Didn’t Blackplanet.com do this back in 1999? j/k. American Airlines actually takes a unique approach here with its site blackatlas.com. It’s a combination travel site with social networking features for travelers to share experiences unique to the black community. I’m always fascinated with new travel sites because I love to travel. My personal mantra… “I have more passport stamps than you.” I take an international trip every year with some of my closest friends. Last year, we went snowboarding outside of Santiago, Chile.
I digress, back to American Airlines. I think AA has an opportunity to fulfill an unmet need in the black consumer marketplace. Most Americans are risk averse when they travel. Doesn’t matter your background, that’s the M.O. on Americans. For African Americans, this site removes much of the risk associated with traveling by highlighting culturally relevant places at your destination.
As I said in my Pepsi post yesterday, I commend this type of thinking. The Reason –brands need to start having real conversations with customers instead of relying on media companies to piecemeal access to their target audience. I have a few ideas to make this site a Reason-able stop for African American travelers:
- Local Icon Picks. Identify local icons and highlight places they want you to check out in their city. For example, It’d be great to check out places Common thinks is cool in Chicago
- Calendar of Events. Most travel sites get the planning equation wrong… they ask for your destination and the dates you want to fly. This site should highlight events of interest in different cities so people can know when they should take time off from work.
- Mobile App. I should be able to access all this information on my phone once I get to my destination.
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