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#Agency for online marketing and branding Düsseldorf
renklimedia · 8 months
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Marketing Agency
Website: https://renkli-media.de/
Address: Corneliusstraße 5, 40215 Düsseldorf
Phone: +49 176 36387967
RENKLI MEDIA ist Ihre Agentur für Online Marketing & Branding aus Düsseldorf. Wir machen Ihr Unternehmen sichtbar und unterstützen Sie bei Ihrem Wachstum. Wir helfen Ihnen dabei Ihren Umsatz zu steigern und sich von der Konkurrenz abzuheben. Ob eine maßgeschneiderte Marketing-Strategie, Markenaufbau (Branding), Suchmaschinenoptimierung (SEO) oder Social Media Marketing: Wir stehen Ihnen mit unserem Wissen und Know-how zur Seite.
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codilartechnologies · 2 years
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5 Best Examples of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in 2023
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To fully comprehend the difference between a Progressive Web App and a conventional responsive website, it is best to examine some examples of excellent PWAs. Below is a list of impressive Progressive Web App examples from various industries that allow you to experience this new web technology for yourself. 1.Alibaba
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Alibaba is a global trade platform that connects millions of buyers and sellers across over 200 countries. The majority of users access Alibaba via the mobile web, so the company prioritized a well-designed and highly functional mobile web app experience. While they also launched a native app, the Director of Alibaba's Mobile Team recognized that customers may prefer to use their mobile browser to add items to their cart and complete transactions rather than downloading an app.
2.Starbucks
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Starbucks developed a Progressive Web App (PWA) for its ordering system on the web, which offers a similar experience to its existing native app. The Starbucks PWA allows customers to browse the menu, customize their orders, and add items to their carts, even without consistent internet access.
The PWA is 99.84% smaller than the existing iOS app, making it a preferred option among users. As a result, the number of daily web users who place orders has doubled, with desktop users now ordering at a rate similar to mobile users.
3.Trivago
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Trivago, a German technology company founded in 2005 in Düsseldorf, is a metasearch engine that compares accommodation prices and offers from various booking sites for customers. Trivago collaborates with numerous booking sites worldwide, including online travel agencies, hotel chains, and independent hotels, and has approximately 5 million hotels and accommodations in nearly 190 countries on its websites. Suppliers, hoteliers, and booking platforms list rates and advertise on Trivago, and the PWA version compares and displays various offers from multiple booking sites, with the sites paying Trivago for clicks on their offers. 4.Uber
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The Uber web platform underwent a complete rebuild from the ground up as a Progressive Web App (PWA) as part of the company's expansion into new markets. The goal was to provide users with an equivalent booking experience to that of the native mobile app. The Uber PWA was specifically designed to make a car booking accessible on low-speed, 2G networks. The PWA delivers an app-like experience that is compatible with all modern browsers, making it an ideal option for riders with low-end devices that may not support the native Uber app. 5.Spotify
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Your go-to music player is now powered by a Progressive Web App (PWA). Spotify faced a disagreement with Apple over the 30% commission charged for apps on the App Store, prompting them to develop a PWA version of their app. This move aligns with many other major brands that have adopted PWAs. The PWA version of Spotify is significantly faster than its native app counterpart and boasts a unique and adaptive UI that changes its background as the user navigates through the app. Like many other PWAs, users are prompted to add the Spotify PWA to their home screen, making it more accessible and on par with its other versions. Read our latest article about  How PWA for Magento enhances the Brand’s Performance
Conclusion
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have revolutionized the online experience for businesses and users alike. With their ability to provide fast, reliable, and engaging user experiences, PWAs have become a go-to solution for companies looking to enhance their online presence. This article has explored five of the best examples of PWAs in 2023, highlighting their unique features and benefits. These examples illustrate the diverse range of capabilities that PWAs can offer.
If you are looking for a reliable PWA development services for your business? Look no further than Codilar! As one of the Top leading PWA development companies in the industry, Codilar has the expertise and experience needed to create the best Progressive Web Apps for your business.
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admixernet · 5 years
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Full-stack Programmatic Ad Tech Solutions
Founded in 2008, Admixer Technologies is an ad technology company that develops and maintains products and services in the field of digital advertising management.
Since its establishment, Admixer Technologies has become the global player in Ad Tech industry. The company provides SaaS solutions for all parts of the programmatic ecosystem, enriching each of them by seamless integration with the others.
Our products
Admixer.Network - Ultimate platform for advertising networks creation and management
Admixer.Publisher - Full-scale ad server for effective monetization through direct ad sales and ad exchanges
Admixer.SSP - Gateway to Admixer programmatic ecosystem for networks, sales houses, and enterprise-level publishers who share their inventory with trusted clients and agencies worldwide
Admixer.DSP – Self-service platform that helps advertisers more effectively purchase audiences at scale across digital media
Admixer.Creatives – Technology that allows brands to produce creative online advertising for any devices within minutes
Admixer.DMP - Improves your digital marketing effectiveness with precise audience targeting
Agency Tech Stack - Solution powering up creative agencies with data and helping them drive programmatic buying efficiency
Player.Best by Admixer - Ultimate HTML5 Video\Audio player with 100% effective inventory monetization
Headquartered in London, Admixer has offices in Kyiv, Minsk, Almaty, Tbilisi, Riga, Moscow, Kishinev, Düsseldorf, and HQ in London.
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annviscom · 5 years
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ICP - Year 2 - Unit 2
(28 November 2019-still being updated)
https://wma.agency (Music & Entertainment focussed)
http://www.victionary.com/about/ (editorial and publishing [internships possible])
https://www.design-intellect.co.uk/top_50_design_agencies_list.html
A list of very successful design agencies in the uk. Not saying that I want to aim this high but I want to know what’s out there and what options I have when choosing who to contact.
https://barnbrook.net London; Branding, Posters, Books, Exhibitions, Film, Websites, Music, Fonts
https://www.designwerk.co.uk Specialising in sports
https://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk Brand architecture, brand identity, brand strategy and narrative, campaigns and advertising, digital and moving image, environments, image creation, print design, typography
https://brody-associates.com London; Identity, Typography, Creative Direction
https://www.theoneoff.com Brand Identity, Strategy, Communications, Advertising, Promotions, Packaging, Retail, Campaigns, Photography & Film, Interiors, Digital, Experiential, Temporary
http://saatchipro.co.uk/en-gb/
http://www.tomato.co.uk Advertising, Print, Type, Campaign, Brand, Motion, Environmental, Installation,
http://thisistruenorth.co.uk Brand, Brand strategy, Brand architecture, Brand identity, Guidelines, Implementation, planning and roll out, Campaigns, Integrated channel planning, Advertising, Websites and e-commerce, Online and social marketing, Internal communications, Corporate communications, 3D design and build
https://www.pentagram.com
https://landor.com Insights & analytics, Strategy & positioning, Innovation, Brand architecture, Naming & verbal identity, Brand engagement, Identity, Packaging, Adaptation & implementation, Experiences & environments, Interactive & new media, And things yet to be discovered https://landor.com/opportunity/1721471 (Internship Hamburg) https://landor.com/opportunity/1721471 (Internship Milan)
https://metadesign.com Brand strategy, Brand creation, Brand experience, Brand activation https://metadesign.com/en/careers/743999698994767 (Internship Düsseldorf)
https://the-dots.com
https://spin.co.uk/profile
London:
https://www.dontpaniclondon.com/about/ Brand & Design, Advertising
https://isobel.com/work/ Advertising, Digital, Production, Content, Social, Media planning
https://atomic-london.co.uk/about/ Advertising, Strategy, Activation, Digital, Design, Social, PR, Programmatic, AI Media Planning
Birmingham:
https://wearephase.co.uk/work/
https://www.thisisorb.com/about/
https://sixthstory.co.uk Branding, Marketing, Photography, Video, Web
https://www.htdl.co.uk Branding, brand strategy, brand development, Packaging, Website design and development, App design and development, Exhibitions & Signage, Marketing & PR, Print Management, Photography and Video, SEO, PPC and Social
Germany:
https://weiss-freiburg.de/de/grafik-portfolio/
https://www.wecause.de
https://adda-studio.de/projekte#filter=.tag_print
https://projekttriangle.com
https://papatom.studio
https://www.weissraum.de
https://www.typoint.com
https://brandshake.de/jobs/
https://www.kubikfoto.de/ Web, Virtual Reality, 360°Video, Film, Photo, 3D Animation, 
https://www.vierdimensional.com Branding, Digital, Photo
Netherlands:
https://uxus.com/projects/branding
https://www.studioairport.nl/about-us/
https://oddone.nl/#info
Norway
http://nodeberlin.com/archive/all
https://www.metricdesign.no/contact
http://non-format.com
https://workinprogress.no
https://kord.no
https://anti.as/our-work
Finland
http://tsto.org
http://www.kokoromoi.com/artek/
https://bond-agency.com/work
https://dynamoson.fi/palvelut/
https://doublehappiness.fi
https://kobraagency.com
Denmark
http://studioclausdue.dk
https://www.hellomonday.com
https://re-public.com/en/
http://www.homework.dk
http://designunit.dk
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katrinratto · 6 years
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20 Most Influential Graphic Design Companies From Around the World
Graphic design is a notoriously competitive field and it can be tough for companies to stand out.
But, at least twenty graphic design firms from around the world have proven to be the best in their field, with gorgeous portfolios filled with impressive clients and prominent design campaigns.
These are the design firms that clients with virtually unlimited budgets turn to when they need a brand identity, packaging design, or help with other types of design.
These design firms drive graphic design trends around the world and are responsible for some of the best, and often, some of the most controversial designs from the past several decades.
