I love a great morning idea and Seth’s given me one to chew on. The traditional means of advertising and promotion is quickly being replaced by near mirror image of what it used to be. Surprisingly, this trend has not exploded as quickly within the travel industry which led the charge in many of the technological advances early in the formation of the world wide web.

By ‘turning the funnel upside-down’, marketers can now harness the power of true-believers to spread the word about their products and services. At the same time, these ‘legions’ of like-thinkers are ideal aggregates for targeted marketing of complimentary or vertically integrated products. Destination marketers are ideally positioned to be credible ‘lensmasters’ of their product niche; they should at least be on the team of information providers. Typically given the mandate of officialness, they are also ideally positioned to provide the full breadth of travel related products and services. These offerings would be defined by the destination, but endorsed by the ‘legions’ of the converted.

Tie this all together with syndication communication/marketing, and each place becomes a complete information and economic exchange vertical.

Cool, a major supplier now is utilizing the shared experiences of the travel community to enhance their website’s user experience. You don’t even have to be a Sheraton customer to play. Upload a photo, tell your travel story, introduce yourself – moderated by Sheraton – what better way for current customers and potential customers to learn about the destinations where Sheraton has a property.

via AdRants