best tourism marketing campaign

Digital Marketing

5 Killer Tourism Marketing Campaigns That Make Us Want to Travel

May 9, 2022

Chasing wonder; seeking escape; seizing the chance to spread your wings and get away from digital devices for a week or two — that’s what the best vacations are all about.

But where to go on vacation? A romantic getaway to Bora Bora? The Grand Canyon trip you’ve planned with your sibling since childhood? Machu Picchu with your old college roommates? Or a visit to grandma in Albuquerque? As the world slowly spins back to normal, we all have so many choices about where to travel; it can be tough to decide. The best tourism marketing campaigns help turn travelers’ indecision into action, showing off the beauty of a destination or showcasing the legacy of the local culture. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Wonder Remains

With its world-class theme parks, sizzling nightlife, and close access to the natural beauty of Central Florida, it’s no surprise that Orlando is the most popular travel destination in the United States for summer 2022. In 2021, Visit Orlando launched the stirring tourism advertising campaign The Wonder Remains to welcome travelers back to The City Beautiful. 

Set to a soothing piano track and featuring video footage of some of the best experiences to be found at the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Discovery Cove, The Wonder Remains instills a sense of calm and normalcy following a hectic and frightening pandemic. This great tourism campaign shows that Orlando is as it always was, and always will be — an oasis of excitement for travelers and dreamers of all ages to discover.

#VisitCancun

Visit Cancun hasn’t produced any tourism video advertising in years — but that hasn’t stopped Cancun, Mexico from becoming the world’s top travel destination in summer 2022. Instead of video ads, Visit Cancun relies on social media for its destination marketing campaigns.

With more than 606k followers on Facebook , 169k followers on Instagram and 64k followers on Twitter , Visit Cancun inspires wanderlust with daily posts that highlight the natural wonders, vibrant nightlife, and unique character of Cancun. Followers are invited to join in the fun through the hashtag #VisitCancun, and Visit Cancun often shares posts from influencers.

Some of the best tourism advertising has a clear social conscience and Visit Cancun is no exception. In addition to sharing beautiful photos of crystal-clear waters and romantic beachside weddings, Visit Cancun puts a guide for responsible travel front and center to help ensure that travelers experience Mexico safely. A guide like this can be a great content marketing opportunity, and the best tourism advertising makes the most of it.

Mālama Hawaii

Honolulu, Oahu and Kahalui, Maui are America’s third and fourth most-frequented tourist destinations, respectively. With so many travelers preparing to say “Aloha” to Hawaii this summer, Go Hawaii created the moving Mālama Hawaii tourism advertising campaign to welcome them to the islands.

Beginning with Hawaii Is Our Home , Mālama Hawaii is a sweeping campaign with many beautiful and inspiring videos on safe and responsible travel, land and ocean conservation, and the rich legacy of Hawaiian cultural traditions. On the tourism campaign website , travelers can discover various ways to give back to Hawaii while vacationing on the islands.

In Hawaiian, “mālama” means to “take care.” Encouraging travelers to “Take a Trip that Gives Back,” Mālama Hawaii is proof that the most meaningful vacations are those taken with deep respect for your destination — and that the most meaningful tourism advertising campaigns are those that deeply respect their audience.

Named for and featuring Lenny Kravitz’s iconic 1998 funk rock hit Fly Away , The Islands of the Bahamas ’ new tourism campaign Fly Away shows off the majesty of the Bahamian landscape and the thrills of Bahamian culture — at a time when Nassau is the 7th most-visited tourist destination in the world.

Kravitz himself even makes appearances throughout the multi-video campaign, riding a horse on the beach in the central ad and discussing the resilience of Junkanoo music in a featurette. Fly Away is an excellent example of subtlety in celebrity endorsement. Kravitz is featured in logical ways, but the star of the tourism campaign is still the Bahamas.

Sometimes, the best tourism advertising campaigns practically write themselves. Who doesn’t want to fly away to the Bahamas right now?

Basecamp Denver

Produced as a miniature reality show, Basecamp Denver is a three-part tourism video campaign that invites viewers to “Use Denver as your basecamp for all your Rocky Mountain adventures.” In the first video, a family learns about fly fishing; in the second, a young woman discovers mountaineering; and in the third, a group of friends goes mountain biking.

What we love most about Basecamp Denver is its uniquely grounded approach to tourism advertising. Structuring these ads in a reality show style makes them feel human and accessible in ways that some tourism campaigns aren’t. Following these families’ and friends’ journeys through Denver makes us want to book a flight to the 303 — which is America’s 10th most-traveled-to destination for summer 2022 — and tag along.

Not into Leaving on a Jet Plane?

If you’re staying in the U.S. for the summer and looking for something a little closer to home, the National Park Service’s enduring Find Your Park tourism campaign can help you find an exciting state or national park to explore nearby. Check out Parks Project for a new outfit to wear on your visit; this company is a great example of the power of brand collaboration in marketing, and how fashion can help make once-staid brands feel vibrant and exciting again. 

Wherever you roam in the months to come, we at TrendyMinds wish you safe travels from Kokomo to Havana — and all around the world. And if you're a marketer planning a tourism ad campaign for an international audience, read our blog post about the importance of cultural sensitivity in advertising .

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The Best Marketing Campaigns for Travel and Tourism

An in-depth guide to the best-performing digital campaigns for marketers in the travel and tourism industry to drive engagement, conversion, and long-term relationships with their customers.

By Michael Lee

15 min read

Introduction

Almost every industry was transformed by the pandemic, but none so much as the travel and tourism industry.

Now that the world has opened back up, people are making plans with renewed enthusiasm and new priorities. Staying home left people with a lot of time to daydream about their next travel destination and the lingering items on their bucket lists. Generic travel excursions are out and unique, personalized experiences are in as consumers search for more meaningful vacations. That search usually begins and ends online, and your digital marketing must keep up with this quick-moving audience motivated by pent-up demand.

How do you stand out from the crowd with your digital marketing strategies and tap into what this hungry audience wants? Your competitors are vying for their attention too, and you don’t want to be left behind.

If you're considering an upcoming tourism campaign, upgrading your social media marketing, or just looking for something other than traditional marketing strategies, you're not alone. Companies across the world have come to the realization that now is the time to use every tool possible to attract and retain new customers in their target audience.

Here’s a guide on the best-performing travel marketing campaigns and tourism marketing campaigns and how you can use them to your advantage to take your digital advertising to new heights.

Campaigns That Increase Conversion Rates

Travel and tourism campaigns that increase conversion rates, automated price drop notifications.

Customers want to find the best price without having to constantly monitor your site for updates.

Give deal hunters and budget-conscious travelers an enticing reason to become a subscriber (and eventually a customer) by providing them with the option to watch their desired flights and bookings. Automatically send a price drop notification or availability update as soon as there is a change. Plus, you can use your visitors’ preference data to offer them relevant recommendations as alternatives in case there are no new updates regarding their desired destination.

AI-powered Personalized Recommendations

Sub-par, irrelevant search experiences are incredibly frustrating. Visitors want recommendations of products and services they would actually want to purchase.

Using native AI recommendations, you can make your customers feel like you’re reading their minds by serving them personalized offers on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more based on their past behavior, then matching them with real-time, available inventory. You can choose a model that suits your needs, such as collaborative filtering, which harnesses user and product data to provide recommendations based on customers with similar interests.

Contextual Personalization

Providing the best possible customer experience is dependent on you truly understanding your visitors. What are their purchase drivers? Is it price? Convenience? Exclusivity, perhaps? Without understanding each visitor’s context, you can’t deliver true real-time 1:1 personalization.

AI-driven contextual personalization provides a major edge in A/B testing by determining which offer a customer is most likely to convert with from the very start of the testing. Whether it’s a discount, a free service, or a service upgrade, AI can help you match the right promotion to the right customer at the right time, offering a faster path to valuable insights and results than traditional A/B testing.

Personalized Newsletters

Newsletters typically have lower engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they are automated and on batch-and-blast schedule

Email is a noisy place to attempt to reach potential travelers, so it’s no surprise that newsletters typically have low engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they’re usually generic. Grab your prospect’s attention with personalized emails that feel so relevant to their interests that they have to click. For example, to engage a potential customer who has a clear affinity for Spain, customize the email to lead with a header image of Barcelona followed by trip ideas to Mallorca and Ibiza. This can be done through advanced customer segmentation, combining zero- and first-party data to come up with a list of criteria for your customer to be added to a segment.

Abandoned Bookings Retargeting

Your visitors are thinking about booking with you and even take the step of adding to cart or getting to the reservation page. Then…nothing happens.

An abandoned booking is an excellent opportunity for conversion. Using a variety of channels, you’ll want to get in front of your prospect everywhere they go online to remind them (“hey, you forgot something”) and sweeten the deal with special discount offers. Your retargeting campaigns should include email, SMS, push notifications, and paid ads on social media, where you can use Facebook Conversion API to serve prospects dynamic information about their unfinished bookings. Personalize your ad content to get higher conversion rates and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Prediction-based Goals

How do you really know you’re targeting the right customers and not wasting valuable ad spend?

Using AI prediction models, you can determine which visitors are most likely to book a trip or identify those unlikely to. From there, you should create a different set of goals for each of these two segments. For prospects likely to book, provide an immediate bonus during their session and increase in-session goal completions; for those unlikely to make a purchase during the session, offer an incentive for them to subscribe to your email newsletter and focus on converting them further down the line.

Zero-party Data Collection

Expectations for data privacy continue to rise, which means companies need a better approach to gathering traveller data and preferences.

The best data is data you can trust. Using zero-party data collection , ask your visitors to tell you their preferences directly. Allow them to configure their own experiences by providing you with their preferred destinations, price ranges, number of travellers, and more. Use personalization tools to collect these directly on your website and app, and adjust their offers in real time.

Local Social Proof Recommendations

Travellers tend to trust recommendations from other travellers, but how do you surface these to them in a meaningful way?

Showing the most popular destinations for those in your subscriber’s region can act as social proof and inspiration to choose the next trip. What are other Berliners looking for? Where are your neighbours spending their vacations? What experiences are people closest to you looking for? Use this info to present relevant offers on your website and app or via email.

Campaigns That Increase Long-term Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

Campaigns that increase customer lifetime value (cltv), omnichannel welcome flow.

Your ideal prospects have recently subscribed, but they’re not yet ready to make a booking.

Go beyond email in welcoming new subscribers. In addition to launching an automated welcome email series — designed to introduce customers to your brand and ultimately incentivize them to make a purchase — create an omnichannel campaign that helps you stay top of mind. Using SMS/MMS, push notifications, in-app messages, and paid ad content, you can stay visible at multiple points of a prospect’s buying journey. When they’re finally ready to book a trip, they’ll be more likely to choose your brand.

Find Customers on Social Using High-intent Lookalike Audiences

You’ve had success gaining valuable customers, but now you want to win over more high-value travellers. How can you target your ideal audience?

Once you’ve incorporated a solid social media strategy into your omnichannel approach, you can create lookalike audiences to find high-intent prospects with similar purchasing potential. Based on a seed list of your own first-party customer data — which can include past behavior, customer attributes, and predictions — you can target new customer segments with the highest lifetime value on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Best Channel Prediction

The nature of digital media and the modern buyer journey means your customers interact with your brand across multiple channels and touchpoints. How do you know which channel your customer is likely to show up on and convert?

In the travel industry, the decision-making process is longer than it is in general retail, so it’s important to find the channels where your customers are active to stay top of mind in the long term. Using AI predictions, you can determine the channels where a customer is most likely to engage with your content, which makes your distribution more effective and increases conversion rates.

Upsell Campaigns

You’ve already spent valuable marketing dollars to get visitors to choose your brand. Now, you need to maximize booking value to increase ROI.

After all the hard work of acquiring a new customer, it’s time to show them what else you can offer. Using the information from their purchase and the zero- and first-party data you’ve been collecting, hook them again as they prepare for their trip and increase the booking value. Create an upsell/cross-sell campaign featuring engaging content about recommendations of places to visit and activities to do, combined with additional services such as room upgrades, extra luggage, car rentals, and more. Emails are the most effective way to do this, as they can be seamlessly integrated with transactional communication.

Transactional and Marketing Communications Combines

Visitors expect consistent and personalized communications from travel companies to make their experience a good one.

Some of the most effective travel email campaigns combine savvy storytelling and stunning visuals with transactional calls-to-action — and, as a best practice, the more personalized, the better. By using the same email service provider (ESP) for both transactional and marketing communication, you can maintain consistency in messaging, branding, and templates. But most importantly, you can also combine the information a customer is looking for with additional offers to capitalise on high engagement.

Seasonal Promotions

Travellers seek to plan ahead by searching for the best deals during holidays or festive periods, and don’t want to be disappointed with a lack of availability or unaffordable prices.

Many people travel for events or have event-based travel on their bucket list, and it’s advantageous to find those customers and appeal to this desire. Start by identifying audiences who frequent seasonal events — for example, a music festival such as Tomorrowland or a cultural event like Oktoberfest — using data available from browsing behavior, past purchases, and recent views. Then, target them well in advance of the event with available inventory and the most up-to-date pricing ahead of the peak rush. Your customers will feel you’re looking out for them and their interests and you’ll drive repeat bookings — a win-win.

Build Customer Loyalty

Campaigns that build customer loyalty, thank your customer campaigns.

The most loyal visitors want to feel appreciated. If you don’t do enough for them, you won’t be able to push them to be brand ambassadors.

Nurture and thank your most loyal visitors — your “customer champions” — with rewards and special offers. You can find these customer champions by using RFM (recency, frequency, and monetary) segmentation, which will keep your loyal customers list up to date. Then, create a loyalty email series using loyalty tiers segmentation. Use data about average time between bookings to find the perfect time to email them and offer a special bonus for their next journey. Your customer champions will love it and it’ll grow your CLTV.

Win-back Campaigns

When customers haven’t made a booking in a while, it’s easy for them to completely lapse and never interact with your brand again.

Don’t let a customer forget about you, which can be common in the crowded travel landscape. Using RFM segmentation, you can target customers who have made a purchase in the past, but haven’t purchased recently. Launch a personalized win-back campaign using data from their past and current preferences and purchases to provide them with recommendations of similar offers, as well as new offers to discover.

Gamify Loyalty Programs and Rewards

Customers are increasingly choosing brands that provide meaningful experiences with their personal data and reward loyalty in an interesting way.

Take your loyalty program to the next level by incorporating games that incentive customers to purchase more frequently and trade their loyalty points for rewards. Spin-to-win games, friend-referral challenges, and more tap into multiple aspects of psychology including reward-seeking behavior and competitiveness. Using personalized content, create special offers for achieving new loyalty levels and reward long-term champions with discounts based on their point totals.

Feedback Campaigns

Not knowing what your customers liked or didn’t like about their visit will only lead to making the same mistakes in the future.

Close the loop on each booking by following up with a feedback email campaign that asks your customers to fill out a survey about their experience. Use the feedback data to score your customers based on their experience and create customer segments based on that feedback score. With real-time connection to your CRM or help desk systems, you can filter out customers who have a booking issue (cancellation, delay, change, etc.) and send them automatically to the help desk. The same can be done with those who provide negative feedback to immediately take action.

Reengagement Campaigns

The people in your database who have been inactive for a long time provide a great opportunity to regain revenue and create new loyal customers, but it’s not always easy to know how to start reengaging them.

When customers go dark — as in not clicking on any of your emails or other content — it’s time for a reengagement campaign. Track down these customers where they are online using omnichannel orchestration , targeting them through email, SMS, push notifications, in-app, or paid ad campaigns on Google or social media. Ask them clearly and simply why they stopped engaging. It helps to incentivize them by offering a gift or prize for providing feedback. This best practice strengthens your relationship with customers and also improves your lists. Reengagement campaigns should be used as a last attempt before unsubscribing an inactive user yourself — a healthy database brings a better customer experience, as you only send content to those who are interested in it.

Don't Settle For Less Than The Best With Travel Marketing Campaigns

With travellers both eager to get out and more particular than ever with who they purchase from, you’ll need to take advantage of a marketing campaign like the ones mentioned above to inspire travelers to establish loyalty with your brand.

If you’re ready to put some (or all) of these into practice, then look no further than Bloomreach Engagement . Our powerful platform unifies your customer data into a single customer view, making it easy to launch omnichannel campaigns across 13 channels. Plus, our AI makes it possible to personalize content and recommendations for your customers in real time, so you can drive faster ROI in a competitive industry.

