It’s funny how innovation in companies flows. Years a ago, when the web was young, lastminute.com rocked the travel world with its glamorous founders, well written quirky content and clever distribution power of distressed and interesting inventory.

Published: 22 Dec 2009

It’s funny how innovation in companies flows. Years a ago, when the web was young, lastminute.com rocked the travel world with its glamorous founders, well written quirky content and clever distribution power of distressed and interesting inventory.

Since then they have remained a leading player and have done many exciting things. But not till now have they ever really grabbed my attention. Then they come up with their Topsee app. This just struck me as incredibly simple and very clever. A potential blue print on how the industry should invest to sell more products once its customers are on the road or at their destination.

For those that don’t know it’s a mobile app for anyone who travels and knows what it’s like to be in a city where you know something fantastic is going on, but you seem to be surrounded by soulless, spiritless, overpriced tourist tat. The app can guide you in wonderful quirky ways to whatever you feel like doing. The most important thing is that it’s SO SIMPLE…no text search, no typing. It’s so easy my 6 year old used it last night. You just shake the iPhone and 9 pictures appear floating on the screen as well as their distances from you. The pictures are of food, coffee, sweets, some are statues, bars, signs, works of art, dancing, caves or beds or just about any of the wonderful things you can find in London, or any cosmopolitan city. When you select a pic it gives you a better explanation of the attraction and access to its address, phone number and a street map showing where you are and where you have to go. If you don’t like the selections shake it again and 9 more images float up to you. It’s a great mixture of good looking intuitive design, interesting copy and map content.

Currently the lastminute app is financed via advertising but what struck me is that this could be used by anyone that knows the traveller (so presumably the tour operators, tourism boards, hotels) to really influence and so make money from their buying choices.

This brings the debate back to mobile and how and when should the industry invest. Right now the facts are scary for the online travel industry. US mobile web browsing is growing by more than 60% and UK by over 32%. However travel sites are not benefitting from this. According to m-metrics UK, mobile travel web browsing was growing by a pathetic 4.3% in February this year (I am currently trying to find more recent stats). Travel led the online sector but is lagging woefully behind right now with mobile. My guess is that this application, if pushed will work well. However, whoever starts to use this sort of technology and content and can focus on owning the trust of the traveller will make a heap of money.

To get an idea of where mobile could go take a look at this talk by Takeshi Natsuno, the father of the first, functioning, successful, large-scale wireless internet system, Japan's i-Mode. For us in the rest of the world it’s a bit out there, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Anyone wanting to shout about what they are doing in this space please get in touch. We will be covering this sort of innovation very heavily at a lot of our events in 2010. Call Tim on +44 (0) 207 375 7557

To see more about the Lastminute apps, Topsee and Snaffle, use this information:

topsee

Platforms: iPhone & iPod Touch initially
URL including summary: http://labs.lastminute.com/topsee
Twitter: http://twitter.com/topseelondon
Launched: 17 Nov 2009
Price: Free
Scope: Central London
Availability: Worldwide
Contributors: Around 15 London writers and bloggers now
Business model: Advertising in the app, revenue shared between lastminute.com and contributors
Postings:
1. Intro http://labs.lastminute.com/blog/introducing-topsee-london/
2. Designhttp://labs.lastminute.com/blog/the-design-of-topsee-from-treemaps-to-ca...
3. Launch Party http://labs.lastminute.com/blog/topsee-gets-tipsee-at-the-exclusive-lond...
Videos:
1. that we've made http://www.youtube.com/user/lastminutelabs/c/3A3FEC84BC1E7D1D
2. Talk at CAT conference http://creativity-online.com/news/cat-london-video-marko-balabanovic-the...

snaffle

Platforms: iPhone & iPod Touch initially
URL including summary: http://labs.lastminute.com/snaffle
Twitter: coming soon
Launched: 15 Dec 2009
Price: Free
Scope: Covent Garden (initially)
Availability: Worldwide
Business model: Retailers pay a small fee when their offer is downloaded within a radius of their establishment
Postings:
1. Intro http://labs.lastminute.com/blog/snaffle-a-deal-in-covent-garden/
2.Launch http://labs.lastminute.com/blog/snaffle-launches-today-deals-and-discoun...
Videos:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eLE5BI-6q8