On Friday, March 25, 2011, a 20-inch Egyptian Cobra went missing from the Bronx Zoo in New York City. On Monday, it got its own Twitter account, and within 24 hours after the first tweet, the account had nearly 100,000 followers, and more than 160,000 as of publication.

Egyptian cobra, Bronx Zoo, New York

The impact of a cobra on the lam in the Big Apple ‘cracking jokes’ on twitter is powerful, and the Bronx Zoo couldn’t buy such publicity.

In fact, it’s just as big a free lunch for the city too, since the cobra spent the day tweeting about slithering around at various New York City landmarks and attractions, including the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Here’s a few samples from @BronxZoosCobra:

Rockefeller Plaza is amaz….wait…OMG! Tina Fey totally just walked by me! HUUUUGE FAN! #snakeonthetown

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Temple of Dendur really kicks some asp. #snakeonthetown

On top of the Empire State Building! All the people look like little mice down there. Delicious little mice. #snakeonthetown

This missing cobra on Twitter is the latest in a rising trend of animal social networks, where the account owner poses as a real animal that’s in the news for some reason. If the concerned tourism organization is able to jump on the opportunity and push it on social media, then it can end up as a marketing windfall.

A case in point is Canada’s Banff crasher squirrel. The cute critter popped up in a photo taken by Melissa and Jackson Brandts when they were in Banff. The photo was published in National Geographic and went viral.

Sensing the opportunity, Banff Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) set up YouTube, Twitter and Facebook accounts and launched a search-marketing campaign for the keyword ‘squirrel.’ They also took it offline with billboard ads and stickers.

At that time, the squirrel had already garnered 301 blog-post mentions, some 5,000 tweets and 650 Facebook posts. The ad value was worth $3 million in online, print and TV, and reached more than 80 million people.

But more often than not, the opportunity goes a-begging. The Bronx Zoo cobra is most likely unaffiliated with NYC & Company (the tourism marketing organization for New York City) or any other official city organization, and it also doesn’t seem likely that they’ll jump on this the way BLLT did with the squirrel.

Another similar example is the case of Greg Swan and Punxsutawney Phil. There’s no denying the public interest in the world’s most famous groundhog. In 2009, Greg Swan set up an account for Punxy as @GroundhogPhil. Every year in January and February, Swan starts tweeting as Punxsutawney Phil. He has even posted a message that says, “If you represent Punxsutawney Phil and/or Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, I will gladly turn over the Twitter account to you. I’m just having some fun, so please shoot me a note.”

One would think that a town whose reputation entirely depends on this groundhog would be a little more interested in reaching out to fans on Twitter, but Swan says on his blog that he hasn’t heard back from anyone.

But there’s no doubt that animal social networks do have an impact, and they are being taken seriously. The Brookfield Zoo near Chicago even has a scientific grant-funded program where it’s trying to get citizens involved by studying the daily routine of zoo animals, then posting on their behalf on twitter @brookfield_zoo.

Photo – Bronx Zoo

Related posts:
Reptilemania at the San Diego Zoo
Snakes (and Other Pets) on a Plane!

Businesses can roll out any number of tricks to get people to try their products, at least once. But loyal and repeat customers are the ones who are the most valuable, especially during economic slow times, as we recently experienced.

Recognizing this fact, several travel industry companies have revamped their loyalty programs lately, the most recent of which is Expedia, which rolled out its new Expedia Rewards program this week.

The program allows Expedia customers to more quickly earn points for hotels, flights, packages and activities booked on Expedia.com, and unlike some other reward programs, Expedia Rewards does not have any blackout dates.

Basic awards are one point for each dollar spent on flights, hotels and activities, with up to four points per dollar spent if services are booked as a package. Bonus points are awarded for VIP hotel rooms.

Points can be redeemed for flights on more than 140 airlines or for hotel coupons at more than 70,000 properties. Travel rewards start at 3,500 points.

Expedia also recently announced an upgrade to its Expedia Elite Plus Program, through which Elite Plus members can earn free room upgrades and VIP perks at “VIP Access” hotels in select markets nationwide. Expedia customers automatically earn membership in Expedia Elite Plus when they book more than 15 room nights or spend more than $10,000 on hotels and airfare, at Expedia.com in a calendar year.

Limited Time Offer

Through August 31, 2011, Expedia Rewards members can earn double base points when booking an Expedia Special Rate hotel or hotel package that is paid with a MasterCard card. Advance registration is required for this offer.