Learn more about how Bloomreach Engagement can facilitate the best travel marketing campaigns today.

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Lessons from Creative DMOs: 11 Successful Tourism Marketing Campaigns

For DMOs, a new year and a new season are usually triggers for a fresh destination marketing campaign.

You’re always looking for a fresh angle, something new to try, and a new way to wow prospective travelers. You’re always looking for creative inspiration.

That’s why we’ve taken the time to create this list of 11 amazing travel marketing campaigns, look at what made them successful, and pull out what you can learn from them.

From horse-filmed promotional videos to talking bridges, there’s no limit to the ingenuity of DMOs when promoting their destinations —and to the campaigns you can create.

1 | South African Tourism: 24 Hours of Wow

Visitors to South Africa frequently focus only on going on safari, and don’t realize the wealth of other amazing activities that are available. To show just how varied and wonderful their country really is, South Africa Tourism developed a visually immersive microsite called “24 Hours of Wow” that featured 144 six-second video clips, each representing an activity or attraction. Visitors could then customize a personalized 24-hour South African adventure by selecting video clips that represented activities for each of the hours of the day, or let the shuffle option surprise them.

Lessons from this destination marketing campaign

Harnessing the popularity of video allowed the South African Tourism board to immerse web visitors with a plethora of possibilities — allowing visitors to browse and explore all the options made it interactive and engaging. Immediately after launching, the average time on site was close to ten minutes as visitors played with the variety of videos available. (If that isn’t evidence of the power of personalization, what is?)

The best part? 60% of the b-roll used was repurposed from what they’d already had on hand in their content library.

2 |  Visit Omaha: Bob the Bridge

Connecting Omaha and Iowa lies the bridge with the most personality that you’ll ever meet: Bob the Bridge. Locals were initially unhappy with the 3,000-foot curved suspension bridge, dismissing it as leading to nowhere and disregarding its value as an attraction in and of itself.

But rather than trying to change their minds, Visit Omaha decided to let the bridge speak for himself. By giving Bob his own social media accounts and video blog, in which his dry, humorous personality shines through, the team was able to completely change the public’s perception.

Sometimes the craziest ideas can really pay off. By creating a tongue-in-cheek personality for their bridge —something no other destination had done— Visit Omaha has effectively created their own tourist attraction and talk trigger . Plus, by showing off a gallery of the UGC people are sharing with Bob on their website, they amplify the social voices of happy visitors and continue to extend that conversation.

3 | Visit Lex: Horse-Filmed Commercials

You’ve heard of user-generated content, but what about horse-generated? In Lexington, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby, every day revolves around the horse farms that have made them famous. However, getting visitors to take more than a casual interest in them can be a challenge.

So, Visit Lex decided to give them a horse’s-eye-view of what really happened on the farm. By strapping a GoPro to their thoroughbreds, they got hours of video footage — filmed entirely by the horses —that gave visitors the chance to put themselves in their horseshoes. The most popular was a video of a mother watching her foal —just like any human parent might film their child.

Lessons from this destination marketing campaign:

Horses are this city’s unique differentiator. By putting them on at the forefront of their campaign and letting them take the reins, it’s easy to create an emotional connection with these creatures and their homeland.  Showing visitors what you really love about your destination is the perfect way to get them as excited about it as you are!

4 | Explore Georgia: #ExploreGeorgiaPup

You’ve heard of family-friendly travel… But what about puppy-friendly? When Explore Georgia realized that a large portion of their target demographic were millennial pet owners, the perfect destination marketing campaign was born.

To draw dog owners from neighboring states in for a visit, they created the #ExploreGeorgiaPup campaign. They created travel guides for pet owners and featured images of visiting dogs, sharing it all on social media to show that Georgia was the perfect place to visit with your dog.

And the spotlight on man’s best friend paid off. They saw over 3,000 uses of the hashtag in under a year, leading over 14,000 visitors to their website. They also reached over 10,000 followers on their pet-friendly travel Pinterest board.

#ExploreGeorgiaPup is the perfect example of a campaign that’s both useful to travelers as well as being visually appealing (who doesn’t love a good puppy pic?). By sharing travel tips and making it easy for pet owners to visit, Explore Georgia was able to generate lots of love on social media —which in turn made it easier to source more and more great user-generated content to keep the social conversation growing.

5 | Explore St. Louis, STL.Live

Although Explore St. Louis was having no trouble attracting families to their city, they also wanted to reach out to millennials. When they realized that what this demographic was really looking for were lesser-known attractions that would help them get to know the city better, they harnessed a new content strategy, including a UGC-powered microsite and quick interviews with local influencers about their favorite places in St. Louis — completely unscripted.

Explore St. Louis knew that their target demographic wouldn’t be impressed by traditional marketing. By reaching out to influencers who resonated with millennials, they were able to give a portrait of their city that was described from the perspective of real people, rather than marketers.

That ties into another key factor in this campaign’s success: its authenticity. By showcasing user-generated content, they made their audience feel as though they were really part of the St. Louis community and could experience it like a local, rather than a tourist. To create a connection with visitors, take advantage of visual user-generated content, like Explore St. Louis did.

6 | Tourism Ireland: Doors of Thrones

Much of Game of Thrones was filmed in Northern Ireland, most particularly at the famous Dark Hedges trail. After a storm ripped through the country and knocked down a couple of trees, Tourism Ireland realized that they had the perfect opportunity to turn the lumber into something fans would love to see.

Through their exclusive partnership with Game of Thrones, they created “Doors of Thrones”, each one of which matched a specific episode in the upcoming season.

And it paid off. The videos they developed to unveil the doors were viewed a combined 17.5 million times, engaged with 250,000 times, achieving a combined total reach of 126 million. Even now that the season is long over, visitors still flock to see the doors and get stamps on their Game of Thrones tour passports —something they can’t do at any other destination.

The filming locations of Game of Thrones were already a big attraction in the area, so taking advantage of them allowed Tourism Ireland to increase their cachet even more. When thinking about your next campaign, it’s about not only knowing your destination, but knowing what other people are saying about it and associate with it.

7 | Visit Pittsburgh, UGC everywhere

Although Pittsburgh has long had a reputation as a smoky, industrial city, in modern days it’s anything but. To show how their city has been transformed in recent years, Visit Pittsburgh turned to the power of user-generated content. By getting local influencers to blog for them and sourcing authentic imagery through CrowdRiff of the wide variety of activities and events available, their site is always revealing new sides of their city.

Lessons from this destination marketing strategy:

Although this is more of an overarching strategy than a specific campaign, it’s one that’s well worth noting for all DMOs. Using CrowdRiff to source user-generated content for their website visuals significantly reduced time spent looking for pictures on the Visit Pittsburgh team’s part, and also allowed them to showcase a larger volume. They’ve been able to raise the profile of their brand and transform perceptions of their city, just by showing people the authentic photos of their changed destination with UGC.

8 | Visit Houston: Hola Houston

Although Houston never had a problem attracting visitors from within driving distance, they realized that to broaden their appeal, they’d need to adopt a new strategy. They already had quite a few visitors coming from Mexico, but to connect with them more deeply, they decided to create a Spanish-language website that would give Spanish speakers a more personalized glimpse into the city. The Hola Houston campaign involved painting murals in their key Mexican markets, and partnering with Mexican influencers, who shared their explorations through the city on social media as well as posting them on the site.

Hola Houston tapped into a previously overlooked market and created a better experience for them —getting a yearly increase of 300,000 visitors from Mexico in the time since their campaign. Realizing where your current visitors are underserved and developing a way to welcome them in, or simply developing a more personalized message for different market segments, is a great way to deepen your relationship with that particular demographic.

9 | Faroe Islands: Sheep View

The Faroe Islands, an archipelago located between Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, was so small that it wasn’t even included on most world maps or even Google Street View. However, they knew that to attract more visitors, they’d need to get on the map.

So, they turned to their most unique attribute: the fact that they have more sheep than people. To give visitors a glimpse of what awaited them on the islands, they strapped 360-cameras to some of their 80,000 sheep as they wandered around. The resulting “sheep map” did more than get Google Maps’ attention: it also won 3 Lions at the 2017 Cannes Advertising Festival, amongst several other awards.

The Faroe Islands might not have had much money… but they did have a lot of sheep and breathtaking scenery. They needed a way to show people visually what their collections of islands had to offer, and they did so by combining these two strengths. They dove into virtual reality video to visually captivate people from all over the world, and cleverly used their sheep to show off their charm while sparking conversation and the attention of the press.

10 | Nelson and Kootenay Lakes: #FindingAwesome Contest

The Nelson and Kootenay Lakes Tourism team has a very specific vision of the visitors they want to attract: “free spirits and well-rounded squares”, in the words of their positioning statement. However, figuring out how to market to this very specific personality type can be difficult, particularly given the wide variety of activities available in the area.

To group all of their pastimes together under one umbrella, they created the #FindingAwesome contest. Visitors to the area were invited to submit posts on social media using the hashtag, with winners receiving cash prizes and being posted on their blog. Even those that don’t win were featured on their “Finding Awesome” microsite, using CrowdRiff to request rights to photos and also to power a UGC gallery with numerous photos and videos to explore.

The campaign was so popular that local businesses even started running similar campaigns concurrently, such as the area microbreweries’ “Fermenting Awesome” event.

Focusing on their ideal visitor’s interests, rather than on their demographics, helped Nelson and Kootenay Lakes Tourism create a message that was directed specifically at them. By running a social media contest, they really spread that brand message and encouraged visitors and locals alike to adopt it, which was further amplified by using those UGC images in their own marketing and blog posts.

11 | Travel Wyoming: That’s WY Stories

Although Wyoming is already well-known for its natural wonders, visitors from beyond driving distance can sometimes fail to see what really makes it unique. Although Travel Wyoming ’s marketing already featured their gorgeous outdoor views, it wasn’t being told from the personal, individual perspective.

So, to convey more of Wyoming’s personality, they created a series of videos with some of the state’s most interesting experts —such as rope makers, ranch owners and dogsledders—that shared a more intimate view of the state.

Developing this human connection paid off. Sharing the stories of the people that make Wyoming special lead to a direct increase in visitors to the state and increased national awareness of just “wy” Wyoming was worth visiting.

Sometimes, just sharing beautiful photos of the landscape isn’t enough. Getting up close and personal with the people who truly make your destination great can help differentiate you from other locations. Combining unique, personal storytelling along with visually captivating , cinematic videos really resonated with viewers, with some videos getting over a million views.

Feeling inspired? There’s more to see.

Read what five forward-thinking DMOs like Visit Arizona and San Francisco Travel have done to create website content for travelers that is targeted, unique, and inspiring in our latest eBook: Making Your Website an Insider’s Guide to Your Destination.

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3 New Tourism Ad Campaigns Striking the Right Tone for These Times

Lebawit Lily Girma, Skift

April 20th, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT

The rise of responsible travel messaging in marketing is a welcome next step, as destinations prepare for the return of large summer crowds locally, and international travelers keep a close eye on their favorite locales. Now's also the time to warn the ugly tourists.

A year ago, the global pandemic left destination marketing organizations scrambling to pause their promotional messaging. What started out as a wait-and-see approach evolved into advice to stay home and dream , while keeping favorite destinations top of mind for when safe travel eventually returns.

A year later, there’s a clear shift happening in marketing messaging as vaccines in the U.S., Europe and Asia continue rolling out and travelers are vacation planning and booking.

It’s the rise of the responsible travel marketing campaign, encouraging travelers to be more respectful in their behavior — to enjoy outdoor places but remain conscious of their choices once they begin to explore again, whether in their respective vaccinated backyards or when the time comes, on their international vacations.

From Portugal’s push to get consumers to think of the preservation of our planet long-term, to Florida’s Manatee County’s appeal to vacation responsibly by minding one’s trash on its island beaches, these three campaigns strike the right note at this evolving time in our industry’s recovery.

Portugal: Hello World — It’s Me, Tomorrow

Portugal’s high level message speaks to the world directly, marveling at its natural wonders, vibrant colors and ecosystems while evoking in “tomorrow’s traveller” — shown through the face of locals — the importance of doing better for the planet, to which humans are inherently connected. It’s a forward looking message at how we can do better once Portugal, and the world, reopens. “Let’s change today and we will keep visiting tomorrow,” the campaign says.

Scotland: Yours to Enjoy — Responsibly

“Let’s keep Scotland special now and for generations to come,” Visit Scotland ‘s new campaign says, urging travelers to respect Scottish communities and wildlife as they roam. The message to slow down and immerse echoes the “build back better” sentiment that the industry has been pushing since the pandemic forced a rethink on overtourism and climate change impacts.

FLorida’s Bradenton Gulf Islands: Love it Like a Local

As larger numbers of Americans begin to vacation in their backyards again, the majority continue to flock to outdoor mountain and beach destinations  — particularly in Florida.

In anticipation of an even bigger surge this summer and in time for Earth Day 2022, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a new “Love It Like a Local” campaign to guide visitors in enjoying their destination — including the increasingly popular and small Ana Maria Island — but also caring for it. The campaign comes on the heels of increasing resident complaints about visitor noise and trash on beaches.

“The video is from a child’s perspective so that way it resonates with children — we want this to be good for people of all ages,” Kelly Clark, marketing and communications director at Bradenton CVB, said. “We’re also hoping that hey, if this 11-year-old girl can tell you to respect the rules, then the adults will too.”  

As the U.S. braces for a busy summer of travel and the industry remains on a path to slow recovery at a global level, all while rethinking what it means to build back better, these responsible travel marketing campaigns gracefully tackle the other side of the safety coin: protecting communities and the environment from the inevitable impact of returning tourists.

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Tags: destination marketing , responsible travel , tourism campaigns

Photo credit: Florida Bradenton County's Anna Maria Island is one of several destinations that recently launched a responsible travel campaign. Carol VanHook / Flickr Commons

10 Tourism Marketing Campaigns that Work Despite Difficult Times

Table of Content

1. visit britain lockdown initiative – showing love for gb, 2. visit portugal – it’s time to stop, 3. discover puerto rico – virtual gateway, 4. visit maldives – keep dreaming but postpone trips, 5. visit abu dhabi – a tribute to the capital, 6. visit saudi – thrilling adventures are timeless, 7. switzerland – dream now, travel later, 8. thai airlines – stay home miles exchange, 9. lonely planet – keep dreaming, 10. special mention: the wild detectives.

The Covid-19 outbreak continues to affect the tourism sector while causing long-lasting hardships experienced by thousands of businesses around the world. As the crisis has unfolded, consumer behavior has changed dramatically in terms of search, planning, and demand. This impacted a number of common industry practices that would have otherwise been successful. Among them, principles of conventional marketing are still being challenged in a struggle to adapt to the new trends.

In spite of the disturbances, some tourism pros actually came up with fantastic strategies that performed beyond expectations.

To inspire your next creative move, we are sharing our top 10 tourism marketing campaigns that work despite coronavirus. Have a look through to explore some inventive and compelling ways to adopt in your own strategy.

Love Great Britain: Official British Tourist Board

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovegreatbritain/

Tag: #LoveGreatBritain

The exciting Instagram account of Visit Britain shares user-generated content featuring the beauty and uniqueness of Great Britain. During the coronavirus pandemic, they come up with an inventive approach aiming to bring a little bit of Britain to international visitors facing travel bans and a life under lockdown. The current campaign is exclusively promoting every aspect of British pop culture and national heritage. From beautiful landscapes, gardens, and architecture to literature, film, and music, they were all under the spotlight on social media feeds.

In addition to the inspirational content, Love Great Britain offers even more ways to engage people staying at home. They feature local recipes, pub quizzes, playlists, complemented with the appropriate call to action and hashtag for each post.

Visit Portugal: Official resource for travel and tourism in Portugal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitportugal/

Tag: #CantSkipHope

Visit Portugal demonstrated support while still engaging with the local culture and values.

To do that, the DMO changed its usual marketing message from #CantSkipPortugal to #CantSkipHope. This was further strengthened by a video they released along with the campaign saying: It’s time to stop. It’s time to take a break, for the good of the world. In the meantime, we can dream for the great days to come. We’re in this together.

