German airline Lufthansa has entered the world of Instagram to offer tours of Frankfurt locales and provide inspiration for travelers.

The airline already posted a tour of the Frankfurt airport and city center, and it is planning on offering three more tours in September and October. Various bloggers post pictures and commentary of German locations based off of feedback from Facebook users.

?Mobile has reinvented the photo-taking business,? said Jeff Hasen, chief marketing officer of Mobivity, Seattle. ?As Kodak's former chief marketing officer Jeffrey Hayzlett says, they were really in the memory business. Instagram not only documents memories, it enables users to share.

?This Lufthansa campaign may not sell many more tickets, but it will provide a 'feel-good' brand experience that some will see as value,? he said.

Mr. Hasen is not affiliated with Lufthansa. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Lufthansa did not meet press deadline.

Touring Germany
Lufthansa decided to offer Instagram tours to provide an entertaining look at its home base while at the same time providing helpful ideas for future trips in Germany.

Berlin bloggers Angelika Schwaff and Yvonne Zagermann participated in the first two Instagram tours. Their itinerary, including where to eat, shop and explore, was determined by the Web community on Facebook.

The bloggers posted commentary on the airline?s Tumblr account in addition to posting photos on Instagram.

For the first two tours, they explored the airport itself in addition to Frankfurt locales such as Long Island Summer Lounge, Jenny?s Cupcakes and epiphany.

For the next three tours, Lufthansa will partner with the German Tourist Board to send six bloggers around Hamburg, Cologne and the Munich Oktoberfest.

The bloggers began their Hamburg tour yesterday, with coffee at Karl Kipping?s and a visit to the harbor.

Before each activity, the bloggers will take a picture of themselves holding two signs with two options for the activity. Instagram users then get to vote on which activity the bloggers should choose.

Instagram marketing
Lufthansa launched its Instagram channel in June with its #DeinBerliner campaign, and this marks its continuation on the popular channel.

A number of other companies have been experimenting with Instagram recently.

For example, British automaker Aston Martin launched an Instagram page to visually portray its activities via social media (see story).

British accessories brand Anya Hindmarch also leveraged Instagram by posing images of its recently opened New York boutique leading up to the grand opening on Aug. 22 (see story).

Mr. Hasen sees value in Instagram campaigns but reminds marketers that it is just one way to reach consumers.

?It clearly isn't a mobile end-all,? Mr. Hasen said. ?For instance, an airline can sell more by building an opt-in database and sending texts with special offers. Instagram is part of the solution, nothing more."

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York