The following is a conversation between one of TravelAI’s founders, John Lyotier, and his custom Chat GPT persona, tweaked towards a helpful agent.
Consider this a peak under the hood on the creation of the TravelAI brand.
| John Asks | ChatGPT Answers |
|---|---|
| You are MarketingGPT, an expert in branding and market concepts. I need you to help me create a branding brief that I can share with my designer to create a logo, website, and brand style guide. We are renaming our company. We already have a name picked out, Travel AI, but I need your help creating the briefing guide. I will upload some files first that talk about some of our historical positioning. These are all still valid, but I have some new concepts to also include. I need you to ask me questions that will help you write a complete briefing document to share with my designer. Before we begin, I need you to clarify your understanding of the assignment. |
Of course! Let’s clarify the scope of the assignment.
From what I understand:
Is this correct? If yes, please go ahead and upload the historical positioning files, and then we can proceed with the questions. If not, please specify any changes or additions you’d like to make. |
| [John uploads historical documents, including a Painted Picture, Company Overview, Four Steps to Better Travel, Opportunity Summary, Blog Posts, and other similar files] | Thank you for sharing this comprehensive overview. The narrative provides significant insights into the journey, vision, and future goals of UpNext Ventures Inc., as well as its relationship to the broader travel industry.
From what I’ve gathered:
Given this information, I can proceed to craft a branding brief for “Travel AI” that encompasses these insights, values, and future goals. Before doing so, I’ll ask a series of questions to ensure we capture the essence of the new brand and its relationship to the broader vision of UpNext Ventures Inc. Shall we continue? |
| Not yet I will upload some more background context. | Of course! Feel free to upload the additional files, and I’ll review them to gather more context. The more information I have, the better equipped I’ll be to create a comprehensive branding brief for “Travel AI”. |
| TL;DNR – Our 6-Point Plan
1. Rebuild the platform & perfect our ‘Franchise’ prototype.1 2. Grow/Secure working capital to provide a runway to scale. 3. Replicate prototype onto a network of complementary brands & offerings. 4. Inject capital into key points of Content>Traveler>Data loop to accelerate growth:
5. Reinvest profits in additional growth and acquisitions of more content, more traffic, and more data. 6. Expand and increase the take rate from the entire traveler wallet, with an initial focus on the $800B accommodations market (of which $200B is spent on guest acquisitions).
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Thank you for providing this succinct yet informative overview. This adds more depth to the understanding of UpNext and its strategic plan moving forward.
From this additional content, I’ve gathered:
Given this comprehensive understanding, we can now move forward with the branding brief for “Travel AI”, ensuring that it aligns with the broader vision and strategy of UpNext. Before we proceed, do you have any more information to share, or shall we dive into crafting the branding brief based on the information provided so far? |
| And finally, there was this thread from today that looked at AI in regard to generating images for fashion and D2C brands. This is 100% on point with what we are doing but in travel. “For the first time in history, large companies are starting to fear a loss in market share. Thanks to AI, small companies are gaining a very real boost. Companies that once indiscriminately threw money at producing content are now being outperformed by typically smaller companies who did one thing— They figured out how to meaningfully implement AI into their creative workflow. Traditional market leaders are at risk of losing their market share. So, who’s the new threat? It’s the small business owner who has effectively integrated AI into their workflow and is producing content at an unprecedented rate! Not only are they pumping out content at an unprecedented rate, they’re also using AI for marketing, validating products before launch, and doubling down on content production & larger companies are starting to feel the burn… Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Tanya Van from @JingDaily , a prominent digital outlet focusing on luxury consumer trends in China. We discussed “The future of generative AI, a $275 billion opportunity” In the interview we cover different types of businesses in this space: 1. VC-backed startups – highly enthusiastic about AI, but are only beginning to implement it now 2. Fortune 500 companies- cautious and slow to adopt new technologies, often due to extensive bureaucracy & There’s a third disrupting everything! And that’s the tech-savvy small/medium-sized business integrating AI into their creative workflows with remarkable speed, encroaching on the market share of larger corporations! Giving them a very real boost If you’re reading this, you’re the exception, not the rule. You’re in a good spot, especially if you own an online business/DTC as there’s no better time to be in this position. So, knowing all this, how can entrepreneurs stay ahead of the AI curve? 1. Get familiar with at least one AI tool. 2. Start playing around with generative AI tools like Midjourney, Dalle, or Stable Diffusion. 3. Take smart risks. 4. Never stop learning. Remember, AI is here to stay. Don’t fear it, embrace it, & act quickly.” |
Based on the comprehensive information provided, I can create a branding brief for “Travel AI” that will serve as a foundation for your branding efforts. Here’s how it looks:
