Kayak CMO interview

Check out iMedia Connection's Brad Berens interview with new Kayak CMO Dean Harris.

Here is what caught my attention:

Berens: For advertisers in the travel industry, how is Kayak a different kind of media buy than Expedia or Travelocity? Another way of asking this: do you regard those two companies as your most direct competitors, or would that be the search giants?

Harris: We do perceive Travelocity and Expedia as our competition. We are better than those sites for consumers because the information we provide is better. With Kayak.com, the consumer is in control and can choose from the greatest range of airlines, hotels and rental car information anywhere. Since we do not take payment for travel bookings, our results are transparent and unbiased. From an advertisers' perspective, we are a better product because our results have higher conversion rates and thus a superior ROI for our travel partners.

Travel Start-Ups: Is the consumer really in control? If so, what does Kayak refer consumers to online travel agencies like cheapseats.com, where consumers are charged an additional $5.50 in booking fees, instead of airline sites? (Granted, by clicking details you can choose to buy at the airline's site, however the default directs consumers to the higher priced online agency.) They are obviously making the trade-off to increase ad revnue instead of provide the best possible solution to customers.

Berens: Under your leadership, Vonage was one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- online advertisers, so clearly you found the internet to be effective for Vonage. What can you tell us about your plans for marketing Kayak?

Harris: Our plans for Kayak.com marketing include both online and offline efforts. We plan to be among the most innovative marketers anywhere because we believe that consumers will tie our innovative approaches and messaging with the truly innovative nature of our product. Look for Kayak.com to use viral, alternative media and user generated content to advance our brand.

Travel Start-Ups: Will be intersting to see how Kayak marries up their marketing approach to their innovative product strategy. No doubt Kayak is making a sincere and possibly aggresssive effort to "become the dominate brand in the category." How will SideStep and others respond and keep pace? Only time will tell...