Articles tagged “marketing”

A legion of brand advocates and a focus on product and mobile alone won't be enough to take Hipmunk over the top. It is a dilemma it shares with many startups. How do you compete against the likes of Priceline/Kayak with that $61 billion market cap?

It's no longer enough to provide a bed and shower in upscale urban markets, hotels have to create a brand that ties into the local culture and positions itself as gateway to discovering it.

Storytelling is such a significant component of travel media that ads without some element of it feel more like a laundry list than an inspiration call to action.

As products and destinations become more standardized and similar, it is the local quirks that will keep travelers loyal to a certain place and brand.

Similar to having a strong social presence, reaching out and welcoming the LGBT community has become a destination marketing standard rather than exception. The differentiation now comes in the form of high-quality content and campaigns that build actual trust between places and travelers.

One big force in the travel industry, Southwest Airlines, did what was right as a good corporate citizen (or at least was worried about a brand hit), and is ending ties with SeaWorld after a 26-year relationship. Others in the travel industry see only dollar signs.

Educating and training local stakeholders on the economic importance of tourism is as critical to a destination's long-term success as raising awareness to tourists around the globe. These destinations use a mix of old and new techniques; however, there's always room for innovation.

Brands that have become well-known for a certain product, whether it's beaches or business, need to work hard to shift consumers' awareness of their offerings. This often takes a multi-channel, multi-year marketing strategy.

TripAdvisor's Facebook reminders, placed in a usually friendly feed, urge users to book a hotel -- now. We find it more intrusive than helpful, but interpretation likely changes by the user.

This is great news for destinations that have the budget to spend on ad campaign, but not-so-great news for destinations with less money or consumers uninterested in the video or content pushed by the destination.