While calling all people to continue dreaming for the amazing days to come, they implied that now is a time to stop and take a break. The video attracted over 590K viewers in less than 3 months and continues to gain traction. Through a mixture of rural landscapes and cheering crowds, it clearly narrates the idea of appreciating privacy while dreaming for togetherness.

Discover Puerto Rico: Official resource for travel and tourism in Puerto Rico

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discoverpuertorico/

Tag: #dreamingofpuertorico

To demonstrate empathy in tough times , Discover Puerto Rico shifted their online message from visit now to visit later. Still, by utilizing a novel marketing approach and offering virtual getaways, classes, and experiences they managed to keep the destination top of visitors’ minds.

The DMO was regularly inviting people to one of a kind virtual classes and weekend escapes to Puerto Rico. The above examples showcase a tour in the country’s famous tropical rainforest, as well as an energizing Pilates class. Hosted on Instagram Live and Zoom, they allowed people to engage without leaving their homes. Furthermore, by featuring local guides, instructors, cooks, and dancers, they totally nailed the concept.

Visit Maldives: The official Instagram account of Maldives tourism

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitmaldives/

Tag: #VisitMaldivesLater

Visit Maldives encouraged travelers to postpone their trips until it’s safe. Like others, they adopted a new hashtag saying #VisitMaldivesLater. The word later was invariably a part of all their posts following the Covid-19 outbreak.

To remain true to themselves, Visit Maldives continued sharing outstanding visuals featuring the outstanding pristine beaches and adorable spots around the islands in the Maldives archipelago. They even engaged the Instagram audience with an “all things Maldives” crossword puzzle competition. People were invited to like the page and DM the answers for the chance of winning a surprise from Visit Maldives.

Visit Abu Dhabi: Your extraordinary story, captured #InAbuDhabi.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitabudhabi/

Tag: #StayHome, #StaySafe but #StayCurious

The UAE’s capital appreciated the silence in their own way, beautifully captured by Visit Abu Dhabi’s Instagram account. Taking viewers through the highlights and outstanding landmarks, the DMO paid tribute to the capital while making a promise – it is ready to welcome visitors when the right time comes. Until then, it is all about appreciation and reflection.

Throughout the months of self-isolation, the message of Visit Abu Dhabi remained Stay home, stay safe but stay curious. Therefore their campaign successfully kept people engaged while demonstrating the appropriate level of responsibility and care.

Visit Saudi: The official tourism page of Saudi Arabia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitsaudi/

Tag: #WelcomeToArabia

Even though Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to foreign tourism just lately, they had to go through yet another episode of isolation. To keep the Arabian Nights spirit live, their Instagram posts were complemented with beautiful tale-like captions. Among them, ‘Our thrilling adventures are timeless. They’re not going anywhere’, ‘Our heritage has been centuries in the making. It’s not going anywhere’.

Visit Saudi kept showcasing the cultural and historical heritage from around the kingdom. They called potential visitors to keep dreaming while staying at home and protecting others. From the very beginning of the outbreak in mid-March, they committed to spreading the message #StaySafe and #StayHome.

My Switzerland: Switzerland Tourism #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/myswitzerland/

Tag: #neverstopdreaming

This outstanding campaign by My Switzerland quickly became viral with its heartwarming message: Dream now, travel later . To further strengthen this message, My Switzerland released a short video inspiring people to dream and plan. The same was later projected on Matterhorn mountain, symbolizing that light is hope.

Similarly to Visit Britain, they undertook the approach to celebrate local culture as one of their greatest assets. Their social media feeds aimed to bring Switzerland to people’s homes through beautiful pictures, emotional videos, and entertaining stories.

Now moving away from DMO creative endeavors, there are some more campaigns that caught our attention.

Although being at the heart of a lockdown and travel bans, some airlines managed to make the most out of the time. A great example are Thai Airlines who came up with a very wise and generous approach to stay close to their customers. They encourage their members to stay at home by giving away a reward of 3 million free air miles .

How does this work? Firstly, members need to own an active frequent flyer membership (Royal Orchid Plus) with Thai Airways. Then they need to download the Stay Home Miles Exchange app and register their home to allow the airline to track their location. Finally, every 4 hours spent at home are subsequently awarded 1 mile worth of travel redeemed through the app.

This way, Thai Airlines encourage government guidelines while promoting their membership program.

Lonely Planet: For 45 years we’ve been helping travelers to explore every day.

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lonelyplanet/

Tag: #lonelyplanet

Remaining true to their vision of the piece, Lonely Planet committed to helping people feel better during isolation. They continuously engaged their extensive audience with beautiful landscapes from around the world.

While suggesting nature is the best remedy for the soul, they invited people to embrace its beauties and richness. The Lonely Planet even supported the practice of hugging a tree for 5 minutes, popular in Iceland. Their Instagram account promoted it as a great way to feel better and less lonely during the months of lockdown.

This truly outstanding idea by a Dallas book shop called The Wild Detectives is one of our favorites for a reason. They became a travel agent by launching Book a trip – an online platform offering “holidays” to a range of destinations worldwide. You might be wondering what’s so special about this idea so here’s the answer.

Book a trip is a remarkable campaign aiming to help the shop keep going during the pandemic. The holidays they offer are actually books that could transport people to different countries and worlds. And the mission – to inspire people to keep reading and exploring the world through the magic of books.

Taking an inspirational approach that breaks the stereotypes has proven to be the key to success in tough times. And the memorable campaigns we shared with you once again demonstrate that.

In conclusion, it is never too late to share your special cause and inspire others about it. After all, bold ideas and a clear mission are what create value that will last beyond any crisis and future uncertainty.

You might also like:

• 10 Ideas to Help Differentiate Your Tours in 2021
• Four Ways to Promote Your Tours to an International Audience
• 5 Ways to Offer an Innovative Tourism Experience to Your Clients

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Category: Travel

Date: August 18, 2023

Innovative Travel Marketing Campaigns From Around The World

Creating a successful travel marketing campaign can be a challenging task for most of the travel marketers. With numerous travel agencies, airlines, and hotels in line, there is fierce competition for brand awareness.

A lot of travel marketing campaigns try hard to capture the curiosity of travelers, but fall flat. So, our expert digital marketers at ColorWhistle wanted to give you a little inspiration for your own travel and tourism marketing in 2023 and beyond.

From social media, video content, display, we searched for some of the most compelling travel marketing campaigns that inspired people to go on their next travel adventure.

Here’s a roundup of some of the most famous travel and tourism marketing campaigns you should check out.

Best Travel Marketing Campaigns From Around The World

We have segregated all the travel marketing campaigns into social media, video content and display ads. This will help you to frame a multi-channel strategy.

14 Best Examples of Travel Video Marketing Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel videos.

1. KLM – Live Hologram Bar

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has built a hologram bar where people can meet to exchange local tips when they are waiting for flights. These holograms are placed in the airports of Amsterdam, Oslo and Rio de Janeiro.

2. Turkish Airlines – The Journey

Turkish Airlines released a short film called ‘The Journey’ where 90% of the film was airplanes and scenery. This short film has done a brilliant job promoting the airline and the destinations.

3. Iceland – Explore the a-ö of Iceland

The A-Ö of Iceland, a marketing campaign uses Icelandic alphabet to increase awareness of Iceland as a good place to visit; a great place to do business; and a place that provides great food and experience.

4. Cheapflights – Drag, Drop and Go

Cheapflights and agency Uncle Grey designed an ad banner that appeared on articles about sports, art, music events and relevant publications. The user had to simply drag the article image into the Cheapflights banner and it will instantly find the best tickets. Rather than focusing on destinations, it promoted experiences that people were already interested in.

5. Van Gogh’s Bedroom – Let Yourself In

To promote the Art Institute of Chicago’s 2016 van Gogh exhibit, Leo Burnett built Van Gogh’s Bedroom and listed it on Airbnb as a place for people to stay for a night. The campaign was a tremendous success.

6. Switzerland – Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

This ad campaign encouraged busy city people to visit the countryside. A live video feed was placed in the train station where a man was sharing information about his village and even printed train tickets in real-time.

7. Tourism Ireland – Fill your Heart

Tourism Ireland asked a married couple to wear a custom-made technology which had head-mounted cameras during their holiday in Ireland. The technology tracked their response to various experiences. They wanted to use this data to show the ‘heart-filling’ effect that Ireland has on visitors. This campaign has combined storytelling with technology.

8. Airbnb – Let’s Keep Travelling Forward

Geo-politically, 2018 was not a good year. When Donald Trump imposed a travel ban during that year, Airbnb immediately released a video highlighting the brand’s belief – “to limit travel is to turn back progress.” This campaign helped to voice the brand’s message to the world while staying relevant.

9. Hong Kong Tourism Board – VR Time Travel

When the Hong Kong tourism board launched a VR time travel experience with Timelooper, it wanted to show people that this will be an engaging experience. This VR experience enabled viewers to see the 1960’s Hong Kong, the battle between two kung-fu fighters on Hollywood Road, aircraft landing at Kai Tan airport and more. This campaign showcased the location in an innovative and engaging way.

10. British Airways – Safety Video

Safety videos are usually boring. But, British Airways turned it into a marketing opportunity. They made a safety video with actors Sir Michael Caine, Olivia Colman and comedian Chabuddy G. This video created a great online buzz for British Airways.

11. Easyjet – Imagine

Easyjet launched a £12m pan-European campaign in 2018 called ‘Imagine.’ It was a TV ad which showed the many wonders of air travel. Along with this, the company also ran ads across print, digital and social. This ad campaign helped viewers associate Easyjet with imagination and experience.

12. SNCF – Europe, It’s Just Next Door

The French National Railway operator wanted to encourage people to take the train to visit nearby countries. It placed blue doors in and around Paris. When a person opens the door, it will give an immersive digital experience of what they could see ‘next door’.

13. Tourism Quebec – Blind Tourist

Quebec is a place known for its outdoor lifestyle. But, Tourism Quebec wanted to show people that traveling can be more than just visual experience. They wanted to offer a rich experience to the senses in such a way that seeing things was only a small part of the picture. This ad has a very rich narrative.

14. Northern Ireland – Doors Of Thrones

Northern Ireland used the hit show Game of Thrones to draw tourists in. They took destroyed remnants of battered trees and carved them into 10 intricate doors. All these doors resembled the 10 episodes of season 6.

15. Helsinki Airport – Life In Hel

Helsinki was voted the best airport in 2016. They leveraged this success by running a campaign featuring Chinese actor Ryan Zhu. He lived in this airport for 30 days and shared the experience across social media and other video channels.

11 Best Examples of Creative Travel and Tourism Print Ads

Here are some of the most innovative print ads.

1. LATAM Airlines used the rainbow flag in a series of print ads

2. Norwegian Airlines utilized the Brangelina split to its advantage

3. Kielo Travel – Dreaming of a Holiday?

4. Detroiter Travel Center – You Made It

5. CVC – The World Is Outside

6. Cruise Ship Centers – Dreaming of a cruise?

7. Flight Center – Forget Work

8. WWF – Exploring the ecosystem also threatens lives

9. TBWA Buenos Aires – Medical assistance for travelers

10. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture – Discover the full story

11. Staedtler – Where it begins

13 Best Examples of Travel Social Media Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel social media campaigns.

1. Eurostar

This Instagram campaign from Eurostar turned heads by trying something new. They wanted to promote train travel from London to Paris. So, they split an illustration of a journey from London to Paris into 200 Instagram tile images. Some tiles were videos and others were hidden offers.

2. Alaska Airlines

At the end of the year, many companies give gifts to customers and employees. Keeping this in mind, Alaska Airlines launched a fun promotional Twitter campaign by partnering with Starbucks. They gave a free Starbucks gift card to their guests.

3. Hawaii Tourism Department

The Hawaii tourism department wanted to give first-time visitors an idea of Hawaii’s beauty and culture. Plus, they also wanted veteran vacationers to visit the island again So, the tourism department collaborated with travel Instagrammers to get users to share their favorite Hawaii memory by using the hashtag #LetHawaiiHappen. The campaign was a huge success because ordinary users shared their own experiences.

4. WOW Airlines

WOW Airlines launched a Snaptraveler program where 4 winners would get to tour across all 28 of the airline’s destinations for free. In exchange, they have to post a Snap story about all the locations they visit. The idea of this summer Snapchat contest was to create a reality television-like experience, target their main demographic and share relevant content in WOW Airlines’ Snapchat account. Here is a short video of the campaign.

5. National Geographic

National Geographic launched a wanderlust contest for aspiring travel and nature photographers. They have to submit their own photographs with the hashtag #Wanderlustcontest. The idea behind this campaign was to improve National Geographic’s reputation as the leading source for beautiful travel photography.

6. Kenya Tourism Board

Kenya Tourism Board partnered with Expedia to promote Kenya and an incredible destination to travelers. They choose a famous travel blogging couple and sent them on a one week trip to Kenya with no fixed itinerary. The people following this couple on Instagram can decide the itinerary by voting through an Instagram Stories poll. Throughout the week, the couple broadcasted their journey to their Instagram followers. The content was also repurposed on a microsite. This campaign was a huge success. Here is a short video of the campaign.

7. Cheapflights Facebook Messenger

Cheapflights Chat launched the world’s first Facebook Messenger bot which allowed people to search for flights and hotels. The bot utilized seven APIs. To promote this chat, videos of fictional conversations were created and shared across Facebook. Here is the chat demo.

8. Hotels.com

Hotels.com dedicated an entire Facebook ad carousel to promote its “Gift $50, Get $10” holiday deal. Each slide focuses on the deal and also shows the different types of trips that people can take. This is a simple and memorable ad.

10. Visit PA

Visit PA wanted to push Pennsylvania as the perfect summer getaway. They used Facebook’s carousel ads format to show one panoramic photo in parts.

Airbnb created a unique Instagram video ad that showed users how the experience of discovering each activity in the Airbnb app will look like.

12. Air Canada

Air Canada ran an ad in the US during the night of the 2016 presidential election. That night, Canada’s Immigration and Citizenship site had so many visitors that it crashed. Air Canada learnt this sudden interest and targeted the ad towards people who are looking to fly outside the country.

13. Explore Georgia

Explore Georgia wanted to position itself as the most pet-friendly state in America. So, they created a social media strategy targeting millennial pet owners. They shared lots of posts with the hashtag #ExploreGeorgiaPup to show that Georgia was the perfect place to visit with a dog. This campaign generated lots of traffic to their website and also helped them to reach 10,000+ followers on their pet-friendly travel Pinterest board.

7 Best Examples of Travel Email Marketing Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel email marketing campaigns.

1. Air Canada

During email sign-up, Air Canada asks new subscribers to tell their home airport and the destinations they are interested to travel. By using this information, they send personalized emails according to the interest of the subscriber.

For example, this email was sent to a subscriber whose home airport is in Montreal.

2. Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic proved that it can promote activities that focus on the journey and not just the destination. The company created a memorable customer experience by sending them email offers for virtual reality skydiving. The name of the campaign was Virgin Experience Days.

3. Fairmont Hotels

Loyalty is hard to find in the travel business because travelers always search for the best deal rather than a specific brand. However, if there is a reward program, it will encourage loyalty and repeat business.

Fairmont Hotels wanted to persuade their subscribers to sign up for their loyalty program through an easy sign-up form which included a call-to-action. Here’s the attractive email.

4. Flight Centre

Limited period offers always create a sense of urgency and encourages people to take action. Flight Center used this idea and offered cheap deals to New York City. To convey that this was a limited-time offer, they added a countdown clock at the bottom of the email.

5. Southwest Airlines

Subscribers will feel good if you send emails appreciating them. Southwest Airlines sent an email to its subscribers by adding their customer’s name, travel history and reward points they earned. This ‘thank you’ email also had smiling faces and diverse employees.

Holidays are the time when flight tickets might go up. Mostly, people book tickets at the last time and when the rates are high, they often get disappointed. To avoid this, Hipmunk sent a simple email announcing that prices will go up.

7. Memphis CVB

Memphis CVB wanted to improve awareness of Memphis by showcasing its many attractions and key events they must attend. Here is one of the custom emails they sent to their subscribers.

Drive Conversions and Boost your Business with Expert Travel Website Development.

It’s time to start your next travel marketing campaign.

We hope that the above travel marketing campaigns will inspire you to kickstart your next one. All of these ads have gone beyond the typical boring list of destinations, images and pricing. They show the power of timing, relevance and personalization – all of which are important to create a great campaign.