For more information, or to enroll in Expedia Rewards (membership is free), visit www.expedia.com/rewards.

Photos: Expedia

Related posts:
Travel Industry Leverages Loyalty Programs for Japan Relief
Club Med and Carlson Form Loyalty Program Partnership
Travel Industry Tapping Tweeters With Klout

Wynn Resorts recently announced a new partnership with PokerStars, an online poker business. The companies are planning a joint venture at PokerStarsWynn.com, which will be an online poker site regulated by the U.S. government. Before launching the site, the two companies are hoping to influence changes in gambling legislation in the United States.

Wynn Resorts and PokerStars plan to lobby for federal legislation that would define illegal internet gambling and establish a system for law enforcement and taxation of online poker sites.

“We are convinced that the lack of regulation of internet gaming within the U.S. must change,” said Wynn Resorts CEO Stephen Wynn, in a statement. “We must recognize that this activity is occurring and that law enforcement does not have the tools to stop it. As a company that has safely conducted gaming in the U.S. for more than forty years, we believe that the same can be done for poker on the internet.”

Wynn Resorts currently operates hotel and casino resorts in Las Vegas and China.

“We have long supported the enactment of local regulatory regimes that protect consumers and provide valuable tax revenues and jobs,” added PokerStars founder Mark Scheinberg, in the statement. “PokerStars is closely regulated in many European countries, and it has been endorsing the adoption of the same approach in the United States for years, with this alliance representing a critical step in that direction. We are excited about the opportunities that partnering with Wynn, a pioneering leader and innovator in gaming, will present for PokerStars in the United States. These opportunities include the rapid ramp-up in hiring of a large number of professionals in this growing global technology and services sector that will benefit from U.S. talent to keep up with global demand.”

Increased regulation may, in fact, increase job opportunities and tax revenue in the United States. It would most definitely make online gambling sites more difficult to operate for small businesses, which may give large companies like Wynn Resorts and PokerStars an advantage in the industry.

Related Posts:
Wynn Las Vegas Introduces New Resort Deluxe Rooms
TravelTechnology Weekly – IHG launches hotel industry’s first online gaming platform

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) recently unveiled its annual ASTA 2010 Technology and Web Usage Report. The report shows that 27 percent of client requests now come through agents’ websites, and account for 18 percent of all agency revenues.

ASTA Survey - Breakup of online booking supplier types

Highlights from the report:

- 78 percent of travel agents now have a website, as compared to 75.2 percent in 2009.

- 81 percent (same as 2009) say they have booked directly on a supplier’s website without using their GDS or calling the supplier.

- The percentage of bookings made through supplier websites decreased in 2010 to 40 percent, from 45 percent in 2009.

- 43 percent have an online tool on their site.

- 52 percent named Facebook as their most-used networking and marketing technique.

“Travel agents are very adept at using the Internet for research, gathering travel industry information and for booking travel, and today, many are also using the Internet and some form of social media for marketing,” said ASTA President and Chairman Chris Russo. “Rather than being pushed out of business by the Internet, as many had predicted, travel agents have embraced it and are leveraging its power to enhance their operations.”

Ironically, 30 percent of agencies out of the 81 percent who take airline bookings on the web are being forced to get on the phone to assist travelers with booking ancillary services.

ASTA Survey - Website update frequency

The figures and statement mentioned above (published by ASTA in a press release) indicate that travel agents are becoming increasingly web savvy.

But a deeper look (relevant section begins on page 26) suggests that they may actually be a little behind the curve, at least as regards their adoption of web 2.0 and social media.

Most agencies (90 percent) use their website to provide an e-mail link to their agency, and only 17 percent of those that have a website update it daily.

While 52 percent of travel agencies have Facebook profiles, only 13 percent say social media is essential, while a third are sitting on the fence saying they’re still learning. Twenty-one percent say social media is “unproven” as a marketing tool and 16 percent have already decided that it is a “waste of time.”

Also, very few are on top of online reputation management, with only 3 percent saying they check the internet for mentions of their company; 70 percent say they don’t check the internet at all for mentions.

Charts from ASTA via Travel Weekly; Visit www.asta.org/ for more information.

Related posts:
Travel Agent Survey – Growing Discontent, Social Media a ‘Waste of Time’
ASTA/NACTA Reports Show Shifting Trends for Travel Agents & Agencies
Leisure World 2011 Aims to Get Travel Agents Hooked on Social Media