According to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics, Americans are traveling at record numbers. Travel spending totaled $93 billion in February – 5% above 2019 levels and 9% above 2022 levels. While business travel has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, leisure travel is in full swing with more than 55% of consumers saying they are planning to prioritize leisure travel spending.
The competition among travel brands to capture the attention and loyalty of customers is fiercer than ever. With so many options available, it is crucial for travel brands to differentiate to stand out from the crowd.
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To start making a lasting impression on consumers, travel brands must rethink their approach to advertising. When done effectively, advertising goes far beyond a catchy tag line or a beautiful landscape. It delivers a message to a specific audience at a location and time where they will be most receptive to connecting with it.
This is where inspiring creative execution in advertising comes in – it can be the key, not only to attracting customers but also to keep them coming back.
Transformative creative in advertising is all about standing out and capturing attention in a memorable way. This can be achieved through compelling visuals, clever messaging and aspirational storytelling that connects with customers on an emotional level. When done properly, it will not only drive awareness and consideration but also create a lasting impression that can influence future purchasing decisions.
Travel brands in particular have a unique opportunity to leverage creative advertising to build a strong personal connection with customers. Travel is inherently tied to experiences and emotions, and truly moving brand messaging can tap into this by showcasing dream-worthy destinations, bucket list activities and the overall joy of travel in a way that resonates with the audience.
Travel brands must reinvest in creative advertising
Travelocity had one of the most successful ad campaigns when they used a traveling gnome to show different locations a consumer could visit when using Travelocity. It created an instant connection with consumers and opened their eyes to explore the world through a figure many are familiar with.
But creative advertising isn’t just about creating a pretty picture – it needs to be grounded in strategy and insights. Understanding the target audience and their needs, motivations and pain points is also essential in developing effective creative.
Remember, travel brands still have the largest and most detailed first-party consumer data because of their loyalty programs. This data is an asset for marketers not only for its ability to target customers directly but also to help inform general advertising strategies. Data can provide intelligence on everything from channel recommendations and ad frequency to color preferences and brand positioning. Data has emerged as one of the biggest drivers of advertising in today’s world.
How latest ad tech can benefit travel
In addition to driving engagement and loyalty, good creative can also help travel brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Recent technological advancements in digital out-of-home advertising, for instance, now allows travel brands to run advertisements based on a key element of leisure travel – the weather.
In a hypothetical example, an airline, a hotel or resort could launch an advertising campaign that is triggered to run only when temperatures get chilly or stormy conditions are in the forecast. This type of technology allows travel brands to leverage an emotional response to awful weather and influence consumers to consider booking a trip to the sunshine that links back to its loyalty programming.
Another unique way marketers can expand their creativity is through advertising’s latest trend - dynamic creative. Dynamic creative is a form of advertising that uses data to inform specific elements within an individual advertising creative campaign. The dynamic creative files act as a frame within each asset, so brands can easily swap out creative content of their ad within seconds. Any element in an ad – including headlines, images, temperature and more – can be swapped in and out according to the situational trigger. This allows for hyper-specific messaging and visual content that can adapt to almost any environment or surrounding.
However, creative advertising is not a one-and-done effort. It requires ongoing investment and evolution to stay relevant and effective. As customer preferences and trends change, travel brands need to adapt their creative to stay in tune with their audience. This can involve experimentation with a medium that they haven’t tested before such as out-of-home, or social media apps. Brands should also invest in measurement and optimization strategies to ensure maximum impact.
As with other industries, travel brands that invest in impactful, bold creative are more likely to succeed. In fact, according to research from WARC and Kantar, creative and effective ads generate more than four times as much profit for brands. By leveraging powerful visuals, storytelling and emotional appeal, brands can build a connection with customers that drives engagement, loyalty and sales. As travel resumes and competition heats up, brand marketers that prioritize their creative executions will be best positioned to succeed.