Branding Brief: Travel AI Background & Rationale: The travel industry, like many others, is undergoing a paradigm shift. Traditional market leaders, who once dominated the sector, are now facing stiff competition from smaller entities. The reason? The rapid and effective integration of AI into their business models. The application of AI in content generation, marketing strategies, and product validation has given smaller companies a significant edge. In the travel sector, this innovation can redefine how we experience and plan our journeys. Objective: To create a brand identity for “Travel AI” that resonates with the values of innovation, adaptability, and customer-centricity. The brand should communicate the transformative power of AI in reshaping the travel experience, emphasizing both efficiency and personalization. Target Audience:
Key Messaging:
Tone & Personality:
Competitive Landscape: While many in the travel industry have begun to explore the potential of AI, few have fully integrated it into their core operations. Travel AI aims to lead this frontier, offering solutions that are both advanced and user-friendly. Strategic Recommendations:
Would you like any adjustments or additions to this branding brief? |
| Lots. Why don’t you ask me questions now based on all of the information sent about our target customers, what we are building, etc. that would help you create the branding brief. | Of course! Let’s delve deeper into understanding your brand’s objectives, values, and vision. Here are some questions based on the information you provided:
Your responses to these questions will greatly aid in crafting a more refined and targeted branding brief for “TravelAI”. |
| How about asking one question at a time, and I will type a response? | Absolutely, let’s take it step by step.
Value Proposition: What makes “Travel AI” unique compared to other AI solutions in the market, especially within the travel industry? |
| We have 10 years of transactional data from high-intent visitors who have used our brands to find a place to stay (mostly in short-term rentals). As a meta travel provider, we have access to a diverse network of partners and all their data that allows us to know details across travel sellers. Whereas existing OTAs only have their own data silo, we can go across providers. We consider ourselves an applied AI company. What that means to me is that we are using existing and emerging AI and ML technologies and putting these tools into practice to make travel more efficient and provide travelers with a better experience. Better is more personalized and helps travelers save time and money for better trips. | Understood.
Target Audience: From the information provided, it seems your target audience includes travelers, content creators, and other businesses in the travel domain. Can you provide more granularity on the demographics and psychographics of your primary audience? Specifically, what are their motivations, pain points, and preferences when it comes to travel and using travel platforms? |
| Travelers come to us via search seeking to find accommodation. Most of these users are searching for longtail concepts, be it a certain property or a certain location. We want to personalize their experience and allow them to have a “web of one”. By that, I mean that what is good for one traveler is not necessarily good for the next. Travelers typically come to us prior to booking when they are looking to decide where they are going to go. They want to know they are getting a good price and will create a memorable experience for their family or group. At present, most travelers who visit our websites are English-speaking travelers (with more than 40% of all visitors from the USA). However, we believe that a large part of our opportunity is reaching international travelers, those traveling across borders who may not have as much local choice. Additionally, it is important to note that we view our customers as Online Travel Sellers. These OTAs (Expedia, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.) rely on the traffic that we generate to bring equilibrium to their supply/demand marketplaces. We make money when someone books travel via one of our travel-selling partners. | Thank you for the detailed response.
Content and Value Proposition: Your business leverages the Content>Traveler>Data loop, where content drives travelers, who in turn generate valuable data, which then informs and refines the content. With the vast amount of data and AI capabilities, there’s potential for a highly personalized user experience. How do you envision the AI-driven personalization manifesting on the platform? Specifically, what kind of content or features do you see being tailored to individual users based on their data and preferences? |
| At present, a traveler lands on the exact right property by property name. However, sometimes that property is unavailable and we need to recommend a different, but similar property. Additionally, sometimes a person is interested in a specific building, and while they may have initially been attracted by one unit, they would be better suited for a different property in the same complex. Additionally, we believe that two people may consider the exact same property with a different lens. A family traveling with young children may view a resort differently than a retired couple. One might think the property was “Five Stars- my children could run around the resort freely” while the other might say “Two Stars: There were too many children running around freely”. Knowing the context to provide the right information about the right property at the right time goes to our personalization. Additional functionality in development is using generative AI to customize marketing messages to an audience of one. This includes personalized emails with information about a property, itineraries for the time of year traveling, and more. And finally, we are building a generative content platform that allows the use of LLMs to create content at scale, highly relevant to millions of travelers. We have more than 12 million properties and more than 800,000 locations (including cities, neighborhoods, and points of interest). Through the use of AI technologies, we can create helpful content at scale that couldn’t be done by a human efficiently. | Great insights! Your commitment to hyper-personalization and the use of AI to craft unique experiences for each user is evident.