Here are the 20 (in no particular order) most influential graphic design companies from around the world.
Sagmeister & Walsh
Wolff Olins
Landor
Pentagram
MetaDesign
House Industries
Happy Cog
Leo Burnett
Metalab
Frog Design
AKQA
Urban Influence
SuperUnion
Turner Duckworth
Winkcreative
Mucho
McFaul+Day
Chermyeff & Geismar & Haviv
Studio Dumbar
Dessein
Sagmeister & Walsh
vimeo
Stefan Sagmeister is a world-famous graphic designer and provocateur with deep ties to independent musicians and the arts. He’s had clients like Lou Reed, David Byrne, the Guggenheim, and many more.
The studio he created with Jessica Walsh is renowned for its edgy, unpredictable style.
You don’t need to look further than the studio’s homepage for an example of this: it features a live webcam that shows what’s going on in New York-based studio right at that moment.
Headquarters: New York City
Notable Clients: Snapchat, 7Up, The Gap, BMW, The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum, NYTimes Magazine, Lou Reed, Jay-Z, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Random House Publishers, the AIGA, Autodesk, Levis, Adobe
  Wolff Olins
Look back at the last two or three decades of graphic design.
If there was a controversial rebrand, chances are Wolff Olins was involved.
The design studio has a reputation for bold design choices. Upon its release, their design for the London 2012 Olympic games was infamously compared to something accidentally dropped, a puerile mess, a health hazard, and even cartoon character Lisa Simpson playing her saxophone.
The studio has never shied away from unorthodox choices, and their drive for innovation has made them one of the most sought-after design firms in the world.
Headquarters: London, UK
Locations: London, New York City, and San Francisco
Notable Clients: Uber, Alibaba, Zigbee Alliance, GrubHub, The Metropolitan Art Museum, Spotify, Orange, The Hyatt, Virgin Media, (RED), AOL, Target, Unilever, GE, PwC, Microsoft, Google, Skype, Expedia, FutureLearn.
  Landor
Nike is one of Landor’s many prestigious clients.
This storied design studio is one of the undisputed giants of graphic design and branding in the world. Started by Walter Landor in 1941, the company has grown exponentially over the years and now has 23 offices in 20 countries.
High profile work for clients like Coca-Cola, the WWF, FedEx, Levis, Apple, and BP have firmly established this studio as one of the greats.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Locations: Bangkok, Beijing, Cape Town, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dubai, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo
Notable Clients: Nike, Coca-Cola, the WWF, FedEx, Levis, Apple, Volvic, Kraft, Jameson, BMW, Henkel, Old Spice, Citroën, Proctor and Gamble, Juicy Couture, Rolex, John Deere.
  Pentagram
It’s impossible to create any list of noteworthy design firms without including Pentagram.
The National’s Sleep Well Beast campaign and album design, by Pentagram
The studio’s design talent boasts some famous names among the list of partners, including Paula Scher, Michael Beirut, Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, Harry Pearce, and many more.
The client list is equally impressive.
Headquarters: London
Locations: Austin, Berlin, New York, San Francisco.
Notable Clients: Citibank, United Airlines. Saks Fifth Avenue. Harley-Davidson, Alexander McQueen, Clear Channel, The National, The Daily Show, One Laptop Per Child, Revlon, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Grey Goose, Tiffany and Co, Vanity Fair.
  MetaDesign
Metadesign Berlin, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
MetaDesign was founded in 1979 by three German designers, including famed typographer Erik Spiekermann. Since then, it has taken on design work for clients large and small, including big names like The Economist and Apple. Spiekermann has stayed active as a type designer, creating such acclaimed typefaces as FF Meta and Officina.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Locations: Beijing, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Geneva, San Francisco, Zurich
Notable Clients: Apple, AT&T, eBay, FIFA, Intuit, Lamborghini,, Netflix, Sony, Intel, Polo Ralph Lauren, 23andMe, Volkswagen, The Economist, New York Philharmonic, Texture, San Francisco Ballet.
  House Industries
If you come across a gorgeous, retro-influenced type design, there’s a good chance it was created or influenced by the design studio House Industries.
Courtesy of House Industries
Luminaries from Cher to Jimmy Kimmel and The New Yorker to Uniqlo have worked with the small and fiercely independent studio.
They are known just as much for their type design as they are for the eccentric selection of products they sell. Whether it’s books, clothing, cycling accessories, or assorted kitchenware, each product is meticulously designed.
Headquarters: Delaware
Notable Clients:  Hermes, The Cher Show, Eames, The New Yorker, Design With Reach, Ford, John Mayer, Heath Ceramics, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Vogue Japan, Agent Provocateur, MTV, Chronicle Books, Uniqlo, Baccarat, Herman Miller
  courtesy of Happy Cog
Happy Cog
Happy Cog is a studio founded by web pioneer Jeffrey Zeldman, whose influence helped drive forward web technology and standards in the early 00s. Specializing in web and digital design, Happy Cog’s client list is diverse and impressive.
Locations: Philadelphia, New York
Notable Clients: MTV, Papa John’s, Harvard Business School, Ben & Jerry’s, McGraw-Hill Education, US Holocaust Museum, Nintendo, Georgetown University, Fonts.com, Thomson Reuters, Zappos.com
  Leo Burnett
courtesy of Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett is a Chicago-based company that has its hands in almost any creative disciple you can think of.
In addition to branding and marketing, an in-house design team tackles a variety of projects for clients of all sizes and industries.
Founded by legendary advertiser Leo Burnett in 1935, the company now has 85 offices in 69 countries and more than 9,000 employees.
Headquarters: Chicago. Illinois
Locations: Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Santa Domingo, Guaynabo, Guatemala City, London, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Prague, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Jakarta, Sydney, Johannesburg
Notable Clients: Kelloggs, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, P&G, Samsung, GM, Fiat, Bell, LCBO, Ikea, Elections Canada.
  Metalab
courtesy of Metalab
Metalab is a design studio based in Victoria, British Columbia. In its 12 years of operation, the company has worked for some of the biggest companies online, including Google, Disney, Slack, Medium, and more. It also has online services its created, including Ballpark (an invoicing app), and Flow, (a project management app).
Headquarters: Victoria, British Columbia
Notable Clients: Slack, Google, Finery, Amazon, Facebook, Lonely Planet, TED, Otter
  Frog Design
courtesy of frog design
Frog was founded in 1969 by German industrial designer Hartmut Essilinger.
It has worked for some of the most influential companies and products, like Apple, the San. Francisco MOMA, Hyundai, Porsche, GE, and more.
With 15 offices located in major cities everywhere, Frog is consistently one of the best known and admired design companies in the world.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Locations: San Francisco, Austin, New York, London, Milan, Munich, Shanghai, Gurgaon, Seattle, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Sydney
Notable Clients: Apple, Lumen, SiriusXM, SuperSonic, Porsche, BT, American Dental Association, Associated Press, Audi, GE, Honeywell, UNICEF. Bill Gates, Intel, Sharp
  AKQA
courtesy of AKQA
Based in London, AKQA is a firm that specializes in creating digital products and services. It has over 2,100 employees spread across 22 offices in cities like London, San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Paris.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Locations: Aarhus, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, London, Milan, Paris, Venice, Atlanta, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Gurgaon, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney
Notable Clients: Nike, Nissan, Microsoft, Visa, Fiat, Coco-Cola, McDonald’s, Gap, VW, Amazon, Evian, David Beckham, Oakley, Palms, Netflix, Rolls-Royce, Volvo, Google, Activision, Eurostar, Jagermeister,  Tommy Hilfiger, Elton John, Burger King
Urban Influence
vimeo
This Seattle-based agency has been “creating kick-ass brands since 2001,” according to its website. In that time, it has helped businesses to “craft honest, emotional experiences through strategy, brand development, graphic design, web design, and storytelling.”
Its clients range from small businesses and consumer products to tech companies and real estate firms.
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Notable Clients: Intego, Revelry, SEO Moz, Endurance, Sprout, Polaris, Chef’n, Watson, Cinchshare, Pronto, Redfin, DNA
  SuperUnion
courtesy of SuperUnion
SuperUnion’s name is appropriate: it’s the union between five separate agencies (Brand Union, The Partners, Lambie-Nairn, Addison, and VBAT) into one super agency.
The unified company boasts 23 offices across 18 countries and has clients like BBC, London Symphony Orchestra, Dell, Deloitte, Ford, Nestle, and Tesco.
Headquarters: London, UK
Locations: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Dubai, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich. New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore
Notable Clients: Colgate-Palmolive, WPP, BBC, London Symphony Orchestra, Dell, Deloitte, Ford, Nestle, Tesco, Equinox, Level, Chivas, Pizza Hut, Land Rover, Invictus Games, Pfizer, AirAsia, Mazda, Audi, Electrolux, FIFA, Cirque de Soleil, HSBC, Credit Suisse
  courtesy of Turner Duckworth
Turner Duckworth
Turner Duckworth may be a division of Leo Burnett, but deserves to be called out for the quality and quantity of amazing work that it produces.
Founded by David Turner and Bruce Duckworth in 1992, the firm now has three offices that are its “secret weapon,” according to the site.
Clients include Levis, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Metallica (!), Glenlivet, and many more.
Locations: London, San Francisco, and New York City
Notable Clients: Levis, Coca-Cola, Glenlivet, Burger King, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Toblerone, Kettle Chips, Longmorn. Coors, Popchips, Essential Parent, Dripp, Conté a Paris, Tassimo
Winkreative
Air Canada’s logo, designed by Winkreative
Founded by Monocle magazine publisher Tyler Brûlé, this creative agency makes “brands desirable through elegant visual ideas and a distinctive tone of voice, based on a defined strategic positioning,” according to its website.
