The rapid development of the industry in China has established ‘travel’ as an import indication of lifestyle, and as such, one of the hottest topics on mainstream social media. So naturally, social media is playing an increasingly important role in the way we access travel information and share experience. And so, CIC and GroupM Knowledge collaborate once again to develop an industry watch of the travel category in China. This IWOM Watch will analyze the latest social content to provide a view of the consumers, culture and community that make up the travel category. Looking ahead, this special edition of IWOM Watch will form part of a 2012 Travel Whitepaper, which will be released in the second half of the year. This edition sets the foundation, serving as a source of reference for brands’ seeking to create effective marketing strategy.

1. IWOM WATCH
特
网论观察 2012
网络口碑趋势观察1月特辑
IWOM Watch
微博与刊
Special Edition: Travel
IWOM WATCH
© 2010 CIC
© 2010 CIC 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition IWOM WATCH

2. Preface IWOM WATCH
The rapid development of the industry in China has established ‘travel’ as an import indication of
lifestyle, and as such, one of the hottest topics on mainstream social media. So naturally, social
media is playing an increasingly important role in the way we access travel information and share
experience.
And so, CIC and GroupM Knowledge collaborate once again to develop an industry watch of the
travel category in China. This IWOM Watch will analyze the latest social content to provide a view of
the consumers, culture and community that make up the travel category.
Looking ahead, this special edition of IWOM Watch will form part of a 2012 Travel Whitepaper,
which will be released in the second half of the year. This edition sets the foundation, serving as a
source of reference for brands’ seeking to create effective marketing strategy.
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 2

3. About IWOM watch
A guide to Internet Word of Mouth
CIC L-K-P FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING SENSE OF THE BUZZ
Listen听 Know识 Participate融
Topic E-Culture Communication
Listen to the buzz Know the culture Participate in the
and find out and context of the conversation.
what’s hot online. internet
community.
* CIC-LKP Model, Defined by Daisy Zhang, 2007 Feb. For more on this definition, see our blogs here (EN) and here (CN)
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 3

4. IWOM WATCH
Table of Contents
1. General Overview
2. People Who Are Into Traveling
3. Hot Topics in the Travel Category
4. Net Culture in the Travel Category
5. Travel e-Community Overview
6. KOLs of the Travel Category
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 4

5. Methodology IWOM WATCH
Research Methodology
• With GroupM Knowledge conducting deep analysis of the online travel category in China, this collaborative
IWOM Watch on the Travel Category gives an overview of the travel market in China, along with a focus on the
various types of travel site, consumers’ online preferences, the culture and the hot topics.
• CIC monitored travelers’ content across China’s social media platforms, with particular attention to travel
related BBS sites and Sina Weibo.
Data Source
• GroupM Knowledge provided macro travel industry data and survey results on consumer’s travel attitudes
(for example, a survey about lifestyle and preferred information channel).
• CIC’s Travel BBS Panel collected a total of 8.9 million messages in 2011; the panel is made up of sites, including
hot travel communities like Ctrip Lvping (驴评网), Tianya (天涯), Go2eu (穷游网), Liba (篱笆论坛),
DoYouHike(磨坊), 8264.com(户外资料网), etc.
• CIC collected 700+ random samples of Sina Weibo accounts tagged with “travel”
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 5

6. Data Collection IWOM WATCH
CIC Travel Panel Buzz Volume Ranking By Site
2,340,521 1,429,884 1,298,508 999,316 930,036 592,590 258,412 219,738 212,373 204,986
8264.com Tianya Liba DoYouHike Go2eu Sohu Netease Lvping Tieba Sina
(户外资料网) (天涯) (篱笆) (磨房) (穷游) Travel Travel (驴评) (百度贴吧) Travel
118,140 98,910 68,858 58,795 45,718 30,695 26,128 21,356 13,042
KDS Lotour Rednet Tuniu Lvmama Elong Qianlong MangoCity Uzai
(宽带山) (乐途) (红网) (途牛) (驴妈妈) (艺龙) (千龙) (芒果) (悠哉)
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 6

7. IWOM WATCH
General Overview
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 7

8. China’s Travel Industry Growth Trend
China’s Travel industry has seen stable growth year on year. This rapid yet sustained, development looks set to continue
with the strong momentum of e-travel.
Volume Trend of Travel Industry, 2008 - 2011
2.0 Trillion RMB
1.60
1.5 1.44
1.29
1.16
1.0
0.5
0.0
2008 2009 2010 2011e
Source: data from National Tourism Administration, provided by GroupM Knowledge
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 8

