Industry and consumer insights that will help companies form a marketing communications plan while travelers are trapped in a prolonged "dreaming phase", uncertain when they will be able, or willing to travel.
For more information, reach out at www.forestview.eu
2. Who Am I (and why should you care about anything I say)
Sailed the
Open Seas
Spent many years
here, working as a
marketing executive
for various brands.
Cool Hand
Gesture
Worked with dozens
of brands since then,
creating great value.
Got my Land Legs
Switched sides from “client”
to “agency”. Became director
in a kickass, supercool,
business savvy, digital first,
no BS marketing agency:
ForestView, member of TDG
4. • Sink or float?
• What is happening to the Travel Industry?
(Covid19 Edition)
• What should my strategic plan look like?
• Who is my audience?
(Covid19 Edition)
• What should I communicate?
(Covid19 Edition)
• What are the tools I need?
(Covid19 Edition)
Agenda
6. Resilience of the Tourism Industry
Adapted and Survived
9/11
(Changed the airline experience)
Economic Crash of 2008
(New business models)
2019 Brexit &
Thomas Cook Bankruptcy
(Greece reached a record 31M arrivals)
Post Covid19?
New experience?
New ways of doing business?
Volume of visitors vs
income per visitor?
12. 73%
Looking for information and options
around EXPERIENCES, regardless or
country, location or provider.
4%
Just browsing,
looking for early
inspiration.
21%
Looking for information
or commenting on a
specific, branded listing.
2%
Looking for options
within a specific
destination.
Source:
Looking for Experiences, Not a Bed…
How we are addressing Covid19 is
going to be pivotal information.
24. Cut Through the Jargon
The LUMAscape has over
8.000 apps, tools,
solutions and vendors
Tools aren’t “strategy”
Tools aren’t “marketing”
Tools are just tools…
26. Identify Who You Need to Be
Market
Consumer
Product
Market Overview
• Market Size
• Distribution Channel
• Sales Volumes
Product Segment Overview
• Competition Analysis
• Global Leading Brands
Consumer Behavior Overview
• Global Mega-Trends
• Consumer Research & Insights Business Opportunity
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Revenue Potential
• Brand Positioning
29. Your target audience can’t be vague.
For example, male, 55+, living in NYC,
high income, doesn’t mean much…
The “One Size Fits All” Traveler Doesn’t Exist
30. Jane Doe, 46. Married, office worker, mother of 2.
80K annual family income. Lives in Munich, Germany.
Basic Content Needs
• She is tasked with planning the summer vacation for the
entire family.
• She need multiple alternatives and experiences.
• She needs prices and itinerary suggestions.
Identified Problems
• She finds it difficult to reconcile the different needs of each
family member.
• She’s anxious about the possibility of travelling abroad.
• Only speaks English. Insecure about talking to foreigners.
• She hasn’t decided what is best to do with her beloved dog,
while on vacation with her family.
Preferred Content Channels
• Spends most of her afternoons on Facebook.
• Follows 4 female Instagram Travel influencers and enjoys
reading about exotic destinations.
• Uses TripAdvisor for inspiration, Google for deeper research
and Booking.com for price comparisons.
• Accesses the internet mostly via he mobile, so most of her
online video consumption is done via Facebook and
Instagram.
Topics of Interest
• Gossip TV.
• Fashion.
• Tips for raising a teenager.
Preferred Content Formats
• Articles
• Blog posts
• Image galleries
• Short video
Key Motivators
• Whatever pleases her children.
• Spending more time with her family.
• Creating family experiences.
Speak to Meaningful Personas
31. Jane Doe, 46. Married, office worker, mother of 2.
80K annual family income. Lives in Munich, Germany.
Basic Content Needs
• She is tasked with planning the summer vacation for the
entire family.
• She need multiple alternatives and experiences.
• She needs prices and itinerary suggestions.
Identified Problems
• She finds it difficult to reconcile the different needs of each
family member.
• She’s anxious about the possibility of travelling abroad.
• Only speaks English. Insecure about talking to foreigners.
• She hasn’t decided what is best to do with her beloved dog,
while on vacation with her family.
Preferred Content Channels
• Spends most of her afternoons on Facebook.