Its clients include airlines, automakers, fashion and lifestyle companies, and more.
Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland
Locations: Zürich, London, Toronto, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong
Notable Clients: Air Canada, Porter Airlines, Lexus, MINI, BBC, Sky, Dia TV, H&M, TAG Heuer, Dunhill, Adora, Louis Vuitton, LG, Toyota, Cathy Pacific, China Daily, Corriere della Sera
  Mucho
courtesy of mucho
Mucho is a design studio headquartered in Barcelona.
Founded by friends Marc Català and Pablo Juncadella in 2003, the company grew quickly and now has offices in five cities around the world.
The offices often collaborate across time zones on projects that the company describes as “ideas-based.” eye magazine described their style as having “a level of visual fastidiousness and typographic detail that distinguishes their work from that of other branding agencies.”
Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
Locations: Newark, Barcelona, Paris, San Francisco, New York, Sydney, Berlin, London
Notable Clients: AIGA, Alma Hotels, BCD, Betway, BMW, Canal+, El País, EMI Music Spain, Future Designs, Gap Inc., Google, HP, Kodak, Majestic Hotel Group, Mars, Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Phaidon Press, Random House Mondadori, San Francisco Art Exchange, San Francisco Civic Center, The Collection, The Observer, University of California
  McFaul+Day
courtesy of mcfaul+day
MCFaul+Day was founded in 2002 by John McFaul in Portsmouth, England. It has worked with clients ranging from LucasFilm and Pepsi to the BBC, IBM, and Samsung.
In 2014, designer Justin Day joined the agency and the name was updated. According to its site, Mcfaul+Day “passionately created, observed and rigorously executed solutions, de-layering a proposition to its simple truth.”
Headquarters: Chichester, UK
Notable Clients: LucasFilm, New Balance, Pepsi, BBC, IBM, Microsoft, SXSW, Clarks, Audi, Virgin Atlantic, Sony, Levis, Samsung, Kidrobot
  Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
courtesy of Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
Some of the most recognizable logo designs were created by this studio, founded in 1957 by two Yale alumni, Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar. The company was joined by logo designer Sagi Haviv in 2003.
Its work includes iconic logos for NBC, National Geographic, Mobil, Showtime, Chase Bank, PBS, and many others.
Headquarters: New York, NY
Notable Clients: NBC, Pan Am, Mobil Oil, PBS, Chase Bank, Barneys New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Xerox, Smithsonian Institution, NBC, Cornell University, National Geographic, State Farm, Armani Exchange, Showtime, Animal Planet, Merck, EPA
  Studio Dumbar
courtesy of Studio Dumbar
Formed in The Hague in 1977 by Gert Dumbar, Studio Dumbar has since relocated to Rotterdam and spread to Shanghai and Seoul.
In 2016 the agency merged with a number of other studios as part of the international mega-agency Dept. Studio Dumbar’s work is considered highly influential and has attracted a top-tier selection of clients like Apple, Nike, and Rijksmuseum.
Headquarters: Rotterdam, Holland
Locations: Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Seoul
Notable Clients: Apple, Nike, Rijksmuseum. Dutch National Police, Transavia, Vincent Van Gogh Museum, Dutch Railways, EUNL, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, NPO, Randstad, The Dutch Government
  Dessein
courtesy of Dessein
Tracy Kenworthy and Geoff Bickford founded Dessein in 1987 in Perth, Australia.“We want to create brands of the heart – brands which engage, excite and evoke a personal rapport,” says the agency’s website.
It is an award-winning agency with a diverse client base that includes many Australian and international businesses and brands.
Headquarters: Perth, Australia
Notable Clients: Black Swan State Theatre, Northbridge Brewing Company, EPM, Ezyfix, Great Temptations, Mondo Nougat, Zwena, Albany Entertainment Centre, Whiteman Park, Poach Bear
  from http://bit.ly/2Sb2cbK
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helenpattersoon · 6 years
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46 gifts for designers, artists & creatives
There are two types of people in the world: those who treat gift shopping like an Olympic sport, and those who keep a stockpile of gift cards in their desk drawer for every occasion. In the spirit the holidays, we’ll keep it real with you guys. While we take no issue with gift cards (well played TBH), there’s nothing quite like a present that comes from the heart.
At 99designs, not only do we know a thing or two about creativity—we also fancy ourselves the first kind of person. (And boy, do we love a Santa’s helper cosplay.) We asked our designer community, our friends and your favorite creators-in-the-wild to give us all their gift ideas. From that, we curated this ultimate gift guide just for you.
This puppy is loaded with cool things—from unique stocking stuffers to experiential gifts and even furniture(!). It’s big. It’s grand. It’s a little extra, if we do say so ourselves. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one out there.
On your marks, get ready, get set…
Let’s gift!
  1. Adventure Awaits print
Adventure awaits those who seek it, via Furry Little Peach.
Up first is the “Adventure Awaits” print by Furry Little Peach, who you might recognize from Instagram or her inspiring Youtube channel. This A3 beauty has been created using archival ink on 100% cotton paper, meaning it won’t fade or wear over time.
Combine this with a nice frame, and you’ve got a museum-quality gift that will impress anyone.
$65 AUD at Furrylittlepeach.com
via Amazon
2. The Working Mind and Drawing Hand
FLP also recommends a book she just received and loves: The Working Mind and Drawing Hand by Oliver Jeffers. This book contains never-before-published illustrations and art from Jeffers’ own sketchbook.
$34.43 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Furry Little Peach
Sha’an d’Anthes is Furry Little Peach–an illustrator, exhibiting artist and published author.
3. Fancy-ish luggage
youtube
Sometimes a utilitarian gift is the best kind of gift, and this bag comes highly recommended for a reason. It allows you to charge multiple devices and keeps your things safe with a built-in lock. Take it with you to your next creative conference, to meetings, wherever. What could be better for a digital nomad designer?
$99 at Brookstone.com
Everyone loves to upskill, via Superhi.
4. Learn to code with Superhi
Teach a man to fish and yada yada.It’s empowering to learn something new. Superhi offers a plethora of beginner coding courses all aimed at teaching designers how to build their own beautiful websites from scratch.
$149 at Superhi.com
Watch the sunrise from the comfort of your workspace, via GUR.
5. Sunrise rug
GUR rugs are all handmade using raw, recyclable materials and traditional methods. We’re particularly fond of this one by Chan Wai Hon, whose design really highlights the weaving technique and makes us feel calm.
€100 at Rubygur.com
via Counter-Print
6. Global graphic design
We’re constantly inspired by our global community, and top designer Edwin Cappalla is, too. He recommends this set of 3 paperbacks by Counter-Print, which offer endless inspiration in the form of packaging, posters and signage from Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Japan.
£20 at Counter-print.co.uk
7. Logo Design Love
via WATC
Case studies, sketches, tips, oh my! You won’t find a more perfect gift for a logo-obsessed designer.
$26.35 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: 99designs top designer C A P S
For examples of work by C A P S, visit his 99designs profile.
8. CMYK tattoos
Don’t freak, moms. It’s just temporary. via Tattly
5 bucks gets you a set of 2 temporary tattoos for the needle-phobic print enthusiast in your life. Heck, splurge a little and grab the RGB set, while you’re at it.
$5 at Tattly.com
9. Houtique chair and lamp set
Lilly Friedeberg is something of a wunderkind. Known for creating funky, colorful illustrations, she recently made her way into the agency world and founded her own studio for branding, packaging and photography. On her wishlist? An ultra-cool chair and lamp from Houtique.
Price upon request at Houtique
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Recommended by: Lilly Friedeberg
Lilly is a designer and art director based in Düsseldorf, focussing on branding, illustration packaging and set design.
Did someone say fine blown glass and elegant brass ball chain? via Coming Soon New York.
10. Nordic glass ornaments
We know what you’re thinking: ornaments for the holidays. Really? But hear us out: these ultra-sleek hangables are designed by AYTM, and they’re nice enough to have on display all year round. Put them on a shelf. Hang them in your window! The possibilities are endless.
$20 at Comingsoonnewyork.com
11. Gradient puzzle
The stuff of nightmares, or best gift ever? You decide. via Areaware.
Will completing this puzzle take over your designer friends’ lives? Maybe. Will it be meditative? No promises. But this glossy and glorious gift sure looks pretty when it’s finished.
$20 on Areaware.com
Say it not-so-subtly. via Anthony Burrill.
12. Think of Your Own Ideas poster
Anthony Burrill is a graphic designer perhaps best known for his “Work Hard and Be Nice to People” poster. But that’s so 2004. Spice up a pal’s space with a lesser-known (but just as cheeky) print.
£50.00 + shipping at Anthonyburrill.com
via Apple
13. iPad Pro
The new iPad topped lots of top designers’ lists, including IsaDesignNet, Maneka and Ian_Douglas. The Futur’s Chris Do also recommends it as the “ultimate creator’s tool”.
And there’s a lot to love. In addition to having the best display yet, Adobe will release Photoshop for the iPad in 2019. We can’t wait to see how it performs.
iPad pro: From $799 at Apple.com
14. Apple Pencil
If you give a designer a new iPad, they’re going to ask for the Apple Pencil. With the newest model for the iPad Pro, you can pair and charge it wirelessly, increase your pressure to draw a thicker line—and even shade with a simple tilt of the wrist.
Apple Pencil: $99 at Apple.com
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Recommended by: Chris Do
Chris is an Emmy award-winning director, designer, strategist and educator. He’s the Chief Strategist and CEO of Blind, executive producer of The Skool and founder of The Futur–and online education platform that teaches the business of design to creative thinkers.
