MARKETING ON THE RUN

"Chapter 2" of the story of how the Internet will impact the practice of marketing in the travel industry is about to be written, and one of the headlines will undoubtedly herald the arrival of "mobility marketing."

As of this writing, there are approximately 229 million cell phones in use in the United States, of which an estimated 14% are Internet enabled. The latter number is expected to grow exponentially in the months ahead as a result of stepped-up distribution of "3G" phones and more aggressive marketing by wireless service providers to bundle and sell additional services to consumers who appear to have an insatiable appetite for more information.

And there's no question mobility will soon "rule" as the preferred method of communication, as demonstrated by the remarkable transformation of the manner in which consumers now wire their primary residences: fully 16% of households in the U.S. have a cell phone but no land line versus just 6% four years ago. And among households headed by individuals between 25 and 29 years of age, fully 35% now have only a cell phone.

The implications of this remarkable evolution of the manner in which we now communicate are explored in-depth in our new "NEXTGEN Traveler™" survey which we co-authored with PhoCusWright. Based on a national sample of approximately 2,500 active "next generation" travelers who are also "users of technology," the results are provocative. Selected highlights are provided below:

• 68% like traveling to new places and experiencing new things;
• 75% would travel more if they had more money (62% would do so if they had more time);
• Two-thirds (65%) take pictures with their cell phones, 29% play video games and 22% follow news/sports/stocks;
• 56% regularly visit myspace.com (34% visit youtube.com);
• One-third (33%) access the Internet via their cell phone;
• Over half (56%) have taken a virtual tour of a hotel or resort online;
• Almost four out of ten (38%) have built trip itineraries online;
• And fully one-third (33%) have written and posted a travel review online.

And although less than 10% of these NEXTGEN travelers have actually made an airline, hotel or car rental reservation using their Internet-enabled cell phone (other than through voice communications), fully one-quarter expect to do so during the next two years. So buckle up!

For a deeper understanding of the remarkable impact of mobility marketing on the next generation of travelers, please visit the "Publications" section of www.ypartnership.com or "Special Reports" section of www.phocuswright.com.