We were recently made aware of this article on Linkedin ” Future of Travel Marketing” written by Lidsy Walters and thought it appropriate to comment.

Here is a link to the article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-travel-marketing-brand-vs-performance-lindsey-walter-m4svf/

With regards to the article written by Lindsy Walters.

Here’s our reply, focusing on the customer’s desire for instant success and the limitations of short-term focus:

Subject: Re: Brand Marketing: A Resurgence in Travel & Tourism?

Many travel companies, especially those with low budgets or facing intense competition, are under immense pressure to show quick returns on their marketing investments. This often leads to a prioritisation of short-term gains, such as increased website traffic, fans and followers or immediate bookings, over long-term brand building.

Here’s why short-term focus presents a challenge:

  • Limited Long-Term Vision: Focusing solely on immediate results can hinder long-term growth. Brand building takes time. Consistent and sustained efforts are required to cultivate trust, loyalty, and emotional connections with customers.
  • Underinvestment in Sustainable Growth: When short-term gains are prioritised, budgets may be disproportionately allocated to performance marketing channels that offer immediate, albeit often fleeting, results. This can lead to underinvestment in long-term strategies like content marketing, public relations, and brand loyalty.
  • Increased Competition and Diminishing Returns: As the article points out, the travel industry is increasingly competitive. Relying solely on short-term tactics can lead to diminishing returns as competitors employ similar strategies, driving up costs and making it harder to stand out.

To address this challenge, we need to:

  • Educate clients on the value of long-term brand building: Clearly communicate the benefits of building a strong brand, such as increased customer loyalty, higher customer lifetime value, and improved brand equity.
  • Develop clear and measurable KPIs for brand marketing: While immediate ROI may be harder to quantify, it’s crucial to establish clear, measurable KPIs for brand marketing efforts. This could include metrics such as brand awareness, social media engagement, and customer sentiment.
  • Clients need to understand the value of organic brand recognition. Like SEO, unfortunately, SEO is costly and is heavily reliant on the algorithms presented by search engines.
  • Email marketing is still one of the best formats for direct communications to a relevant audience.
  • Social media still plays an important role in positioning the building blocks for a long term strategy but should not be in isolation and is only a small element in the marketing strategy.

In conclusion:

While performance marketing remains an essential tool, it’s crucial to recognise the importance of long-term brand building in the travel industry. By educating clients and demonstrating the long-term value of brand building, we can help them navigate the challenges of the modern marketing landscape and achieve sustainable success.