Matt
Goldberg recently completed his first 100 days as president and CEO of
Tripadvisor, but he says “people
should be writing a book about the second 100 days because that’s where the
action is.”
The veteran media executive became CEO of the travel information and booking website on July 1. He spoke on Nov. 15 at The Phocuswright Conference in Phoenix.
Goldberg says he looks forward to reimagining
the future of travel – while “putting the consumer at
the heart of everything
we do.”
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Tripadvisor
will continue to provide “trusted guidance” while becoming more immersive and
meeting the traveler wherever they are, Goldberg says. Travelers turn to
Tripadvisor to verify the choices they’re making.
“Ultimately
that trust is still a fundamental part of what our
brand
stands
for.
In the travel space, we’re more trusted
than many of our competitors, including Google. So
we need to reinforce that.”
Tripadvisor
can also enhance the app experience - an area that Viator, one of its brands, has had great success with, according to the CEO.
“What
we're all about is connecting people to experiences that are worth sharing, and
we need to make sure that
our
product experience reflects that as well.”
Right
now Tripadvisor is “in the messy middle” of identifying which areas to strengthen,
which ones to do differently and what to drop completely.
“How
can we engage consumers in a far more meaningful way?” Goldberg says. “Why
would somebody become a member
of
Tripadvisor?
“It’s a little bit jarring to start with, ‘You’re a
member, and we’re going to charge you something right away,’” when people aren’t accustomed to spending money on the site, he adds.
Tripadvisor has a wealth of data about what travelers want, where they
want to go and the kinds of experiences they want to have. The company can make
better use of that data and leverage it to imagine future
commercial opportunities, according to the CEO.
Watch the full discussion with PhocusWire editor in chief
Mitra Sorrells below.
Executive Interview: New Kid on the Block - Tripadvisor - The Phocuswright Conference