Marketing

📱 Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) at the NRF conference in New York City yesterday. UCP, a collaboration with partners like Shopify, aims to streamline commerce in AI platforms like Gemini and Google AI Mode by integrating with Google Merchant Center and Google Pay. Competing with OpenAI's ACP, UCP is more decentralized and ecosystem-oriented, allowing merchants to sell directly through AI interfaces. Google leverages existing infrastructure, with plans for features like loyalty programs and cross-sell capabilities.

🗺 Social media is reshaping travel in 2026. Visual, conversational, social-first, and AI-enabled searches are key trends. Authenticity is now a commercial advantage. The report, using insights from millions of data points and top travel creators, highlights that social platforms are crucial for decision-making in travel. Creator content is effective with the right strategy and distribution. These insights aim to help travel marketers capitalize on current opportunities.

🏨 Hotels express frustration with OTAs over high commissions and pricing control, yet often neglect direct booking channels. Common issues include outdated websites, confusing booking processes, minimal content, and lack of investment in direct booking incentives. While OTAs are crucial, relying on them without improving direct channels leads to dependency. If OTAs represent 90% of a hotel’s business, the issue lies in strategy, not the OTAs themselves. Balancing OTA presence with direct bookings is key.

📰 Booking.com attracts 274 million organic visits monthly, 2.6 times larger than Expedia Group. Trip.com follows with 172 million visits, 1.6 times that of Expedia, but has regional strength. Airbnb sees 20 million visits, 10 times less than Booking.com. The OTA market is notably concentrated, with Booking.com being the only global presence, while others like Trip.com and Expedia have regional dominance. 10 Minutes Hotel provides a dataset to assist hoteliers in optimizing distribution strategy.

📈 Jan 8, 2026, Expedia Group showed signs of recovery in 2025, with high-single-digit room night growth in Q4, outperforming competitors. The improved marketing efficiency and strategic changes by CEO Ariane Gorin contributed to EBITDA margin expansion. While B2B growth accelerated, consumer brands like Hotels.com and Vrbo remain central. Leadership changes and pandemic-era restructuring under previous CEO Peter Kern helped modernize technology and strengthen the loyalty platform.

📱 26 social media tips for 2025! Use saved content from 2025 to inspire new ideas. For brand growth, focus on distribution and top-of-funnel content. Foster community by featuring user-generated content and hosting events. Test new content formats and platforms, like TikTok accounts, to maximize reach. The best social media strategies allow flexibility for trends. Engage with your audience to build genuine connections. Embrace social-first content for awareness and protect time for creative thinking.

📱 Meta released a feature showing top UK ads. Water2 leads with 11M+ views, The Essence Vault follows with 10.5M+ views, and Untamed has 4.3M+ views. AdScan 2.0 launched, rebuilt for this system, changing the ad landscape. Existing Admanage users get free access; new users comment “Adscan” for a free month. Reposting grants an extra free month.

🛰️ Hilton partners with Explora Journeys, part of MSC Group, to expand its loyalty program to cruises by summer 2026. Members can earn and redeem points on 16 itineraries until June 7, 2026, in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Caribbean, and Red Sea. The partnership emphasizes slower, immersive travel experiences. It aligns with Hilton's global strategy, integrating over 9,000 properties worldwide. Hilton Honors Adventures will soon offer details on new on-board benefits and redemption options.