9. Travel Category Buzz Trend
Travel category buzz climbed from July, as people swapped some annual leave for a summer vacation. The buzz peak
was reached in October and remained high throughout Q4 thanks to the 7-day-long National Day holiday and Christmas
season.
Buzz Volume Trend of Travel Category Sample Quotes
Taking National 『结伴同游』十一月上旬于南斱向戒者海南
and Christmas 斱向 // Looking for a travelling companion in
Usually, people holidays for trips November for a trip to Yunnan or Hainan Link
1,200,000 take annual leave
1,000,000 for summer 10.16日出发走香格里拉环线，四姑娘山.稻
vacation 城亚丁.梅里.香格里拉.丽江
800,000 // Circle line around Shangri-La. Set off on Oct
16th Link
600,000
12.19-12.22香港四日购物休闰游 // 4-day-
400,000 long Hong Kong leisure and shopping travel
during 19th -22nd ,Dec Link
200,000
7月山花烂漫，年宝玉则南北穹越攻略&PP //
0 Hiking in Nianyubaoze Snow Mountain in July.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Link
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, Yr.2011
Source: CIC
Photo: http://bbs.liba.com/t_445_6168867_1.htm
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 9

10. Traveler’s Online Journey
Before Travel In Travel After Travel
Making inquiries and looking for Sharing your experience and Writing reviews, reflecting on your
information, like travel plans and tips; emotions in real-time, with status travel experience (攻略) and sharing it
booking flights and hotels; finding a updates and photos. with other netizens.
travel companion, etc
Sample Quotes: Sample Quotes: Sample Quotes:
求给位推荐个北京-纽约的直航合理价 加勒比海的上穸// Over the Caribbean. 罗马详细旅游攻略（交通，住宿，线
位// I’m looking for a reasonable price to Link 路，景点，美食,丌断更新中）// A
fly from Beijing directly to New York, any detailed travel experience in Rome,
suggestions? Link 在阿根廷的第一天，圣诞节的大餐， including hotels, transportation, plans,
阿根廷著名的美酒和牛肉// My first day viewpoints, food, updates. Link
11月下旬法国巳黎求同游// I want to in Argentina, Christmas dinner, with wine
find travel some companions. Link and good beef. Link 奢华蜜月，穷游巳厘—2011年10月巳
厘岛最新攻略// My luxurious
#新奥尔良游# 早餐，来一份甜甜圈 honeymoon in Bali, in October, 2011,
德国签证成功, 晒行程计划// My 吧。新奥尔良的Cafe de Monde // My
German Visa passed, shai the plan. Link breakfast in New Orleans, donuts. Link with attached photos. Link
Source: CIC Travel Panel
Image Source: http://bbs.go2eu.com
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 10

11. IWOM WATCH
People Who Are Into Traveling
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 11

12. Lifestyle Analysis
Sports and cultural activities are very important parts in the traveler’s life. In addition, people who love travel tend to
be more energetic, curious and passionate.
Attitude Survey of Traveler’s Lifestyle
I do exercises more than once a week 59.6%
I'd like to get touched with nature 58.8%
I'd like to travel to different places 52.6%
I'd love to travel abroad 48.3%
I have interests in different culture 47.0%
I'd like to treat guests at home 45.8%
Music is important in my life 43.1%
I love to travel to places away from inhabited area 41.8%
I'm interested in arts 41.6%
I love cooking 40.7%
I spend lots of time in entertainment 38.6%
I have diversified interests 37.4%
I'd like to watch movies in cinema 28.0%
Base: 40,475 respondents
Source: GroupM Knowledge, CNRS 2011 [2011.1-2011.6]
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 12

13. Weibo Tag Analysis
Music, Movies, Fashion, Food, Photography and Sports are hot tags amongst netizens who are also into traveling.
That is, the co-mention incidence between travel and these other interests, which can be leveraged as a touching
point for marketing activities.
Incidence ranking of Weibo tags co-mentioned with Travel Travel fans sample tag
Music 33.1% link link
Movies 27.9%
Fashion 27.3%
Food 27.3%
link link
Photography 19.5%
Sports 12.4%
Base: samples of 788 netizens who tagged Travel on Weibo
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 13

14. How People Get Exposed to Travel Information
Generally, friends’ recommendation and television are the top two channels for travel information. Besides those,
newspapers, magazines and the Internet are also important media for travel consumers.
Survey on Information Channel of Travel
Friends' Recommendation 28.9%
Television 26.9%
Newspaper & Magazine 14.1%
Internet 9.5%
Outdoor billboard 6.2%
Radio 0.4%
Others 4.6%
Base: 40,475 respondents
Source: GroupM Knowledge, CNRS 2011 [2011.1-2011.6]
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 14