• Follows 4 female Instagram Travel influencers and enjoys
reading about exotic destinations.
• Uses TripAdvisor for inspiration, Google for deeper research
and Booking.com for price comparisons.
• Accesses the internet mostly via he mobile, so most of her
online video consumption is done via Facebook and
Instagram.
Topics of Interest
• Gossip TV.
• Fashion.
• Tips for raising a teenager.
Preferred Content Formats
• Articles
• Blog posts
• Image galleries
• Short video
Key Motivators
• Whatever pleases her children.
• Spending more time with her family.
• Creating family experiences.
Speak to Meaningful Personas (Post Covid19)
Jane Doe, 46. Married, office worker, mother of 2.
80K annual family income. Lives in Munich, Germany.
Health & Hygiene?
Crowded or Isolated?
Cancelation Policy?
Proximity & Getting There?
Unique Experience?
33. The Traveler Lifecycle
Dream &
Discover
(4-20 weeks)
Plan &
Book
(4-10 days)
Travel
(~90 days after
booking)
I’m
There
Return &
Share
We are stuck
right before, or
about to enter a
prolonged
dreaming phase.
41. How Much “Win” is Easy?
What happens when
there is no demand?
42. Awareness
Familiarity
Consideration
Purchase
Loyalty
Advertising to the Entire Traveler Lifecycle
Give me a Dream
What is the “bucket-list worthy”
experiences you empower?
Make me an Offer
What are the specifics of your
product / service and why should I
buy from YOU?
Make me a Friend
Why should I come back? What
reason or platform to I have to
advocate in your favor?
43. Awareness
Familiarity
Consideration
Purchase
Loyalty
Advertising to the Entire Traveler Lifecycle Post Covid19
Give me a Dream
What is the “bucket-list worthy”
experiences you empower?
Make me an Offer
What are the specifics of your
product / service and why should I
buy from YOU?
Make me a Friend
Why should I come back? What
reason or platform to I have to
advocate in your favor?
Are You Responsible?
What are you doing right now? Are
you fearing better or worse than me?
How are you helping your community?
Are You Worth It?
Are you worth the risk? Is this a truly
unique, once in a lifetime experience?
Are You Safe?
What are the preventive and reactive
measures you’ve taken? How have
you adjusted your product / service?
45. Identify Who You Need to Be Post Covid19
Market
Consumer
Product
Market Overview
• Market Size
• Distribution Channel
• Sales Volumes
Product Segment Overview
• Competition Analysis
• Global Leading Brands
Consumer Behavior Overview
• Global Mega-Trends
• Consumer Research & Insights
Business Opportunity
• Be Unique
• Be Exceptional
• Be Safe
• Be Human
46. Audit Your Communication Touchpoints
Awareness
Familiarity
Consideration
Purchase
Loyalty
Website Product Pages & Booking Engine
TripAdvisor Listing
Booking.com, Hotels.com, Trivago.com etc.
Website Blog
Google Search
Facebook LinkAds
Instagram LinkAds
Native Advertising
Google HotelAds
Influencer MarketingPR / Publications Events
Trade Shows
International Travel Magazines
Video Campaign
Facebook / Instagram Reach & Frequency Ads
Display Ads
Retargeting
Community Management (Social Media)
Newsletters
Community Management (Social Media)
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization
Facebook / Instagram Like Ads
Video Campaign
Influencer Marketing
47. • Google Search Trends
• Your Google Analytics
• Google Search Queries
• Facebook Analytics
• Audience Insights
• Online Polling
• Public Studies
• Publicly available
research about
Covid19
• Measurement from
Small Scale
Experiments
Understand Your Market & Audience
48. A New “Normal” Will Emerge
1. Travel will become
more of an event / luxury.
2. Annual travel
occasions will merge.
3. Propensity towards
destinations with proximity.
4. Cancellation policies will
come under scrutiny.
5. Major traveler segments remain
be off the table for a while.
(i.e. business, cruize or elderly)
6. Rise of “off the beaten path”,
unique, personalized experiences.
7. Human interactions are
the ultimate X-factor.
8. Destination marketing will
bleed over even more across
the entire consumer funnel.