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Brand News: Cuil's not Cool, Bonefish Grill Rocks, RIP Bennigan's/Steak & Ale, comScore's Green, Bad News for STBX

Tue, 07/29/2008 - 23:35 — anne

I sure hope the folks at “Cuil” (pronounced “Cool”) have thick skin. The search engine upstart debuted on Monday to mostly scornful reviews which had to be a little bit of surprise. They must have wondered where all the folks were that had been clamoring for a Google killer.

Cuil says they index 120 billion Web pages (Google says they’re still bigger,) 3x more than any other search engine. And privacy advocates will be pleased that Cuil doesn’t retain personal user information. They’re definitely worth a look. http://www.Cuil.com.
Source: Cuil/PRNewswire

Seafood restaurant brand Bonefish Grill is debuting “Bonefish Grill's NOTES FROM THE ROAD” on August giving viewers a glimpse of life on the road for musicians on tour. Each hour-long episode is shot on location at a Bonefish Grill. Upcoming guests include: 3 Doors Down, Josh Kelley, Gavin DeGraw, Vanessa Carlton, The Bravery, Ben Folds, Jason Mraz and Matisyahu.

Oh, and each episode will include a segment highlighting Ocean Trust, an award-winning ocean conservation foundation that builds science, conservation and industry partnerships for the sustainability of the oceans and provides a link to sustainable fisheries, wildlife and the environment. Nice, integrated green strategy that goes way beyond the predictable. Green or not, who wouldn’t want to tune in?
Image credits: Jason Mraz talks about his career and life on the road during the taping of Bonefish Grill's "Notes from the Road,
Denver. (PRNewsFoto/Bonefish Grill)
Bonefish Grill logo. (PRNewsFoto/Bonefish Grill)
Source: Bonefish Grill/PRNewswire)

Alas, things aren’t  looking quite as sunshiney for other restaurant brands as food and labor costs, bloated market share, high gas prices and anemic consumer spending kick Metromedia to the curb. The company has filed for Chapter 7 and shut down 50 or so Steak and Ale restuarants and 150  Bennigan’s. About 138 domestic and international franchisee-owned restaurants will remain open, and the closures don’t affect Ponderosa and Bonanza restaurants which operate under a different company.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, 7/29/08, (May require Subscription), Bennigan's Franchising Company, L.P.; Steak & Ale Franchising Company, L.P./PRNewswire

Oh please---another brand goes [yawn] green. But wait…it’s not what you think: Researcher comScore is planting $1 million+ trees in developing nations retain Internet users in its global panel. Anything’s better than the “and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win” spiel that many online research companies use to try to draw you in.
comScore Press Release 7/29/08

More bad news from Starbucks. The company is  cutting 1,000 jobs in addition to the 600 store closures announced earlier this month in what AdAge says insiders are calling a “bloodbath.”
AdAge, 7/29/08

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Travel Brands Beware: “Economic Woes Cause Americans to Hit Brakes on Travel”

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 15:00 — anne

Leisure travel expectations off sharply. Staycations on the horizon.

The tourism industry risks being hit with significant declines in leisure travel volume and spending according to the findings of Destination Analysts' bi-annual The State of the American Traveler survey released today. The survey of 1,000 American leisure travelers shows that 45.8% expect to reduce the number of leisure trips they will take in the coming year in direct response to the overall economic climate. General travel spending expectations are also depressed, with 29.8% saying they will spend less for leisure in the next 12 months, a figure that has more than doubled from just six months prior.

In the past 12 months, nearly one-in-four (23.6%) say they have taken a "staycation" -- a vacation spent at home -- in response to gasoline prices. 28.5% of survey respondents said they plan to take a staycation in the next 12 months.

"We expect to see travelers taking fewer leisure trips and visiting destinations that are closer to home. With more than half of travelers saying they will actively look for travel bargains and discounts and another third saying they will visit less expensive destinations, affordability is certain to be top-of-mind. In this climate, destinations, hotels, and others that market to leisure travelers must provide compelling offers that promise and deliver value," says Erin Francis, Managing Partner of Destination Analysts.

The average number of trips the typical American has taken in the past 12 months has already fallen 7.3% to 5.1%. The top impediments to travel continue to be high gasoline prices (57.8%), personal financial reasons (49.5%) and expensive airfare (35.2%). The percentage of survey respondents who have cited these factors as having prevented them from traveling as much as they would have preferred have all grown significantly since the survey was first conducted in July 2006.

A four-page summary report of findings can be found at http://www.destinationanalysts.com/SATSJuly2008.pdf


Source: Destination Analysts/PRNewsire

Trivop

Trivop specializes in producing audiovisual presentations and documentaries on hotels for the Internet that travelers can download and view before they book.  

The company also hosts the videos and distributes them to major video platforms such as Veoh, YouTube, etc.

The French company plans to expand into the U.S. in early 2008.

VibeAgent

VibeAgent.com is a travel social network where travelers can research and book hotel accommodations based on user-generated hotel reviews and metasearch.

Kango

Kango is a travel search service that filters results based on opinions and reviews across 1,000 travel-related sites.

Source: Techcrunch

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