Sometimes it’s that simple. via Austin Kleon.
15. Show Your Work
You’ve heard of Steal Like an Artist, but Austin Kleon’s second book takes it to the next level. (It also comes highly recommended from creative director Greg Gunn.)
It’s message is simple: share. Share what you do and how you do it with the world.
– @grgnn
$22.33 at Amazon.com
Small enough to go anywhere, big enough for your ideas. via Baron Fig.
16. Baron Fig Notebook
Greg also loves Baron Fig notebooks, and rarely leaves the house without one.
$18 at Baronfig.com
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Recommended by: Greg Gunn
Greg is a creative entrepreneur, visual storyteller and an award-winning animation director. As Chief Creative Officer of The Futur, Greg oversees the marketing of educational produts, guides content development and helps drive the creative direction for the brand.
17. Peak Design’s tech pouch
Origami-inspired organization, via Peak Design.
This powerful little pouch was successfully funded on Kickstarter and starts shipping in December: just in time for the holidays.
$59.95 at Peakdesign.com
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Recommended by: Ben Burns
Ben is a brand strategist, an award-winning designer, entrepreneur and loving father of (soon to be) two daughters. As the Chief Operating Officer of The Futur, Ben oversees the development, marketing and logistics of educational products.
Perfect for defining your creative brand, via Condor Business Solutions.
18. The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
This black book comes recommended with praise from Matthew Encina, who says, “it changed my life as a creative professional.” Let this book’s twelve proclamations inspire you.
$22.50 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Matthew Encina
Matthew Encina is the award-­winning Chief Content Officer at The Futur. His clients include Fortune 500 brands, music artists, emerging tech companies and video games.
19. Muji slippers
Stay cozy, my friends. via Muji.
A sweet pair of slippers is always a winner. Make it cooler by sourcing a minimalist linen pair from designer-mecca Muji.
$24 at Muji.us
Fancy pillows for fancy people. via Print All Over Me.
20. Blue Bones pillow
IK blue accessories will never go out of style. This pillow features a print by design duo Mogollon, a power couple whose work has been featured on the facade of a Seoul mall, a Katy Perry album and Vogue Japan. We’re fans.
$62 at Paom.com
21. Tilt Brush by Google
youtube
Have you ever wanted to 3D paint in space? Um, yeah! You’ll need an HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or a Windows Mixed Reality headset to use it, but even then it’s such a steal–and it’s also #1 on artist Coco Morton’s list.
$22.95 at Steampowered.com
It’s a bird, it’s a plane. via Amazon.
22. Superhero Bookend
Since you’re loading up on design books, why not throw in a superhero bookend to complete the gift?
$25.95 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Coco Morton
Coco is a visual artist and designer support admin at 99designs. She describes herself as a doodler and a dreamer, and we just love that.
23. Binary screenprint
via Simply Creative.
Spanish designer Alex Trochut is best known for his incredible typographic work, but check out his binary prints. Duality is the theme here–turn off the lights and the darkness reveals a hidden image. Each print is signed by the artist.
From $100 at Binary-prints.com
Give the gift of a funky fridge. via Areaware.
24. Stick-up sticks
Like chalks from your childhood, these magnets by design studio Bower are just s’cute. Cut at various angles, they point in different directions when attached to a metal surface. Snag them in both natural and multi colorways.
$8 at Areaware.com
Dogs dogs dogs dogs dogs! via Scribe Publications.
25. (Definitely) the Best Dogs of All Time
This hardcover book features stories of powerful, mythical, heroic, talented and literary dogs who have changed the course of history. Plus, sweet illustrations by designer Molly Dyson.
$18 at Amazon.com
Instant cameras are always a hit, via Outdoor Photo.
26. Leica Sofort camera
The recipient of this small but mighty camera will be the life of any party. And, it comes in two of the trendiest colors of the year: baby blue and orange.
$279 at Leicacamerausa.com
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Recommended by: 99designs top designer Minji Moon
Minji is a freelance designer from Seoul, Korea. She specializes in illustration and motion graphics and counts Samsung, Cadillac and Adobe among her client roster.
via LOQI
27. LOQI artist bags
Water resistant, long-lasting and artistic AF. Pick up an environmentally-friendly LOQI artist bag for your very own Haring, Van Gogh or Pollock.
$12.95 at Loqistore.com
28. Liquitex muted collection
Liquitex Inks are extremely fluid, water resistant, permanent and so lightfast they’ll go down in history. You can water the ink down, stamp it, or use it seamlessly with any other Liquitex product.
Find a retailer
I think I’ve replaced about 5 or 6 bottles in total since I started collecting them–so they’re worth the long term investment!
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Recommended by: 99designs top designer Ink’d
For examples of work by Ink’d, visit their 99designs profile.
Should you or shouldn’t you? Consult the chart. via Molly McLeod.
29. Side project flowchart
Find ordering prints a hassle? Hate unrolling them when they arrive? Then do we have the gift for you. This is a high-resolution digital download good for two 11×17 copies of this poster.
$5 at Mollymcleod.com
via Macstories
30. Luna Display
Jocelyn Tsaih is an artist and illustrator whose work has been everywhere these days–from WeWork’s halls to the pages of the New York Times–she’s even been commissioned by Facebook and Airbnb.
This year, she’s hoping for a Luna Display: a powerful little device that turns your iPad into a second monitor.
$79.99 at Lunadisplay.com
Paint the rainbow. via Amazon.
31. Posca paint markers
Also on Jocelyn’s list: 29 Uni Posca paint markers. These puppies are water-based, non-toxic and don’t bleed.
Posca Markers are amazing to use and having all the different colors would mean endless drawing possibilities!
$47.26 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Jocelyn Tsaih
Jocelyn is a visual artist and egg-lover based in Oakland, California.
Let’s snuggle. via TicTail.
32. In Pieces throw blanket
We’re also fans of Jocelyn’s venture into fiber arts. Pick up a one-of-a-kind throw for chilly nights, in navy & natural or pink & navy.
$130 at Jocelyntsaihstore.tictail.com
Knowledge is priceless. via Creative Live.
33. Creative Live class
Lisa Congdon (yes, THE Lisa Congdon) teaches your creative buds how to get organized and get to work in this popular Creative Live course.
$49 at Creativelive.com
34. Ultra wide monitor
For someone you REALLY love. via LG.
Not for the faint of heart! Design-pro Pixel & Bracket suggests this curved monitor from LG.  He says, “I’m moving away from dual monitor setups and really like the ultra wide monitors instead. With one widescreen, creative apps can be scaled or placed right next to each other.”
$896.99 at Amazon.com
You get a port, and you get a port, and you get a port! via Amazon.
35. VAVA 8-in-1 adapter
At a slightly lower price-point, Pixel & Bracket recommends this VAVA 8-in-1 adapter.
He says, “For those of us MacBook Pro users, this hub is the best one I’ve come across (and use). It has everything you need in it!”
$59.99 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Pixel & Bracket
Pixel & Bracket (aka Spencer) is a multimedia designer from Indianapolis, Indiana. He posts design tutorials to help educate and inspire others.
You can run from the typography police, but they’ll find you. via Hoefler&Co.
36. Typographic Ticket Book
When we first saw this gift pop up on Fast Company, we knew we had to include it. Each ticket lists 32 common design infractions, each assigned its own appropriate penalty. Typeset in Helvetica, of course, it’s perfect for the designer who loves rules.
$10 at Designshop.typography.com
Two icons for the price of one. via Connox.
37. Bauhaus mobile
Bauhaus fans rejoice: now anyone can own a piece of design history–and color theory–with a hanging mobile designed by Ole Flensted.
$47.90 at Connox.com
Insights and inspiration for anyone who makes art. via Design Milk.
38. Things Are What You Make of Them
You must know by now that we have a huge crush on Adam J. Kurtz. He’s a Brooklyn-based designer, artist and author who offers advice and realness over 13 handwritten chapters. Bonus: perforated pages mean you can tear out the wisdom you love the most and display the pages wherever you please.
$11.91 at Amazon.com
Awwww, can we keep it? via Eva Stalinski.
39. Spray bottle enamel pin
Do you have a friend who loves clean design? Then this little enamel cutie is perfect for them.
$8 at Evastalinski.com
An illustrators’ staple. via Courts.
40. Wacom Intuos M
99designs designer AZ-Designs just purchased himself a new Wacom Intuos to take his work to the next level.
$299.95 at Amazon.com
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Recommended by: Top level designer AZ-Designs
For examples of work by AZ-Designs, visit his 99designs profile.
41. Tie-dye cube soaps
Soaps so cute you’ll never use them. via Decovry.
Anna Niestroj is an entrepreneur, designer, pattern-maker, trend researcher and the face of Studio Blinkblink–a former Berlin institution and what was once the coziest and most creative space in the Wedding neighborhood. Recently she packed up Blinkblink and relocated to Jüterbog to dream up her next venture in a former police headquarters.
On her holiday wishlist? Organic, tie-dye soaps infused with detoxifying ingredients that she discovered in Paris. And don’t they look so cool?
$20 – $44 at Mote.kr
Perfect for the groovy artist. via Brusho.
42. Brusho Crystal Colors
Anna also recommends Brusho’s Crystal Colors in bold hues. Drop them in water and watch the colors fly.
These pigments make you trip on paper, for real. It is so relaxing to watch the colors flow.
– @blinkblinkink
Leave one of these out for Santa. via Japan Centre.
