Two-thirds of 18 to 34-year-olds admit that the ‘Instagrammability’ of a location is the single most important factor when booking a holiday
Few industries are more tailor-made for Instagram or the snap-happy, tech-savvy consumers who make up its user base than the travel industry.
Think about it: before we venture abroad or to a far-flung region of our own fair isle, we visualize the enjoyment such a place will offer. From white sand beaches to aquamarine waters, snow-blanketed ski slopes to the bright lights of a modern metropolis, we see in our mind’s eye what is to come. An image that jives with our own perception, or plants a fresh seed, inspires thoughts about the experiences we will have and the memories we will make.
According to a recent survey by Expedia, two-thirds of 18 to 34-year-old’s admit that the ‘Instagrammability’ of a location – that is to say,…
These travel campaigns gained impressive ROI through creativity not big budgets
As a marketer, it often feels like you’re being asked to secure impressive results with very few resources. A small budget can make the desired engagement with a brand seem impossible to achieve, but a little bit of creativity can go a long way.
Travel marketing is all about capturing the imagination of the audience and while this can be easily done with stunning images of a service or a product and big personalities, there is another way. Break from the norm and tap into an element of travel that has often been overlooked to get the greatest return on investment (ROI).
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If that seems…
Marketers can expand relationships between existing customers and their brand at a lower cost than attracting new clients
Don’t you just hate it when someone only shows up when they want something? You know the type; the fair-weather friend who is suddenly chummy after weeks of absence because they want to call in a favour. It’s a social etiquette faux pas that can act as an important lesson for marketers because businesses do it too.
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The relationship between a brand and its customers is all too often transactional and stilted, with companies only getting in touch when they want to sell a product. This is a trap that travel marketers should avoid for…
What's new in the travel industry? Keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations to streamline your strategy
The multichannel marketing approach
It is vital that there is a multichannel marketing plan in place for all online travel agents and comparison sites to thrive. Travellers are using more than one channel to research and book holidays and excursions – it is important now more than ever to ensure their experience is optimized for multiple devices and channels that contribute to an effective customer journey.
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Our visual shows typical touch-points relevant for the…
Mobile is radically re-shaping the travel industry
The future of the travel industry is in customers’ hands — at their fingertips, to be exact. With a few apps, some swipes and clicks, and one-on-one conversations with big brands through social media, an entire travel experience will be planned and confirmed by the customer alone.
That’s a complete transformation from how it used to be. Not too long ago, if someone got the itch to visit an exotic location — or his grandmother in another state/country — he would pick up the phone and dial a travel agent. The expert on the other end of the line would then go to work conducting research and collecting brochures.
Fast-forward 10 years, and most travel agencies have closed shop, their agents succumbing to other lines of work. The world of travel has shifted…
How digital innovation is engaging audiences and improving customer experience in the airline / aviation sector
This is the first in a new series looking at digital innovation and transformation in different B2B sectors aimed to inspire business-to-business marketers, this post from regular B2B marketing commentator René Power looks at how digital technologies are being deployed within the blossoming air travel and aviation sector to enhance customer experiences at every stage of the process.
As you read, think about what ideas you might take forward into your own sector?
Air travel is a growing sector
There continues to be an explosion in air travel, which makes it a very lucrative industry to be in. Air travel numbers themselves are mind-boggling. Published forecasts predict the total number of people flying on U.S. airlines will increase by 0.8 percent from 2013 levels to 745.5 million in 2014 and grow to 1.15 billion in 2034.
But it's not just the U.S. The International Air Transport…
Virgin Holidays Case Study: How to use virtual reality to show off your product
Particularly relevant for travel retailers, virtual reality provides an opportunity to showcase their product in a way that was previously impossible. Perhaps it's the best new technology for the sector since the jet engine! This first example shows how can now take your customers under the sea, to the top of mountains and onto the sunniest of beaches without them having to leave the branch, as this 360° video from Qantas shows.
The Virgin Reality initiative
Many travel brands have started experimenting with using VR to let customers 'try before they buy', and have done so by creating 360° videos which viewers can pan around. We've got to admit, they're pretty darn cool, and a lot of fun. But technically, they aren't virtual reality. Virtual reality means being able to look around the virtual world…
The key trends all Travel Marketers should be aware of
2016. What a year. We've had Brexit, Trump and all manner of celebrity fatalities. It just makes you want to jet off somewhere nice and forget about your troubles for a week or two doesn't it?
Well, I'm sure the same can be set for travel marketers. In the UK the falling pound has smashed margins and raised prices for holidaymakers heading abroad, whilst for marketers promoting European destinations the disturbing spate of terrorist attacks this summer may have encouraged some holidaymakers to stay at home.
But take a step back and you'll be surprised to hear the picture is actually looking rather good for travel marketers, despite the challenges. Tourist numbers have increased in 2016 by over 3%, and 33% of travelers say they will be willing to spend more on a holiday this year than they were last year. What's more, 49% of…
Chart of the Day: Travel Sector finds earned & owned media like organic search and email marketing the most effective for gaining new customers.
We all know customers don't like ads, and have got especially good at ignoring them or blocking them when they're online. Now this is really starting to filter through into the channels driving results online - Organic is rated as more effective than Paid Search or Affiliate marketing, at least when it comes to acquisition for travel brands.
The travel industry involves single big-ticket purchases - with customers only occasionally engaging in repeat business. This makes it very different to many other industries, especially FMCG, where it's low margins and repeat purchases that are the name of the game. Therefore I'd be very wary about applying these findings outside of the travel industry. But the implications for travel brands are clear - invest in exceptional content to build organic…
How alternative models of the customer journey can help us build more realistic media plans and experiences
A couple of weeks ago I rolled out one of my favourite slides, the Forrester ‘spaghetti’ view of the online customer journey. I’m fond of Forrester’s reworking of the traditional sales funnel for the digital age. On the one hand, the reworked sales funnel probably is a more accurate picture of the way that people make purchase decisions online. But it isn’t easy to see how it would drive sensible digital strategies back in the real world:
To help gain better insight, we need to add the time dimension. Research can can show that decision times vary a lot by category and they're not short. This research…
