Reinventing yourself according to the needs of the market, being flexible and showing adaptability to the new environment are virtues that can make the difference between keeping a company afloat - and profitable - or succumbing to the competition.In Naranja (which no longer prefixes "Tarjeta" in its name) they seem to understand these slogans perfectly. And, in this context, he announced that he will fight in a promising business area: tourism.As a result, it launched Naranja Viajes, a digital platform with offers of flights, hotels, ground transportation and tourist packages with discounts of up to 30%."The plan began to be drawn up after Naranja changed its look and began to expand its range of products and services beyond financial ones," says Nicolás Alsina, manager of New Businesses and Products of Naranja, to iProUP.The choice of the tourist sector far away has been at random: the company previously analyzed the activity of its customers and found that it is one of the main focus of consumption, besides being one of the branches of activity with the highest growth rate in the last years.From Naranja Viajes they detailed the basic services they will offer to penetrate this segment. Beyond the sale of transportation and lodging, your differential will be placed in the "escapades". That is to say in the trips with short stays in Argentina.As part of its plan aimed at attracting audiences quickly, they will be themed according to the experience sought by each user: adventure, romantic, relaxing or gastronomic, in combination with aggressive promotions and discounts plans.Naranja Travel wove agreements with different cards, such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cabal and CMR Falabella.
To play hard, he supported his initiative by linking his brand to an e-commerce platform: Escapando.com, "with the aim of incorporating new products and technology and participating more actively in the digital universe."For the time being, the launch is the result of a joint effort with that startup, based on a strong underpinning in technology, in the distribution network, as well as an important injection of capital."We connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, we draw on their experience while they can launch their product to the market with a greater reach," adds Alsina.Naranja Viajes wants to finish 2019 with 40,000 tickets sold in all its options (flights, escapes, hotels, buses).
The competitorsNaranja is aware of the "heavyweight" with which it will have to compete and that already offer similar services for the purchase of tickets, hotel reservations and package purchases. The main references are nothing less than Despegar and Almundo.Can a space be made in this highly competitive area? The answer of the company is yes. Indicate that during this year and next the penetration of Online Tourism Agencies (OTAS) in the online market will go from 20% to 42%.That is to say, there will be a growth of more than 100%, according to the TravelPort study (technology firm focused on improving the shopping experience and travel management globally). This rebound will be accompanied by an increase in options tending to attract the attention of consumers.Part of that expansion responds to the implementation of more and better technological tools to the portfolio of offers. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) bursts as the ideal alternative to deepen this transformation.On this last point, the objective is to analyze large data flows (through the learning of the machines) so that the tourist packages offered to the user are as personalized and attractive as possible, which will result in an increase in sales.For its part, Despegar - which billed almost 400 million dollars in the first nine months of last year (still did not release its fourth quarter results) - began to develop a tool of machine learning of photos aimed at identifying images of bad quality, stretched or unclear and remove them from the offer of more than 500,000 available accommodations within its platform.Almundo also uses artificial intelligence. With operations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico and a turnover of the same order as its competitor, the platform uses it to recommend to potential travelers those products capable of attracting their attention."When they enter from any device or the web or the app, they see offers of destinations that are similar to them, and when looking for accommodation, they are shown in the first results those that are most relevant to them, and when they contact Almundo , a customization algorithm enters the scene, which assigns the ideal expert according to the traveler's profile, "says Lautaro González, CIO of the company.With respect to Almundo's business plan, it is not only about obtaining competitive commercial agreements and a wide range of payment options. Also in establishing work teams based on technology, software development, sales in various channels and digital marketing in the hub markets of the region. Its strategy is omnichannel: web, mobile, retail, telephone and instant messaging.Juan Pablo Lafosse, CEO of Almundo, explains: "We have achieved sustained growth in the last five years, positioning ourselves among the main players in the industry, we are almost 1,000 employees and we estimate a turnover of USD 300 MM for 2020".Change of strategyWith the focus on diversifying business and also restructuring in its financial side, Naranja presented Naranja Pos, which allows businesses and independent professionals to charge with any debit and credit card through a reader that is connected by bluetooth to the cell phone or the tablet.To use the service, the user must enter NaranjaPos.com, register, download the application and obtain a device that allows reading the magnetic stripe of credit or debit cards.The steps to collect are very simple: the seller of the product or service enters the amount of the purchase in the app, passes the card through the device and the buyer signs on the screen to approve the transaction."Naranja began to walk a path to becoming a leader in the digital financial industry, the first step in this evolution was the launch of the app and the payment button, which allowed for an increase in the number of clients that are linked through of the online channels, "says Gustavo Fazzio, director of Financial Services of the firm, to iProUP.The executive specifies that a strategic alliance was made with Samsung so that each Naranja customer can have a smartphone, thus creating a new business unit.He adds that the goal for the current year is to reach 17,000 dongles in operation, among self-employed workers, professionals, small businesses and anyone. And it clarifies that it has no maintenance cost, like the equipment to process traditional card payments."Naranja Pos is a new service that operates in a similar way to that of the competition, but with the client in the center and using cutting-edge technology, based on our DNA, which is the people." The physical or digital human relations will continue to be the key to success ", adds Fazzio.In this path of technological reinvention, the company also added the possibility of making transfers, paying for transportation and paying with QR to its digital platforms.On the other hand, the company is transforming its communication strategy to consolidate itself in the market. For example, during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he worked together with Twitter to capture the focus of the users at the time of the matches."Understanding how Twitter can be a reflection of society is a great opportunity for companies," says iProUP Omar Schoijet, Head of Marketing Insights and Analytics for Twitter SpLatAm. "Everything is part of a process, since there is adapting the message to a language of its own," he stresses. As a result of this campaign, the firm had a much more favorable Twitter reception compared to other channels, such as television."Stop being a monoproduct and expand the financial horizons were the decisions that drove the transformation of the company," says Juan Pablo Mon, marketing director of Naranja.Looking to next year, the company will seek to establish a synergy between the already established (but extended) financial aspect and its new business branches. Time will tell if diversification stands as a winning strategy against its rivals, no less than two giants of the field.