43. Japanese sweets
As Anna says, “Anything from Japan is a good gift for a designer. Anything.” We think these sweet sesame pancake confections would make a great stocking stuffer.
£2.00 at Japancentre.com
Don’t you just love surprises? via Stack.
44. Stack magazine subscription
Finally, Anna recommends a subscription to Stack. Every month you’ll receive a different independent magazine, serving up endless inspiration for graphic designers, illustrators and artists alike.
From $15 at Stackmagazines.com
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Recommended by: Anna Niestroj
Anna is the founder of Studio Blinkblink, an interdisciplinary creative studio.
45. Gingerbread mouse pad
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This festive mouse pad is so sweet, you’ll keep it on your desk long after the holidays end. It features a candy cane and gingerbread pattern designed by the Disney-loving creative business-owner behind Katnipp Illustration. Love!
€9.58 at Etsy.com
46. How to Move to NYC ebook
All creatives dream of New York, right? via Letsgoto.nyc.
Featuring awesome illustrations from designer Lu Yu, this comprehensive guide by Tobias van Schneider is chock-full of practical tips for creatives wanting to relocate to the Big Apple–and even includes how to get a visa. It promises to save you time, money and nerves. Let us know if it works!
$29 at Letsgo.nyc
  Enter our Instagram giveaway
See something you just have to have? You’re in luck! Follow the instructions to win a box of curated goodies—one for you, and one for a friend:
First, follow 99designs on Insta
Visit our gift guide post
Comment your favorite gift featured above
And don’t forget to tag a friend!
We’ll announce our winners on Friday, November 23rd.
Good luck, and happy gifting from 99designs.
Take me to Instagram!
Terms and conditions
The post 46 gifts for designers, artists & creatives appeared first on 99designs.
via https://99designs.co.uk/blog/
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inhandnetworks-blog · 7 years
Text
Gay Porn Star Turned German Spy Accused Of Being Jihadi Mole Says He Planned Attack Online Because of Boredom
www.inhandnetworks.com
Last year, German intelligence discovered that one of its agents, a former gay porn star, was frequenting a jihadi chat room and offering to provide information that would help others commit an attack in Germany.
Now, as the spy goes on trial on suspicion of treason, he has revealed that he only pretended to be an Islamist sympathizer because he was bored.
He began work for the German domestic security agency, known as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, in April 2016.
Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now
Roque M., a 52-year-old father of four, may have psychological issues and multiple personalities, according to those who interviewed him, as cited by The Washington Post.
German authorities arrested him in November, but released him in July because there was no evidence that he had plans for an attack plot, nor connections to radical Islamist groups. But he is now on trial in the western city of Düsseldorf for treason.
"I never met with any Islamists. I would never do that. The whole thing was like a game," the suspect said at the start of his trial, according to DPA news agency.
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. A German spy is facing charges of treason for potentially giving away state secrets on jihadi forums. Reuters/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo
He said his job in the BfV was "a lot of fun" but he became uninterested and bored at weekends. Subsequently, he started to pretend he was an Islamist in online forums as an "escape from reality," he said in court, according to DPA.
His activities included arranging a meet-up with an Islamist at a gym, but he said he had never planned to go through with it. He also told Islamists that he could help with an attack on the agency's headquarters in the city of Cologne because it was "in line with Allah's will."
The case became high-profile in Germany, with many observers shocked that a potential Islamist mole, could be hired at the security agency.
Germany has suffered several radical Islamist attacks since the beginning of 2016. The deadliest was the truck-ramming on a central Berlin Christmas market in December 2016, which left 12 dead. Tunisian national Anis Amri hijacked the truck from a Polish driver before committing the assault and fleeing on foot. Italian police shot him dead in a Milanese suburb three days later.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). It has also claimed ax and suicide bomb attacks in the Bavarian cities of Wuerzburg and Ansbach.
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rollinbrigittenv8 · 7 years
Text
Growth Juggernaut Trivago Sees Revenue Slump Coming as Biggest Customers Pull Back
The Expedia-backed hotel search site Trivago is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, where it occupies two buildings. The company's growth trajectory has stalled out. Trivago
Skift Take: Expedia’s fast-growing hotel search site Trivago may see its pace of growth stall as both Expedia and rival The Priceline Group have pulled back on spending. This is an extraordinary development given the fact that Trivago was one of Expedia's growth engines and there was seemingly no end in site.
— Sean O'Neill
Talk about a bump in the road.
Last year, the Priceline Group and Expedia Inc. accounted for about 80 percent of hotel-search site Trivago‘s revenue. But this year those companies pulled back on their digital advertising with Trivago.
In the third quarter, Trivago’s revenue increased to 17 percent year-over-year to $339 million (€287.9 million). Trivago’s net loss for the third quarter was $10 million, compared with basically a break-even third quarter of 2016.
On a call with investors Wednesday, Trivago executives said they were treating the reduced spending by Expedia and Priceline “as a given” through 2018. They said it was too early to project total company revenue growth in the first half of 2018. But they said it is possible that growth may be flat or possibly negative, as year-over-year comparisons.
“It will be challenging to show positive growth,” said managing director and chief executive officer Rolf Schrömgens when speaking with investment analysts.
Trivago did not disclose details on which of its two largest customers cut its spending more, or why, adding that it doesn’t know the business rationales of its partners. One of its largest advertisers, Expedia, controls Trivago.
Trivago said that for the three months ended September 30, 2017, the Priceline Group and its affiliated brands accounted for 45 percent of its total revenue. Expedia, which is a majority investor in Trivago, accounted for 34 percent of its total revenue.
When the time window is expanded out to the nine months ended September 30, Priceline accounted for 47 percent of Trivago’s total revenue. So Priceline’s share of the pie has dipped only slightly when comparing the first nine months of the year to the third quarter. We don’t know what Priceline’s spend was in the third quarter of 2016.
With only two companies dominating its advertising auctions, when one downshifts its ad spending, the other doesn’t need to bid as high either — giving Trivago lower revenue and profit per customer referral. Advertisers submit cost-per-click bids in its auctions for each user click on an advertised rate for a hotel.
In the third quarter, advertisers paid $1.60 on average for each customer that clicked through Trivago to their site. The commission dropped 3 percent from the same period a year earlier. But the number of so-called qualified referrals increased 20 percent, as the company supplements declining margin with greater volume.
The company has been slow to bring smaller online travel agencies, independent hotels, and hotel chains into its market, which it partly blames on the clunky technology used by those smaller players.
Axel Hefer, managing director and CFO at Trivago, said that the important thing to note is that 2016 had been a year of extraordinary growth for the company, and so the comparisons are tough to beat.
Hefer said in an interview: “When you manage marketplace businesses, you need to look through that and focus on having an attractive value proposition, meaning in our case, being more efficient as a marketing channel than other options and being a more efficient search interface for consumers.”
Will Trivago reduce TV advertising?
To get the nuance of what’s gone awry, it’s worth reviewing Trivago’s marketplace model.
On its consumer-facing side, it attempts to draw users by presenting an easy search interface with a comprehensive inventory. It has relied heavily on TV ad spending. Executives on the call said they have not decided if they were going to shift in 2018 away from TV spending to digital performance marketing, such as spending on ads on Google and Facebook.
Executives said there is “partial evidence” that brand TV advertising saw declining effectiveness during this past peak summer season, but they said there is not enough data yet to know if it should reduce that spending.
On its industry-facing side, it pits advertisers — online travel companies and hoteliers — against each other in auctions to get premium search placement and be more likely to receive bookings.
Trivago’s software aggregates and evaluates quotes on hotel room prices from its advertisers. Last winter, it changed the formula by which it determines the prominence given to offers and their placement in its search results in ways that may have upset advertisers.
On the auction front, Trivago aims to do more to get hoteliers and online travel agencies using its marketplace to reduce its dependency on the giant conglomerates for growth. Its relatively new “express booking” and new suite of business tools aim to do help with that.
An expansion into vacation rental listings seems logical, but the company had no comment on that prospect.
0 notes
touristguidebuzz · 7 years
Text
Growth Juggernaut Trivago Sees Revenue Slump Coming as Biggest Customers Pull Back
The Expedia-backed hotel search site Trivago is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, where it occupies two buildings. The company's growth trajectory has stalled out. Trivago
Skift Take: Expedia’s fast-growing hotel search site Trivago may see its pace of growth stall as both Expedia and rival The Priceline Group have pulled back on spending. This is an extraordinary development given the fact that Trivago was one of Expedia's growth engines and there was seemingly no end in site.
— Sean O'Neill
Talk about a bump in the road.
Last year, the Priceline Group and Expedia Inc. accounted for about 80 percent of hotel-search site Trivago‘s revenue. But this year those companies pulled back on their digital advertising with Trivago.
In the third quarter, Trivago’s revenue increased to 17 percent year-over-year to $339 million (€287.9 million). Trivago’s net loss for the third quarter was $10 million, compared with basically a break-even third quarter of 2016.
On a call with investors Wednesday, Trivago executives said they were treating the reduced spending by Expedia and Priceline “as a given” through 2018. They said it was too early to project total company revenue growth in the first half of 2018. But they said it is possible that growth may be flat or possibly negative, as year-over-year comparisons.
“It will be challenging to show positive growth,” said managing director and chief executive officer Rolf Schrömgens when speaking with investment analysts.
Trivago did not disclose details on which of its two largest customers cut its spending more, or why, adding that it doesn’t know the business rationales of its partners. One of its largest advertisers, Expedia, controls Trivago.
Trivago said that for the three months ended September 30, 2017, the Priceline Group and its affiliated brands accounted for 45 percent of its total revenue. Expedia, which is a majority investor in Trivago, accounted for 34 percent of its total revenue.