To create such ad campaigns, all you have to do is get creative, think big and dig deep to find inspiration in the destination you represent. The ideas you come with today will continue to inspire travelers for years to come.

If you need any help to create a travel marketing strategy, our experts at ColorWhistle are eager to assist you. Contact us today. We will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Have you seen a better online travel marketing campaign? Do share them in the comment section below.

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About the Author - Anjana

Anjana is a full-time Copywriter at ColorWhistle managing content-related projects. She writes about website technologies, digital marketing, and industries such as travel. Plus, she has an unhealthy addiction towards online marketing, watching crime shows, and chocolates.

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Top Travel Campaigns of 2020: Tourism Marketers Get Creative in the Face of Adversity

There is no question in anyone’s mind – this was a tough year for tourism marketers. With travel largely shuttered in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter-at-home orders, budgets cut and so many American workers furloughed, travel was at an all-time low.

Click here to listen to Episode 199 where Destination on the Left is joined by Rick Antonson. Rick discusses a plan DMOs can use for rebuilding in the future.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the tourism industry. Destinations got creative and tourism marketing teams showed their dedication as they pivoted, reimagined, and relaunched campaigns . Strap in for a wild ride, as we round up some of the Top Travel Campaigns of 2020.

Click here to see the Top Travel Campaigns of 2018.

Click here to see the Top Travel Campaigns of 2019.

Visit Portugal: Can’t Skip Hope

We very rarely see a destination telling people to stop traveling, but that’s exactly the message that Visit Portugal choose to send – loud and clear. “It’s time to stop,” the video states, over and over again. It reminds people that beauty can be found in solitude, that we stand together when we stay apart, and that all of our biggest travel dreams will still be here when it’s safe to visit again. Showcasing stunning travel video (shot prior to the pandemic) and a soothing voiceover telling us it’s all going to be okay; Portugal hits a perfect balance of inspiring and insightful with its marketing.

The Faroe Islands: Remote Tourism

The Faroe Islands is small, but mighty. During some of the lowest points, when everyone was staying home, the Faroe Islands was inviting over 700,000 visitors to its island to participate in “Remote Tourism.” Taking virtual travel to a new level, Remote Tourism allowed future travelers to take control of a local guide – almost like a computer game – and point their real-life avatar in whatever direction their heart desired. Over 22 tours and daily guides shared every aspect of the little island community – from rugged mountaintops to nearby waterfalls – while the Visit Faroe Islands tourism team was on hand to answer questions and provide insight to the many places visitors were experiencing through their screens.

The last tour took place on June 17, but you can view a recap of the Faroe Islands Remote Tourism experience .

Recordings of the live tours are viewable on the Visit Faroe Islands’ Facebook Page .

And a bonus: without spending a singular dollar on advertising, this creative campaign generated over 500 news articles and national coverage in more than nine countries.

Travel Iowa: 2020 State Park Passport

This year marked a huge anniversary for Iowa State Parks, celebrating its centennial in 2020. Originally, the parks had huge celebrations and events planned to mark the occasion. But, with safety in mind, the state began to pivot in a more digital direction. Knowing that parks and outdoor recreation would play a large part in shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, Travel Iowa worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Bandwango to create the “ Iowa State Park Passport ” an online resource (not an app!) that encouraged Iowa residents to travel the state, enjoy the outdoors, track progress and even win prizes by visiting all 61 State Park locations.

Within just two months of launching the passport, the state tracked over 12,000 sign ups and 17,000 check-ins at Iowa State Parks. The campaign was furthered through organic and paid social media, media relations, and online efforts.

Experience Kissimmee, Florida: Vacation to Remember

It’s a whole different world down in Kissimmee, FL, one where warm weather and breezy beach-life reign supreme. And in the time of COVID-19, the destination chooses to use its platform to remind visitors that they can work and play from the Sunshine State, while still remaining safe and socially distant. In a tongue-in-cheek video from far into the future – the year 2092 – their onscreen character Blaire reminisces about the time that her mother booked a vacation home in Kissimmee to allow her family to “spread out” while boasting on Zoom calls about the glorious vacation home and poolside views.

The video does a nice job showcasing the solo side of travel, while also reminding us that this won’t last forever, and family memories are still to be had. It also gives a laugh, as Blaire quips that her mom “was on mute the whole time,” a situation all too familiar to those of us living in Zoom-land. Catch a clip of the video below.

Bonus! Experience Kissimmee also features “Stay Healthy, Stay Inspired” music playlists on Spotify, that take visitors inside the destination through song. The playlists feature sounds from the Walt Disney World Resort , Summertime Sing-a-longs, Chill at Home songs, “ Whelmed ” and a Christmastime compilation called “ Rockin’ Around the Kissimmee Tree .”

Bristol, UK: Bristol from Home

Click here to listen to Episode 68 with Gavin Landry where he shares how VisitBritain really stands out from the crowd.

A lot of destinations leaned into virtual and began to offer at-home activities that travelers could engage in from home. But Bristol, UK compiled a truly unique collection of online visits, tours, recipes and activities that will keep future visitors feeling like they’ve truly traveled to this bustling British city. Some of my favorite suggestions include the “Bristol on screen” listing of TV shows and films shot or set in Bristol, the #FoodFriday blog feature of Bristol-centric recipes that can be made right in your home kitchen, and the themed Instagram challenges featuring pics from followers and Bristol locals.

The destination also created its very own “ Visit Bristol Bingo ,” which will ensure that you don’t miss a single online opportunity that this city has to share.

While just a few favorites from the past year, these campaigns have us inspired, travel dreaming and trying new things. With 2021 on the horizon, here’s hoping that we’ll be visiting a few in the near future, as well.

Sarah Martin

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• Strategic Planning (7)
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Our first research study confirmed that collaboration is a constant in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. It is not a matter of if, but when and how, organizations will collaborate together. Our latest study reveals how organizations are putting collaboration into operation and how they are setting up systems and processes so that collaboration becomes a strategic part of the organization.

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Creating a successful tourism marketing campaign.

Looking to craft the perfect tourism marketing campaign? Read through our helpful tips and tactics to successfully promote your tourism business.

Tourism marketing is a dynamic field vital in promoting destinations, attracting travelers, and boosting local economies. In today’s digital age, tourism marketing has evolved to encompass various strategies and tactics.

Join us as we explore the ins and outs of tourism marketing, why it’s essential, best practices for crafting effective campaigns, common challenges marketers face, and inspiring examples of successful marketing campaigns.

What is Tourism Marketing?

Tourism marketing is a specialized branch of marketing that focuses on promoting destinations, attractions, accommodations, and other tourism-related products or services to travelers and tourists. Its primary goal is to attract visitors to a particular location, region, or destination, and it plays a crucial role in driving economic growth for tourism-dependent areas.

For example, Kate Cox, Marketing Coordinator for Cochise Country Tourism and Economic Council, created a cross-channel marketing campaign with TEGNA’s 12 News to attract new visitors to Cochise County , a unique set of communities in the southwest corner of Arizona.  

“The communities I represent through the council are very unique. They all have different multi-faceted opportunities and events for people to come and enjoy,” says Cox. “My goal is to get people to come down to the county and have a great time and really see what we’re all about,” says Cox.

With this campaign, Cox was able to accomplish a common goal in the travel and tourism industry: Creating awareness and building the brand by showcasing a destination’s unique features, attractions, experiences, natural beauty, cultural heritage, historical sites, recreational activities, and culinary offerings that a destination has to offer.

Why Are Tourism Marketing Campaigns Important?

Not only do campaigns play a pivotal role in attracting travelers, both domestically and internationally, by showcasing the distinctive features, natural beauty, historical treasures, and unique experiences that destinations have to offer, but they can also be a driving force behind: 

• Economic Growth: Tourism generates revenue and can significantly boost a region’s economy.
• Job Creation : New job opportunities in local communities come with a growing
• Sustainable Development: Promoting responsible travel practices that protect the environment and preserve local cultures.

However, for Cox, the  Cochise County campaign is near and dear to her heart because it’s where she lives, is passionate about the area, and personally wants to see it thrive.

“I may be partial, but I think Cochise County is really an unsung part of Arizona,” says Cox. “By the end of this campaign, I want folks to come out and visit Cochise County and see why I love to live here.

How to Craft a Strong Tourism Marketing Campaign

In a world where travel enthusiasts seek authentic experiences and breathtaking destinations, rest, relaxation, and reunions with loved ones, the art of tourism marketing has evolved into a vital skill. From selecting the right target market to harnessing the potential of video content, here are a few strategies that can help beckon wanderers to embark on unforgettable journeys.

1. Select Your Markets and Audience

Identify your target audience and their preferences. You can use insights gathered from drawing insights from our e-book, “ Understanding Today’s Leisure Traveler ,” to tailor your marketing efforts to appeal to specific demographics, such as families, adventure seekers, or luxury travelers. For example,

• Millennials and Gen Z are most likely to visit trendy locations
• Older generations tend to travel to check places off a bucket list
• Younger generations are driven by experiences that contribute to their overall identity
• Relaxation is a priority for Americans and the top motivator when planning a vacation
• Millennials/Gen Z is +9% more likely to prioritize spending on experiences, like traveling, over goods
• Audiences resonate with a few creative elements showcased in travel ads : cinematic escapism, realism, and details to spark planning ideas.

2. Partner with Local TV News Stations

“ Understanding Today’s Leisure Traveler ” found that tourists and travelers rely on local news stations to educate and inform them of nearby tourist activities and the latest travel trends. Collaborate with local news stations to promote your destination. Local media can provide valuable exposure and credibility. A halo effect also comes with local TV advertising , and tourism brands should incorporate local TV news into their media plan .

3. Focus on Deals and Staycations

As inflation concerns continue to linger for American consumers, they aren’t cutting travel budgets altogether. They’re just shifting how and where they’re traveling. “ Understanding Today’s Leisure Travele r ” reveals that hometown tourists and staycations are rising. Attract locals looking to get away while staying closer to home and highlight cost-effective travel options and staycation opportunities within your region.

4. Take Advantage of Influencer Marketing

We found that social media have inspired 75% of our survey respondents to travel to a specific destination. Collaborate with travel influencers – such as those on a local lifestyle show –  who can authentically showcase your destination to their engaged followers. It’s a tactic that worked great for Cox and Cochise County, as she could showcase her destination on Arizona Midday and benefit from the show’s hosts and its credibility.

5. Leverage Video

Based on our travel survey, 83% of consumers actively engage with travel-related content, underscoring the indispensable role of video content in your marketing and advertising strategy. Furthermore, 79% of respondents find travel videos engaging, and 66% rely on such videos to aid in their vacation planning. In comparison, 60% appreciate staying up-to-date with the latest travel trends through this medium.

Harness the power of visually captivating video content to showcase your brand’s overall tourism experience. Focus on the unique experiences travelers can have in your destination, whether culinary delights, outdoor adventures, or cultural destinations. Immersing viewers in high-quality visuals and videos can leave a lasting impression, igniting their imagination and fostering a genuine connection with your destination.

6. Create a Cross-Channel Campaign

Embracing cross-channel marketing opens up a spectrum of advantages that can ultimately enhance customer engagement, boost conversion rates, foster loyalty, and propel your business toward resounding success. Consider crafting a cohesive and seamless customer journey through the following channels:

• TV Advertising: TV advertising is an effective tool for broadcasting promotional messages, commercials, or content to reach a wide and diverse audience.
• CTV/OTT Streaming: Deliver promotional content through online streaming platforms to extend reach, leverage targeting and retargeting, and use reporting data to optimize campaigns.
• Geotargeting: Utilize geotargeting to reach potential visitors in specific geographic areas, ensuring your marketing efforts are highly relevant.
• Contextual Advertising: Use contextual advertising to deliver personalized messages to potential travelers based on their interests and online behavior.

Common Challenges of Tourism Marketing Campaigns

While tourism marketing can be highly rewarding, it also comes with its share of challenges:

• Seasonality: Many destinations experience peak and off-peak seasons, challenging managing demand year-round.
• Competition: The tourism industry is competitive, and standing out can be tough.
• Budget Constraints: Allocating budgets for marketing can be tricky, especially for smaller destinations.
• Changing Consumer Preferences: Travel trends evolve, and keeping up with shifting consumer preferences is vital. Unpack the latest trends in our e-book here.

Examples of Tourism Marketing Campaigns

Kate Cox and Cochise County is just one example of a tremendous cross-channel marketing campaign in partnership with TEGNA’s 12 News in Phoenix. The campaign leveraged TV, streaming, and digital elements to attract visitors from near and far.

These elements included content featured on Arizona Midday to engage a wide and diverse audience, including their target audience of foodies and wine lovers, outdoor adventurists, young families, and culture and history buffs.

The campaign was also bolstered through strategic streaming and retargeting efforts, resulting in impressive Video Completion Rates (VCR) of 97% and retargeting click-through at nearly three times higher than industry averages, affirming the partnership’s success and paving the way for future collaboration.

Get Your Tourism Marketing Campaign Off the Ground with TEGNA

Ready to launch your tourism marketing campaign? Successful tourism marketing requires the right marketing partner to help unleash your creativity, understand your target audience, and create the right media plan to generate results.

TEGNA delivers proven results through simplified multi-platform advertising solutions that connect your business to the audiences that matter most via Broadcast TV , OTT Streaming Advertising , and Digital Solutions , including Targeted Display and retargeting well as campaign measurement ​and optimization with ​ TEGNA Attribution . 

Let’s get in touch to explore how we can help your tourism brand attract travelers, boost your local economy, and create unforgettable experiences for visitors to your destination.

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10 Best Travel and Tourism  Advertising Campaigns

The world of travel and tourism is a realm of endless exploration and discovery, where the allure of new destinations and experiences beckons adventurers from every corner of the globe. Amidst this vast and competitive landscape, the art of capturing the essence of a destination and inspiring wanderlust has given rise to some of the most captivating and memorable advertising campaigns. These advertising campaigns are not just advertisements,  they are portals to a world of breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cultures, and unforgettable journeys. In this article, we delve into the realm of travel marketing and unveil the 10 Best Travel and Tourism Advertising Campaigns that have successfully transported viewers to distant shores, inviting them to embark on incredible adventures.

Table of Contents

Incredible India Ad by Incredible India

The “Incredible India” campaign, launched by the Government of India, is a global initiative to promote India as a premier travel destination. This particular ad by “Incredible India” encapsulates the country’s astonishing diversity and rich cultural heritage. It visually narrates the story of India’s vibrant festivals, ancient traditions, and breathtaking landscapes. The ad seamlessly blends scenes from bustling cities, tranquil rural areas, historical landmarks, and spiritual sites, showcasing India as a land of contrasts and wonders. It appeals to a global audience, inviting them to explore the myriad experiences that India offers, from spiritual journeys to adventurous explorations, thereby boosting tourism and cultural awareness.

Signature Video | Kerala Tourism | Experience God’s Own Country by Kerala Tourism

The “Signature Video | Kerala Tourism | Experience God’s Own Country” by Kerala Tourism is a captivating visual representation of the Indian state of Kerala, often referred to as “God’s Own Country.” In just under two minutes, this video beautifully encapsulates the essence of Kerala’s natural beauty, rich culture, and unique experiences. It showcases the lush green landscapes, tranquil backwaters, pristine beaches, and exotic wildlife that define Kerala. The video also highlights the state’s Ayurvedic traditions and delectable cuisine. With its stunning cinematography and soothing music, the campaign invites viewers to immerse themselves in the serenity and charm of Kerala, making it an irresistible travel destination.

Paradise Unexplored – North East India by Incredible India

“Paradise Unexplored – North East India by Incredible India” is a captivating tourism campaign that invites travelers to discover the hidden gems of India’s North East. With lush landscapes, rich cultural diversity, and breathtaking vistas, it offers an enchanting glimpse into the lesser-explored regions of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and more. The campaign celebrates the indigenous traditions, vibrant festivals, and pristine natural beauty of North East India. It encourages adventure seekers to explore dense forests, serene lakes, and the unique lifestyle of the local communities. This campaign serves as a window to the untouched paradise of North East India, enticing tourists to embark on an unforgettable journey of discovery.

