Planz – Start Here. Get Anywhere.
“Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle
An Integrated Travel-Planning App
The world wide web is unparalleled in its usefulness for countless day-to-day needs, from educational research to holiday shopping: all from the comfort of your own home. We are even able to virtually explore the world through others’ stories and breath-taking photos – it’s no surprise economists and sociologists believe the world is shrinking. However, as Vonnegut would surely agree, getting out of the computer chair and onto a plane is the only real way to call oneself a citizen of the world. Planz.com hopes to create globe-trotters out of web-surfers by making travel planning simpler, faster, more exciting, and more streamlined.
Planz.com is a startup based in San Diego, California, which allows users to Explore, Plan, and Book their dream vacations, all on one easy-to-use, share-friendly app. Whether the user wants to customize and book a pre-planned trip created by a seasoned traveler, or build their own itinerary from the ground up, Planz.com is the one-stop shop for all their travel-planning and booking needs.
Explore
Browse hundreds of expertly-created itineraries for locations around the world, from affordable weekend adventures to luxe tropical getaways. Unsure where to go? Search with a simple keyword “honeymoon” and spend your honeyfund in destinations you never knew existed.Plan
Create your own or clone one of our pre-made planz, organize your trip by day and scheduling activities, accommodations, and more. Groups benefit from collaboration features that allow everyone to share ideas and stay on the same page. No more endlessly emailing back and forth.Book
Book flights, hotels, rental cars, and tours, keeping all the important details and reservation numbers safe and accessible. Our partnerships with Priceline, Booking and Agoda gives us vast access to inventory around the globe along with world-class customer service.Share
All travelers in a group can upload photos and videos to their planz, so memories of an epic vacation are all in one place – no more begging for copies! From there, choose what you’d like to share on social media and let friends and family in on the adventure.The Opportunity
As travel becomes more accessible and desirable to everyday, average people, the web is an invaluable source of information on the where, the when, and the how of destination vacations. Whether it’s a family looking for a great Spring Break itinerary to Orlando, or wanderlust-filled college grad looking for an inexpensive backpacking excursion to Vietnam, Planz hopes to offer a simple, immersive way to discover, plan, and book the trip of a lifetime.
Problem: Conflicting Advice
When searching for a destination, potential travelers are presented with a wealth of information – much of which contradicts itself. One itinerary says a side trip is NECESSARY, another says it’s “overrated, overpriced, and a waste of time.”
The Solution
Planz uses a unique approach that combines curation, automation and collaboration. First, travel professionals around the world create and review travel ideas such as accommodations, activities, events, dining and nightlife. Next, the Planz technology automatically creates a customized itinerary based on the user’s parameters (theme, location, budget, schedule etc.). Algorithms are used to organize the most efficient daily schedules and transportation between activities. Finally, users can collaborate with fellow travelers and solicit feedback from friends who have traveled recently, originally from or currently live in the destination to make sure there’s nothing missing.
Problem: Scattered Booking Methods
Kayak. Priceline. Multiple tour provider sites. Planning a trip from the comfort of your home is a great benefit of the web, however it’s easy to lose track of flight confirmations, booking numbers, and hotel check in dates.
The Solution
Planz is an integrated system combining flights, hotels, tours, and more. Instead of the different aspects of your trip all over the web, Planz creates a one-stop shop for all booking, making it easy to organize and keep track of all the information you need.
Problem: Group Travel Issues
Disagreement is natural within a group of travelers. Sarah may want to see the historical side of Peru, but Craig is all about the ziplining. Mike wants to take a day trip from Athens to Santorini, but Sam doesn’t know if they’ll have the time. How does a group collaborate on an itinerary when they may live hundred of miles apart?
The Solution
By allowing multiple travelers to work on an itinerary at once, a group can submit ideas, collaborate on itineraries, and compromise on a trip that everyone can agree on.
Problem: Scarce Connectivity
There are many sites and apps out there that can help a traveler plan and organize their trip. What happens, however, when the user is away from Wifi and 4G? They are unable to access the important information they need at the time they need it most.
The Solution
Available offline mode. By easily downloading planz in the Planz app, travelers can have access to all their travel information, from confirmation numbers to addresses and check-times, without the need for an internet connection.
User Acquisition
Organic Social Media
Creating and sharing original content on various social media channels.
Organic Growth
Encouraging users to invite their friends and share the content that inspired them most.
PR
Story placements in top newspapers, magazines and blogs with a focus on passion categories like tech, entrepreneurship, travel and sports. Also feature stories of how the app helped people persevere and ultimately improve their lives.
App Store
We have a strong focus on being featured as a top app in the app store and acquiring great reviews.
Social Media Ads
Running Facebook ads for content such as “The Ultimate Spring Break Trip for Wanderlusting College Grads!” will be a targeted gateway for users to download our app. The click-through-rate is extremely high for content like that and we can buy clicks for as little as $0.01. CPM buys for sponsored content has the potential to go viral and it will help us gain active, engaged users quickly and inexpensively. Those users will also become advocates of the app and share it with friends.
Online Ad Campaign
Via Ad Networks
Revenue Sources
Booking Revenue
Partnerships with Travel, Event and Tour booking engines allow users to book directly on Planz. The convenience, competitive pricing and value-added features will persuade users to consider booking with Planz over their existing OTA’s and booking engines.
Ad Inventory
Advertisers know that relevance is gold, especially when ads become part of the user experience in a POSITIVE way. Imagine a direct response campaign targeting “consumer intent” with a built-in call-to-action. Our users are looking for ideas to add to their itineraries – enough said!
Sponsored deals (e-mailers, flash offers in app, etc.)
In-app purchases
Market Size and Growth
- Concierge industry growth 2012 – 2017 20%
- Travel ad spending in digital media growth 2013 – 2017 48%
- Total travel sales growth 2010 – 2016 31%
- Online travel sales percent growth 2010 – 2016 69%
Travel ad spending in paid digital media
“The US travel industry’s advertising spending in paid digital media will hit $3.35 billion in 2013 and will rise to $4.96 billion by 2017.” Via eMarketer
Concierge Industry
“IBIS expects the concierge industry to see an uptick, with annual revenue projected to grow from $220 million in 2012 to $264 million by 2017. As of 2013, the industry continues to increase at an annual five-year growth rate of 3.2% to 658 total companies. ” Via BidnessEtc.com
Total Travel Sales
Total travel sales reached $860 billion in 2010, with an expected growth to $1.13 trillion in 2016. Via eMarketer
Online Travel Sales
“Online travel sales worldwide are expected to grow from $309 billion in 2010 to $523 billion dollars by 2016.” Barclays Capital Equity Research via eMarketer.com.