When the time window is expanded out to the nine months ended September 30, Priceline accounted for 47 percent of Trivago’s total revenue. So Priceline’s share of the pie has dipped only slightly when comparing the first nine months of the year to the third quarter. We don’t know what Priceline’s spend was in the third quarter of 2016.
With only two companies dominating its advertising auctions, when one downshifts its ad spending, the other doesn’t need to bid as high either — giving Trivago lower revenue and profit per customer referral. Advertisers submit cost-per-click bids in its auctions for each user click on an advertised rate for a hotel.
The company has been slow to bring smaller online travel agencies, independent hotels, and hotel chains into its market, which it partly blames on the clunky technology used by those smaller players.
Axel Hefer, managing director and CFO at Trivago, said that the important thing to note is that 2016 had been a year of extraordinary growth for the company, and so the comparisons are tough to beat.
Hefer said in an interview: “When you manage marketplace businesses, you need to look through that and focus on having an attractive value proposition, meaning in our case, being more efficient as a marketing channel than other options and being a more efficient search interface for consumers.”
Will Trivago reduce TV advertising?
To get the nuance of what’s gone awry, it’s worth reviewing Trivago’s marketplace model.
On its consumer-facing side, it attempts to draw users by presenting an easy search interface with a comprehensive inventory. It has relied heavily on TV ad spending. Executives on the call said they have not decided if they were going to shift in 2018 away from TV spending to digital performance marketing, such as spending on ads on Google and Facebook.
Executives said there is “partial evidence” that brand TV advertising saw declining effectiveness during this past peak summer season, but they said there is not enough data yet to know if it should reduce that spending.
On its industry-facing side, it pits advertisers — online travel companies and hoteliers — against each other in auctions to get premium search placement and be more likely to receive bookings.
Trivago’s software aggregates and evaluates quotes on hotel room prices from its advertisers. Last winter, it changed the formula by which it determines the prominence given to offers and their placement in its search results in ways that may have upset advertisers.
On the auction front, Trivago aims to do more to get hoteliers and online travel agencies using its marketplace to reduce its dependency on the giant conglomerates for growth. Its relatively new “express booking” and new suite of business tools aim to do help with that.
An expansion into vacation rental listings seems logical, but the company had no comment on that prospect.
An irony of today’s news, which led to a 19 percent stock price drop in early trading, is that Trivago is sending more customers to online travel agencies and other advertisers than ever.
In the third quarter, the number of so-called qualified referrals increased 20 percent, as the company supplements declining margin with greater volume. The company defines a qualified referral as a unique visitor per day that generates at least one referral. For example, if a single visitor clicks on multiple hotel offers in its search results in a given day, they count as multiple referrals, but as only one qualified referral.
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Peter F. Schmid, CEO
Since August 2012, Peter F. Schmid has been CEO and Managing Partner at "Wer liefert was". After his studies at the LMU in Munich, he worked as a fireman at Procter & Gamble. In 1999, he then became Managing Director of Autoscout24. In 2006, the three-fold father became vice president of eBay Classifieds and CEO of mobile.de. Three years later, he took over the management of PARSHIP, the online partner agency.
Florian Schnau, CFO Florian Schnau has been CFO of wlw since December 2015. He is responsible for Finance & Accounting, Controlling and Business Intelligence. The graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA) previously worked at Bain & Company and Lion Capital in London. Most recently, he was investment director at Paragon Partners in Munich, whose portfolio also includes "Wer liefert was".
Doreen Schlicht, Senior Director Brand Marketing / PR, Customer Loyalty & HR Doreen Schlicht has been gaining female support in the management team of wlw since 2013 and is responsible for the areas of Brand Management / PR and Customer Loyalty as well as Human Resources. Prior to this, she was Head of Corporate Communications at mobile.de and eBay and was responsible for corporate communications at PARSHIP.
Dr. Felix Menden, CTO As Head of the Technology Division, Felix Menden is responsible for software development, operations & services, online marketing including the SEO / SEA activities as well as the growth-strong online marketing services and is responsible for product responsibility for the users of the platform. Menden has more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, including managing director of G + J Digital GmbH and vice president of product & engineering at XING AG. He was responsible for the entire development and operation of the XING platform as well as product management, quality assurance and business intelligence.
Thomas Gruber, CSO Thomas Gruber is CSO of wlw. As a general sales manager, he is responsible for the areas of external sales, telephone sales, online sales as well as sales management and sales. Prior to this, the company manager was responsible for sales and marketing as a division manager at the Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt in Düsseldorf. All in all, Gruber has more than 15 years of work experience in the internet, media and telecommunications sectors at wlw.
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touristguidebuzz · 7 years
Text
Trivago Concedes It Overspent on Advertising and Lowers Forecasts
It's a glum day at the Düsseldorf-based hotel search giant as Trivago executives try to calm investors. Investors dumped shares in the company today over news of a downward growth forecast. Pictured is a still from a Trivago commercial. Trivago
Skift Take: Trivago says this was just a hiccup. But they’re vague about why they were surprised and what precisely happened. We suspect a Priceline sucker punch.
— Sean O'Neill
A revenue shortfall tied to the way Trivago works with advertisers kicked in faster than expected, and the hotel-search site, known for its omnipresent TV advertising, didn’t tamp down its commercials fast enough.
That led Trivago Wednesday to revise downward its forecast for revenue and profit for the second half of the year.
At the end of July, the Düsseldorf-based hotel search giant had been confident its 2017 revenue growth would be 50 percent higher than its 2016 revenue. Today, it lowered that expectation to be only 40 percent higher than anticipated.
Investors responded by swiping a fourth off the value of the company — erasing nearly all of the gains of this year — in early morning trading. [UPDATE: By New York’s market close, it had regained some ground and lost only 16 percent from the day before
While the new forecast of a 40 percent year-over-year revenue growth would still be impressive for most companies, investors were disappointed that the forecasted earnings before income, taxes, depreciation, and amortization in 2017 would be lower than in 2016.
In other words, Trivago’s paltry 2016 profits — as it emphasizes growth over profits — would be higher than in 2017.
The public company, controlled by Expedia, issued a statement that it was revising its guidance for investors based on several factors.
In short, it appears that the German hotel search company revised its earnings guidance in the tail end of the third quarter for reasons that are specific to how it sources traffic — and not because of a falloff in travel demand more generically.
That suggests that the impact to Expedia, which has a controlling stake in Germany-based Trivago, should be minimal. Expedia purchased a 61.6 percent share of Trivago for $632 million in 2012, before Trivago went public in late 2016.
A Priceline Sucker Punch?
Here’s a quick look at the company’s business model: Trivago offers consumers rates from various hotels and online travel agencies and then charges advertisers for each click as a referral fee. The company tracks a key metric of revenue per qualified referral, which it hopes will rise over time.
In July, CFO Axel Hefer said Trivago had changed the way it acquires customers online to favor a method that brings in people who are more likely to book a trip. Hefer had warned on an earnings call then that the change would slow its growth in referrals at first. But he said that, over time, the change would boost the revenue earned for each so-called qualified referral.
Today, the company said that the short-term drop in revenue has been more significant than the company expected.
It took awhile for Trivago to pull back on its TV brand advertising in a near proportional way to keep its costs in line. So the company said it overspent for late summer. But the company does expect that the return it gets on advertising spending would revert to its previous levels “over time.”
To get into the details, in late 2016 Trivago rolled out so-called relevance assessments, or surveys that ask users if they’re happy with the site they click off to after leaving the search engine. Trivago required some advertisers that received poor ratings from users to place higher cost-per-click bids in the marketplace. This spring, many companies were spending more for the same number of leads as they had before.
By this summer, Trivago said the vast majority of the company’s largest advertisers improved their user experience. That resulted in a decline in the bidding that had inflated growth in the first half of the year.
Axel Hefer explained to Skift: “By improving the user experience on their websites, advertisers could improve their relevance assessment score. As a result, they were able to improve their position in the marketplace and as a consequence reduce their bids to attract the same traffic as before. This has led to a reduction of the revenue per qualified referral”.
The degree of that decline caught Trivago’s executives by surprise. Without the additional fees, Trivago has had less cash to use for bidding on keywords in Google search, which, in turn, reduces the traffic it gets from Google — compounding an overall revenue decline.
Why did the magnitude of the decline surprise executives? As a logic puzzle, here’s one theory. Let’s say for argument’s sake — Trivago doesn’t reveal — that roughly 80 percent of Trivago’s business comes through only two conglomerates, Expedia, Inc. and Priceline Group.
And let’s say it’s unlikely that Trivago would force its parent owner Expedia to have to pay higher-than-expected bids or to say the company’s user experience is poor. So Priceline, which may roughly account for a third of the bid action on Trivago (to use round numbers) may have gotten hit in the first half of the year by Trivago’s policy change.
Maybe Priceline found a way to retaliate.
Or maybe we’re just looking for drama where there is none. Priceline Group had no comment by publication time. In any event, it is odd that Trivago executives were surprised and also odd that they’re still not fully sure what happened.
Speaking to investment bank analysts in New York this morning at Citi’s 2017 Global Technology Conference, Hefer said: “The impact of the adjustment was greater than we anticipated. For us, it is not that easy for us to see whether that’s because we underestimated the impact. It’s a marketplace. We’re seeing billions of individual auctions. Has there been, on top of that, an adjustment in profitability? We don’t have full visibility on that.”
Trivago’s downward revision in revenue is mostly related to how it sources traffic. But its downward revision in its profit forecast is related to summer 2017 demand not being as high as summer 2016 — something executives hadn’t anticipated.