Branding and Visual Identity: Considering the vast amount of data and the AI-driven personalization, the brand should convey trust, innovation, and a deep understanding of individual needs.
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| I think the brand tone and voice could be one that is lofty and futuristic. It has to be optimistic about how we are helping. It is important to note that consumers will only occasionally work with the brand. Travel AI will be a parent brand. Individual brands (like RentByOwner, Hotala, VacationCottages, Cabinns, Airtrip, and 15 more) will be consumer-facing. These will be powered by Travel AI. | Understood. Given that Travel AI will be the overarching parent brand with individual consumer-facing sub-brands, it’s crucial for Travel AI’s branding to maintain a sense of unity and consistent underlying ethos while allowing flexibility for the sub-brands.
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| Our old brand, Left Travel, had a concept of a ‘Travel Brain’. This Travel Brain consisted of the left side and right side: one side was the analytical and data-driven approach, and the other side relied on the creativity of people and the team. We have good visual branding within our sub-brands today. They all have good consistency, yet stand alone. Each sub-brand speaks to a unique consumer persona. I like the concepts of imagination. Many of our brands have bright colors associated with them and each brand has a distinct anchor color. For example, our BedroomVillas brand is about Luxury and has a lot of blacks and silvers. Meanwhile, our Hotala brand uses neon blues and purples and is about hot deals in hot destinations. On the topic of engaging with AI, I imagine that we will be seeing a shift. In the old world, people would use tools to help them in their tasks. With generative AI, the machine does the work and humans help the machine. My maxim is that “The factory of the future consists of one man and one dog. The man’s job is to feed the dog. The dog’s job is to ensure the man does not touch the machine.” As a company, our team is building the machine that operates this factory of the future. We are helping the machine solve problems and cater to users. | Thank you for expanding on the brand’s background and the vision you have for its future evolution. It offers a clearer picture of where Travel AI stands and where you’d like it to go. Let’s build on this.
Given these points, how would you envision the central message or tagline for Travel AI? Do you have specific inspirations or themes you’d like to be central to the brand’s messaging? |
| I like the idea of the dichotomy of imagination vs. intelligence. If we can soften the machine, that is a good thing. I wonder if, from a visual branding standpoint, it comes down to black and white… almost the white void where the bright color splashes of creativity are the output of the machine? We have some robust analytics and tools that allow our team to have a control room view of all parts of the business. Data-driven decision making. Another core theme of the business is “Operating at Speed and Scale”. Our dashboards need to reflect this as does our imagery. As far as taglines go, I am not sure. | Thank you for the clarification and direction. Let’s refine this further:
Given these refined points, do any of the taglines resonate with you? Or do they spark any new ideas for direction? Would you like to explore any specific visual elements or metaphors further? |
| A prism is a neat metaphor. It goes from a single white beam of light, diffused into many different colors. I like “Where Imagination Meets Insight” and “Imagination, Fueled by Intelligence.” I wonder if we can make it relate back to travel: words like Journey, Voyage, and Exploration. We could draw on assorted space exploration concepts… or “The Future of Travel” | The prism metaphor beautifully captures the essence of taking a singular source (data) and transforming it into a spectrum of colorful possibilities (creative travel solutions).
Building upon the prism metaphor and incorporating travel-related terminology, here are some tagline suggestions:
Given these suggestions, do any resonate or spark further inspiration for the direction you’d like to pursue? |
| Let’s hone in on the spectrum and prism concept. I don’t think we need to be so direct in the words “prism, spectrum, light” etc., but the visual metaphor is a good one. | Certainly! Using the prism and spectrum as a conceptual foundation without directly referencing them, we can craft taglines that evoke the idea of transformation, variety, and exploration.
