By Ericka Podesta McCoy, CMO, Resonate
As this year’s holiday travel season kicks into full gear, brands are looking to connect with the consumers who are excitedly planning to reconvene with family and friends in locations near and far. Given the lingering impact of the pandemic on attitudes toward travel, it’s more important than ever that marketers be able to operate with scalpel precision in targeting their ad spend.
The past 18 months have been challenging ones for airlines, hotels and other hospitality businesses, but we’re seeing a growing group of consumers who are eagerly returning to their jet-setting ways. In fact, more than 27 million Americans are now re-engaging infrequent travel behavior, taking 10 or more domestic trips a year. For travel brands, this audience will prove vital to the success of year-end festive offers, promotions and ad campaigns.
Who are these 2021, travel enthusiasts? We recently tapped into the Resonate Ignite consumer intelligence platform to examine the traits, motivations, values and media habits that these highly coveted consumers have in common. Here’s what we found.
Who They Are
Today’s frequent travelers skew slightly male (54 percent) and tend to be family-oriented. About 65 percent are married, and 45 percent have children under the age of 18. That means when these individuals are making holiday travel plans this year, they’re probably planning for more than themselves. Family-friendly offers—group ticket discounts and suite upgrades—are likely to catch their eye. At the same time, many of these travelers enjoy high household incomes and are willing to splurge for some added excitement and luxury. So don’t hesitate to point them toward unique experiences and events that they might want to build around their holiday time with family and friends.
What Drives Them
When it comes to personal values, today’s frequent travelers value authority, stimulation and independence above all else. Thus, in addition to creative built around the togetherness offered by holiday travel, it’s important for travel brands to speak to the individuality of these travelers with their messaging as well.
These travelers value luxury and are willing to pay for it—ideally while earning points for it. They love visiting spas and resorts, enjoying museums and the performing arts, and hitting the gym. Highlighting these features will go a long way in helping sway these decision-makers, as will reflecting the exciting nature of your destination.
Where to Find Them
OK, so now that we know a little bit about what drives these travelers—where can brands find them?
As you can see in the media consumption snapshot below, these frequent travelers appreciate getting their news of the day through top publications like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. They’re especially active on LinkedIn and, overall, spend more hours online than your typical American consumer. At the same time, they’re huge sports fans as well, favoring ESPN content when it comes to TV networks and paid streaming subscriptions alike. Beyond their unsurprising affinity for travel apps, they also spend a considerable amount of their mobile time in business and productivity apps, as well as sports apps.
It’s make-or-break time for this year’s year-end marketing efforts. For travel brands, connecting in a meaningful way with the above group of lucrative frequent travelers will be key to success. Be sure your offers are targeted, compelling and—above all—relevant for this year’s holiday jet-setters.