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India by Madhya Pradesh Tourism

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India” is a captivating tourism campaign by Madhya Pradesh Tourism that portrays the state as the very essence of India’s cultural and geographical diversity. It offers a visual extravaganza of Madhya Pradesh’s majestic forts, dense forests, and serene rivers, providing a glimpse into its rich heritage and natural beauty. The campaign invites travelers to explore the state’s numerous wildlife sanctuaries, ancient temples, and historically significant sites, all while celebrating its central role in India’s cultural tapestry. With stunning visuals and a strong narrative, the campaign successfully entices tourists to immerse themselves in the heart of “Incredible India,” Madhya Pradesh.

Rajasthan: Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye by PIB India

Rajasthan: Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye” is a captivating campaign by PIB India that immerses viewers in the vibrant tapestry of Rajasthan, India’s largest state. This campaign brilliantly captures the essence of Rajasthan, known for its majestic forts, colorful festivals, and rich cultural heritage. The slogan “Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye” invites travelers to discover the surprises that await them in Rajasthan, from the iconic palaces of Jaipur to the golden sands of the Thar Desert. The campaign’s imagery showcases the state’s exquisite architecture, bustling bazaars, and warm hospitality, enticing tourists to experience the grandeur and authenticity of this royal land.

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India by Incredible India

“Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India” by Incredible India is a captivating tourism campaign that showcases the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh as the very essence of India’s cultural and geographical diversity. This campaign beautifully captures the state’s rich heritage, majestic forts, and lush wildlife sanctuaries. It highlights iconic destinations like Khajuraho, known for its exquisite temples, and the tranquil Narmada River, a symbol of spirituality. The campaign’s imagery and narrative invite travelers to explore this heartland, where history comes alive in its architecture, and nature flourishes in its forests. Madhya Pradesh truly embodies the soul of India, and this campaign presents it as a must-visit destination for those seeking an authentic Indian experience.

Apla Maharashtra Unlimited | Maharashtra Tourism by Maharashtra Tourism

Apla Maharashtra Unlimited” is a captivating tourism campaign by Maharashtra Tourism that invites travelers to explore the diverse and boundless attractions of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The campaign celebrates the rich tapestry of experiences that Maharashtra offers, from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai to the serene hills of the Western Ghats and the stunning coastline along the Arabian Sea. It showcases the state’s vibrant culture, historic landmarks, and varied landscapes. Whether it’s exploring ancient caves, enjoying the vibrant festivals, or savoring the local cuisine, Maharashtra promises unlimited experiences for tourists. The campaign beautifully captures the essence of Maharashtra’s heritage and its status as a tourist haven in India.

Jammu and Kashmir – Where time stands still. (Director’s Cut) by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism

Jammu and Kashmir – Where time stands still. (Director’s Cut)” by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism is a captivating tourism campaign that immerses viewers in the timeless beauty of this northern Indian region. The Director’s Cut edition offers an extended and more immersive experience. It portrays Jammu and Kashmir as a place of serene beauty, where the passage of time seems to slow down. The campaign showcases the region’s breathtaking landscapes, including snow-covered mountains, pristine lakes, and lush valleys. It invites travelers to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life and immerse themselves in the tranquility and natural splendor of Jammu and Kashmir, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts and those seeking a peaceful retreat.

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – A journey towards the majestic land of Gujarat (Hindi)

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – A journey towards the majestic land of Gujarat” is a captivating campaign spearheaded by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, to promote the state of Gujarat. This campaign, with its title translating to “The Fragrance of Gujarat,” encapsulates the essence of the state’s diverse attractions. It showcases Gujarat’s rich historical heritage, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes, including the iconic Rann of Kutch and the bustling city of Ahmedabad. With a focus on tourism and cultural pride, the campaign invites travelers to embark on a mesmerizing journey through Gujarat, offering a glimpse into the state’s unique traditions, wildlife sanctuaries, and remarkable experiences.

KERALA Backwaters ● India 2020 by Travel Penguin

The “KERALA Backwaters ● India 2020” video by Travel Penguin offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the enchanting backwaters of Kerala, a state in southern India. This visual masterpiece captures the essence of Kerala’s backwater ecosystem, with its intricate network of serene waterways, lush greenery, and traditional houseboats gently gliding on the placid waters. The video showcases the unique and tranquil way of life in the backwaters, where communities thrive along the shores. Viewers are transported to a world of calm and natural beauty, making it an enticing invitation for travelers seeking a serene and picturesque escape in the heart of God’s Own Country, Kerala.

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Sandeep Nair

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Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns & Innovations

Traveling is more than just a leisure activity; it's a massive global industry that contributes over $9 trillion to the world's economy. The competition among travel companies, airlines, and destinations is fierce, and standing out in the crowded market requires innovation and creativity. In this landscape, marketing campaigns have become vital tools for capturing attention and driving consumer behavior. From social media strategies to television commercials, successful campaigns have not only influenced travel decisions but also shaped travel trends and culture.

According to a recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the right marketing campaign can increase destination visits by up to 20%. This has led to a surge in investment in creative and engaging campaigns that resonate with potential travelers. Some of the most iconic campaigns have transcended traditional marketing, turning into cultural phenomena, and inspiring a new wave of wanderlust. This article highlights the top 10 travel marketing campaigns that have done just that, analyzing the strategies and impact that put them ahead of the pack.

Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns

Campaign 10: "get out there" - kayak.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign aimed to inspire wanderlust among its audience. Through vibrant visuals, the ads showcased breathtaking destinations, from serene beaches to bustling cityscapes. Each advertisement carried a clear message – the world is vast, and every place holds a new experience waiting to be uncovered. The digital-first campaign was embedded with interactive tools: a user could click on an ad and immediately be led to flight and hotel options for the showcased destination.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign was a bold statement in the increasingly digital world of travel planning. By implementing an aggressive multi-channel strategy that reached over 20 million users, Kayak achieved a 12% increase in app downloads within the first quarter of the campaign's launch.

• Social Media Blitz: With targeted ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they reached the millennial demographic, seeing a 30% growth in social media engagement.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaboration with travel influencers provided authentic voices that resonated with potential travelers, resulting in a 15% increase in user-generated content tagged with their campaign hashtag.
• Interactive Website Features: A special landing page offered personalized travel suggestions, driving an 18% increase in site visits.

Campaign 9: "Travel Yourself Interesting" - Expedia

Expedia’s campaign took a playful and humorous angle. The core message was simple: Traveling makes you a more interesting person. Ads featured individuals recounting bland, everyday experiences, juxtaposed with their far more intriguing travel tales. One memorable ad showed a man boring his friends with tales of his lawn maintenance, only to later captivate them with stories of his trek in the Amazon Rainforest.

Expedia's "Travel Yourself Interesting" campaign became a sensation for its humorous take on self-improvement, leading to a 10% growth in global bookings during the campaign period.

• Television Commercials: The humorous ads were broadcasted in key markets, reaching an estimated audience of 50 million, with a 20% increase in brand recall.
• Digital Engagement: Interactive online quizzes and social media challenges contributed to a 25% spike in website traffic.
• Partnership with Travel Bloggers: Engaging bloggers added credibility and a personal touch, resulting in a wider reach and deeper connection with the target audience.

Campaign 8: "The Airbnb Concerts" - Airbnb

Airbnb wanted to emphasize that travel isn’t just about where you stay, but what you experience. This campaign married unique Airbnb accommodations with intimate live music performances. Think of a jazz concert in a historic New Orleans mansion or an indie rock performance in a sleek Tokyo loft. The campaign was about moments and memories, providing travelers not just a place to sleep but an experience to cherish.

Airbnb's "The Airbnb Concerts" was a revolutionary campaign that bridged the gap between travel, music, and community. Over 100 unique concerts were held in various Airbnb locations around the world, leading to a 40% increase in bookings among the participating properties.

• Live Concert Experiences: Hosting concerts in unusual Airbnb venues, such as treehouses and lofts, created unforgettable experiences, selling out 95% of the events.
• Social Media Engagement: Videos and photos from the concerts were shared widely, generating over 5 million views on YouTube and trending hashtags on Twitter.
• Influencer Participation: Collaboration with famous musicians and influencers added prestige and drew substantial media attention, reaching an estimated 60 million people through various channels.  

Campaign 7: "Do it for Denmark" - Spies Travels

With Denmark experiencing a declining birth rate, Spies Travels crafted a cheeky and bold campaign suggesting that Danes should travel more to romantic destinations to boost their chances of conceiving. The campaign videos humorously implied that being in a relaxed vacation mode away from the daily grind might lead to increased intimacy among couples, and thus, increase the country's birth rate.

Spies Travels' bold and unconventional "Do it for Denmark" campaign focused on Denmark's low birth rate, cleverly encouraging couples to travel and procreate. This campaign's success was reflected in:

• Media Coverage: Featured in over 300 international media outlets, generating buzz worth millions in free advertising.
• Sales Growth: A 10% increase in holiday bookings within the campaign period, especially in romantic travel packages.
• Viral Video: The campaign video was viewed over 10 million times on YouTube in the first month alone.
• Awards and Recognition: The campaign won several marketing awards, establishing Spies Travels as a creative leader in the industry.

Campaign 6: "Unborder" - Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

The "Unborder" campaign showcased the power of travel to transcend boundaries, be they physical, cultural, or psychological. Using visually stunning videos and images, SAS celebrated the global citizen's mindset. Scenes showcased diverse landscapes and cultures, intertwined with travelers from various backgrounds meeting, sharing moments, and understanding one another's worlds.  

SAS's "Unborder" campaign celebrated cultural diversity and connectivity, aiming to break down borders in both a literal and metaphorical sense.

• Emotional Resonance: Surveys showed a 25% increase in positive brand perception among those exposed to the campaign.
• Global Reach: Multi-language content ensured an international reach, connecting with audiences in over 30 countries.
• Influence on Travel Patterns: The campaign contributed to a 7% growth in international flight bookings through SAS.
• Social Media Engagement: User-generated content and shared stories reached over 5 million social media users, strengthening community engagement.

Campaign 5: "Spend Your Days Off" - Project: Time Off

Addressing the widespread issue of burnout and the tendency of many individuals, especially in high-pressure jobs, to skip vacations, this campaign was a clarion call to prioritize well-being. Using a mix of stark statistics about unused vacation days and heartwarming content showing families and individuals rejuvenating through travel, the campaign's central message was clear: Time off is essential, not just a luxury.

The "Spend Your Days Off" campaign from Project: Time Off tackled a significant societal issue, encouraging people to value their vacation time and prioritize well-being.

• Impact on Public Opinion: The campaign reached over 100 million people, contributing to a shift in public opinion about the importance of taking time off.
• Partnerships with Major Brands: Collaboration with several travel and lifestyle brands increased the campaign’s visibility, contributing to a 15% increase in associated travel package sales.
• Social Media Activism: Through hashtags and viral challenges, the campaign mobilized social media users, generating over 1 million shares and comments.
• Research Integration: By incorporating research data on work-life balance, the campaign positioned itself as an authoritative voice, leading to numerous mentions in major media outlets.

Campaign 4: "You’re Not You When You're Hungry" - Snickers Australia

A delightful twist on Snickers' global campaign message, the Australian edition juxtaposed the idea of being 'hungry and irritable' with the fatigue of long travels. Strategically placed in airports and travel hubs, ads humorously showcased how hunger could transform a calm traveler into a frantic, disoriented mess, suggesting that a Snickers bar could save the day.

Travelers, already familiar with the global "You're Not You When You're Hungry" slogan, appreciated the localized twist and situational humor. The relatability of being hungry and irritable during travels struck a chord. 

• Location-specific Advertising: By targeting travelers at airports, Snickers saw a 15% increase in sales within these locations during the campaign.
• Social Media Impact: Shareable content reached 2 million online engagements within the first two weeks.
• Brand Alignment: Maintained Snickers' global campaign message, resulting in a 10% rise in brand recognition among the travel audience.

Campaign 3: "Live There" - Airbnb

Instead of being a mere tourist, Airbnb's "Live There" campaign invited travelers to live like locals. It showcased real Airbnb hosts sharing genuine experiences with guests — from cooking together to exploring hidden neighborhood gems. The campaign was a departure from cliched travel ads, focusing on authentic local interactions over touristy hotspots.

Airbnb's "Live There" encouraged travelers to immerse in local cultures, shifting focus from accommodations to experiences.

• User Engagement: The campaign’s app features increased user interaction by 20%, enabling travelers to customize their experiences.
• Global Reach: Spanned 18 different markets, contributing to a 12% increase in international bookings.
• Media Partnerships: Collaborations with travel magazines and influencers created a 25% uplift in media coverage and online discussions about Airbnb's experiential travel offerings.

Campaign 2: "Shot on iPhone 6" - Apple

Apple showcased the powerful camera of its iPhone 6, not through technical jargon, but by spotlighting stunning user-generated travel photos taken on the device. Billboards, print ads, and digital campaigns proudly displayed these images with the caption "Shot on iPhone 6," turning everyday users into celebrated photographers.

Apple's "Shot on iPhone 6" brilliantly transformed travel photography, showcasing breathtaking landscapes captured on the iPhone.

• User-generated Content: Over 10,000 user submissions in the first month, creating a vast community of iPhone photographers.
• Sales Impact: A 9% increase in iPhone 6 sales was attributed directly to the campaign during its running period.
• Awards and Recognition: Several accolades for marketing excellence affirm Apple's position as an innovator in both technology and marketing.
• Influence on Industry: The campaign set a trend in mobile photography, with other brands following suit.

Campaign 1: "It's More Fun in the Philippines" - Department of Tourism Philippines

This vibrant campaign used catchy slogans, colorful visuals, and infectious local music to promote the Philippines as a top travel destination. It showcased everything from the country's pristine beaches and natural wonders to its rich cultural festivities and the warmth of its people.

The slogan "It's More Fun in the Philippines" became an anthem for both locals and travelers. It captured the heart of what the Philippines offers — an unparalleled blend of beauty, culture, and hospitality. The country saw a significant surge in tourist arrivals, rejuvenating local businesses and attractions. The slogan found its way onto merchandise, social media trends, and even local parlance, truly marking the campaign's success in engraining itself into the global traveler's psyche.

• Tourism Growth: A staggering 20% increase in international tourist arrivals in the year following the campaign's launch.
• Economic Impact: An estimated $1 billion boost to the local economy, benefiting various sectors tied to tourism.
• Social Media Virality: The hashtag #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines trended worldwide, with over 5 million uses on various platforms.
• Cultural Promotion: The campaign promoted local culture and natural beauty, creating a sustainable and responsible tourism model.

Break away from the common marketing tactics: Try Stories

One look at the top travel campaigns we've explored showcases a truth that cannot be ignored: individuality is a cornerstone of successful marketing. From Airbnb emphasizing local experiences to the vibrant charm of Philippine adventures, brands that present a unique, authentic message are the ones that resonate most powerfully with audiences.

As a brand, how do you craft a message that stands out in a saturated market? It's about making it personal. And in the digital age, personalization comes from interactive, engaging, and relatable content.

Try Mobile App Stories from InAppStories!   We take your user engagement and essential mobile metrics under control with our digital toolkit. But why does this matter for travel marketing?

• Immersive Experiences : Showcase your destinations with full-screen visuals and engaging narratives. Let your potential travelers experience a 'sneak peek' of their journey right from their mobile devices.
• Real-Time Engagement : With features like polls, sliders, and quizzes, you can gauge traveler preferences instantly. Want to know if they prefer beach holidays over mountain trekking? Just ask!
• Tailored Recommendations : Using the engagement data, offer personalized travel packages or deals that cater to individual preferences. If a user frequently interacts with beach holiday stories, send them a special offer on a seaside resort package!
• User-Generated Content : Encourage travelers to share their experiences through Stories within your app. There’s nothing more convincing than real travelers sharing authentic experiences.
• Stay Updated : Travel advisories, new destination launches, or special discounts – share time-sensitive information instantly through Stories.

InAppStory doesn’t just allow you to share content; it empowers you to create a dialogue, making your marketing efforts a two-way street. By leveraging this powerful tool, your travel brand can achieve a unique voice, one that listens as much as it speaks. Try them now and see how your mobile or web app will change.

8 of the Best Destination Marketing Campaigns (And What You Can Learn From Them)

Destination marketing is an incredibly popular approach when it comes to travel and tourism marketing. From national tourist boards to independent agencies that offer trips to specific towns or cities, it’s a very effective method of attracting travellers to a location in an engaging and creative manner without employing traditional, explicitly persuasive marketing messages.

