Travel and Hospitality Brands Adapt Content Strategies for the New Consumer Mindset

As consumer expectations evolve, digital content and messaging strategies need to evolve with them. A recent Digital Travel summit panel examined how consumers are planning their trips differently and how brands should engage them in this environment. 

The panel featured Amanda Johnson, director, marketing communications, digital and media, Herschend Enterprises, and Perrin Doniger, director, digital audience, product and new business development, Smithsonian Magazine.

How Should Travel Brands Adapt Their Content Strategies to Reflect New Trends?

Even though it feels as if we’re all just emerging out of a “no-go zone” into a travelable world again, don’t be afraid to push your inspiration messaging beyond drive zones, Doniger said. 

“We’re seeing a lot of clients just looking for targeted campaigns. I get that, but people are thinking further out for when they can get on that plane again. Don’t be afraid of going back to your usual broader audiences.”

Go further as well as farther, Johnson said, agreeing that people will go farther geographically, but will also plan ahead more than before. She suggested “making Google your best friend” because search and optimization is still quite real and a challenge.

Creating content with the seasons in mind is also important, Johnson added. 

“Last year was such a blur. I’ve been reading a lot of research about how psychologically some people don’t even remember specific seasons. Everything was like one long extended winter in some regards,” she said. “For a brand like Dollywood in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, we’re really leaning into those seasons.”

Dollywood used to have a “plan your visit” page on its website that focused on whatever was happening at that time, but now the brand allows the visitor to select the season they want to consider visiting in, and then they can explore the festivals and events happening at that time. 

Using strong and specific photos is also important, Johnson said. She pointed out that “there’s a lot of eye candy out there” and people have spent the last year at home consuming various media. 

“Think of how much more visually driven people are than even a year ago,” she said. “We need to elevate our photography to draw them in.”

Johnson said even if a photograph is great, she always asks her team, “could this be happening anywhere?” For example, if someone is on a ride, is it clearly a ride at Dollywood?

What Are Some Winning Elements of Content Strategy Travel Brands Should Consider Moving Forward?

Sometimes we get in our heads and obsess over doing something new and different, but it’s useful to go back to the basics, especially now, Johnson said. 

“Who are we talking to?” she asked. “Of all the humans out there ready to travel again, who are the ones who can most relate to our brand? We have customer profiles that we’ve developed where we define different types of families. We lean on third-party data to inform those profiles.”

If you’re looking to draw a particular kind of family, knowing their media habits is needed, said Johnson. The closer you get to the “who,” the easier it is to make a compelling case about what content they need to plan a vacation. 

And, of course, testing and refining is another important basic, Johnson added. 

As a publisher that gets a lot of traffic from search, Doniger said her team is always trying to think about how people will find the content they’re looking for.

"We write it in a way that if they find it today vs. a year from now, it still feels fresh and relevant and useful,” she said. "All the content we’re producing has infinite legs.”

Doniger also advised embracing the “listicle.” She said while best-of lists may seem overdone, they are a great platform for visitors to then find other articles. 

“They want to make sure they aren’t missing anything from that best-of list, but then you can introduce them to something more off the beaten path,” she explained. “Don’t be afraid of those formats even though they feel gimmicky. They work because they work.”

In addition, if you're a destination or brand that supports a natural phenomenon like bird migrations or a unique festival, continue to push it on social media for publishers like Smithsonian, which are always searching and scanning the web for that type of content, advised Doniger.