Aloha! Greetings from Hawai’i. I had the pleasure of participating at the 2016 Hawai’i Tourism Conference this week in Honolulu. This has been a big week: We launched our new “Discover Your Aloha” campaign with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) earlier this week and I spoke at the conference about the evolving and increasingly competitive global marketplace we are facing today as marketers.
In the session, I shared our take on tools for effective travel marketing in this increasingly competitive industry, which include:
1. Smart Data: One of the most important tools is data. And not just big data, but smart data. How do you know if your data is smart? Always start with your objectives, as the guiding principle to help you focus and prioritize. What is really going to make an impact on your business, and move the needle? Then gather data to understand how to tackle that objective.
2. Differentiation: Focus on what makes you unique as a destination marketing organization (DMO), hotel, airline, etc. Do not be afraid to get specific, or go back to your roots. Dig into your history, your masterpieces, your people, your service, and your offerings to find that special something that will not only capture the imagination but inspire action, and make sure to be authentic to your brand.
3. Creativity: A nice photo might not be enough to cut through the clutter of other creative and drive engagement for your brand. The key is to weave together the most compelling imagery and iconic elements in an interactive way—on the right channels—to engage consumers as they consider where and how to travel next.
4. Innovation: Innovation can mean many things – but one thing is for sure: using innovation means to stay competitive in the ever-expanding global travel market is critical. How can you use technology to stand out?
5. Strategic Partnerships: Consider the opportunities you have for partnership – whether with your DMO, industry influencers, online travel agencies, and more – to cast a wider net and reach into consumers where they are online. That can be through media, co-op brand campaigns, industry events, cross-promotion – the sky is the limit.
We also had a chance to showcase how we used these tools to approach our new digital marketing campaign with the HTA that gives people a creative way to see the culture and beauty of the islands, and discover their own ‘Aloha’ for more personalized travel recommendations.
Learn more about how our in-house creative agency, {{cta(‘60047803-bbb5-4d9f-a3fe-18408516d717’)}}, collaborates with travel marketers to creative unique, compelling media experiences like, “Discover Your Aloha.”
