Unique insight, Perspective &
Practical Tips for CVBs/DMOs, Hotels
& Attractions for tapping into the
proven, profitable AAA market
Presented by Terry Patton
Regional Manager – AAA Multimedia
LTPA Summit 2014
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#4 Overall Brand in Travel Industry
Marketing
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Phocus Wright Brand
“Travel with Someone You Trust” AAA’s
slogan
Trusted Industry leader with 54 million
members – 1 out 4 households in the US and
22% of all registered cars on the road!
35% of the entire US travel market – 23% of all
room nights in LA, 29% in New Orleans. 4.5
million searches for New Orleans on aaa.com
AAA members travel more often, stay out
longer, have higher incomes & spend more
i.e. better prospects for the essential upscale
leisure/drive market – “best” segment in
travel. Members spent 25 billion on
entertainment in 2013.
54 million 35%
Members in the United States and Canada
66%
Who is
the AAA
audience?
of all paid room
nights are
accounted for
by members
of members have
stayed in paid
lodgings in
the past 12
months
$
63%
of members
obtained travel
information
from AAA
40
billion
spent on lodging
room nights
$110,285
Average household
income of
members
Slide 5
AAA Members by Age: AVG 50
Millennials: 15%
Gen X: 25%
Boomer: 47%
Matures: 13%
35%
Hotel
Chain
Website
How do members
book their hotel
stays?
23%
Direct
to
Location
14% 13%
Toll-free
Number
Other
Website
8%
7%
No
Travel
reservation Agent
Slide 7
What travel products does AAA provide?
Slide 8
Attachment B
DREAM
REMINISCE
• Photo and Video Sharing
• Solicit Reviews & Opinions
EXPERIENCE
• Mobile App and Web Content
• “Around me” Mapping of AAA
Value Adds
• Self-created Itinerary
• Photo & Location Sharing
• Member Rewards and Discounts
• Web Search
• AAA Content Search
• Club-configured Content on
Club Web sites
• Travel Experiences from
consumers and experts
PLAN
• Access AAA Travel Information
Content
• Contextual Mapping
• Expert Recommendations
• Consumer Opinions
• Itinerary Builder
Share Any Content
ANTICIPATE
• Logical Sequence of Delivery:
Unbiased, Mapped, Detailed
Recommendations of Where to
Stay & Eat, What to See and Do
• Itinerary Suggestions, Top
Picks, Best of Lists
SHOP/BOOK
• Hotel, Attraction, Restaurant,
Activities & Event Details
• Complete Booking Capabilities
• Photos, Videos, Member Opinion
AAA Confidential
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Get all your hotels, attractions, restaurants to
apply to get listed/rated with AAA – builds
editorial content in primary AAA travel planning
tools –aaa.com, aaamobile, AAA TourBooks .
www.aaa.biz/approved
Industry standard rated properties “ raise the bar”
to sell your destination and attract more upscale
leisure/drive market travelers.
Upscale leisure/drive market travelers stay
longer, spend more – higher “retail” rates for
hotels means higher tax and local revenue
sources.
Get event calendar and editorial for stories to
AAA editors –national and club magazines, too.
Develop leads from AAA offices at all industry
events – and market directly to AAA travel
offices, too.
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•
AAA ratings are industry standards & 60% of
all consumers want objective hotel ratings to
make informed choices. Trusted ratings
means better conversion rates, more trusted
marketing & ultimately more revenues.
AAA ratings drive higher revenues by being
able to command higher rates & recognition.
Travel agents, consortiums, convention &
meeting planners, group & tour business &
government contracts rely on AAA ratings.
AAA rates are more high-yield, “retail” rates
that can drive ADR and revenues vs OTAs or
other business models.
Average Rate
5 Diamond
$362
4 Diamond
$255
3 Diamond - Full Service
$138
3 Diamond - Select Service
$102
2 Diamond
$80
1 Diamond
$56
$-
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
Consumers mostly trust expert reviews, but
branded content & user reviews have a place…
Attention marketers: Look to expert reviews before you deploy your own
branded content to attract consumers.
According to a new Nielsen study, 85 percent of consumers look to content from
experts before they make a purchasing decision. 67 percent of consumers said
an endorsement from an unbiased expert would make them more likely to
purchase a product.
“It’s not about one or the other, it’s about a cohesive marketing mix of different
content,” said Inpowered CEO and co-founder Peyman Nilforoush, in an
interview with VentureBeat, comparing the value of expert reviews over things
like content created by companies and user reviews. “What you need to do is
start with trusted content.”
While this may all seem like common sense, the results shed light on exactly
what consumers pay attention to as they assess potential purchases — which
makes this data catnip for marketers eager for consumer attention
So, why do we still need professionals? First, they have much
more experience visiting a diverse range of hotels around the
world. In most cases — excluding frequent business travelers
or travel writers — guests are the opposite, journeying up to
five times a year. Second, guests are more likely to rate a stay
based on rudimentary property features, how the staff treated
them and the narrow scope of amenities they used over the
course of a brief stay. Professionals, on the other hand, see the
big picture. They’re armed with a checklist; guests are armed
with emotions.
There’s no consistency to guest criticisms, which is where the
experts must play a regulatory role. The average guest might
give a property a top score because the front desk staff treated
them nicely on top of free water bottles and Wi-Fi. Such a review
excludes judgment on specifics like the availability of a 24-hour
bellman, the number of amenities in the bathroom, the security
details or the food quality. Experts have training, experience
and a list to help them pass impartial judgment….
Top Trends within AAA Market :
Bookings up 18% on aaa.com with conversion to PPN –due to be
completed Dec 2014
Mobile bookings are 19% of all AAA bookings now
New Growth in Digital and Extended Audience Programs
Higher yield with AAA replaces/decreases dependence on OTAs
& other business models – but group/government tie in with AAA.
Growth RATE in ADR in US being driving by “retail rates” and
qualified discounts like AAA.
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Get Listed & Rated with AAA
Promote AAA Discounts – call to action
Develop Group/Tour Business with AAA offices
Sell Consignment Tickets
Utilize Show Your Card & Save Affinity Programs
for media/promotion value
Get your event calendar into AAA national and
club magazine editors and contacts
Utilize GEM designation to showcase your
attraction, promote offers, special events to AAA
members & other travelers using mobile devices.
AAA Market Questions
Terry Patton
Regional Sales & Marketing Manager
AAA Multimedia & Digital
tpatton@national.aaa.com
636-256-9122 636-448-8555
www.aaa.biz/approved
1000 AAA Drive MS 52
Heathrow FL 32746
407-444-7766