While politics discuss the possibility of regulating the Internet (check out the e-g8 summit videos), we in the hospitality industry has a huge dilemma to solve on the Internet.We have to debate openly with all distribution players about brand protection online.
Recently a study conducted by MarkMonitor (brilliant press release by the way) reveals that the hotel industry is loosing more than $2.2B annually because of brand hijacking, spammers and fraudulent activities on search engines.
This big issue is driving hotel marketers (and others) totally crazy and we don't seem to get to the bottom of it.
The report further details that "1,750 OTAs that purchased keywords
using one or more of the five monitored brand names. That investment in
search engine marketing resulted in traffic being diverted to
competitive properties, costing the hotel industry an estimated $1.9
billion in lost revenue and $270 million in unnecessary commission
payments."
I think it is time that the hotel industry wakes up and enters into a friendly war against these pirates who use unfair practises to gain more traffic and increase revenue on your behalf.
5 simple rules to follow (and there are plenty more I am sure):
Rule #1: Review your agreement with your OTAs partnerships and add a clause where they won't bid on your hotel brand name.
Rule #2: If your hotel brand name is not protected and you don't have ways to do it (usually independent hotels have generic words on their brand), make sure you still add this clause to your OTAs partnerships. If they don't agree, don't work with them.
Rule #3: Make sure you register and renew on time your brand name online. Think also about domain names that could be associated with your brand for the future.
Rule #4: Secure your Facebook page name and your Twitter name according to your brand. If new social media tools come up, be the first to register your brand. If your brand is protected by trademark or copyright, you can claim your Twitter name on the "Verified" system. For instance Holiday Inn has recovered their brand on Twitter and has the logo Verified Account.
I am not sure Novotel has secured their Twitter account though.
#5: Take any opportunity in a conference, a meeting with the press or by simply talking to your customers and raise this brand protection issue. Surely one day culprits will stop using these unfair practises to steal web traffic from yours.
I think it is time that the hotel industry wakes up and enters into a friendly war against these pirates who use unfair practises to gain more traffic and increase revenue on your behalf.
5 simple rules to follow (and there are plenty more I am sure):
Rule #1: Review your agreement with your OTAs partnerships and add a clause where they won't bid on your hotel brand name.
Rule #2: If your hotel brand name is not protected and you don't have ways to do it (usually independent hotels have generic words on their brand), make sure you still add this clause to your OTAs partnerships. If they don't agree, don't work with them.
Rule #3: Make sure you register and renew on time your brand name online. Think also about domain names that could be associated with your brand for the future.
Rule #4: Secure your Facebook page name and your Twitter name according to your brand. If new social media tools come up, be the first to register your brand. If your brand is protected by trademark or copyright, you can claim your Twitter name on the "Verified" system. For instance Holiday Inn has recovered their brand on Twitter and has the logo Verified Account.
I am not sure Novotel has secured their Twitter account though.
#5: Take any opportunity in a conference, a meeting with the press or by simply talking to your customers and raise this brand protection issue. Surely one day culprits will stop using these unfair practises to steal web traffic from yours.
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