15. Top Buzzed Travel Related Media
According to netizens’ IWOM, professional travel magazines (e.g. Lonely Planet) and specialized travel related TV
channels are favored by China’s netizens. In addition to that though, user-generated content like Qiongyou Cityguide
(穷游锦囊) also resonates well with netizens.
Top Buzzed Travel Related Media by Netizen
Lonely Planet
7,201
《孤独星球》旅行指南
Chinese National Geography
1,620
《中国国家地理》
The Travel Channel
1,243
旅游卫视
Qiongyou Cityguide
385
穷游锦囊
Travelling Scope
249
《旅游天地》杂志
Traveler
173
《时尚旅游》杂志
Travel+Leisure
42
《私家地理》/《悦旅》杂志 Sample quote: 勇敢闯关~一个人的埃及十五天旅行~ ：LONELY
PLANET被讣为是旅游埃及的圣经 /// 15 days travel in Egypt:
Unit: Post Lonely Planet is considered the travel bible of Egypt. Link
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 15

16. IWOM WATCH
Hot Topics in the Travel Category
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 16

17. What
Hot Content in the Travel Category
Travel tips and transportation were the most buzzed topics.
1. Travel journey / Tips
• 厦门景点:鼓浪屿,莲花江头一带园博苑夜景 // Introduction to a scenic sport in Xia Men Link
2. Transportation
• 北京-马德里 直飞 往返 6K多，是大便宜么？// Beijing to Madrid, direct: 6,000 RMB return, is that a great
deal? Link
3. Accommodation / Hotel
• booking上定的酒店，到时候支付的卡必须是现在预定用的卡吗// I booked a room with Booking, do I
need to pay using a booking credit? Link
4. Entertainment / Food / Shopping
• 食在厦门:林氏鱼丸值得推荐，鼓浪屿泉州路54号，特别是汤是用那的井水渚的很鲜// Regarding the eating
in Xia Men, there’re lots of worthy recommendations Link
5. Others (e.g. Material Preparation)
• 网友签证信息、经验汇总(非申根类)// Visa application information and experience sharing. Link
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 17

18. Travelers Segmentation (by Travel Categories)
Leisure Tour (休闲游) Outdoor Travel (户外) Shopping Trip (购物游) Memorial Trip (纪念游)
Buzz: Buzz : Buzz : Buzz :
0.2 million 0.1 million
5 million 3 million Unit: Post
Commonly talk about Including hiking, diving, People with a very clear and Honeymoons and post-
motivations for travel. It used to mountain-climbing and some specific objective (i.e. shopping) graduation trips are the
be package tours by agencies to other outdoor exploration, now talk about this kind of trip. most common in the
popular resorts (e.g. Thailand, adventure travel has grown up Shopping destinations like Hong memorable trip category.
Hainan, etc). Now, self-guided rapidly as people focus more on Kong, Japan and some European Given the special meaning of
touring (自由行) is becoming an self-fulfillment and the concept countries are the most buzzed. this kind of travel, it’s
increasingly trend in leisure of travel becomes more So, it’s often associated with developed into a particularly
touring. sophisticated. overseas purchase (代购) important category in the
market
Sample quote: Sample quote:
记录云南的户外生活：徒步， Sample quote: Sample quote:
穿越南太平洋新西兰南北岛11日
骑行，自驾// My outdoor life in 香港澳门纯美食+购物// My 马尔代夫蜜月游记-Anantara Dhigu
跟团休闲之旅全记录// My leisure shopping tour in HK and Macao.
Yunnan, such as cycling, driving 6天4夜自由行// My honeymoon in
travel : package tour in New
tour. Link Link Maldives. Link
Zealand. Link
Base: total 8.9 million posts collected in CIC Travel Panel, 2011 Image Source：Leisure Tour http://goo.gl/HMEQj ； Shopping Tour:
http://goo.gl/alAZ9 ; Outdoor Travel: http://goo.gl/WNQ5Y ;
Note: buzz volume of business trip is less than 20,000 in CIC Travel Panel Memorial Trip: http://goo.gl/83fyg
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 18

19. Shopping Tour Vs. Outdoor Travel
Shopping Tour Outdoor Travel
最近的汇率太划算，一起去的
Preview & 团友里又有N个购物狂，买起 纪念我的第一个8000米人生：马
来根本收不了手。一共扛了9 纳斯鲁manaslu（8163米）攀登手
Sample quotes
个大包，7个钱包，三块手表 记 Link // This is to celebrate my
还有鞋子什么的回来，J12和 first reach to 8000 metres above
蓝气球都入手了，开心啊！ sea level in Manaslu.
Link // The exchange rate is very
good. We just can’t stop
shopping. So happy!
• More spiritual
Motivation • Materialistic
• Shopping • Explore, exercise, seek new experience
Profile • Most are women • Generally, more men than women
Content & Culture • Show off or “shai” shopping • Share experience and ‘inner feelings’
achievements
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 19

