Ketchup

American Express is launching a travel podcast, with the first episode covering Amsterdam.  The usual info will apply - where to eat, sleep and shop.  What makes this interesting is that whilst the majority of branded podcasts focus on quick hits of infotainment, AmEx are producing 2-3 hour ‘tours’.  City maps can be downloaded and printed to accompany the tour.

This activity is part of an effort by AmEx to increase the number of merchants across Europe, and the clever bit is in featuring these merchants within the tour.  So if you happen to be a gallery that doesn’t use AmEx, you probably won’t turn up on the podcast. 

The activity will also tie in with AmEx’s presence in Second Life, where I would imagine the possibilities for tours could be really enhanced. 

For example, AmEx could create fully experiential islands unique to a podcast tour, with the user/visitor deciding on the route to take based on clues/hints contained within the podcast - much like the old fantasy game books I used to read as a sprog where you decided which page to go to based on the circumstance your character was in.

The idea of podcast travel guides isn’t new, with several variations of a theme (geocaching, straight up travel guides etc) and it’ll be interesting to see how this activity pans out.  Thats not to mention the already competitive market for travel guide companions - Wallpaper in particular do a really nice set.

I think that what AmEx might find is that whilst they are aiming for people who consider themselves ‘cultured’, the same people may be reticent to admit to having to use a travel guide, especially when the content is biased toward certain attractions. It doesn’t really make for a true city experience if a major attraction or hotspot is omitted because it doesn’t use AmEx.