Achieving Resonance for Online Travel Brands via Mobile Devices

Abstract

Branding for service organizations has challenges with the limited space on a mobile phone while consumers create a brand experience in an instant. This reports how online travel agencies (OTA) present their brands on mobile, as framed by the Brand Resonance Pyramid. The authors examine how the OTA present the four levels of branding: identity, meaning, judgement/feelings, and resonance. The authors reflect on qualitative perceptions of Expedia and Booking, the largest revenue OTA, applied to key branding elements on mobile devices for booking flights, accommodations, and car rentals. Travel brands are challenged to improve customer relationships to the resonance level in order to experience the highest mutual value using this communication technology.