Comments on: Lonely Planet – the Tesco of the travel publishing world? http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html Banter between travel writers, travel PRs and travel social media people Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:04:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeremy Head http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html/comment-page-1#comment-505 Jeremy Head Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:38:57 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-the-tesco-of-the-travel-publishing-world.html#comment-505 @Matthew - thanks for your comments - good points. I think Donald sums the debate up really well... although I came at it looking from the LP perspective it's more about the BBC one. What does Britain have a BBC for? But I do think that people will be levelling this accusation at LP forever now... and it's going to be really difficult to counter. And re the licence fee... I personally DON'T think it would be a good thing if (as I suggest by mistake) that every tax payer paid the licence fee. The BBC has quite enough cash swilling around in its coffers already! @ Tim - yes fair point... I guess all companies have to start somewhere relatively small and obscure. But I do see LP as more 'noble' than Tesco and McDonalds. I've used LP and RG guides all over the place and to be honest sometimes one brand is better than the other and sometimes it's the other way round. Although they are published under one brand all guides are to a significant degree dependent on the quality, experience and dedication of the person writing them. @Matthew - thanks for your comments - good points.
I think Donald sums the debate up really well... although I came at it looking from the LP perspective it's more about the BBC one. What does Britain have a BBC for?
But I do think that people will be levelling this accusation at LP forever now... and it's going to be really difficult to counter.
And re the licence fee... I personally DON'T think it would be a good thing if (as I suggest by mistake) that every tax payer paid the licence fee. The BBC has quite enough cash swilling around in its coffers already!
@ Tim - yes fair point... I guess all companies have to start somewhere relatively small and obscure. But I do see LP as more 'noble' than Tesco and McDonalds. I've used LP and RG guides all over the place and to be honest sometimes one brand is better than the other and sometimes it's the other way round. Although they are published under one brand all guides are to a significant degree dependent on the quality, experience and dedication of the person writing them.

]]> By: DonaldS http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html/comment-page-1#comment-504 DonaldS Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:02:32 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-the-tesco-of-the-travel-publishing-world.html#comment-504 Good post. And snap (again): <a href="http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/01/29/bbc-flexing-social-media-muscle-in-the-travel-market/" rel="nofollow">http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/01/29/bbc-flexing-social-media-muscle-in-the-travel-market/</a> Well, sort of. For a whole bunch of reasons, explained in the link above and the one I wrote last year, I think the BBC/LP tieup is wrong. For me it comes down to: what does Britain have a BBC for? Not for steamrollering through an already vibrant, competitive market, that's for sure. I hadn't considered it as much from the LP perspective, and you also make some good points I hadn't considered. I appreciate where Matthew is coming from. LP are a great company; it's just my opinion that where it sits in the market right now gives is a massive unfair advantage. Good post. And snap (again):

http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/01/29/bbc-flexing-social-media-muscle-in-the-travel-market/

Well, sort of. For a whole bunch of reasons, explained in the link above and the one I wrote last year, I think the BBC/LP tieup is wrong. For me it comes down to: what does Britain have a BBC for? Not for steamrollering through an already vibrant, competitive market, that's for sure.

I hadn't considered it as much from the LP perspective, and you also make some good points I hadn't considered. I appreciate where Matthew is coming from. LP are a great company; it's just my opinion that where it sits in the market right now gives is a massive unfair advantage.

]]> By: Tim Russell http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html/comment-page-1#comment-503 Tim Russell Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:05:10 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-the-tesco-of-the-travel-publishing-world.html#comment-503 Jeremy - Tesco began as an East End market stall, McDonalds as a small family-run burger joint, so to imply that Lonely Planet's origins are somehow more humble & noble is incorrect. The only LP book I've read is the Vietnam guide (I live in VN) and it contains so many inaccuracies, hidden jokes by malicious contributors (a fishing village near Vung Tau listed as "Ben Da" for example), and misleading advice (claiming that the Vietnamese will be impressed by business cards with 'John Smith - Backpacker' on them, for god's sake) that it is impossible to take seriously. So in my opinion, tying up with an organisation like the BBC should improve the guides' quality & accuracy, which is currently way behind that of the Rough Guides. Jeremy - Tesco began as an East End market stall, McDonalds as a small family-run burger joint, so to imply that Lonely Planet's origins are somehow more humble & noble is incorrect.

