Welcome to the second set of insights into the results of our Future of Tourism Marketing survey, which was completed by a variety of senior decision makers in the transport and tourism sector this autumn. This blog concerns the optimal time to start new campaigns, shortcomings within PR and marketing, and which three areas of PR and marketing our respondents would choose to invest in.
1. What months do you typically spend the most on marketing and PR?
Summary:
When it comes to knowing the right time to start a new campaign, it is important to monitor when countries will be receiving a COVID vaccine to help ease the risk in investing in marketing activity.
A second factor is the understanding of movement within a country or region, as well as how long this will likely last. For example, the UK has established a tiered regional system which will likely be in place until March 2021. Our survey results clearly indicate that campaign planning and asset building typically begins between January and April.
Survey results:
- January to April - 57.78%
- May to July - 20.00%
- August to October - 28.89%
- November December - 15.56%
Tips from our findings:
- Start planning now: Start campaign preparation now to ensure your organisation is on track for recovery by spring/summer 2021
- Find a new sense of purpose: Reposition your organisation and find a renewed sense of purpose. Establish new goals for how you can help society and the environment. If the world is able to start looking beyond COVID in summer 2021, new methods to meet climate change targets and social agendas will be key.
2. Where do you feel you fall short when it comes to marketing & PR?
Summary:
Responses to our survey indicated that many decision makers felt that it was primarily the SEO and market research aspects of their PR and marketing strategies that fell short. Increased market research allows decision makers to fine tune their SEO and increase quality traffic to their websites.
It is also notable that many responses showed an interest in furthering their podcast and new media offerings, which is unsurprising as now 12% of the UK population listen to podcasts weekly.
Survey results:
SEO - 37.78%
Market research - 31.11%
Content & call to actions - 26.67%
Podcasts & new media - 26.67%
Online customer journey - 24.44%.
Creative ideas - 22.22%
Tips from our findings:
- Learn more about your customer: Increase market research to learn more about what your customer needs. This will help dictate content messages and your marketing narrative. The Boston Consulting Group recently stated the most successful organisations during the pandemic have been those who have been customer focused.
- Knowledge is power: Use this increased knowledge to update your campaigns and website SEO in line with what customers are looking for. Plan campaigns that can include new media such as podcasts.
3. If you were to invest in three areas of your marketing & PR what would it be?
Summary
Our survey found that decision makers are most likely to invest in social media, website improvement and SEO.
In the current technological climate, social media is one of the primary ways brands build presence and communicate key messaging effectively. Furthermore, social media platforms breakdown the barriers between provider and consumer. This allows for a more nuanced and immediate understanding of which campaigns are effective.
Survey results:
Social media - 42.22%
Website improvement - 40.00%
SEO - 40.00%
Content and pitching plans - 28.89%
Targeted advertising 26.67%
Tips from our findings:
- Use social media for purpose-led content: brands need to use social media to cut through online noise. Content now needs to focus on how it maintains brand awareness and attention.
- Make web improvements: Integrate your website into your marketing and PR plans - ensure your website has relevant data collecting feeds. Data from cookies and Google analytics can feed into marketing and content campaigns.
- Quality content generates traffic: The better the quality of content on your website, the more likely you’ll increase online bounce rates and session duration. Share ideas and information that will directly benefit your audiences.
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