What is a brand activation , and why live it important for travel brands ?
From Airbnb ’ s unforgettable dark at the Louvre , where lucky success experience the museum like never in front , to Delta ’ s VIP lounge at SXSW that become a crowded case into a luxurious flight , sword activations show the power of create unique experiences that get beyond the average .
Experiential marketing be ripe with opportunity to set your attraction aside . Today ’ sec sword activations can highlight a sword ’ s core values while engaging the senses and emotion of the audience—and you ’ ll see that each travel brand talk about in this article get act just that .
Even so , as effective as these activations can be , they arrive with their own band of challenges . Permit ’ s dive into the basics of brand activation , the nearly mutual obstacles travel brand face when implementing them , and over a dozen examples of brands doing it just right .
What equal Brand Activation ?
Brand activation is a selling strategy that brings a brand to spirit through engaging and memorable consumer experiences . In other words , it ’ s a way to “ activate ” your sword beyond traditional advertising methods .
What act this look like ? A brand activation campaign can take several forms , including events , pop-up experience , and influencer partnerships . This selling scheme is incredibly impactful for travel brand , the center of a destination , service , or production before build a purchase decision .
It ’ s an engaging approach that build up excitement around your product while positioning your sword as more than exactly a service provider . That ’ sec because experiential selling campaigns allow your brand to show off its personality—making room to produce a deeper connection with your audience .
How Brand Activation Differs from Traditional Marketing
Traditional advertising—like TV , print , and online banner ads—primarily focus on reaching a broad audience through repetitive photo . The goal is to keep the brand top-of-mind when the consumer cost making a purchasing conclusion . While this method can effectively build sword awareness , it much lack the depth of employment require to make a permanent excited connection with your audience .
In contrast , brand activation get beyond awareness by ask for consumer to engage with your sword . Whether through an experiential event , interactive campaign , or a personalized experience , brand activation try to make a memorable interaction that resonates with your audience on a deeper floor . This direct employment fosters a sense of personal association , which can significantly influence your visitor ’ book conclusion .
Think a traditional TV commercial for a theme park . The commercial might highlight the park ’ s attraction , people smiling , and a catchy slogan . While the commercial can effectively generate interest , it doesn ’ t allow potential visitor toexperiencewhat the park offers .
Today , get ’ s compare that with a brand activation scheme .
Imagine the same stem park setting up a pop-up experience in a in use urban field where passersby can strain out a virtual reality ( VR ) roller coaster , utter with tip effects and surround sound . This activation gives people a taste of the thrill and excitement of the park , creating an excited connection that a TV commercial simply can not meet .
Why Are Brand Activations Important for Travel Brands
For travel brands , the importance of sword activation lies in the power to allow possible customersexperiencea tour , destination , or service hands-on—before entrust to it .
Feeling at the Art Institute of Chicago ’ s approach to a big Van Gogh exhibition , for instance . Instead of only advertise the upcoming exhibit , the museum partnered with Airbnb to create a physical replica of Van Gogh ’ s famed “ Bedroom ” painting , where masses could volume a dark ’ s stay .
The creative campaign permit visitor to plunge themselves in the artist ’ s globe , push much high visitor numbers . In contrast , a traditional ad campaign might own only reached art enthusiasts without produce the same buzz .
While traditional marketing exist critical in building brand awareness , sword activation get the power to resonate deeply with an audience . Visitor might forget about a flier they received for a new art exhibition , but they certainly gain ’ t forget expenditure a night in a noted painting .
How To Come Up With Brand Activation Ideas
Coming up with in effect brand activation ideas can live challenging . Even , by center on your audience , leveraging current course , and adjust with your sword ’ s identity , you can create memorable experience that resonate with your aim market . Below live some strategy to help you yield impactful sword activation estimate .
Know Your Audience Deeply
Understanding your hearing exist the foundation of every marketing campaign . Because experiential selling is about capture your customer ’ attention in creative , more personalized fashion , knowing what makes them tick is essential to every sword activation scheme . For instance , a luxury hotel chain might find that its guests value wellness and relaxation . An in effect sword activation could involve determine up a pop-up spa experience in a in use urban country , offering free massages and wellness point , thereby give possible customers a taste of the hotel ’ s wellness offerings .
Leverage Current Trends
Keep an center on the latest engineering , culture , and consumer demeanor course . Aligning your activation with these trend can capture your audience ’ s attention more effectively . With the arise interest in sustainability , for instance , a travel party could create an eco-friendly pop-up event where participants can works trees or participate in a clean-up drive , all while learning about the caller ’ s eco-friendly travel options .
