Articles tagged “priceline”

While Expedia has been on a growth spurt given all of its acquisitions over the past year, Priceline has been saying that its "competitive moat" is wide but under-appreciated. A Priceline acquisition of TripAdvisor would make a bold statement and widen that competitive moat for all to see.

All companies want repeat, loyal customers. Expedia is willing to buy their allegiances through loyalty programs while Booking.com vows to do without. It's another point-counterpoint between the two companies as they compete against one another in villages and cities around the world.

We've been saying it for awhile: The Priceline Group should be renamed the Booking.com or Booking Group as its foray into Cuba highlights. The Group's lead brand gets there first although there's an option to distribute Cuba hotels through Priceline.com too.

Expedia seems to be on a sensible course in 2016 as it seeks to make good on its 2015 buying binge. Acquisitions are the sexy part; now Expedia has to make the marriages work behind closed doors.

Priceline Group's attempt to build an effective home rental product is proving a challenge, but CEO Darren Huston maintains the company had no interest in acquiring HomeAway because of its business model and the high cost.

What does today's top-notch marketing organization need? A blend of hundreds or thousands of data geeks coupled with legions of creative types who aren't afraid to make big bets. Campaigns need to blend global learnings and local insights. For Booking.com, having the clout to work closely with Google product managers to drive product changes doesn't hurt either.

Expedia's moves to lower commissions, tack on a tactical bidding program for hotel displays, and make itself friendlier to hotels and consumers by offering a pay-at-the-hotel option are all designed to ramp up Expedia's business and to make Booking.com's so-called "competitive moat" a little less imposing.

Priceline's and Expedia's respective selling and marketing spend on a global scale shows why Priceline remains on top despite all of Expedia's acquisitions. Priceline does it much more efficiently, getting a lot more bang for a buck.

Priceline's CEO says its "competitive moat is deep and wide." His counterpart at Expedia believes his company needs to get more international. And TripAdvisor's new CFO says it has ample resources for acquisitions. This all should make for an interesting 2016.

Expedia's acquisitions versus the Priceline Group's "competitive moat." Rock, paper, scissors. It's an interesting contest and in the $1.4 trillion global travel market, both companies can be winners. Expedia is trending upward and Priceline is showing strong growth, as well.