Related to that, travel industry executives and investors in the U.S. and Europe are cautious about the choppy American and European travel environment.
For the UK market, Trivago said today that it no longer thinks the British pound’s weakness relative to the euro is temporary. For forecasts, it will factor in the pound as being in a “permanently” weakened state — at least as far as currency projections go during the next year or so of Brexit negotiations.
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rollinbrigittenv8 · 7 years
Text
Trivago Concedes It Overspent on Advertising and Lowers Forecasts
It's a glum day at the Düsseldorf-based hotel search giant as Trivago executives try to calm investors. Investors dumped shares in the company today over news of a downward growth forecast. Pictured is a still from a Trivago commercial. Trivago
Skift Take: The German hotel search company revised its earnings guidance for reasons that are specific to how it sources traffic, and not due to a falloff in travel demand overall.
— Sean O'Neill
A revenue shortfall tied to the way Trivago works with advertisers kicked in faster than expected, and the hotel-search site, known for its omnipresent TV advertising, didn’t tamp down its commercials fast enough.
That led Trivago Wednesday to revise downward its forecast for revenue and profit for the second half of the year.
At the end of July, the Düsseldorf-based hotel search giant had been confident its 2017 revenue growth would be 50 percent higher than its 2016 revenue. Today, it lowered that expectation to be only 40 percent higher than anticipated.
Investors responded by swiping a fourth off the value of the company — erasing nearly all of the gains of 2107 — in early morning trading.
While the new forecast of a 40 percent year-over-year revenue growth would still be impressive for most companies, investors were disappointed that the forecasted earnings before income, taxes, depreciation, and amortization in 2017 would be lower than in 2016.
In other words, Trivago’s paltry 2016 profits — as it emphasizes growth over profits — would be higher than in 2017.
The public company, controlled by Expedia, issued a statement that it was revising its guidance for investors based on several factors.
In short, it appears that the German hotel search company revised its earnings guidance in the tail end of the third quarter for reasons that are specific to how it sources traffic — and not because of a falloff in travel demand more generically.
That suggests that the impact to Expedia, which has a controlling stake in Germany-based Trivago, should be minimal. Expedia purchased a 61.6 percent share of Trivago for $632 million in 2012, before Trivago went public in late 2016.
The Business Model
Here’s a quick look at the company’s business model: Trivago offers consumers rates from various hotels and online travel agencies and then charges advertisers for each click as a referral fee. The company tracks a key metric of revenue per qualified referral, which it hopes will rise over time.
In July, CFO Axel Hefer said Trivago had changed the way it acquires customers online to favor of a method that brings in people who are more likely to book a trip. Hefer had warned in a late July earnings call that the change would slow its growth in referrals at first, but over time would boost the revenue earned for each so-called qualified referral.
Today, the company said that the short-term drop in revenue has been more significant than the company expected.
It took awhile for Trivago to pull back on its TV brand advertising in a near proportional way to keep its costs in line, and so the company said it overspent for late summer. But the company does expect that the return it gets on advertising spending would revert to its previous levels “over time.”
To get into the details, in late 2016 Trivago rolled out so-called relevance assessments, or surveys that ask users if they’re happy with the site they click off to after leaving the search engine. Trivago required some advertisers that received poor ratings from users to place higher cost-per-click bids in the marketplace. This spring, many companies were spending more for the same number of leads as they had before.
By this summer, Trivago said the vast majority of the company’s largest advertisers improved their user experience. That resulted in a decline in the bidding that had inflated growth in the first half of the year.
The magnitude of that decline caught Trivago’s executives by surprise. Without the additional fees, Trivago has had less cash to use for bidding on keywords in Google search, which, in turn, reduces the traffic it gets from Google — compounding an overall revenue decline.
Trivago’s downward revision in revenue is mostly related to how it sources traffic. But its downward revision in its profit forecast is related to summer 2017 demand not being as high as summer 2016 — something executives hadn’t anticipated.
Related to that, travel industry executives and investors in the U.S. and Europe are cautious about the choppy American and European travel environment.
For the UK market, Trivago said today that it no longer thinks the British pound’s weakness relative to the euro is temporary. For forecasts, it will factor in the pound as being in a “permanently” weakened state — at least as far as currency projections go during the next year or so of Brexit negotiations.
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touristguidebuzz · 7 years
Text
Trivago Urges Independent Hotels to Get More Involved in Digital Marketing
The reception area at one of Trivago's many offices worldwide. The company blew past its forecast goals for the second quarter 2017. Trivago
Skift Take: Public companies rarely take on projects where the benefits may not appear for years to come. So kudos to Trivago for risking that with its marketing tools for hotels. That said, the effort is still a risk.
— Sean O'Neill
Trivago, the hotel-search company, faces a tough calculus when it comes to wooing independent hotels to list inventory on its marketplace.
Axel Hefer, Trivago’s chief financial officer and managing director, described the problem — and the company’s attempted fix — in an interview.
In brief, the strategy of Trivago, a Düsseldorf-based company that is partly owned by Expedia, Inc., is to appeal to independent hotels with marketing tools.
“Generally speaking, very few of the independents are active in online marketing,” Hefer said. “Primarily they sign up with online travel agencies [OTAs] and let the OTAs do the work. So what we have set up is give them tools to help them become comfortable with do-it-yourself marketing decisions.”
Hefer says “Trivago’s key objective for the Hotel Manager tool is making contact with independent hoteliers and creating a business relationship.”
Hotel Manager is a free marketing platform that enables hoteliers to manage their hotel profile and upload content. About 310,000 hotels have signed up for this tool since the start of 2016.
The primary goal of Trivago’s subscription-based premium version of the product, Hefer said, is not about making money. Across the first half of 2016, a subscription averaged about $210 (181 euro) a year, according to Skift’s estimates.
Trivago says its main goal is to provide hoteliers with additional promotion and analytics functionalities.
“We see our tools as a conversion funnel,” Hefer says. “Some hoteliers will start out with the free basic tools. Then we’ll convert them to try our premium tools.”
“As they get more comfortable with being active online marketers, they’ll become more comfortable participating in our auctions.”
Since January 2016, the number of paid subscribers has reached 33,000 hotels.
Playing the Long Game for the Long Tail
Hefer predicts: “In five to six years from now, this initiative will pay off because online will become an even greater source of distribution for hotels and hoteliers will then need a direct, more cost-effective alternative to using the OTAs [online travel agencies],” Hefer says.
A public company, Trivago is controlled by an online travel agency, Expedia.
The plan sounds nice in theory, but Trivago has its work cut out for it. As of today, only 11,000 hotels participate in its marketplace actively. Yet there may be between 140,000 and 600,000 independent hotels worldwide, depending on which third-party source you listen to.
Most of the properties found on Trivago today belong to chains. But most of the hotels in the world don’t. The travel company needs to expand its inventory to better reflect the world, Hefer conceded.
“The individual hotel market is more of a fractured, long-tail market than the chains, obviously,” Hefer said. “It’s hard to reach them. But this effort will help.”
Brand recognition is another part of Trivago’s effort to appeal to independent hoteliers. The company is spending heavily on digital and TV advertising, as is well known. The latest statistics from iSpot.tv on U.S. TV advertising spend shows Trivago in the lead.
Similarly, the latest global Google Trends data show what terms users are searching on.
For more than five years, TripAdvisor has been a far more popular search term than Trivago, Booking.com, Expedia, or Kayak. But as of this summer, Trivago has come within striking distance of displacing TripAdvisor in popularity as a search term.
Trivago may be onto something with its strategy. Hotels seem to be responding to Trivago’s wide brand awareness.
Through June, Trivago boosted the number of rates hotels advertised in its online marketplace in 2017 by 97 percent, to 290 million.
Solid quarter
That long-term challenge aside, the earnings call on Friday delivered upbeat news. Revenues increased in the full first half of the year to $666 million (565.9 million euro), up 67 percent from the same period a year before.
In more positive news, profits materialized in 2017. In the first six months of the year, the company reported $5 million (4.3 million euro) in net income, up from a loss of $59 million (50 million euro) a year earlier.
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rollinbrigittenv8 · 7 years
Text
Trivago Joins Rivals in Offering Hotels a Rate-Shopping Tool
Trivago hopes its free new rate analytics service will resonate with general managers and revenue managers. Trivago
Skift Take: Trivago is bold to take on the giants Booking.com and Expedia Inc. by debuting hotel data services, too. But its rate-shopping tool is better designed and possibly more powerful than what its rivals offer. Game on.
— Sean O'Neill
Trivago, the hotel price comparison platform, has been mocked a bit for spending more heavily on TV marketing as a percentage of revenue than any other online travel company.
But the Düsseldorf, Germany-based company has vigorously argued that it sees itself as a technology company whose success is heavily based on its investment in data science.
Tuesday, Trivago offers a new data point to support the claim that it’s a data-focused company.
Trivago’s new Rate Insights tool gives hoteliers advice on how they should set their rates to make the most profit.
The tool taps the company’s pool of data on rate-setting trends in local markets to help hotel general managers and revenue managers forecast pricing trends. The information is derived from 250 booking sites and hotel supplier sites, trends in traveler search volume for a hotel’s region, and a calendar of events (such as concerts and sports matches) that could spike local demand.
The tools can be found in the company’s extranet, or online portal, for the more than 300,000 properties worldwide that sell rooms in its marketplace, called Trivago Hotel Manager PRO.
Marketplaces-as-a-Service
Trivago is following a trend. Several online travel companies have been branching into providing data services for hotels. In autumn 2016, Expedia Inc., a part-investor in Trivago, began rolling out a revenue management tool called Rev+ to hotels that distribute inventory via its network of consumer brands, such as Expedia and Travelocity.
