions on a considered purchase like travel can save customers hours of time emailing links back and forth, calling each other on the phone or printing out options and discussing them offline. In addition, by allowing their site’s fans to invite friends and family to plan their tip together, they are differentiating their brand from competitors and introducing it to a host of potential new customers in a fun and engaging way.
The first mover in online travel will realize the greatest strategic advantage. It will become even more important as consumers begin to expect newer, more social interaction with the brand.
Tags: e-commerce, s-commerce, ShopTogether, social commerce, social shopping, travel