Full disclosure, when I was asked to tell you about the best marketing strategies for travel and leisure, I knew my response was going to be somewhat biased.
I’m a Creative Lead here at Ponderosa, so there was only ever going to be one answer. And it’s creativity.
Creativity was always going to be (and will always be) the best travel and leisure marketing strategy, IMHO.
Seriously, technologies will change things, but the imagination of a creative will always remain the most effective heart-winner.
But it’s not just a gut feel telling me that it’s the most effective tactic. There are results to prove it too.
Creativity has certainly played a big part in Ponderosa getting 200% increase in website leads for Wizz Air, exceeding leads for TUI by over 400%, growing ABI’s social following by 12% and increasing Leeds Bradford Airport flights booked by 12%.
So, with humble brag out the way, let’s get to the bottom of this blog. Literally.
As well as wanting to tell you that creativity is the most effective strategy you can use in travel and leisure marketing, I also wanted to try and make doing that more achievable. I thought the simplest way to do that would be to share some inspo. So here are some of the most effective, creative travel and leisure marketing ideas I’ve seen in my 15 years in this industry.
1. The Swedish number – The Swedish Tourist Association
A holiday making hotline
The Swedish Tourist Association created single telephone number anyone, anywhere in the world could call to talk to a random Swedish citizen. Interested prospective tourists could ask anything, opening the country of Sweden up for them (and celebrating the country’s 250 years of free speech at the same time).
Results
- The Swedish Number received 197,678 calls in the 79 days it was open
- Almost every country in the world (190 in total) called Sweden to talk.
- Even Obama was talking about The Swedish Line.
- Over 9 billion impressions were generated.
- An estimated $146 million in media value without any paid advertising.
All this from a creative phone number.
2. My Japan Railway – Japan Railway
Designing dreamier destinations
Japan Railway reinvented people’s commute with creative blend of design and digital. They created nostalgic stamp’s for each station and a web app passengers used to collect them with. Not only has this infused the romance of travel into commuters’ everyday trips, but also inspired other Japan Railway adventures, to explore stations not yet travelled to.
Results
- Cleaned up during the 2023 to 2024 award seasons
- Won big at Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, One Show, just to name a few.
- 12 Grand Prix trophies in that time
- Awarded a D&AD Black Pencil – a very rare thing
Awards aren’t the only result that matters. But I feel pretty sure the impact on their audience would have been just as impressive.
3. Deutsche Bahn – No need to fly
Computer love makes crafty work
Deutsche Bahn created an algorithm that matched stock images of local German locations to the iconic international destinations people were searching online. Programmatic ads, showing these iconic destinations matched to German alternatives (along with prices), were then created and served up in real-time to better answer people’s searches for a summer adventure.
Results
- 24% revenue bump
- +894% click through rate
- -70% cost per click
- A Contagious Magazine Campaign of the Week, back when it launched – an accolade well worth chasing
I love this. The inventive way human minds have knitted lots of tech together, to create something so compelling and simple.
4. Graubünden Tourism – The Great Escape
Interactive activation stations!
Graubünden Tourism created a brand activation in a train station that put a real-life mountain man into an interactive 6-sheet. He came to you live from his mountain top. The Swiss Mountain man not only interacted with passersby in real time, literally inviting them into his ad of they came to visit him, but he also printed tickets for them to visit.
Results
- 30 people took the Swiss Mountain man up on the trip
- 20,000 people saw the stunt live
- It got 11 million views across YouTube, Facebook and news websites.
- 80 million heard about the brand’s activation through the media.
- It got a D&AD Wood pencil too
First, I hope the subtitles worked. Secondly, while one-offs stunts feel risky – will it get reach? – with the right kind of creativity they can spread, to put you on the map.
5. Qatar – Star in your own AI Adventure
“AI am the star”
Keen to make the Qatar more attainable for a new generation of flyers, the brand has created a series of films and used AI to let their audience to put themselves in the adventure. It’s a really interesting blend of cutting-edge tech with audience insight to create an immersive, social feed ready campaign, that’s spot on for their target.
Results
This one’s pretty fresh, so watch this space… but one result though
- This is an industry first – AI has not been used this way before.
And that’s what’s exciting about AI in marketing. Not automation, but our imaginations can use it to unlock more firsts.