Booking from the sky: New purchasing opportunities in satellite imagery

Satellite imaging maps are transforming the electronic recording of the geographical landscape into commercial opportunities. Taking advantage of these satellite images, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has collaborated with Google Earth to create a downloadable program. Potential customers can use this to explore the location of its global hotels via Google Maps. Users can zoom into a particular InterContinental Hotel and view its surroundings and nearby places of interest – a simpler way of booking which lessens the need to trawl through local area guidebooks.

Google is embracing the open-source nature of its Google Earth program, which has developed a cult following of internet users keen to create shortcuts or ‘hacks’ into the satellite imagery. It is now involving brands in the process. Brand managers can see that this innovative way of navigating the Earth could benefit them, and are keen to place their names on this virtual map.