There is a very broad range of ways that destination marketing can be used to grow awareness of a location and the travel experience that a company offers there. Whether you’re wondering what destination marketing looks like when put into practice, or are seeking inspiration for your brand’s next destination marketing campaign, here are nine of the best examples, along with key takeaways of what makes each one of them so effective.

What is Destination Marketing?

Destination marketing is an approach to marketing that is used in the travel industry as a way of promoting a location such as a town, region or country. Instead of advertising the service or product that they offer, travel businesses that use destination marketing focus their efforts on ‘selling’ the location that their offering targets.

Promoting a destination instead of a product or service means that customer awareness of a location grows and allows companies to attract attention in a way that avoids explicit marketing messaging that many consumers dislike. The aim is that the target audience will start to think about visiting a destination after seeing content that paints it in a positive light, and that their first thought when it comes to actually booking a trip will be the brand behind this content.

Destination marketing aims to build awareness and interest in an area before the customer has visited. The most effective approaches tend to engage the customer through an emotional hook that sparks a real desire to see a destination, as this means that they’re much more likely to pay for a holiday there.

Whilst a very popular marketing approach with travel businesses that offer experiences in a specific location, destination marketing is also often used by local or national tourist boards as a way of increasing tourism in the area, establishing a positive reputation and bringing more visitors and thus more money.

8 of the Best Destination Marketing Campaigns

Fill your heart with ireland.

One of the most successful marketing campaigns for a destination that is still referenced today is ‘ Fill Your Heart with Ireland ’ which was produced by the country’s national tourism board.

The final product of this destination marketing campaign was a short video advertisement, showing a Swedish couple’s first trip to the area. Both visitors were hooked up to heart rate monitors that tracked their physiological changes throughout a range of activities, such as visiting cultural and historic sites, going surfing and hiking along the coast.

What made this advertisement so special was that the couple was also wearing a camera mounted on a helmet during the trip, capturing footage from their perspective throughout. The clips that made it into the final campaign were all taken from moments where their heart rate changed, creating a video full of moments that ‘filled’ the couple’s hearts with Ireland.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qH7dEIECD4

Why it works:  

The first stand-out feature of this campaign is the fact that the technology used in it is unique, which immediately makes it unique. It also uses the traditional destination marketing format of a video showcasing different appealing clips of a location, with the difference that these clips have been chosen by the data collected from the travellers featured in the campaign, not a campaign director. 

Finally, the emphasis on ‘heart’ and emotive responses gives the campaign a significant emotional pull, engaging the viewer right from the beginning and showing plenty of scenarios they can imagine themselves in.

Inspired by Iceland

The ‘ Inspired by Iceland ’ campaign came as a response to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano under a glacier in the country in 2010, which had a massive impact on travel all over the world thanks to the ash clouds that led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

In an effort to dispel a negative image of the location, numerous national tourism-related companies teamed up with the Icelandic government and two key transport providers to the country to create a campaign painting the island in a more favourable light.

The underlying message of the entire campaign was that “Iceland has never been more awake”, making it the perfect time to visit the country on an exciting holiday. A variety of techniques and approaches were used to change the narrative around the country from negative to positive, including celebrity messages of endorsement and promotional videos.

The ‘Inspired by Iceland’ initiative has now been running for over a decade as a way to continue to promote Iceland as a thrilling travel destination, involving a range of campaigns that include the ‘ Let It Out! ’ portal of their website that allowed those frustrated by the pandemic to vent their frustration into their device and transmit it into Iceland’s deserted landscape.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iWeMPEEuk0&t=1s

Why it works:

This is an outstanding example of one of the most successful marketing campaigns that turned a country’s reputation on its head and prevented a huge loss of income from tourism. The initial ‘Inspired by Iceland’ message took a humorous approach to the events of the eruption by stating that the country was ‘awake’, and this wit has carried on throughout many of the other campaigns promoted by the initiative.

GREAT Britain

The ‘ GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland ’ campaign was initially set up in 2011 in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games, highlighting the destination as an ideal place to live, work and visit. The original campaign spanned four years, involving partnerships with a range of brands and celebrity figures as well as focusing on the culture, heritage and landscape of the country.

Some of the most memorable campaigns as part of this initiative draw on iconic aspects of British culture, such as the ‘Bond is GREAT’ campaign that capitalised on international interest in one of the UK’s most famous fictional spies. Timed to coincide with the release of the 24th Bond film ‘Spectre’ in 2015, billboards, print ads and social media content were used to highlight some quintessentially British features of the series and encourage fans to visit the country on their next holiday.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpF0HCTKIIE

The name and the overarching approach of this campaign tie into the name of the country, providing an instantly memorable and recognisable style across all of the ‘GREAT Britain’ marketing material. The links with cultural highlights like films and books provide a way to reach and engage international audiences, and partnerships with a range of brands provide a way to reach a wide variety of people and offer an endorsement.

Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

This destination marketing example focused on a single small region in Switzerland and used an interactive approach to promote it. Graubünden is a rural location with an incredibly peaceful atmosphere and friendly locals, and the region’s tourism board used the idea of connection to generate interest in the area.

One of the most successful campaign approaches set up a live video feed to an inhabitant of Vrin in Graubünden in a Swiss train station, allowing travellers to stop and talk to him. Not only did this allow for people to hear about the region from a native, but the speaker could send free train tickets to Vrin that the machine would print out, providing direct motivation to travel there.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Y5MDVhZDQ

Live video is an incredibly engaging method of destination marketing as it provides an instant connection to a location and makes the audience feel transported there without actually having to travel. The ‘ Yodel Ay Hee Hoo ’ campaign was so effective not only because of the concept, but because the resulting recording of these interactions provided material for a very entertaining short-form video, massively widening the reach of the campaign.

‘Sheepview’ is one of the best-known marketing campaigns in the travel industry, winning numerous awards and receiving unbeatable numbers of coverage from all over the world.

The concept promoted the Faroe Islands; a country so small that they did not exist on Google Street View. Inspired by this, the local tourism board decided to fix the problem with a play on words and attached a 360° camera to the back of one of the island’s sheep, recording the images to create their own ‘sheep view’ of the country.

This campaign went viral, with videos, images and social media posts all catching the attention of travellers and allowing them to see what the Faroe Islands were like, albeit from an unconventional perspective. The campaign also meant that the islands finally featured on Google Street View after a year, which was another success of the approach.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juijDAf96lI

Humour is at the heart of this campaign from the pun in the title to the concept itself, which definitely helped it catch so much attention. It’s also another example of allowing the audience to interact with a destination and explore it virtually, helping to engage them and illustrate why it’s a place worth visiting.

The Swedish Number

‘ The Swedish Number ’ destination marketing campaign was designed both to promote the country and celebrate that it had been 250 years since censorship was abolished there. The Swedish Tourist Association set up a phone number that connected the caller to a random Swedish person who had signed up to take part in the campaign, facilitating a conversation about anything at all.

There were no limits or guidelines on what had to be discussed when calling Sweden, and the locals on the other end were given no training or guidance either. Instead, it painted the destination as a place that is friendly, open and a little quirky, gaining a huge amount of coverage and attention with the campaign content.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtb3f_NAmK0

The straightforward and unfiltered aspect of this campaign is what made it so memorable in the first place. Doing something risky in innovative travel marketing can always backfire, but this is an example where the gamble paid off and Sweden attracted plenty of positive attention and allowed real connection between its people and potential visitors to the country.

All You Want is Greece

This tourist destination marketing campaign dials it back a little in its approach, but is still a fantastic example of how to engage an audience by simply showcasing the features of a location. ‘ All You Want is Greece ’ was produced by the Greek National Tourism Organization at the start of 2021, and used the events of the previous year to really dial into what travellers were looking for once the world opened up again.

After the frustration and monotony of 2020, this campaign directly addresses the yearning that many of us were feeling for travel and adventure, by answering this desire with the statement ‘All You Want it Greece’. Five different promotional videos each targeted a different aspect of tourism in the country such as wellness and food, using beautiful visuals and simple, direct text to show potential travellers what they had been longing for.

Screenshot from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFpz-6jN9bE

This article has highlighted many quirky and unique examples of successful destination marketing campaigns, but this one works so well because it lets the appeal of the location speak for itself. Instead of chasing viral acclaim, this approach excels when it comes to engaging the audience by speaking directly to what they desire from a travel experience, using vivid and sensory imagery.

The final example of one of the best tourism campaigns that showcases destination marketing is Tourisme Québec’s ‘ Blind Love ’ which captures the experience of a blind traveller exploring Québec for the first time. The star of the campaign is an American man who has been blind since birth, who we see enjoying a variety of activities around the country such as hiking, fishing, sightseeing and attending festivals and concerts.

The video for this campaign is around three minutes long and features the usual stunning visuals you find in many destination marketing examples, showcasing the variety and beauty of Québec. But there’s also a focus on all other sensory aspects; the sound of each clip is crisp and immersive, there are plenty of shots of fingers smoothing over textures, and food is featured numerous times.

Joy and fun are the key takeaways from this campaign video, demonstrating that you don’t need to be able to see to get as much out of visiting Québec as possible.

Screenshot from: https://vimeo.com/161215902

This campaign is an outstanding example of how sensory and emotional engagement is one of the best ways to hook an audience and get them to remember a place. Not only is the visual and audio approach of the video outstanding, but its message and concept are also incredibly moving, making it a meaningful campaign as well as a memorable one.

We hope that you’ve been inspired by these eight examples of campaigns from destination marketing in tourism and now understand some of the most effective approaches to getting your target audience to engage with and desire to visit a location. Your travel business may not have the same level of budget, but you can still take away the key aspects of what makes these successful marketing campaigns so impactful, and use this in your own destination marketing.

If you’re looking for help creating impactful marketing campaigns like those featured above, SEO Travel can help. We help our clients get featured in top travel publications and improve their brand visibility, and we’d love to talk to you about how we can help your business develop campaigns that bring long-term benefits. Get in touch for more information and to receive a free proposal.

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6 Strategies for Harnessing Travel and Tourism Marketing

Travel is back, and it’s coming back strong . Since 2020, US digital ad spend has been steadily increasing year over year. In 2023, it’s projected that spend will reach $4.54 billion USD, a 12% increase from 2022. 

For travel marketers, this growth signals that it’s time for a fresh tourism marketing strategy. To help you build a programmatic strategy for travel that drives results, we’re unpacking the latest trends in the industry, and sharing top-of-mind travel and tourism marketing strategies. 

Travel and Tourism Trends 

It’s clear that the travel revival has started. Across the industry, there have been positive signs, from increasing traffic in US airports to growing ad spend . Let’s dive into some of those travel and tourism marketing trends in detail. 

Domestic tourism is booming. 

Although international destinations also account for a large amount of US consumer spending on travel, it’s important not to forget about domestic travellers. Americans go on over 2.29 billion domestic trips every year! 

In fact, one study found that 96% of the survey respondents took (or planned to take) at least one domestic leisure trip in 2022. And, 80% of those respondents described their most recent local travel experience as positive or very positive.

Consumers are looking to travel with purpose. 

Travellers are becoming increasingly value driven, which is influencing their decisions when purchasing travel products and services. Seventy-two percent of travellers are looking to have a positive impact and support communities and businesses through tourism. 

Sixty-nine percent of consumers said they are more mindful of choosing hotels and airlines that align with their values and support diversity and inclusion within their workforce. Travellers are also becoming more eco-friendly and many are looking to support airline brands that are sustainable (68%) and carbon negative (55%).

Personalized experiences are for travellers, too. 

Consumers are increasingly expecting personalized marketing experiences at every touch point through the marketing funnel, from their first exposure to a brand, all the way to their post-purchase experience. 

This is relevant across all industries, including travel and tourism marketing. Personalized marketing in travel is now a must-have. According to Skift , That personalized touch can drive increased conversion rates and revenue, and improve customer loyalty. 

6 Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategies

Here are 6 travel and tourism marketing strategies that will help map out your next travel campaign. 

1. Use geotargeting to reach nearby consumers. 

Geotargeting is the practice of delivering content to a consumer—via mobile or web—using the geographic location information of the recipient. For travel and tourism marketing, it’s the perfect strategy for tapping into the booming domestic tourism market. 

For example, if a destination marketing organization (DMO) based in Nevada wants to attract travellers from their neighbour state, California, they can leverage geofencing to capture the attention of people located there. Geofencing targets users based on the geographic location information of the recipient. This tactic draws a virtual fence around a geographic location, so that users who enter that “fenced” area are served your ads.

You can target audiences using location data like country, state, postal or zip code, or even a specific address. If you’re looking to attract domestic consumers, geotargeting is one strategy that will help you remind travellers of what’s in their own backyard. 

2. Use video to entice consumers to book.

Travel is an emotional experience for consumers. Therefore, leveraging a channel that speaks to that emotion is a great way to capture the interest of your target audience. Video is particularly effective for travel because it’s an engaging and immersive medium that uses visual cues to create emotion in viewers. 

Travel brands can use video advertising to engage viewers with storytelling and showcase the experiences that they are offering. By engaging a viewer’s emotion, your video may entice them to book a weekend getaway at your hotel, or travel to your resort for the gorgeous beaches. When you run your video campaign on connected TV (CTV), you can capture and hold user attention particularly well because CTV provides a natural, full-screen experience. 

Ads shown on CTV are highly viewable, and are served in an environment in which the audience is already engaged. When watching a connected TV device, viewers understand and accept that ads are part of the viewing experience. 

Knowing this, they are more receptive to them. These benefits combined with CTV’s enhanced targeting options and inventory selection are just part of why we’re seeing CTV overtake linear ad spend. For travel marketers, CTV is the perfect channel for delivering video ads that will entice consumers to book travel. 

3. Appeal to the audiences through eye-catching creative.

Video is a fantastic channel for emotionally engaging consumers, but all formats of ad creative have a similar effect. Your campaign’s messaging, regardless of the medium, plays an important role in capturing the interest of your target audience. Build creatives that resonate with your target audience, so you can attract the travellers who are most likely to engage with your campaign. 

When running a travel campaign, use your ads to grab the interest of your audience by showing content that is relevant to them. For example, target users in cold geographic regions with images that show warm and sunny destinations. Hook your target demographic in the first few seconds by using language that speaks to them, intrigues them, or spurs an emotional response.

4. Leverage contextual advertising to reach the right audience.

Contextual targeting in travel and tourism marketing can enable you to reach audiences who are ready to travel. This targeting tactic uses algorithms to place ads based on keywords, website content, and other metadata. This way, users are targeted based on the environment in which an ad appears, which places focus on the consumer’s current frame of mind to show an ad that is hyper relevant.

Capturing an audience that is currently receptive to travel is the key to success. For example, by using contextual advertising to target content like, “best destinations in 2023,” you can reach travellers who are planning to travel soon, or planning to travel in the near future. To reach the people who are considering travel, make sure to first engage with those who are most interested—they will be more likely to book a trip. 

5. Measure travel advertising results with a brand lift study.

Brand lift studies go beyond traditional metrics, like impressions, to help you measure a travel campaign’s impact on consumer perceptions and behaviour . A brand lift study measures the impact of your campaigns across all your programmatic channels, typically providing a picture of the consumer sentiment and brand affinity of people who have been exposed to your media. 

For travel marketing, it can be used to measure the impact of upper funnel campaigns on your consumers’ perception of your brand. Or, leverage it to measure consideration or purchase intent in the mid- to lower funnel.

Let’s say a hotel chain has just launched its first marketing campaign around a new hotel perk. The chain runs a brand lift study to understand whether their target audience is interested in the new offering. The study can discover how likely travellers are to pay more for access to the hotel perk, as well as the perception a consumer has about the chain after seeing an ad that mentions it. 

6. Use messaging to highlight the value of your offering. 

Messaging in your travel marketing campaigns is your best tool for letting consumers know why they should book with you. In travel and tourism marketing, it can be leveraged to build consumer confidence, as well as to personalize. It’s your opportunity to share what makes your offering stand out. For example, if an airline offers a flexible rebooking policy, this should be highlighted in their digital campaigns. This way, airlines can capture the interest of hesitant travellers. The knowledge that an airline offers flexibility builds consumer trust, and may be the deciding factor for that consumer who might be on the fence. 