When you think about your brand’s visual representation, envisioning a simple beam of light (representing data) entering one side and an explosion of color or diverse elements (representing the variety of travel possibilities) emerging from the other could be a powerful symbol. Do any of these directions feel right, or are there specific nuances you’d like to explore further? |
| Yes, that sounds quite good. I like, “One Vision, Infinite Possibilities” | Great choice! “One Vision, Infinite Possibilities” captures the essence of taking a unified data-driven approach and turning it into a myriad of personalized travel experiences for users. It’s both aspirational and indicative of the power behind your platform. |
| That sounds good. Given the above, ask 10 questions about the brand, then answer the questions yourself. An example, “If the brand was a car, what kind of car would it be and why?” | Absolutely! Here are 10 brand-related questions and the corresponding answers based on the branding brief:
1. If the brand were a historical figure, who would it be and why? Answer: Leonardo da Vinci. Just as da Vinci combined science with art, Travel AI fuses data-driven intelligence with the vastness of human imagination, creating masterpieces in the realm of travel. 2. If the brand were a type of music, what genre would it be and why? Answer: Electronica with orchestral elements. The blend of futuristic electronic sounds with classical instruments represents the brand’s innovative AI tech coupled with the timeless human desire to explore. 3. What kind of destination would the brand be? Answer: A futuristic city built amidst untouched nature. It’s where technological marvels coexist with pristine landscapes, echoing the brand’s mission of blending data intelligence with human imagination. 4. If the brand was an animal, what would it be? Answer: Eagle. Soaring high, having a vast perspective, and possessing sharp vision – representing the brand’s overarching view of the travel landscape and its keen insights into individual traveler needs. 5. What book would the brand be? Answer: “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Arthur C. Clarke. It’s a tale of exploration, innovation, and the boundless possibilities of the universe, much like Travel AI’s mission in the travel domain. 6. If the brand were a famous artist, who would it be? Answer: Salvador Dali. His works are a blend of surreal dreamscapes with intricate details, paralleling the brand’s imaginative offerings grounded in data. 7. What kind of beverage would the brand be? Answer: A fusion cocktail. A mix of traditional ingredients with a futuristic twist, offering a unique taste that’s both familiar and novel – just like the brand’s approach to travel experiences. 8. If the brand were a sport, what would it be? Answer: Futuristic drone racing. It’s a sport that’s both cutting-edge and adrenaline-pumping, mirroring the brand’s innovative essence and the excitement of exploration. 9. What movie genre best represents the brand? Answer: Sci-Fi Adventure. Films that take viewers on a journey to unknown realms, driven by advanced tech, and filled with awe-inspiring vistas. It encapsulates the brand’s promise of futuristic, personalized travel adventures. 10. If the brand were a piece of technology, what would it be? Answer: A holographic travel planner. An advanced tool that immerses users in potential travel experiences, letting them feel and decide their journey even before it begins, underpinned by intelligent algorithms. These answers provide creative and vivid imagery of the brand’s essence, encapsulating its mission, vision, and values in diverse domains. |
| What instructions should I give the designer given the above?
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Given the information provided, here’s a comprehensive set of instructions to guide your designer in developing the branding for Travel AI:
Design Brief for Travel AI Branding 1. Brand Overview: Travel AI envisions a future where travel is highly personalized, efficient, and data-driven. Combining the power of artificial intelligence with the creativity of human imagination, Travel AI aims to revolutionize the travel industry. The brand represents a harmonious fusion of technology and creativity, data and imagination, and aims to deliver a “web of one” personalized travel experience. 2. Brand Tone & Voice:
3. Core Themes:
4. Key Visual Elements:
5. Tagline Options:
6. Design Requirements:
7. Applications: Please provide mock-ups of how the branding elements would look in various applications:
8. Points of Inspiration: Look towards brands like Tesla, Adobe, and SpaceX for their innovative, futuristic, and bold branding approaches. While Travel AI is unique, drawing inspiration from these brands can provide a sense of the desired brand positioning. 9. What to Avoid:
10. Final Deliverables:
Please use this brief as a foundational document and adjust according to the specific needs of your project. |
The future is an amazing place.
