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Random
Thoughts
The
28 September 2006 edition of the Zeitgeist Z-News
Random
thoughts that don’t individually make up a full Z-post...but need
to be shared (which is probably why I’ll soon be adding a blog
to the repertoire like my buddy Reyn
Bowman):
As a follow-up to our last post regarding the rapid emergence of user-generated
internet content, our friend Joe
Buhler sent us a frightening factoid that roughly 25% of
the internet is now made up of “user-generated content.”
In other words, consumers now control 25% of the online conversation...and,
(trust me) it will be 50-50 in no time.
As CEO Bill Kaufmann of World
Wiki recently opined, consumers are less interested in
the “official” version of a destination and more interested
in what their “authentic” peers are saying.
 And,
if you don’t believe in the power and immediance of user-generated
content, consider the case of the late Steve
Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter). I awoke the morning after
(American time) and was greeted with the news of his untimely passing
on my web browser’s homepage. I then began to search for additional
information and ended up on Wikipedia
(the user generated encyclopedia).
It had been 12 hours since a spooked stingray had sent a spike into
Steve’s chest...and the Wikipedia site had already been completely
updated with details of his passing.
While I have no way of knowing...I’m betting that the update to
his page took less than 6 hours. But, regardless, you need to know that
the internet world can update YOUR reality in 12 hours...or less.
Think this isn’t an issue? Check out Trip
Advisor sometime and look at what user generated reviews
can do to a hotel's reputation and marketability.
Defending Against “Bad Guys”:
We were intrigued by this piece from the Cleveland
Plain Dealer a few weeks ago:
“Hoteliers across the region have agreed to hold rooms open
two summers ahead of time in case Cleveland wins its bid to host the
2008 Republican National Convention.
The move is strategic, designed mostly to please the party's decision-makers
but also to thwart protesters and others from reserving large blocks
of rooms to keep them off the market.”
What an interesting strategy!
And, now that we’re past the primaries:
It’s mid-term election time. Ask your federal representatives
(and challengers) whether they support the American
Tourism Initiative. Have everyone in your industry
ask. It's time to send a message to your representatives that it’s
important.
Til next time...
Bill
Wanna
comment on this or other topics. E-mail
Me!
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