The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has recently worked with Google to co-host “Cruise Digital Marketing 2011,” with the goal of analyzing and understanding the impact of the digital world from a marketing perspective with reference to the travel industry.

Questions about effectively reaching customers, analyzing existing data to drive results and differentiating one brand from another were only some of the many subjects discussed during the event, which offered a fresh perspective on technology for the marketing experts in the travel industry and beyond.

“CLIA welcomed this close collaboration as the perfect chance to emphasize the need of understanding the digital world and its continuous changes, not only for the benefit of the cruise industry, but for the entire travel industry as well,” said Christine Duffy, Cruise Lines International Association’s President.

Focusing on topics such as customer loyalty, learning from retail by creating the offline experience online, measurement and attribution of online marketing, the day’s sessions served as an informative analysis of the current digital landscape with examples of success stories from various industries.

Speakers included Jeffrey Hayzlett - former CMO of Kodak, Barry Kirk, Solution VP for Consumer Loyalty – Maritz, Jessica Rodbell, Head of Travel Industry – Google, Christine Duffy, President – CLIA, and Matt DelRe, Head of TV Ads – Google.