KLM flying buddies, Twitter rebrand and Waitrose funnies

There’s a definite autumnal chill in the air this week and, in the wake of our successful sporting summer, it’s now the landscape outside the windows at Siren Towers that’s turning a triumphant shade of gold. As we celebrate the end of another working week, put the kettle on, break out the HobNobs and take five minutes to enjoy our weekly social media round up:

A new study has shown that, despite the popularity of social networks in the travel industry, users still don’t tend to engage with the intent of purchasing travel in the same way they do on travel sites. However, booking tools are being introduced gradually to social media pages, so we may see a shift in this trend as companies such as KLM promote new ways for passengers to share booking details through Facebook, make contact with fellow passengers and even select a seat next to their social media friends. So, you may want to think about reviewing your friends list before you take your next long haul flight… #justsaying

In this age of life ‘on-demand’, we want everything to be at our fingertips and, it seems, we no longer have time to consult Google for product reviews, but would rather follow recommendations that come to us via friends on Facebook or Twitter. 75% of people are choosing online content via suggestions on social media channels and increasingly we are accessing this content through tablets and smartphones. It’s an immediate age and we not only want our content pre-selected by friends and family, but we also want it right here, right now, to access on the move.

Twitter has unveiled a redesign this week, with Facebook-style changes allowing users to upload large header photos to their profile pages, similar to the cover photos on Facebook. Twitter explained that by making pictures more prominent, users could make their presence more meaningful and get to know people better through their pictures. It certainly increases the potential for adding a bit of personality?

And finally, we’ve saved the best for last… One of the funniest social media stories from this week has to be the Waitrose Twitter request for customers to tweet about why they choose to shop in the store. An exercise designed to extoll the virtues of their quality produce at ‘never knowingly undersold’ prices was turned on its head by responses such as "I shop at Waitrose because Clarissa’s pony just will not eat Asda Value straw" and "I shop at Waitrose because darling, Harrods is just too much of a trek mid-week" Have a read and enjoy #waitrosereasons to see whether #putthepapayadownorlando is trending yet…