For personalization, consider what it is about your offering that will appeal to specific target audiences. For example, resorts that are eco-friendly should highlight this within their messaging. Let your audience know what the resort is doing that aligns with their values. With so many consumers looking to travel with purpose, this could be the deciding factor in making a purchase decision.

Use Case: How to Reach Beach Goers 

A resort in a sunny destination wants to attract beach goers. Here’s how this resort could use a combination of the above travel advertising strategies to reach their target audience.

• Leverage a video campaign to engage viewers with storytelling and showcase the experiences that the resort offers. Imagery of the resort will engage a viewer’s emotion, and entice them to book a vacation so that they can experience what they’ve seen in the video. 
• Incorporate into the campaign messaging that addresses common travel concerns. Build the trust of beach goers by highlighting a flexible rebooking policy, resort features, and more. 
• Incorporate creatives that targets users with video of a sunny, hot, beach, while targeting users in warmer climates with creatives of breezy ocean. By tailoring the creative based on geographic location, the campaign will appeal to the desires of consumers according to their customer profile. 
• Use contextual targeting to capture an audience that is currently receptive to a beach vacation. To reach beach goers, target content like, “best beach vacations 2023.” That way, the campaign reaches consumers who are actually eager to go on vacation, or are receptive to the idea of a beach vacation in the near future. 

Travel and Tourism Marketing is Going Places

Are your travel and tourism marketing campaigns ready to take flight? To keep up with the current trends in travel, be sure to leverage strategies that reach the right audiences, at the right moment. That could mean using geotargeting to attract domestic travellers, or crafting messaging that aligns your offering with consumer values. The key is to test your strategies until you find the perfect mix. 

StackAdapt is partnered with Adara, the leader in travel data, to offer solutions for travel campaigns, including unique audiences, insights and targeting. Want to get started with travel and tourism marketing? Request a demo to learn more about our travel solutions.

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Destination Marketing Strategies that Attract Attention

Marketing is integral to any business strategy, but targeted advertising is essential in hospitality and tourism. Although repeat guests and loyal customers provide critical revenue streams for local economies, locations must continually expand their audience reach to remain competitive and capture the attention of new visitors. The right destination marketing strategies can generate more interest in travel to your region, driving valuable tourism dollars into the local economy and the businesses in it.

Discover the value of location-based marketing and how every town, regardless of landscape or population size, can profit from strategically promoting its destination. Whether you’re by the beach, in the city, or just off the highway in a small town, we’ll show you how locations everywhere can use destination marketing strategies to boost business.  

Destination marketing strategies that drive tourism dollars

What is a destination marketing strategy.

Destination marketing is a form of advertising designed to attract customers to a particular place. Instead of focusing on a distinct product or service, it centers around the unique atmosphere and experiences a specific location provides visitors.

From vacation hot spots to remote getaway locations, destination marketing strategies captivate consumers and promote travel to desirable places.

Who benefits from destination marketing?

Many businesses benefit from the revenue and tourist traffic destination marketing generates. Various hospitality and service-based companies use location-based advertising to attract the attention of potential travelers, including:

• Destination management organizations and convention and visitors bureaus
• Travel agencies
• Transportation services (e.g., airlines, car companies, bus tours)
• Entertainment and event venues (e.g., concert halls, wedding venues)
• Attractions (e.g., amusement parks, museums, recreational facilities)
• Service-based businesses (e.g., restaurants and retailers)
• Lodging partners (e.g., hotels, resorts, convention centers)
• Local and state governments (e.g., parks or historical sites)

Why do destination marketing strategies matter?

Destination marketing showcases what sets your destination apart from other enticing locations. It creates an immersive experience for consumers that enables them to imagine what it’s like to actually be in a particular place—to see the sights and smell the scents.

From corporate flyers and digital nomads to vacationers and off-the-grid adventure seekers, travelers turn to destination marketing to get an idea of what to expect from a particular location. Your marketing strategy helps lay the foundation of consumer expectations. For example, if your destination marketing focuses on luxurious tropical getaways, that’s what guests will expect.

The true power of destination tourism lies in its ability to impact every part of a local economy, attracting businesses, tourists, and other travelers to the region. By implementing various destination marketing strategies for distinct target audiences, you can measure which types of hotel guests or recreational groups are attracted to your market. The more you know about your ideal consumers, the better equipped you will be to advertise activities, amenities, and attractions that appeal to them.

How is destination marketing different from other regional marketing?

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are responsible for promoting their destination to tourists, travel planners, corporations, and other consumers that drive valuable revenue to the local economy. DMOs and similar organizations, like Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), employ various marketing strategies to attract visitors. They may turn to social media to advertise the opening of a new park or engage in data-driven email marketing to get the word out about upcoming events. However, destination marketing is a specific advertising strategy that builds consumers’ desire to visit your location by advertising the attractions that set it apart.

Destination marketing lets consumers know what they can expect from a visit to your region. It captures the atmosphere, energy, and essence of your locale. Does your destination offer plentiful recreational opportunities or headlining entertainment? Is your destination a peaceful, remote location offering travelers an escape or a trendy tech hub in the middle of a bustling city?

Unlike other regional marketing campaigns , destination-focused advertising promotes the overall appeal of a location instead of a particular business or attraction. It pinpoints what makes your destination unique and why others should experience it.

Destinations that nailed their marketing campaigns

To better understand what destination marketing looks like in action, let’s review some of the most powerful location-based tourism campaigns from the last decade. These four destinations understood the power of destination marketing and used it to launch wildly successful campaigns.

1. Inspired by Iceland

In 2010, a volcanic eruption led to a downturn in Iceland’s tourism, with many travelers holding misconceptions about its safety. To reinstate the country’s place as a renowned tourist destination, the Icelandic government partnered with the City of Reykjavik, Promote Iceland, and other tourism companies to launch “Inspired by Iceland” in 2020.

In addition to strengthening Iceland’s image in the global tourism market, the Inspired by Iceland tourism initiative was part of a long-term destination marketing strategy designed to increase the production of Icelandic exports through government and industry cooperation. Many Icelandic industries have benefited from the campaign , including the creative, green energy, and seafood sectors.

2. Travel Oregon

Oregon, one of America's most scenic and awe-inspiring locations, is split into seven separate tourism regions . Each locale has a Regional Destination Tourism Management Organization (RMDO) that acts as the tourism liaison for that region. Working together, the RMDOs launched Travel Oregon to drive leisure and business travel to their area.

The Travel Oregon campaign put the state on the map as a premier travel destination. It appealed to customers by combining multiple marketing strategies, including captivating videos, sponsored posts, social media content, banner ads, and print ads. The engaging approach had something for everyone, with its fish-shaped robot tour guide and satirical content quickly garnering travelers’ attention. Travel Oregon maintains a formidable reputation for its memorable, humorous messaging.

3. Doors of Thrones

If you’re familiar with Game of Thrones, you might know that many scenes from the HBO hit show were filmed in Northern Ireland. In 2014, Northern Ireland’s destination marketing organization, Tourism Ireland , took advantage of the show's popularity and formed the first Thrones-based marketing partnership with HBO to launch Doors of Thrones.

The Doors of Thrones campaign centered around ten intricately carved doors. The wood for each door came from the Dark Hedges and was sculpted to represent a different episode from the show’s sixth season. They were placed at various locations (primarily pubs) nationwide and promoted on social media. Travelers flocked from around the world to see the intricately carved pieces and explore famous sites from the show.

Tourism Ireland used the show's incredible popularity to attract travelers and superfans. ITV News, MTV, Cosmopolitan, and other major media outlets raved about the creative pub crawl, further expanding the campaign’s already broad reach. Ultimately, the massively successful campaign reached 126 million people . It also drove tourism, traffic, and revenue to Northern Ireland and its businesses, generating £17 million ($22 million) in 2016 . Overall, the destination marketing strategy resulted in a record year-over-year tourism increase of 8%.

4. Explore Georgia

Explore Georgia was a fun and easily accessible destination marketing campaign launched in 2016 . The Instagram-based photo competition excited a variety of traveler types spanning all walks of life. Participants were encouraged to post photos of Fido, the #ExporeGeorgiaPup , adventuring through the state.

From domestic tourists to overseas travelers, Fido’s family-friendly appeal helped grow Georgia's presence in online tourism spaces by promoting the state as a pet-friendly travel destination. The inexpensive social campaign reached 1.1 million Facebook impressions and drove 14,000 Instagram users to the website of Parker Whidby, Explore Georgia’s destination marketing manager.  

Industry-leading destination marketing strategies

You know how destination management organizations promote their destination, but how do individual businesses do it? From video advertising to social media marketing, there are so many content options to choose from. Here are four innovative and industry-leading destination marketing strategies from hospitality brands.

Check out 2023's top destinations

1. Feel the Beat of the City | Four Seasons Hotels

In 2022, the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans launched an engaging new campaign: Feel the Beat of the City. The marketing campaign consisted of advertisements celebrating New Orleans’ one-of-a-kind atmosphere. In vibrant video advertisements featuring big brass bands , The Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans appealed to consumers by capturing the spirit of The Big Easy.

The campaign invited consumers to experience the city’s culture, cuisine, and music in an exciting new way—and it worked. Due to the campaign's success, Four Seasons expanded the Feel the Beat campaign to promote multiple destinations worldwide , including Austin (TX) and Dubai.

2. 30 Stays, 300 Days | Marriott Bonvoy

30 Stays, 300 Stays was a spectacularly successful social media campaign from Marriott Hotels. The TikTok branded hashtag challenge promoted the Marriott brand all over social media while attracting travelers’ attention to ten of the chain’s most stunning hotels . Participants were instructed to create an engaging video explaining why they should be chosen to become one of three official 2022 TikTok Correspondents for Marriott.

To win, contestants had to follow Marriott Bonvoy’s TikTok account and post their video with the branded hashtag #30stays300days. Thanks to the viral challenge, the brand’s account exploded— growing from 6K followers to more than 70K. In addition to driving traffic to their TikTok account, the marketing campaign introduced a whole new audience to Marriott, particularly the magnificent destination stays included in the prize package.

3. Live Hologram Bar | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

In 2019, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines shook up destination marketing when they invited travelers to meet, chat, and exchange local tips at the Hologram Bar while waiting for their flights. Pop-up hologram bars were installed at airports in the Netherlands, Norway, and Brazil. The immersive video destination marketing campaign connected tourists and travel enthusiasts in real-time, enabling patrons to project themselves into their destination airport. KLM’s one-of-a-kind, engaging, and informational experience provided consumers with an exciting new way to explore global destinations.

4. Where do you want to go? | Melia Hotels

Melia Hotels spearheaded the industry’s approach to digital display marketing. Featuring a wide range of interactive elements and unique designs, their engaging display ads drove online traffic to specific landing pages through powerful messaging, interactive buttons, and personalized content. By asking travelers, “Where do you want to go,” Melia Hotels International launched its sprawling brand with online destination marketing.

Destination marketing strategies and best practices

Drive travel and tourism to your destination by showing consumers what makes it better than the alternative. Increase awareness about your region and strengthen its reputation with these marketing strategies:

1. Define your destination’s unique selling point (USP). Determine what sets your location apart from everywhere else in the world. What can visitors experience there and only there? What attractions, resources, or hidden gems should tourists know about? Identify what makes your location wholly unique and make it the focus of destination marketing campaigns. Maximize your destination’s USP by partnering with tourism-based businesses in the area to gain more feedback.

2. Know your target audience. Think about what travelers want from a visit to your area, and create destination-focused campaigns highlighting how you’ll give it to them. Campaigns showcasing high-tech coworking spaces, authentic international restaurants, and the town’s nightlife could help attract business travelers, remote workers, or young tourists looking for an exciting weekend away.

3. Use geotargeting. Geotargeting is a powerful form of digital marketing that utilizes location data to target consumers with relevant marketing materials. This location-based advertising strategy uses consumer data points (e.g., IP addresses or GPS coordinates) to identify their location, making it easier for DMOs to ensure their marketing materials reach the right customers at the right time. Incorporate geotargeting into your destination marketing strategy to capture consumers' attention when they’re in the area. Identify what brought them to town to learn more about your destination’s feeder cities.

4. Create experiential marketing campaigns. Engage customers’ senses with interactive marketing they’ll remember. Instead of telling travelers what to expect from your destination, create advertising that allows them to experience it for themselves. Immersive forms of experiential marketing , like augmented or virtual reality, make it easier for customers to imagine what being your destination would actually feel like. Invite prospective guests to take a virtual walk around your best local park or view the cityscape via high-definition drone footage. Sell more than the location; sell destination experiences .

5. Use star power to supercharge marketing campaigns. Partner with influencers, notable industry experts, and other recognizable faces to get the word out about your location. In addition to reaching new audience members through cross-promotion, adding star power to destination marketing can help it appear more credible to customers. With 90% of social media users admitting they’ve been influenced to buy something because of social media marketing, influencer marketing might be just what your destination needs.

6. Keep up with tourism trends. Stay ahead of travel and tourism trends so you know about shifting consumer preferences. Incorporate current trends, like wellness-focused travel and virtual tourism , into campaigns to capture the attention of trendy travelers. Hop on social media trends, like viral challenges or hashtag campaigns, subscribe to travel blogs, and watch how competing destinations connect with consumers.

Use destination marketing to generate more interest in your region

Put your knowledge of destination marketing to good use to create more compelling advertising campaigns. If your local government doesn’t provide destination marketing services, look for similar resources nearby. Keep reading to learn more about CVB marketing and how it can help hotels.

Kim Campbell

Kim is a full-time copy and content writer with many years of experience in the hospitality industry. She entered the hotel world in 2013 as a housekeeping team member and worked her way through various departments before being appointed to Director of Sales. Kim has championed numerous successful sales efforts, revenue strategies, and marketing campaigns — all of which landed her a spot on Hotel Management Magazine’s “Thirty Under 30” list.

Don’t be fooled though; she’s not all business! An avid forest forager, post-apocalyptic fiction fan, and free-sample-fiend, Kim prides herself on being well-rounded.

More Reading

How to market to corporate event planners, what is a hotel business plan, and why you need one, 12 ways to use hotel ai to improve your business.

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The best outdoor adventure travel marketing campaigns – and why they worked

We asked the Lemongrass team what they think the best outdoor adventure travel marketing campaigns in recent memory are, and why.

Outdoor adventure travel is one of the huge growth segments for the next decade. And Covid has accelerated peoples’ desire to spend more time outdoors, connected with nature. Some travel brands made a huge impact with their marketing campaigns, even during lockdowns – with powerful ideas that captured hearts, minds and media attention. We asked a few members of the Lemongrass Marketing team what they think the best outdoor adventure travel marketing campaigns in recent memory are. We asked them to analyse their chosen campaign, to see why they think it worked so well. Here’s our rundown.

1. The best outdoor travel marketing campaign in 2021

Name: Jo McConnell My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: I’ve been really impressed by the Cool Sleeps campaign from Much Better Adventures. On launch, it was immediately picked up by global travel bible Globetrender – thanks to a unique “Martian” experience.

Why did the campaign work?: For several reasons. We recently analysed Much Better Adventure’s audience with some of our insight tools – their clients definitely skew male and their clients tend to be younger, in their 20s to 30s. Martian Domes? It’s a campaign idea that appeals perfectly to their core target market: young men, still dreaming of Star Wars. Clever use of words on their landing pages that resonate with their clients: when we analysed their audience using IBM Watson we found out they like to use words like “challenge”, “pushing the limit” – those words are repeated throughout. Finally, glamping has gone through the roof – so putting together the coolest stays in Martian Domes, Sami Tipis and Bedouin Camps – was a surefire PR dream for any editor.

2. The best outdoor travel marketing campaign in 2020

Name: Erica Vonderwall My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: I absolutely loved the Parkdean Resorts campaign that explored the different shades of sand around the UK, comparing them to Pantone shades in a cheeky campaign named Sandtone .

It was done by creative agency Rise at Seven , and was just perfectly executed between lockdowns. Why did the campaign work?: It is a classic example of a digital PR campaign – purely designed to get follow links and support SEO efforts. Timely: It was released just before the peak of UK travel between the first two lockdowns, and was a fun way to show off the various colours of coasts around the UK when travel abroad wasn’t possible. Classic PR stunt designed to capture journalists’ attention: As well as the digital campaign, the team also produced real tins of paint in the Sandtone colours, and sent them to journos as a bit of a stunt to get attention. And it worked! The buzz around it on social media was huge. Emotional: When nobody could travel we wereall dreaming of beaches. So the campaign evoked an emotion – key for getting people to talk about the campaign.