20. Hot Buzzed Travel Destination - Domestic
Top 10 Buzzed Domestic Destinations Hainan is the most popular spot for domestic honeymoon and leisure
touring. In recent years, shopping tours have become popular in
Hainan 203,455
Hainan due to the duty-free policy.
Tibet 143,764 Quotes:
Yunnan 140,050
新婚海南浪漫蜜月之旅-9天8晚深度蜜月，海量图片倾情放送！// 9
days honey moon in Hainan. Many photos! Link
Sichuan 120,881
海南离岛免税购物5月试点 每人次限购5000元 // Hainan offshore
Shanghai 120,431 duty-free policy will begin in May. 5000RMB purchasing cap per capita
Hong Kong 117,482
1
Link
Beijing 111,838 Tibet is the favorite destination for hiking and self-driving tours.
Fujian 58,084 Quotes:
甘南寻花，西藏追于－－32天的盛夏漫游 // 32 days hiking in Tibet
Zhejiang 50,162
Link
Shandong 45,355 西藏阿里（珠峰、冈仁波齐、玛旁雍错、古格王朝等）23日自驾摄影
线路攻略 // 23 days Self-driving journey in Tibet. Link
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://bbs.liba.com/t_445_6168867_1.htm
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 20

21. Hot Buzzed Travel Destination - Overseas
Top 10 Buzzed Overseas Destination Sample Quotes:
【♥ ♡ 蹭来的蜜月♡ ♥】2011年春节美国西海岸自驾
United States 110,828
游（2.3~17） // USA west coast self-driving honey
Thailand 85,297
moon. Link
Japan 75,873
Italy 54,587 春节后休闰之旅-老挝，泰国。 // Leisure tour to
Australia 49,167 Laos and Thailand after CNY. Link
South Korea 41,207 1
France 39,995 四女一男日本六天全景游,快乐地购物 // 4 girls and 1 boy in
Japan, 6 days shopping tour. Link
New Zealand 39,040
German 38,829
United Kingdom 30,049
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://bbs.liba.com/t_445_6168867_1.htm
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 21

22. Shopping Tour Buzz Trend
Buzz about luxury brand shopping tours reached peak in October and December due to the shopping trips people
made during the 7-day National Day holiday and over the Christmas season.
Sample Quotes:
Buzz Trends of Luxury Shopping Tour
秋 巴黎,普罗旺斯,蔚蓝海岸,LV、打折村购物—15日蜜月游 //
230,178 15-day honey moon to Paris, Provence; LV and other
discounts in autumn. Link
187,021
146,024 146,769 紧急求助 意大利的卡地亚香奈儿迪奥和法国的价格差的多
116,359
107,730 1 吗？// Need urgent help! How’s the price of Cartier, Chanel
and Dior in Italy compared with the price in France? Link
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, Jul-Dec, 2011
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://goo.gl/LlWef
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 22

23. Luxury Brands & Shop Destination Mentioned in Shopping Tour
Louis Vuitton is the most talked about luxury brand in relation to shopping tours. While Hong Kong “the shopping
heaven” is the most buzzed luxury shopping destination.
Top 10 Buzzed Luxury Brands Top Buzzed Shopping Destinations
In Shopping Tour For The Top 10 Luxury Brands
Louis Vuitton 5,130 Hong Kong 1,518
Gucci 2,015 United States 1,052
Chanel 2,001 Italy 844
Dior 1,646 France 675
Prada 1,316 Japan 584
Coach 1,140
1 United Kingdom 389
Burberry 985 S. Korea 370
Armani 810 Macau 209
Hermes 713 Hainan 183
Cartier 606 Spain 173
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, Jul-Dec, 2011
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://goo.gl/LlWef
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 23

24. Hotel Brands Buzz Ranking
In terms of luxurious hotels, Marriott and Hilton are the most buzzed brands. In budget hotels, YHA (国际青旅) is
most buzzed due to emerging budget travel trend. People share travel tips and find travelling companions there.
Luxurious Hotel Brands Buzz Ranking Economic Hotel Brands Buzz Ranking
Sheraton(喜来登) 6,432 YHA(国际青年旅舍) 4,911
Marriott(万豪) 2,166 Holiday Express(快捷假日) 3,610
Hilton(希尔顿) 2,019 Rujia(如家) 2,640
1
Westin(威斯汀) 1,721 Jinjiang Inns(锦江之星) 2,066
Ibis(宜必思) 966 Hanting(汉庭) 842
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://goo.gl/1bzGj
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 24

25. Outdoor Equipment Brands Buzz Ranking
The right equipment is essential for activities in the great outdoors, so equipment brands are one of the hottest
topics in outdoor communities. Arc`teryx(始祖鸟), The North Face, Marmot(土拨鼠) and Columbia are the most
buzzed brands.
Outdoor Equipment Brands Buzz ranking
Arc `teryx (始祖鸟) 36,030
The North Face 33,445
Marmot (土拨鼠) 29,859
Columbia 25,959
Clarks 17,931
Mammut (猛犸象) 9,608
Timberland 8,428
Nike 6,042
Deuter 4,633
Oakley 3,629
Unit: Post
Base: CIC travel panel, 2011
Data Source: CIC
Image Source: http://goo.gl/QJr8B
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 25