The only LP book I've read is the Vietnam guide (I live in VN) and it contains so many inaccuracies, hidden jokes by malicious contributors (a fishing village near Vung Tau listed as "Ben Da" for example), and misleading advice (claiming that the Vietnamese will be impressed by business cards with 'John Smith - Backpacker' on them, for god's sake) that it is impossible to take seriously. So in my opinion, tying up with an organisation like the BBC should improve the guides' quality & accuracy, which is currently way behind that of the Rough Guides.

]]> By: Stuart http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html/comment-page-1#comment-502 Stuart Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:59:53 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-the-tesco-of-the-travel-publishing-world.html#comment-502 I agree absolutely with your point re the mag being unfair competition to Wanderlust, but I think as #1 says, a lot of the other branding stuff has been out there for a while. I agree absolutely with your point re the mag being unfair competition to Wanderlust, but I think as #1 says, a lot of the other branding stuff has been out there for a while.

]]> By: Matthew Cashmore http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-bbc.html/comment-page-1#comment-501 Matthew Cashmore Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:19:36 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/02/lonely-planet-the-tesco-of-the-travel-publishing-world.html#comment-501 Hi there again :-) Just a couple of things. Lonely Planet has been making TV programmes for years - well before it was bought by BBC WW or even being looked at by BBC WW. Lonely Planet has also been selling it's content to third party operators for years, especially airlines - again well before BBC WW were involved. Lonely Planet has published several magazines around the world at some point or another - well before it was bought by BBC WW. Lonely Planet has produced quite a few co-branded websites with foreign partners and in partnership with travel organisations all over the world - well before it was bought by BBC WW I guess I'm labouring my point - but you see what I'm saying. ... and as far as merchandising goes... there have been t-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks - a whole host of LP branded kit over the years - well before... oh you get my point! And finally, because I'm a stickler for these things. 'every tax payer in the UK' does not pay towards the licence fee - every_household_that owns a device capable of receiving a tv signal pays for a tv licence - which is slightly different - even though it would be wonderful if every tax payer in the UK paid the BBC 125GBP a year - what a rise in money they'd see! However, every tax payer in the UK does support the BBC World Service - which is funded directly from the Foreign Office and not from the Licence Fee. That said, I can see what you're saying and agree on many points - and I can tell you that this thinking is at the core of what LP is doing - but you have to remember that LP has been a commercial company for a very long time - it's been in the game of making cash for quite a while - and just because BBC WW have bought it out - it doesn't mean that it's suddenly going to change it's 'values' as a brand - that remember - is why BBC WW bought it - what would be the point in buying a brand and then de-valuing it? All my thoughts by the way, and not those of my employer... Lonely Planet. Hi there again :-)

Just a couple of things.

Lonely Planet has been making TV programmes for years - well before it was bought by BBC WW or even being looked at by BBC WW.

Lonely Planet has also been selling it's content to third party operators for years, especially airlines - again well before BBC WW were involved.

Lonely Planet has published several magazines around the world at some point or another - well before it was bought by BBC WW.

Lonely Planet has produced quite a few co-branded websites with foreign partners and in partnership with travel organisations all over the world - well before it was bought by BBC WW

I guess I'm labouring my point - but you see what I'm saying.

... and as far as merchandising goes... there have been t-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks - a whole host of LP branded kit over the years - well before... oh you get my point!

And finally, because I'm a stickler for these things. 'every tax payer in the UK' does not pay towards the licence fee - every_household_that owns a device capable of receiving a tv signal pays for a tv licence - which is slightly different - even though it would be wonderful if every tax payer in the UK paid the BBC 125GBP a year - what a rise in money they'd see!

However, every tax payer in the UK does support the BBC World Service - which is funded directly from the Foreign Office and not from the Licence Fee.

That said, I can see what you're saying and agree on many points - and I can tell you that this thinking is at the core of what LP is doing - but you have to remember that LP has been a commercial company for a very long time - it's been in the game of making cash for quite a while - and just because BBC WW have bought it out - it doesn't mean that it's suddenly going to change it's 'values' as a brand - that remember - is why BBC WW bought it - what would be the point in buying a brand and then de-valuing it?

All my thoughts by the way, and not those of my employer... Lonely Planet.

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