Booking.com Hackathon Challenges

I was one of 45 women selected for the first booking.com Hackathon: All Women Edition. As a part of my application, I completed multiple challenges.

Challenge #1 - A/B Test

Brief:

Copywriters at Booking.com drive their own strategy and test their own ideas through A/B experimentation.

Direction:

Pick one area on the Booking.com site (desktop, mobile, or apps). Identify a particular context with impactful copy, and come up with your own A/B test. Include a strong hypothesis for why you’re testing here to provide to the rest of the company. Create several iterations you could test in succession.

Impactful copy to A/B test:

It’s busy in this district on your dates, so prices might be higher than normal.
Tip: Try other districts or different dates if you can

Hypothesis:

Customers will appreciate the suggestions that provide them with tips for better prices. The customer experience will improve if we can help them get a great deal.

A
It’s busy in this district on your dates, so prices might be higher than normal.
Provide customers with other nearby districts that have more availability.

B
It’s busy in this district on the dates you selected. Are your dates flexible?
Provide customers with availability for dates before and after the dates they’ve selected.

Continue to test which tips and suggestions resonate most with customers.


Challenge #2 - Connected Bookers

Brief:

Booking.com for Business offers a stand-alone product for business travellers and companies to manage their accommodation bookings. One account can have multiple contacts (‘connected bookers’). Your team has been tasked with increasing the number of connected bookers and to improve the conversion rate of these accounts.

Direction:

(#1) is an automatic email sent from an account to invite new users to join an account. Create copy for the areas indicated, indicate in which order you would look to test them and the impact you’d expect they would have.

Additional questions:

  • Where else in the Booking.com user journey could your team look to experiment to invite people to join existing Booking.com for Business accounts?

  • What concerns would you have and how would you prioritise the different areas?

Copy for the areas indicated

Solution:

Travelling for business can be a pleasure.
Enjoy an easy, convenient and free platform to manage all your business and leisure travel arrangements. Plus, instantly get 10% off a great range of accommodations when you join.

Personalized Search Results
Use filters and search within your company’s destination budgets

Streamlined Experience
Manage all your hotel reservations and enjoy at 24/7 personal support line

Save Your Preferences
Your details and search preferences are saved for faster booking

Join Today

Testing Order:

  • I would test the Call to Action first. The right CTA will be an important factor in the success of the email.

  • Next, I would test the order of the Unique Selling Points. The first point will be the one that resonates most with users and is the strongest feature. This feature must capture the user's attention.

  • I would also test the ‘10% off’ messaging as its own USP.

  • Finally, I would test different headlines. Do users respond to something fun and a bit cheeky? Or do we need to be more matter-of-fact?

Other points along the Booking.com user journey to invite existing Booking.com users to join Booking.com for Business:

Awareness: Promote Booking.com for Business on social media and through advertising.

Consideration: Follow up with emails that promote more benefits to Booking.com for Business and provide the customer with valuable information and tools to make their lives easier.

My concern would be finding the right message for the right audience. For instance, the Booking.com for Business features that would be most important to an assistant are different than what’s important to a small business owner. I would want to learn more about each specific audience and be able to tailor the message.


Challenge #3 - Why Genius?

Brief:

This question is based on our Genius rewards program. This Genius FAQ gives you information on the program.

Direction:

Use the FAQ above to create 3 USPs (unique selling points) for the Genius program. Each USP needs a header and a tagline. We’d also like 3 catchy lines next to the Genius icon – and a CTA. The screenshot below shows you where the copy would sit in the design.

Solution:

Genius Icon Lines (3)
Geniuses get it
Being a genius has its perks
Travel like a genius

USP 1
Get 10% off
Unlimited discount
Use it as much and as often as you want for 365 days

USP 2
Travel perks
Freebies and extras
Enjoy perks like late checkout, discounted room upgrades and more!

USP 3
Specialised customer service
Genius hotline
You’ll have shorter wait times and direct access to our customer care task force

CTA
Become a Genius

Rationale:

A genius is “someone with an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, having an extraordinarily high intelligence”. For the 3 lines next to the Genius icon, I wanted to emphasize how special it is to be a part of the Genius rewards program by highlighting that it’s the smart thing to do.

I selected these three USP’s because I felt they were compelling reasons to join the program. They are also unique from one another, helping them appeal to a wider audience. For instance, someone may not be interested in the discount but might love the idea of all the perks and extras. 

For the CTA, I kept it simple and straightforward, making it clear what the customer can expect when they click this button.


Challenge #4 - Travel Guide

Brief:

We create travel guides. This question refers to a description that would appear in our landmark section.
Write a short (150-200 words) text about the Eiffel Tower, targeted to a general audience. The text should be written in a friendly and engaging tone, with the goal of delighting a first-time visitor to Paris.

This screenshot below shows you the context in which the text would appear inside a travel guide.

Solution:

C'est magnifique! A trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. One of the most recognisable structures in the world, the construction of the Eiffel Tower was a defining moment in the industrial era. Completed in 1889 to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution, it showcased French technical achievement and engineering.

As you make your way up, you’ll discover 3 levels with breathtaking panoramic views of Paris. Whether you choose to scale this historic site by taking the stairs or in one of the glass elevators, it’s an experience unlike any other. On each level, you’ll see the Parisian landscape from a truly unique point of view. Can you spot the Notre-Dame Cathedral? How about the Louvre Museum? For an even more unique experience, visit the Eiffel Tower after sunset and bask in the breathtaking view of the Paris lights. Embark on a fantastic journey and prepare to be amazed.

Rationale:

I wanted to touch on multiple aspects of the Eiffel Tower. From the history to its cultural importance. Additionally, I wanted to give the reader an idea of what they can expect while showcasing why they should visit. I also felt it was important to let them know that there are a variety of ways to experience this attraction (stairs or elevator, daytime or nighttime).

Booking.com Hackathon: All Women Edition

My team created a feature enabling users to create an itinerary and book a hotel based on the proximity to their interests. The prototype included custom maps, the ability to purchase tickets to attractions and activities, rent cars, buy transit passes, recommend other interests based on their choices and history, and estimate time spent at each activity to help them plan their day. We hypothesized that this feature would position booking.com as a holiday planning site, drive more traffic from other websites, encourage customers to spend more time and share of wallet with booking.com and expand the number of partners hosting their activities on booking.com. We estimated that this would increase incremental revenue by 6%.