26. IWOM WATCH
Net Culture In Travel Category
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 26

27. Net Culture: Travel Experience Sharing (攻略分享)
Structure of Experience Sharing
• Pre-travel Preparations
(Visa application, air ticket, hotel
reservations, travel plan, etc.)
• Destination specific sharing
1 (Photo sharing of viewpoint,
restaurant, local transportation, etc.)
电梯/Updating Floor
• Cost sharing
(Detailed cost sharing; air fares, hotel
costs and tips about taking
advantage of promotions, etc.)
我的九月，瑞奥之路之瑞士篇--11日游记及经验// My 11 days in Switzerland
and Austria, experience sharing. Link
CIC View
Sharing your travel experience is common behavior upon returning home. Netizens generally share their pre-travel preparations and
expenditure. For more complex and detailed sharing, building floor is becoming typical within the travel category, which makes it
more convenient to deliver a complete introduction to the most interesting destinations.
Building Floor -
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 27

28. Net Culture: Photographing
1
Photos of local scenery Self-shooting Photo spoofing
妙手穸穸的有声有色布拉格// 马来西亚之 city trip// Travel in Fly over the sea Link
My colorful Prague square. Link Malaysia Link
CIC POV
Photography is one of the most important components of travel related content. The traveler likes to shoot photos that record their
experience; increasingly affordable access to better and better equipment, tied to ever more robust social mechanisms for sharing
photos, facilitate this behavior. In addition to this, shots of yourself on holiday are becoming an increasingly popular means of self-
expression, reflecting your lifestyle and status.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 28

29. Net Culture: Net Language / Nick Name
Net Language/ Nick Name Group
Sample Quotes:
驴行 献给驴友---07年8月15日至8月22日巳塞罗纳7日
驴途 游TIPS// My travel experience in Barcelona, and
求捡/捡人 sharing tips with yours. Link
牙牙 1
驴友 一漂亮MM求被捡，地点丌限。// A pretty girl is
to be picked up Link
背包客 穷游
在牙牙已经走了一个月了，malaga是最后一站//
TNF 宿主 She stayed in Spain about one month and Malaga was
LP 沙发客 her last destination in Spain. Link
CIC POV
Nicknames are ever popular in China’s populist net culture and the travel category is no exception. Netizens like to call themselves
“驴友 / 新驴” (“Lǘyou / xīn lǘ”, both essentially, “traveler”), couch surfers and their hosts are “沙发客” and ”宿主” (Shāfā kè
and sùzhǔ). Also, “背包客” and “穷游” (Bèibāo kè and qióngyóu) relate to budget travel and have become popular nicknames in
recent years for travelers using little budget but travelling to lots of destinations. When seeking a travelling companion, netizens
usually use “求捡 / 捡人” (Qiú jiǎn/jiǎn rén). Another type of nick name worth noting are those for destinations, such as “牙牙”
(Yáyá), which refers to “Spain” - 西班牙 (Xībānyá).
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 29

30. Net Culture: Couch Surfing (沙发客)
Douban Couch Surfing Group
“沙发客”顾名思义就是“睡别人的沙
发”。这是表面的意思，其实不一定是睡
沙发，如果主人有空余的房间或床铺，
“沙发客”将会睡得很舒适。如果遇到一
1
位更加好客的主人，甚至会带你游览风景
名胜，遍尝当地美食。当然，在享受这些
的同时，你也要把你家的“沙发”贡献出
来作为交换
一个重庆沙发客的国际客厅 // A couch surfer in Chongqing Link 12.15--16再访巳黎，一个人的巳黎。沙发客。地铁
还有美术馆。 // Lonely Paris. Couch surfing, metro and
杭州沙发长期提供，2012起三年内有效 // Providing couch in
art museum Link
Hangzhuo, available in 3 years since 2012. Link
CIC POV: Couch surfing, already prevalent in western countries, is now starting to become
popular in China. The key concept is inherently social, based on a culture of mutual support
and resource sharing. In this case, accommodation. Couch owners and surfers usually connect
via Go2eu and Doudan. It’s considered the best choice of accommodation for those who want
to do a lot of travelling on a little budget.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 30

31. Net Culture: Live Broadcasting & Seeking for Real-time Help
1
驴友自曝：直播上海—西藏阿里，大北线越野自驾行车游// Live This outdoor live broadcasting was posted on the 12 th of
broadcasting our driving tour: from Shanghai to Tibet. Link August 2011 to Lvmama. It is a record of a driving tour from
求助啊~淘宝租的D10迚水了，现在人在岛上 // Help! D10 Shanghai to Tibet, sharing the specific route. This post
underwater protection shell was leaked. Now I’m on an island. Link generated over 40,600 page views and 804 replies. Link
CIC POV
Live broadcasting from your travels is becoming ever more popular. Netizens share their driving or cycling map and travel plan,
then update route daily, sharing photos of the scenery, advice about the road condition, the food and the accommodation. It’s also
particularly hot on Weibo as netizens are able to quickly and easily share experience via their mobile phone. Looking for real-time
help is also common amongst the travel community. Usually, people will receive support and solutions in a short time.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 31

