Who should use Jeenie, and how much does it cost? Last week, INBOUND told you how Jeenie— “the-first-live-interpreter-in-your-pocket-app”—recruits its interpreters. We conclude our series on the new app this week, just in time for IPW, where you will be able to meet the startup company’s CEO, Kirsten Brecht Baker, will tell you more about the product. She will be easy to find—she’s sharing Booth #343, along with the NAJ Group, which publishes the INBOUND Report.
So, INBOUND asked her what are Jeenie’s target market segments—travelers, hotels, visitor information centers, etc.? And is its focus on inbound travel to the USA, rather than outbound travelers?
“We’re looking at both inbound and outbound travel and tourism,” she answered. “Right now, we’re working with DMOs and CVBs hotels, even restaurant sand shopping centers, in order to equip their tourists with skills. Like others in the industry, we’ve seen a switch from group to FIT business, especially among millennial travelers. They want real, authentic and immersive experiences. They don’t want to be with 30 people following the guy with the umbrella. Now, they can just turn on their language Jeenie.”
Brecht Baker stressed that her startup company is tailoring its product for outbound travelers, too, helping t hem load the app before they embark on an overseas journey, noting, “We can work with platforms like airbnb. We’ll be in airports, too. Travelers will be able to use it like the Lyft or Uber app.”
Oh, one final question: How much does it cost? The basic cast is $1.00 per minute, she told us, explaining that package and volume discounts are available, as are subscriptions—at a lower cost.
Those IPW delegates who stop by Booth #343 will experience a very short demo of the product, Brecht Baker said: “It immediately solicits your location, asking ‘What you do you need?’ We walk them through a scenario and let them use it … three swipes with your thumb and you’re talking to real person.”
REMINDER: INBOUND will not publish next week, as we will be a part of IPW #50 in Denver, Colorado. We resume publication with the May 30 edition of INBOUND.