Explore Ways To Create Sensory Experience
Think about how you can wage the senses—sight , strait , touch , taste , and smell—in your activations . A distillery , for model , might make a hands-on blending workshop where potential visitor get to affect and mingle different tone to create their blend . This would be a great way to pique their interest in a full distillery tour , where they can further explore where the production is build .
How To Make Your Brand Activation Strategy
The first step in originate your brand activation scheme live identifying your goal : Are you looking to increase brand awareness , drive sale , build customer loyalty , or launch a new service or product ? Clear objectives will serve form the scheme and allow for measurable benchmarks for the cause ’ sec success . Once that ’ sec defined , we can move on to the following steps .
1 . Come Up With a Unique Concept
Your sword activation call for to endure out from the competitor , so creativity is vital . Brainstorm idea that align with your brand ’ s identity and values while extend your audience something fresh and exciting . This could cost an immersive experience , a pop-up result , a partnership with another brand , or a guerrilla selling stunt . The concept should exist memorable and encourage participants to hire with your sword meaningfully .
2 . Choose the Right Channels
Decide where and how you will execute your sword activation . Leave it occur at a physical location , an online platform , or a combination of both ? Consider the channels that best pass your objective interview . For example , if your interview is extremely fighting on social media , you might focus on digital campaigns and influencer partnerships .
3 . Plan the Murder
Once you have your conception and channels in spot , it ’ s time to design the logistics . This include setting a timeline , insure venues , coordinating with spouse , and educate all the materials needed for the activation . Attention to item equal crucial here—everything from the space ’ sec pattern to the faculty education should ponder your brand ’ s image and assure a seamless experience for participants .
4 . Engage and Interact
Brand activation is all about creating meaningful interaction with your audience . Make sure your activation encourages participation , whether it ’ s through hands-on activities , social media challenges , or live presentation . The more engaged your audience is , the more likely they will form a permanent connection with your sword .
5 . Bill and Analyze Results
After the activation is complete , you ’ ll judge its effectiveness . Cover metrics like attendance , social medium mentions , website traffic , sales figure , and customer feedback will aid you pinpoint what solve well and what could be improved for next activations .
15 Examples of Successful Travel Brand Activations
Let ’ s pull from the playbook of travel sword perform it right . Here , we ’ ll review some of the best sword activations from company of all sizes .
1 . Van Gogh Airbnb ( The Art Institute of Chicago )
To yield buzz around a fresh Van Gogh exhibition , The Art Institute of Chicago partnered with Airbnb to transform the famed picture “ The Bedroom ” into a real-life space where guest could remain .
This activation seamlessly merge art with travel and adventure , engage audiences far beyond traditional art fan . The campaign ’ s creative conception was not just about seeing art but literallylifeit , which drove massive interest and make it the museum ’ s most-visited exhibition in 15 yr .
What Tours & Attractions Can Find out :Integrating popular culture or iconic imagery element into your offerings can call on a typical circuit or display into a very memorable experience . This approach cost in particular effective for attract a wide audience that goes beyond your typical visitor .
2 . Hôtel de Glace ’ s Immersive Winter Experience
Hôtel de Glace , located near Québec City in Canada , offers an extraordinary winter experience by reconstruct an full hotel out of ice . The hotel , complete with ice rooms , an ice bar , and still an ice chapel , is rebuilt yearly , build it a extremely exclusive and time-sensitive attraction .
The uniqueness of the experience , merge with its seasonal availability , creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity . Those are the two vital component of , a powerful strategy for pull in visitor .
What Tours & Attractions Can Teach :Take advantage on the temporary nature of specific experiences can drive visitor numbers . Additionally , produce an environment that hire multiple sense enhances the overall impact of a campaign , build it more potential to be share across social medium and recommended to friend and family .
3 . Beis Wash Pop-Up
Luggage brand Beis created in West Hollywood , where customers could add their luggage for cleaning in a space design to seem like a car washing . This activation also boast a child zone , a gumball machine , and a coffee post , build it a community-centered event .
Beis require a operational service—luggage cleaning—and call on it into a creative , service-oriented experience . By address a mutual consumer need in a unique manner , the campaign successfully generated long lines and important attention from existing customers .
What Tours & Attractions Can Find out :Come up to a common matter in a creative mode can translate an differently everyday service into a memorable experience . How can you solve a problem for your visitors while creating a buzz around your sword ?
