Announcing: The Winners of Skifties 2015 Social Media Awards for Travel Brands

Skift, American Express, and our Editors' Choice judges are pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Skifties Social Media Awards for Travel Brands. In this second year it is important to recognize travel brands that have turned social media interactions into quantifiable business objectives. Skift acknowledges this shift from social media's early purpose of acquisitions and interactions to drivers of awareness, consideration, and conversions. This year we made selections in 25 categories that focused on the most effective travel brands by verticals, platforms, and use cases. To us Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are still the key platforms. That said, we also kept in mind LinkedIn, Pinterest, Vine, and Snapchat to consider the various target audiences travel brands hope to reach. In addition, we have the privilege to have David Berkowitz, CMO of MRY; Rebecca Lieb, Strategic Advisor and until recently an analyst at Altimeter Group; and Martin Stoll, CEO of Sparkloft, as our Editor's Choice judges. We were also joined by Judy Winitzer, vice president global merchant service and lodging at American Express as our honorary judge. We are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to review the entrants' best work, and all participants should be proud of their success. The Skifties awards are sponsored by our valued partner American Express. Skifties 2015 Winners Most Effective Brand on Social Media - Airlines: Turkish Airlines Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube Integrated a multi-platform approach -- with a deeper focus on Instagram -- that communicates that they fly to the most destinations around the world while highlighting Istanbul, their hub city’s rich culture. They work with key influencers that their audience follows on Instagram to reinforce their brand. Most Effective Brand on Social Media - Airport: Denver International Airport Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube Differentiated themselves by creating a personality for its Facebook page and directing newsworthy content to news outlets to maximize distribution and providing real-time engagement via Twitter and Periscope to inform and entertain. This create-and-publish-content-with-a-built-in-audience approach is also applied to Instagram and YouTube. Most Effective Brand on Social Media - Booking Site & Tool: Airbnb Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / Pinterest / Twitter / YouTube  Matched clear br