32. IWOM WATCH
Travel e-Community & Site Overview
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 32

33. Travel e-Community Mapping
Amongst all travel communities (BBS), Tianya boasted most posters; while netizens on 8264.com had the greatest passion to talk.
Travel e-Community IWOM Buzz Mapping
Higher Passion
8264.com
Sohu travel
Liba
DoYouHike Go2eu
Less posters More posters
Sina travel
Netease travel Tianya
Baidu Tieba
Lvping
Lower Passion
Note: Bubble size = number of posts.
Passion measured by Posting Rate (Num of posts per poster)
Axes cross at the average value of posters & passion
Source: CIC Base: CIC Travel Panel, 2011
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 33

34. Vertical Travel Site: Go2Eu (Qiongyou)
Hot Post sharing Link Forums by Destination Other Media Platforms
“我们搭乘廉价航空，也选择豪华游
轮。我们经常出现在青年旅舍，但也
不放过古堡豪宅。穷游是一种态度，
价值观和生活方式——旅途永无穷
尽”
1
#老牛的意大利行记#（二）爱城维罗纳的日不夜// My Go2Eu segments different forums by Go2Eu also leverage other
Italian travel notes : Love the day and night in Verona. Link travel destinations platforms for broadcast
Summary
Sample Quotes of Comments: Go2Eu is a vertical travel site, founded in 2004 by a Chinese
还有@穷游网 论坛里的内容极其丰富，你自己去看吧 // The student in Germany. It includes a BBS, destination tips, a
content of Go2eu is abundant, just have a look. Link weekly magazine (including travel KOL sharing, postcards,
新版的@穷游网 香港锦囊值得重点推介，内有穷游自己绘制的 special destination editions etc.) and a booking service that
实用地图，港铁线路图，常用出行TIPS，和分门别类的景点推 incorporates cooperating agencies (e.g. booking.com). In
介//The HK tips of Go2eu are practical, including HK map, addition, Go2Eu has accounts on different social platforms
transportation map, tourist spot introductions, etc. Link in order to promote its website. They receive a lot of
positive feedback, particularly for the abundance and high
Source: CIC
quality of experience sharing posts.
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 34

35. Online Ticket/Hotel Information Search & Booking Site: Qunar
Link Flight tickets & Hotel Booking Group Buying
1
Qunar provides low cost domestic & Qunar provides low cost domestic & Besides, Qunar also has a
international flight tickets. overseas hotel booking as well. group buying channel for
tickets and hotels.
Summary
Sample Quotes of Comments:
Founded in 2005, Qunar is an online ticket
去哪儿网夜销真靠谱，酒店丌错，价格便宜// / hotel booking site which aggregates ticket
Qunar hotel booking is reliable. The hotel is good and hotel information from various
with a low price. Link channels with the aim of providing netizens
去哪儿网，网上订机票又出问题了 // Qunar the best price. Since July of 2011, Qunar
flight ticket booking system is encountering has overtaken Ctrip(携程) in terms of Daily
problems again. Link Reach, to become the no.1 ticket booking
site in China.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 35

36. Group Purchase / Commerce Site: Lvmama
Link
Positive Comments
元旦照例温泉，就近。驴妈妈旅游
网 上的价格还是很给力的// My
leisure trip of hot spring, the price
provided by lvmama is good . Link
驴妈妈的产品丌错的说~// Good
1 products. Link
Negative Comments
想在温泉度假村里住一个晚上而已，
没有房闱了你就显示订满丌就得了，
还写个充足，结果全给我退回来了// I
want to order one night, the website
shows lots of rooms were available, but
actually no room. Link
Summary
Lvmama, founded in 2008, is a leading B2C group purchase travel site in China. It provides a service to independent travelers,
including discount attraction tickets, hotel discounts, short trip discounts and so on. Also, Lvmama has its own BBS forums and Weibo
accounts to build engagement with consumers. Lvmama is generally perceived as providing good discounts and a wide variety of
travel products. However, the website booking actually caused complaint amongst consumers.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 36

37. Travel Comment Site: Lvping
Link
Search comments for hotel, attractions, sharing post, Q&A Ranking by comments
1
Real Time Updates Summary
Lvping is a travel comment site, a franchized by Ctrip. It provides a platform
for netizens to share comments about, “where to go, what interesting things
三亚亚龙湾铂尔曼度假酒店照 happen there and which hotel is best”. In addition, it has a Q&A section,
片 - 酒店与属海滩，距离酒店 organizing netizens’ frequently asked questions by destination or by topic.
有点进// The beach of Pullman Furthermore, netizens can share their current status and leave comments on
hotel in the Sanya. Link Lvping and other social media platforms (e.g. Sina Weibo) in real-time.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 37

