Summer is a little over a month away and digital consumers are just a search, scroll, and click away from taking advantage of the flexibility that the season grants, as many take a break from their day-to-day and book the perfect getaway. As one of the largest industries, projected to reach $2.4 trillion in the next ten years, digital marketers need to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, especially as consumers continue to utilize online booking capabilities. Nearly half of travelers begin trip planning with a search engine, 30% on social media and 23% watch videos, so utilizing the power of digital advertising and ensuring your brand is front-and-center in the planning process is key. It’s essential for marketers/media planners to understand the different types of travelers, how they are deciding where to go, when they’re booking and how to reach them in order to execute a winning programmatic campaign. So, Digilant has complied an infographic, based on industry research and insights, outlining the answers to all these questions.
Download the infographic here.
Part 2: How and When Travelers Book
In 2015, the average traveler would click through 38 websites before booking a trip. In 2019, that number has dropped to 4.4 websites. As more sites and digital experiences improve, trip planning processes become simplified and streamlined. Consumers are no longer hit with a million different options at once when searching for hotels, destinations, or flights, instead, the use of data has made online searching less complicated with the delivery of targeted links and ads. This simplicity, paired with an increased desire to see and do more, has altered how travelers decide where to go and when. For summer 2019 travelers, expect the following habits as consumers begin to pack and venture elsewhere.
The Booking Process
A majority of summer travelers will be unphased by brand loyalty this year. Only 9% already know what brands they want to book with while others remain unbiased. Travelers, (younger consumers especially) are more concerned about price and convenience. Brand consideration, therefore, will only come into play after an affordable, time convenient option rises to the surface. 60% of US consumers consider an impulse trip based on a good hotel or flight deal. Whether it’s a high-end hotel discount or questionable red-eye flight offer, price assures commitment. This motivation will mean a rise in shorter, last-minute trips across age-groups in 2019.
Additional Influences
A consumer finds an affordable flight one day and they’re on their way to a tropical destination the next. Sure, the price played a part, but what encouraged them to travel in the first place? When it comes to social media, 37% of consumers claim to be influenced by destination-based photos and videos posted by others. Compare that number to the 24% of travelers who are motivated by branded travel ads. As 97% of millennials post content from their trips on social media, more and more consumers are compelled to make purchases. They rely on the words of others and remain vigilant of trends. With more posts comes more influence and, as a result, more reasons to travel.
Instagram post or travel advertisement, today’s consumers are heavily impacted by visual content. They rank Instagram – a visually powered app – as one of the most influential platforms for travel-based advertisements. Popularity in photo and video driven apps has quickly made “the image” the most memorable part of any campaign, especially when it’s targeted and uniquely personalized. Investing in appealing, high-quality images has quickly become a necessity when it comes to communicating with today’s consumers. This is especially the case when reaching out to the vacation, digitally minded consumers who will be traveling during the summer of 2019.