3. Adventure travel digital marketing campaign

Name: Al Moghadam My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: I just adore this creative from NeoMam Studios – a series of Time Travel posters created for Expedia. I’ve always been secretly a little jealous of the idea. It combines so many things I’ve loved since I was a kid. All the biggest adventures you could dream of.

Why did the campaign work?: It’s super cool and it’s super simple. Justa series of vintage-style posters, with subtle animations, designed fordigital distribution. It got international news website links and tons of social shares. Why did it get links? Because it’s visual the journalists cannot describe the poster in words. Instead they are forced to link to the posters, which sit as assets on the client website. Read: lots of follow links for the client. Again, a classic example of a digital PR campaign, designed to boost SEO efforts. Just this time it’s a Digital PR campaign entirely without words! Yes, good PR can be completely imageled! I think it largely worked because of the research and inspiration behind it – which I’m almost certain was NASA JPL’s space travel poster campaign .The runaway success of NASA’s idea gave Expedia’s campaign the social proof it needed to go ahead and get coverage. It’s imaginative, creativeand lots of fun to boot.

4. Travel marketing video campaign

Name: Mirjam Peternek-McCartney My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: So, my choice isn’t really all that recent – but it’s my absolute favourite: the Yodel Campaign by Graubünden .

Why did the campaign work?: It’s just so unexpected – and the genuine, joyous human reaction is what sells it. The video is simply delightful to watch, and it (quite poignantly in today’s climate) shows the priceless value of human connection, adventure and spontaneity. The video has been watched nearly a million times, with thousands of shares. It’s a little beacon of hope, and an inspiring piece that grounds everything in the joy of shared experiences.

5. Travel marketing video campaign

Name: Alex Liste My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: This one’s very special, because it (literally!) captures the hearts of the audience. Tourism Ireland invited a couple from Sweden to visit the country for the first time – and measured their heart rates in different locations. The video and data combined made “Fill Your Heart with Ireland” a compelling and beautiful campaign.

Why did the campaign work?: It was the first campaign of its kind for adventure travel marketing, and I don’t quite think anything has come close to it in terms of uniqueness yet. I think it was the first time that we saw the physical impact that travel has on a person. We always talk about travel being good for you and how it’s important for the soul – but this was actually evidence of how these amazing experiences were changing this couple’s hearts. It targeted the emotion in viewers and succeeded – with international exposure and a memorable ad campaign.

6. Best Covid response travel marketing campaign

Name: Abi Best My favourite adventure travel marketing campaign: This campaign was stunning, in execution, timing – it was all just pitch perfect! My favourite outdoor travel campaign has got to be Portugal’s Can’t Skip Hope – which ran last year during Covid.

Why did the campaign work?: It captured the emotions we were all feeling at the time so perfectly. It was very responsive, turned around quickly by their creative team just when all the restrictions came into play. The narrative and story draw you in, and the imagery transports you straight to Portugal’s beautiful natural landscape and landmarks. When I watch it, I feel like I’m there. At the time when it was released, we were in lockdown and couldn’t even go to the park – so it landed at just the right point to have an impact on me. With hundreds of thousands of views and over 77,000 social shares, I think it’s safe to say it had the same impact on everyone who saw it.

Powerful marketing campaigns for adventure travel brands

Data-driven, human-made. We’ll deliver an outdoor adventure travel marketing campaign for your brand, designed to make an impact in a digital-first world. Let’s start a project – call +44 (0)1865 237 990 or send your message to [email protected] .

• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Management

How to Create a Marketing Campaign: 12 Steps + Actionable Tips

Written by Anna Sonnenberg

Last modified Apr. 27 2024

Table of Contents

Need to organize your team’s promotional efforts around a major product launch, a big sale, or another important initiative? You need much more than a quick social media post. Instead, you need a full marketing campaign.

Which channels should you use for distribution? Who should you keep in the loop? How will you know if you’ve succeeded? Let’s walk through how to create a marketing campaign that makes a positive impact on your business. You can also sign up now for a free trial of Agorapulse to schedule your campaign content right away.

Why Marketing Campaigns Require Advance Planning

A successful marketing campaign goes way beyond a couple of blog posts on the same topic or a few loosely related social media videos. Instead, it’s a series of actions that all contribute to one main business or marketing goal.

Think of a marketing campaign as a strategic effort rather than an ad hoc promotion. With so many moving parts to coordinate and an important goal to reach, advance planning is essential.

Plus, when you map out marketing campaigns strategically, you’ll:

• Avoid missing crucial steps (and negatively affecting performance)
• Stay on budget or know if you need to request more
• Stick to the timeline so you won’t miss critical deadlines
• Get all the right people on board so you can access the input you need

How to Create a Marketing Campaign in 12 Steps

This workflow breaks down how to plan, launch, and report on a complete marketing campaign. Let’s get started.

1. Define your campaign goal

First, clarify the main objective for the campaign. What’s the primary purpose? Think about what you need to achieve and why. Here are a few examples to guide your thought process:

• Rebranding: Your company went through some changes and just rebranded. You need to get the word out about your updated logo, tagline, and service offerings while reassuring customers that your mission hasn’t changed.
• New product: You’re launching a new software product. You want to show and tell new and existing customers how the software can solve a common problem so they’ll take an interest in a demo or a trial.
• Annual event: You’re hosting a major conference for the first time. You need to get the right people interested in the event so you can sell tickets and make the event a success.
• Seasonal sale: You’re offering a limited-time discount on products or services. You want to invite customers to shop and save while they can, as the special pricing lasts for a week only.

When you set a campaign goal, use the SMART framework to make it specific, measurable, achievable, time-sensitive, and realistic. You’ll have an easier time keeping the campaign focused and measuring the metrics that truly matter.

Let’s take the ideas above a step further. Here’s how you could apply the SMART framework:

• Rebranding: Drive 10,000 interactions (reactions, comments, shares, and video views) within one month.
• New product: Book 1,000 demos within one quarter.
• Annual event: Sell 1,000 tickets within one month.
• Seasonal sale: Generate $20,000 in revenue in one week.

2. Set key performance indicators (KPIs)

Once you’ve defined your campaign’s main objective, set KPIs . These metrics allow you to monitor performance, track progress toward the campaign goal, and stay on budget.

The KPIs you should monitor depend on the type of marketing campaign you run. For example, you need to know cost per lead for a new software product but not for an ecommerce sale.

KPIs are quantifiable, which means you should set a specific target for each. Here are a few examples:

• Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM): $5
• Engagement: 1,000 reactions, comments, shares, and video views
• Clicks: 25,000 landing page views
• Click-through rate (CTR): 25%
• Cost per click: $0.50
• Cost per lead: $75
• Conversion rate: 10%
• Cost per conversion: $125

Plan to start monitoring KPIs as soon as you launch the campaign.

You also can use Agorapulse to track social media metrics via easily created, data-rich social reports. Knowing ahead of time what you will track can make measuring the results and assembling them for clients and stakeholders is critical.

If your results aren’t hitting the mark, you may need to take steps like increasing your advertising budget or publishing more content. We’ll cover these steps below.

3. Map out your timeline

How much time do you have to reach the end goal? What steps do you need to take between now and then?

When organizing a marketing campaign, I find it helpful to create two different timelines:

• a timeline for the promotion itself
• a timeline for the planning process.

Promotion timeline defined

First, let’s look at the promotion timeline. I like using Airtable for this aspect because it can keep track of social media posts, emails, ad campaigns, and other promotions in a calendar format.

Airtable’s marketing campaign calendar

As you build a campaign calendar, you’ll get a sense of how much content you’ll need to produce. As your team creates content, Airtable can also organize campaign copy and creatives or link out to Google Docs and digital assets.

For a planning timeline, project management tools like Asana or Trello often work best. These tools let you create tasks (“write short-form video script”) and assign them to team members with firm deadlines.

If you already use these tools to manage other projects, then you can keep an eye on your team’s workload at the same time. As a result, you’ll avoid overloading anyone and have a better chance of sticking to the timeline.

4. Assemble your team

If you’re a marketing team of one, it may be up to you to carry out most of your campaign plan. But for many full marketing campaigns, you’ll rely on expertise and input from other team members.

Not sure who to include in the planning process? Here are a few ideas:

• CMO or marketing manager to sign off on campaign concepts and assets
• Social media marketer to produce social media content and engage with followers
• Content marketer, copywriter, or SEO specialist to research and create website content
• Designer to produce on-brand creative assets and landing pages
• Search, display, or social advertising specialist to run paid campaigns
• Executive team member to speak on podcasts or at events
• Legal team member to approve copy and creatives
• Freelancers to assist with overflow or to handle specific tasks you don’t do in-house

You can always add more people to your team once you confirm the distribution channels and assign tasks. However, if you want a colleague or contractor to set aside time for the campaign, aim to add them to your team as early as possible.

5. Know your audience

Who is your target audience? Your buyer persona can help you narrow down your ideal customer. Define who you want to reach using parameters like:

• Demographics, including age, gender, and location
• Interests, needs, and goals related to your brand
• Behaviors, such as intent to make a purchase
• Past experience with your brand, such as people who have visited your website

Your target audience should guide the campaign assets you create. It can also inform the distribution channels you use. For example, when you want to reach:

• Existing customers: Email marketing campaigns and paid social campaigns allow you to leverage customer lists.
• People searching for the solution you offer: Content marketing campaigns and paid search campaigns help you capture search traffic.
• People engaged with your brand: Social media marketing campaigns let you get promotional content in front of followers.
• New prospects: Influencer marketing campaigns and social media advertising campaigns help new prospects discover your brand.
• People similar to your customers: Paid social campaigns allow you to create lookalike audiences based on behaviors like engagement or past purchases.

If you need some help in knowing about your audience, Agorapulse’s reports can provide information, such as demographics:

Learn more about your audience by using Agorapulse

You can also use our listening feature to get to know more about what your existing and potential customers hate or like or need.

6. Choose distribution channels

A digital marketing campaign includes anywhere from one, two, or several distribution channels. The right channels for your campaign depend on the audience you want to reach and the type of content you intend to create.

Social media marketing

Social media marketing campaigns are ideal for visual content. From short-form videos to carousel posts , social media content can engage followers and drive conversions. (And you can prove this via Agorapulse’s social media ROI feature.)

While social media campaigns often work best for reaching existing followers and customers, they can also help you connect with new customers. For example, The Salty Donut Instagram post above was a suggested post that the social network recommended to a wider audience.

Email marketing

Whether your email marketing campaigns focus more on visual or written content, they’re ideal for connecting you with existing prospects and customers. Email is a permission-based channel, meaning anyone on your list must opt in to your marketing.

Most email marketing platforms can segment subscribers based on behaviors and purchases. For example, the Vitamix email campaign above may have targeted subscribers who are likely to be in the market for new equipment.

Content marketing

Content marketing campaigns are ideal for educating customers and building trust. They can include written content and embedded visuals, videos, and podcasts, so they can connect with customers using a range of different formats.

For example, the Agorapulse blog post above focuses on a new feature for the social media platform . It explains how the feature solves prospects’ problems and shows them how it works.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing campaigns are great for introducing your brand and offer to an audience beyond your own. Most i nfluencers have interactive relationships with their followers, making them more receptive to promotions.

For example, the Deliciously Ella Instagram post above reflects a partnership with Ocado. The post features a recipe that followers can prepare with ingredients from the online retailer.

Paid search

Paid search ads work well for reaching potential customers who are actively searching for your product or service. For example, the Bigin Google ad below appeared at the top of a search for “CRM for startup.” After highlighting some of the product’s features, the ad prompts prospects to watch a demo.

Paid social

Paid social ads are ideal for reaching people who engage with topics relevant to your brand or who have interacted with your brand previously. The Logitech Facebook ad below features a product designed for people working from home.

7. Calculate your budget

How much money do you need to launch a successful marketing campaign? It depends on the goal, the distribution channels, and the scale of the campaign.

First, let’s look at the bigger picture.

On average, small businesses spend 7% to 12% of total revenue on marketing. That amount will need to cover the campaigns you run and the ongoing efforts you plan throughout the year.

Next, let’s look at likely costs.

What’s included in an average marketing budget?

A typical marketing budget needs to cover:

• Production costs for photoshoots and video sets
• Fees for freelance writers, creatives, or marketers
• Influencer marketing fees for partnerships
• Advertising spend if you run search or social media ads

Specific costs can vary wildly depending on your location, campaign scale, and existing agreements. To get accurate numbers for  your campaigns, use your brand’s benchmarks and ask trusted marketers in your network.

8. Clarify your messaging

Next, develop the campaign’s core messaging. Let the offer and your audience guide what you say and how you say it.

Successful campaign messaging typically considers:

• How the offer aligns with the audience’s interests, needs, and goals
• Ways the offer fits with or supports the audience’s lifestyle
• How the offer solves a key problem for the audience
• Ways the brand can build trust while being persuasive
• How the brand can communicate the offer in a creative, memorable way

Brainstorm with your team to craft campaign messaging. Aim to walk away from the brainstorming session with a list of short phrases and descriptions you can add to briefs for your content, copy, influencer, and advertising teams.

This brand messaging article can help keep you on track across your channels.

Check out Agorapulse now for FREE!

9. Design campaign creatives

Once you’ve defined the messaging, focus on the design. Create a swipe file that captures the visual concept and includes creative inspiration.

To guide your creative process, get together with your team to decide:

• How will your campaign assets look?
• What color scheme will they feature?
• What mood or aesthetic do you want to capture?
• How do you want the target audience to feel?

After the brainstorming session, aim to walk away with a creative concept, a color scheme, and visual examples. You’ll need to include these elements in briefs for designers, creatives, influencers, and advertising teams.

10. Produce campaign assets

At this point, you’ve checked off all the strategic planning tasks on your to-do list. Now it’s time to use your briefs to create content (or delegate if you’re managing the team).

Depending on the campaign concept and distribution channels, you may need to produce:

• Landing pages
• Social media posts
• Email announcements
• Search or social media ads

How many of each campaign asset do you need to produce? Use your timeline to guide this part of the process.

For example, suppose the  content calendar calls for one teaser post, three campaign posts, and one “last call” post. You’ll need five posts total for each social media channel.

11. Launch and monitor the marketing campaign

After producing campaign assets, upload them to the appropriate channel. Check your timeline, and then schedule campaign content to go live at the right time.

For example, you can publish or schedule social media content with Agorapulse. Since Agorapulse supports all major social media platforms, you can use it to post across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and other channels at specific times.

Agorapulse social media post composer

Never set and forget a marketing campaign. Even if you schedule all campaign content in advance, make a point of monitoring reactions and engagement when the campaign is live.

Plan to engage with social media and influencer content. Take time to respond to comments and DMs to build trust. Share influencer content to increase reach and create more campaign touch points.

Monitor the campaign’s performance in terms of KPIs, too. Keep the timeline in mind. If the campaign is wrapping up soon and you’re falling significantly short of your goal, you may need to consider allocating additional budget or publishing more content.

12. Analyze and report on results

When the campaign ends, evaluate the outcome. Did you successfully achieve the campaign goal and reach the KPIs?

Then, prepare reports for each marketing channel to analyze performance for each. As you review these reports, note:

• Which marketing channel delivered the best results, based on your goal
• Whether organic or paid channels delivered the best results overall, based on your goal
• Which audience segments responded best to your campaign
• What type of content (text, photos, graphics, videos) performed best

With Agorapulse’s social media reports , you can easily analyze campaign reach, engagement, and website traffic. You can also use our social media ROI reports to quantify the leads and revenue from your posts.

Use your insights to plan even more successful marketing campaigns in the future. Consider your results benchmarks for typical performance. Then, take steps to improve on them in your next campaign.

Wrapping Up How to Create a Marketing Campaign

This workflow includes all the key steps for a full marketing campaign. As you use it to plan a campaign, don’t hesitate to add or rearrange steps to fit your team’s style and areas of focus.

Curious how Agorapulse can help you launch and analyze social media marketing campaigns? Sign up for a free trial and test our social media solution for 30 days (no credit card necessary).

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