38. The Role of Travel e-Community & Site in Traveler’s Online Journey
Before Travel In Travel After Travel
Vertical Travel Site (e.g. Go2eu) Vertical Travel Site Vertical Travel Site
Inquire about travel plans & tips; Seek real-time support; make live Share travel experience , photos
Seek travel companions broadcasts from outdoor activities & tips
Travel Comment Site (e.g. Lvping) Weibo Travel Comment Site
Check comments about travel Instant travel journal, complete Post comments on travel
hotspots, hotels and so on with photo sharing hotspots, hotels and so on
Group Purchase / Commerce Site: Jiepang(街旁) Weibo
(e.g. Lvmama) Location & trip/offline sharing Experience and photo sharing
Group purchase travel packages
Online Ticket/Hotel Information
Search & Booking Site (e.g. Qunar)
Book flight tickets and hotels
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 38

39. IWOM WATCH
KOLs in the Travel Category
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 39

40. Social Network Analysis for Online Travel Community
KOLs play an important role in the online travel community, especially the pro-travelers, the grass-roots travel Daren, and some forum
admin (aka Banzhu), post very actively and build a sound reputation and position of authority in the community.
Case Study of SNA 8264.com
Note:
• Red dots represent KOL; blue dots
represent active member in the
community;
• The line represents conversation
represents the conversations between
netizens.
• The bigger the dot is, the more posts the
netizen generates.
Source: CIC Base: 244,359 posts from 8264.com in Oct.2011.
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 40

41. Travel Category KOL: Pro-traveller
背包客小鹏 Published Books Travel Tour Online Behavior
Photo Sharing
【加纳利群岛（七）】这里的于像雪
一样// Canary Islands 7: beautiful
clouds. Link
Q&A
Question:西班牙有哪些让人留恋的小
1 镇啊// What are impressive Spanish
town? Link
Answer:我个人很喜欢南部的龙达，
Professional Traveler Published three books 纯白色的小镇// Personally, I like the
10 years travel experience “Pack Europe”, “Over white town called Ronda. Link
Travel columnist Lotus” and “10 Years In Travel Real-time Updating
123,288 followers on Sina Weibo Backpacker” 在亚龙湾的喜来登，真是步步惊莲
Over 23 million visits on Sina Blog List of 10 years’ travel
啊！ // Lots of louts in Sheraton. Link
destinations
CIC POV
Pro-Traveler is a professional in the travel category. Normally, they’ll have significant influence on social media, publish books, or
work as travel columnist. Sharing photos of destinations is their characteristic behavior. In addition, Q&A and real-time, on the
spot updates are other two tactics that build interaction with netizens.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 41

42. Travel Category KOL: Grass-root Daren
谢谢和菜菜为爱走天涯 Published Book Online Behavior
Travel Experience Sharing
[攻略游记] 踏出梦想第一步:一个菜鸟的亚洲18国记// My
travel dream begins with the 18 Asian countries. Link
Q&A
Question: 请问二位~~~墨西哥安全吗// Is Mexico safe?.
1
Answer:感觉丌会，到哪个国家都会有风险，凡事尽量小心
才是// It’s not that bad, but you need be careful when
traveling. Link
Spend 40,000 RMB and travel 18 Publish one book
countries. called “走吧，为了 In Travel Real-time Updating
44,345 followers on Sina Weibo 爱”(Travel for Love)
16,993 visits on Sina Blog 在古巳一个海边小镇吃龙虾// I ate lobster on the beach in
Link
Post on Go2Eu generated 1,322 Cuba. Link
replies, 299,610 page views Link
CIC POV
Grass-roots Daren are another kind of travel efluencer, who visits lots of different destinations. Travel experience sharing is their
main behavior, with lots of detail, like VISA applications, hotel booking guide, and specific destination tips. In addition, budget
travel is a popular behavior amongst Grass-roots Daren and they will share lots of tips about how to get tickets and take
advantage of hotel promotions. They will leverage Q&A and in-travel updates to build interaction with netizens.
Source: CIC
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 42

43. Travel Category KOL: Travel Organizer
一个人的天空 Online Behavior
Organizing Offline Event Travel Experience Sharing Knowledge Sharing
1
自己随性的一个冲动，没成 [攻略游记] 一个人的海岸线 排汗袜子最好是COOLMAX
Banzhu of Go2eu Outdoor 想竟然促成了这次小规模大 - 八月 Ibiza // My costal trip 料的，配合GORE-TEX鞋
Travel, 10+ countries in Europe 意义的私聚// Our small group in Ibiza in August. Link 穹，可排脚汗，冬天可防冻
gathering. Link 伤// My socks are Coolmax
Posted 89 posts since 2006 on
and paired with Gore-Tex.
Go2Eu
Link
CIC View
Travel Organizers are popular in the outdoor communities. They typically organize offline events, from skiing to partying. In addition,
knowledge sharing about outdoor equipment is another key behavior; choose equipment, share feedback, and sometimes set “home
work” (作业贴) They also share travel experience and leverage Q&A to build interaction with other netizens.
Source: CIC
Image Source: http://bbs.go2eu.com
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 43