The tool enables a property to assess how its rates compare against local market rivals over the span of a few months’ time and to see predictions of demand in their market based on search activity Expedia Inc. brands are seeing and other data points.
This past spring Expedia also added a tool to help hotels respond rapidly to guest reviews on the PartnerCentral extranet, or online portal, that hotels use to connect with the company.
Meanwhile, Booking.com, the giant subsidiary of online travel behemoth Priceline Group, has also been expanding the array of business intelligence services it provides to hotels since it launched its BookingSuite division in 2015.
BookingSuite offers the broadest array of business decision-making tools for hotels — from the ability to shop competitor properties to check going rates to a rate-setting recommendation tool to software for managing digital marketing and direct booking campaigns.
But parent company Priceline Group hasn’t revealed details on how much traction the division is getting.
Given the competition, how can Trivago’s rate shopper tool stand out? Managing director Johannes Thomas said in a statement that, given Trivago is a metasearch company instead of an online travel agency, it has access to a broader set of rate changes.
“No other rate shopper has this combination of data in this amount and with this granularity,” he said.
At Skift Forum Europe in April, Thomas pointed out that “Trivago has as many engineers as it has marketers.” It looks like that investment is being reflected in a series of new products.
Whether hotels will trust the advice of commission-seeking third parties like Trivago when it comes to setting the rates for their room remains a question that will be answered over time.
Looking ahead, many industry observers will wonder if Trivago will offer a property management system for hotels. A year and a half ago, the company acquired a majority stake in Switzerland-based hotel-tech startup Base7booking, securing a majority stake. Many small hotels use Base7booking’s cloud-based property management system to manage rates and inventory.
In announcing that acquisition, Thomas said: “Together with Base7booking, we envision hoteliers moving from pen-and-paper operations to digital property management, competitive direct booking capabilities, and rates on Trivago with just a few clicks.”
The new hotel insights tool is distributed for free. It may take some time for the investment to pay off for Trivago. The company hopes hotel managers will earn more revenue through it and will respond by boosting the room inventory that they sell via its marketplace instead of other channels such as Google.
The company seems to be okay with that long-term strategy. In May, Trivago CFO Axel Hefer visited Skift’s offices and said the company was more interested in growth than achieving high-profit margins in the near-term.
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touristguidebuzz · 7 years
Text
Trivago Joins Rivals in Offering Hotels a Rate-Shopping Tool
Trivago hopes its free new rate analytics service will resonate with general managers and revenue managers. Trivago
Skift Take: Trivago is bold to take on the giants Booking.com and Expedia Inc. by debuting hotel data services, too. But its rate-shopping tool is better designed and possibly more powerful than what its rivals offer. Game on.
— Sean O'Neill
Trivago, the hotel price comparison platform, has been mocked a bit for spending more heavily on TV marketing as a percentage of revenue than any other online travel company.
But the Düsseldorf, Germany-based company has vigorously argued that it sees itself as a technology company whose success is heavily based on its investment in data science.
Tuesday, Trivago offers a new data point to support the claim that it’s a data-focused company.
Trivago’s new Rate Insights tool gives hoteliers advice on how they should set their rates to make the most profit.
The tool taps the company’s pool of data on rate-setting trends in local markets to help hotel general managers and revenue managers forecast pricing trends. The information is derived from 250 booking sites and hotel supplier sites, trends in traveler search volume for a hotel’s region, and a calendar of events (such as concerts and sports matches) that could spike local demand.
The tools can be found in the company’s extranet, or online portal, for the more than 300,000 properties worldwide that sell rooms in its marketplace, called Trivago Hotel Manager PRO.
Marketplaces-as-a-Service
Trivago is following a trend. Several online travel companies have been branching into providing data services for hotels. In autumn 2016, Expedia Inc., a part-investor in Trivago, began rolling out a revenue management tool called Rev+ to hotels that distribute inventory via its network of consumer brands, such as Expedia and Travelocity.
The tool enables a property to assess how its rates compare against local market rivals over the span of a few months’ time and to see predictions of demand in their market based on search activity Expedia Inc. brands are seeing and other data points.
This past spring Expedia also added a tool to help hotels respond rapidly to guest reviews on the PartnerCentral extranet, or online portal, that hotels use to connect with the company.
Meanwhile, Booking.com, the giant subsidiary of online travel behemoth Priceline Group, has also been expanding the array of business intelligence services it provides to hotels since it launched its BookingSuite division in 2015.
BookingSuite offers the broadest array of business decision-making tools for hotels — from the ability to shop competitor properties to check going rates to a rate-setting recommendation tool to software for managing digital marketing and direct booking campaigns.
But parent company Priceline Group hasn’t revealed details on how much traction the division is getting.
Given the competition, how can Trivago’s rate shopper tool stand out? Managing director Johannes Thomas said in a statement that, given Trivago is a metasearch company instead of an online travel agency, it has access to a broader set of rate changes.
“No other rate shopper has this combination of data in this amount and with this granularity,” he said.
At Skift Forum Europe in April, Thomas pointed out that “Trivago has as many engineers as it has marketers.” It looks like that investment is being reflected in a series of new products.
Whether hotels will trust the advice of commission-seeking third parties like Trivago when it comes to setting the rates for their room remains a question that will be answered over time.
Looking ahead, many industry observers will wonder if Trivago will offer a property management system for hotels. A year and a half ago, the company acquired a majority stake in Switzerland-based hotel-tech startup Base7booking, securing a majority stake. Many small hotels use Base7booking’s cloud-based property management system to manage rates and inventory.
In announcing that acquisition, Thomas said: “Together with Base7booking, we envision hoteliers moving from pen-and-paper operations to digital property management, competitive direct booking capabilities, and rates on Trivago with just a few clicks.”
The new hotel insights tool is distributed for free. It may take some time for the investment to pay off for Trivago. The company hopes hotel managers will earn more revenue through it and will respond by boosting the room inventory that they sell via its marketplace instead of other channels such as Google.
The company seems to be okay with that long-term strategy. In May, Trivago CFO Axel Hefer visited Skift’s offices and said the company was more interested in growth than achieving high-profit margins in the near-term.
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touristguidebuzz · 7 years
Text
Trivago’s Marketers and Engineers Are Equally Key to Its Success, Says Managing Director
On April 4, 2017 at Tobacco Dock in London, the first Skift Forum Europe included an onstage interview of Trivago Managing Director Johannes Thomas by Skift Editor-in-Chief Jason Clampet. Skift
Skift Take: Trivago gets critiqued for spending heavily on TV brand marketing. But Managing Director Johannes Thomas says it's part of a sustainable plan. We now tend to agree.
— Sean O'Neill
Trivago, the hotel price comparison platform, stands out for its business model: It spends much more on TV marketing to build brand awareness — think those “Trivago Guy” ads in the U.S. and elsewhere — than any of its metasearch or online travel agency peers do, as a proportion of overall revenue.
The model enabled Trivago to grow rapidly. But it has opened the company to criticism, especially from rivals, that the model is unsustainable and if it shuts off its marketing, the business would fall apart.
That’s a silly argument, says managing director of Trivago Johannes Thomas. “Trivago has as many engineers as it has marketers,” he tells Skift Editor-in-Chief Jason Clampet during an onstage interview today in London at the first Skift Forum Europe. Trivago’s marketers and engineers are equally key to the company’s success, says Thomas.
“You need data to learn, so you need to get users to use your product to make it something that can scale,” Thomas adds. He says it’s smart to lead with marketing spend, as long as you match it with engineers analyzing and responding to user behavior. “You can’t get enough of data. It lets you learn faster. It will tell you quickly what works well…”
Thomas says that Trivago will eventually be able to ramp down its marketing spend. Users will develop entrenched habits and Trivago will benefit from its first-mover advantage as a dedicated hotel metasearch.
It will also benefit from the demand generation because its product will have been perfected through the early user testing that the traffic volume makes possible. Thomas believes that the company’s brand awareness will be self-sustaining and will eventually create a virtuous cycle of viral, organic word-of-mouth.
Thomas joined the Düsseldorf-based Trivago in 2011 as global head of search engine marketing and has served as a managing director since June 2015. He says that Trivago didn’t know in advance that TV advertising would work so well for it at first in Germany seven years ago. “We backed into TV as just one of the channels, but it had a good response.”
To prepare for future customer expectations, Trivago has created a team in Amsterdam focused on next-generation technologies and using machine learning and other tools to build the architecture that will let the company serve customers over new channels like voice-based internet.
Out of its 1,100 employees, the company has 200 focused on this effort, Thomas says.
The Amsterdam-based team, in particular, is profiling users anonymously to better understand how people shop for different types of trips (such as leisure or business), and to profile hotels to understand what makes a hotel more appealing than others.
“Our team is doing a lot of semantic analysis of content on the internet to figure, for each hotel, what is it really good at, what are its key strengths? …The goal is to have the database and the algorithm so we can get down to a handful of choices for consumers and only return results that are most relevant.”
Thomas says in the future voice search will be critical. “I might do a voice search for a trip to Rome with my family and dog and say I want to see the Vatican Museum. We need to have the data to plot hotels near the Vatican and that are family- and pet-friendly. That’s what our AI and semantic experts are trying to understand, trying to understand queries and understand concepts and create profiles of users and hotels that pull and match information relevantly. We are building a foundation to be able to handle the user expectations of tomorrow.”
Managing growth at that pace is a challenge, though having fresh capital after the company’s December 2016 initial public offering helps. (The company remains part-owned by Expedia.)
0 notes