The Top 25 Most Engaged Asian Travel Brands

PRESS RELEASE

01 May 2010

Bali, Indonesia – The 2010 Asia Travel Engagement Report, just released by  water&stone, identifies the top 25 Asian travel brands in terms of their engagement in social media. Among the leaders in the industry are Air New Zealand, AirAsia, Contiki Holidays, and Malaysia Airlines.

The report is the first of its kind; a serious analytical look at the social media adoption patterns in the regional travel industry. Among the key data in the report are social media adoption rates for both the Top 25 brands and for the industry as a whole. The report also looks at channel selection, posting frequency, and execution strategies. Included in the report is a discussion of common problems confronting brands and how companies are crafting creative approaches to the challenges of social media.

Lead analyst and report author Ric Shreves states “while the leading brands are competitive globally, the industry as a whole still has a way to go. Adoption rates are still low and execution skills uneven across the region.”

The research found that, while many brands are participating in social networks such as Facebook, and on the micro-blogging platform Twitter, many efforts are falling short of a lasting commitment. Among the most startling findings are that Twitter abandonment rates are running at 20%, while Facebook profile abandonment rates are even higher -- exceeding 40%.

“The evidence seems to indicate that after an early rush into social media, many firms are now having second thoughts about their strategies and their online execution,” notes Shreves. “A period of consolidation is at hand.”

The 2010 Asian Travel Engagement Report is from digital agency water&stone. The report’s findings are based both on direct data collection from the major social media channels and on a survey of the industry as a whole.

A complimentary copy of the report can be downloaded from http://www.waterandstone.com/online-marketing-resources