4 . Savannah ’ s Pop-Up Experience in NYC
Visit Savannah brought the charm of Savannah , Georgia , to the street of New York City with a pop-up experience that boast local food , music , and still a 12-foot oak tree replica . The result live design to transport mass to Savannah without leaving NYC .
This activation successfully imported the essence of a location to an entirely unlike context . The use of authentic local constituent made the experience immersive and tempt , encourage New Yorkers to think Savannah as a travel destination .
What Tours & Attractions Can See :Pop-up experience can be a powerful way to insert your destination to fresh market . By replicating critical component of your location , you can produce a compelling , immersive experience that inspire people to visit .
5 . Vacation Train Show at New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden ’ s annual Holiday Train Show feature model train travel through intricate replicas of iconic New York landmarks made from natural material . The event hold become a dear vacation tradition , pull in thousand of yearly visitor .
The Holiday Train Show absolutely shows how consistency and quality can reverse an event into a beloved custom . The show appeal to both locals and tourist , create it a must-see during the holiday season .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Create an result that becomes a tradition can ensure repeat visitor and solidify your attraction as a essential part of seasonal festivity . Consistency in quality be essential for build long-term appeal .
6 . The Swedish Number
The Swedish Tourist Association created so that people worldwide could yell a random Swede and chat about anything—from Swedish culture to travel tips .
This campaign ’ s simplicity and creativity generated massive global attention and directly engaged people with Sweden ’ s culture . It leveraged the land ’ s people as its greatest asset , creating a unique and personal means to promote tourism .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Today ’ sec tourist equal moved by authentic experiences that relate them to a destination ’ s culture . Many traditional marketing campaign undermine the power of direct human interaction when it arrive to driving sales and loyalty .
7 . AirNZ ’ s “ The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made ”
Air New Zealand ’ s “ The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made ” bring the traditional in-flight safety video and become it into a cinematic experience themed around the beloved movie ,“ The Hobbit . ”The TV featured cast member from the film and die viral , with millions of position online .
Air New Zealand transform a mundane task into an entertaining experience , engaging passengers and generate widespread media coverage .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Don ’ t underestimate the ability of creativity in making routine activity excite and shareable .
8 . Paris Zoological Park ’ s “ Open Animal Crates ”
The Paris Zoo placed big open animal crates around the city to promote its reopening , making it appear like animal make up drift free . The crates were placed in high-traffic areas , generate wonder about the attraction ’ s reopening .
The visual impact of the campaign , combined with its strategic placement , made it impossible to dismiss . It produce a sense of expectation and pull attention to the zoo ’ sec reopening in a means that traditional advertising would not receive reach .
What Tours & Attractions Can Hear :Visually outstanding activations in high-traffic field can create a lot of buzz around your attraction . Look at using unexpected or playful elements to activate your guest ’ wonder .
9 . Sun Peaks Resort and Instagram Influencer Campaign
Sun Peaks Resort partnered with adventure photographer Callum Snape to create beautiful visual content highlighting the resort ’ s natural beauty and adventure activity . The drive targeted adventure-seekers in the Pacific Northwest .
This is an excellent example of efficient influencer selling . The resort exist able to target a big audience with high-quality content that showcased the serious of what it make to offer .
What Tours & Attractions Can Teach :Collaborate with influencers who adjust with your sword can help you reach new audiences .
10 . World ’ s Coldest Fitting Room ( Globetrotter )
Globetrotter , an outside gear retailer , created an in-store “ bad weather bedroom ” where customer could try their gear against utmost conditions like -30°C temperature .
This activation effectively demonstrated the durability and quality of Globetrotter ’ sec merchandise in a extremely interactive path . Not only could customers test out the brand ’ sec gear , but they as well have a band of fun while perform hence .
What Tours & Attractions Can Discover :Put up an experiential proof of conception can be a powerful way to build up faith in your products or services . Attraction can expend this scheme by create simulations or immersive environment that allow visitors to go through the essence of the attraction firsthand .
11 . Grab a Partner – Art Meets Gaming
During the pandemic , museum like The Met , the Getty Museum , and the Cincinnati Art Museum partnered with the popular Nintendo game Animal Crossing , allowing actor to add famous artworks from their collection to their in-game world .
This cross-industry collaboration exist an innovative means to engage with a young interview that might not typically visit museums . It take art and culture into a popular gaming program , reaching millions of actor worldwide .
What Tours & Attractions Can Discover :Partnering with sword or program from different industry can aid make new hearing and make unique experience . Consider how your attraction can collaborate with early industry to expand your reach and engage with different demographics .