44. About GroupM Knowledge IWOM WATCH
About GroupM China
GroupM is WPP’s consolidated media investment management operation, serving as the parent company to
agencies including Maxus, MEC, MediaCom, and Mindshare.
GroupM is the global number one media investment management group.
GroupM employs more than a thousand people in eight cities across China. With total media billings in
excess of USD 4 billion (RECMA: 2010 Definitive), GroupM is China’s top media communications group and
the industry’s biggest investor in syndicated and proprietary media research and optimization tool
development.
About GroupM Knowledge
GroupM Knowledge is GroupM’s think tank and knowledge management arm in China. This unit is responsible
for industry-wide thought leadership research, exploring issues affecting the media industry in China; working
with syndicated research suppliers, and managing the Group’s proprietary tools, research and systems. The unit
also manages a media consultancy, advising clients with specific media research requirements.
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 44

45. Contact us IWOM WATCH
Shanghai
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Tel: 021-2405-1293/94
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IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 45

46. About CIC IWOM WATCH
CIC is China's leading social business intelligence provider. CIC enables businesses to fully leverage the power of social media and
(Internet Word of Mouth) IWOM intelligence across the organization. Since coining the term IWOM in 2004, CIC has pioneered the
industry to help companies meet their social media marketing and social business needs by providing customized research, consulting
services, syndicated reports, as well as technical solutions and platforms all via an objective, third party perspective. In addition to
helping companies leverage social media intelligence for more informed decisions, CIC is monetizing the social business industry in China
by creating an integrated social business support system.
CIC utilizes its own patent pending technology to capture millions of online conversations and ‘makes sense of the buzz’ by assembling
them into easy to understand intelligence and provides interpretation which informs strategic decisions and leads to action. CIC gathers
and mines over 100 million naturally occurring consumer comments every month from a range of uniquely Chinese social media
platforms including blogs, BBS and social network sites and applies its unique, China-derived methodology and indexes to provide a
detailed and comprehensive picture of the social media landscape and its implications for business. CIC has well over 3.8 billion mentions
of brands and products from well over 1 billion consumer comments that have been indexed and archived.
In early 2012, as China’s leading social business intelligence provider, CIC consented to acquisition by WPP’s Kantar Media, the media
research and insight division of Kantar, expanding their social offering across Asia Pacific markets. linkage of media release
CIC will continue to provide social business intelligence from an unbiased, third-party perspective, to the world’s leading brands and
agencies.
Copyright Statement
The majority of the pictures and related quotes are from publicly available information.
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 46

47. Contact us IWOM WATCH
Shanghai:
Suite 108, Block A, UDC Innovative Plaza, 125
Jiangsu North Road, Shanghai, China, 200042
Tel: 021 - 5237 3860 | Fax: 021 - 5237 3632
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电话: 010 – 5908 0268 slideshare.net/CIC_China Huaban.com/seeisee
email: info@cicdata.com
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 47

48. CIC IWOM watch archive IWOM WATCH
2012: 2009
IWOM watch Compilation 2011 | view IWOM watch 2nd half year review 2009 | view
IWOM watch 1st half year review 2009 | view
2011:
IWOM watch Special Edition: microblog | view 2008
IWOM watch 2nd half year review 2008 | view
2010: IWOM watch 1st half year review 2008 | view
IWOM watch Special Edition: LBS (Location-based service) | view IWOM watch May Special Edition (Sichuan Earthquake) 2008 | view
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 7) | view
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 6) | view 2007
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 5) | view IWOM watch 2nd half year review 2007 | view
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 4) | view IWOM watch 1st half year review 2007 | view
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 3) | view
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 2) | view 2006
IWOM watch compilations from 2006 to 2010 (part 1) | view IWOM watch 2nd half year review 2006 | view
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition 48

49. Thank you
This report is copyrighted material owned by CIC & GroupM Knowledge. Any
improper use of this document or its content will be considered a violation of CIC &
GroupM Knowledge IP copyright and CIC & GroupM Knowledge has the right to
take legal action.
本研究报告版权归CIC不群邑智库共同所有。任何对本研究报告戒报告中内容的丌当
使用都将视为对CIC不群邑智库知识产权的侵犯，CIC不群邑智库有权诉诸亍法律。
IWOM WATCH 2012 IWOM Watch Travel Special Edition