12 . 13,000 Reasons to Visit Northern Norway
Visit Norway ’ s “ 13,000 Reasons to Visit Northern Norway ” cause highlighted the beauty of Northern Norway through 13,000 comments from alien tourist . These testimonials live compiled into what was describe as the world ’ s most extensive travel review , read aloud by a local comedian .
The campaign creatively used authentic testimonials to showcase Northern Norway ’ s charm , providing a new , outsider perspective on the region . As a outcome , the part see a significant increase in domestic tourism .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Leveraging user-generated content and testimonials can be a powerful mode to lay your sword aside .
13 . Etihad Airways ’ Single-Use Plastic-Free Flight
Etihad Airways plunge the world ’ s first single-use plastic-free escape on Earth Day . The initiative cost role of a broader commitment to shorten single-use plastics by 80 % by 2022 .
This activation suffer out for its firm environmental message , highlighting the sword ’ s commitment to sustainability .
What Tours & Attractions Can Hear :Sustainability first step can cost a powerful driver of brand affinity and customer loyalty . Attraction should consider how they can integrate sustainable practice into their operations—and communicate these cause to their audience .
14 . Delta Lounge at SXSW
As the official airline spouse of SXSW , Delta Airlines require its sponsorship to another level by create a VIP lounge experience exclusively for member of its frequent flier plan . The pop-up Delta Lounge feature free Wi-Fi , drinks from Starbucks , branded merchandise , and complimentary snacks from a well-known local chef .
Delta effectively leveraged its partnership with SXSW to enhance sword loyalty by offering a unique and exclusive experience for its frequent flyers . The airline made its customers sense special during an otherwise feverish event , furnish them a respite in a comfortable sofa with excess perks like free food and merchandise .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Create exclusive experiences for loyal customers during big case can significantly enhance brand loyalty and customer gratification . Attraction can adopt a like approach by offering VIP region , exclusive circuit , or special perks to reiterate visitor , ensuring they sense evaluate and appreciated .
15 . Airbnb ’ s Overnight Experience at the Louvre
Airbnb partnered with the Louvre Museum to bid one lucky winner and their guest the chance to pass a dark at the iconic Parisian museum . The experience include a private museum tour , a candlelit dinner next to the Mona Lisa , and an acoustic concert in Napoleon III ’ sec apartments .
This movement brilliantly put up that enforces Airbnb ’ sec sword as a provider of out-of-the-box travel experience . The activation wage a global hearing and seamlessly tie in with Airbnb ’ s mission to extend unique stays .
What Tours & Attractions Can Learn :Circuit operators can need inspiration from Airbnb ’ s approach by creating exclusive , one-of-a-kind experience that can not equal easily replicated . The key takeaway hither live the power of exclusivity and how it can be leveraged to generate buzz and drive engagement.
5 Most Mutual Brand Activation Challenges ( and how to avoid them )
By being mindful of common challenges such as managing scale , measuring ROI , and navigating budget constraints , your attraction can better cook itself for the complexity of the sword activation procedure . Thoughtful planning , strategic partnership , and a clear stress on consumer engagement can help overcome these obstacle , insure that your campaign resonates with your interview and delivers successful outcome .
- Managing Scale :Scaling brand activations in effect while maintain quality can cost bad , particularly for smaller occupation . Outset with smaller activations to test interest , then originate a scalable model and utilize digital platforms to run reach .
- Evaluate ROI :Calculating the return on investment ( ROI ) for brand activations can cost complex due to the experiential nature of the movement . This is why establishing clear objectives and KPIs beforehand is so significant . Social engagement , brand sentiment , and post-event feedback are all crucial factors to cross .
- Budget Constraints :High price connect with sword activations can equal a barrier , specially for companies with limited budgets . Focus on creative , cost-effective answer , explore partnerships to portion expense , and prioritize essential elements that present maximum impact .
- Consumer Conflict :Capture and maintain consumer conflict during an activation can equal challenging , specially in crowded market . Develop extremely interactive and personalized experience that resonate with your hearing and advance involvement through incentive or gamification .
- Logistical Complexity :Executing a sword activation involves managing numerous logistical details , from venue choice to staffing and coordination . Meticulous planning , clear communication , and partnering with experienced vendors can assist streamline logistics and reduce the likelihood of errors .
Brand activations hold immense potential for travel brand look to stand out in a saturated market . At last , the ability to tackle these challenge head-on will enable your sword to build up lasting relationships with consumer and drive meaningful occupation growing .
