This document discusses the importance of visual storytelling for travel brands. It outlines that photos and videos have a large impact on the travel decision making process and inspiration stage. It then provides five success factors for effective visual storytelling, including leveraging emotions over facts, involving locals and travelers, using multiple communication channels, and varying content types. The document closes with two case studies on how Tourisme Montreal and Westjet successfully increased engagement and sales through visual storytelling and content marketing strategies.

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Why Travel Brands Must
Embrace Visual
Storytelling
Presented by Frederic Gonzalo
@gonzogonzo

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Agenda
• The impact of photos & videos on travel decision-
making process
• 5 success factors in visual storytelling
• Case studies

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Why Travel Brands Must Embrace
Visual Storytelling…

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Why Travel Brands Must Embrace
Visual Storytelling

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Why Travel Brands Must Embrace
Visual Storytelling…

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The Travel Decision-Making Process
Source: Expedia Media Solutions

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Inspiration

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Inspiration

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Photos Impact Bookings
Source: TripAdvisor Barometer, September 2014.

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Inspiration

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5 Success Factors in Visual Storytelling
1. Emotions, not facts
2. Get locals & travelers onboard
3. Communicate offline too!
4. Think multi-channel
5. Content variety

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Emotions, not facts“As a marketing tactic, storytelling is based on the premise that
people remember information better when it is told as a story rather
than presented as a list of facts. This is largely because stories are
more relatable and inspire an emotional reaction in an audience. Any
marketing campaign that rouses an emotional response – whether it
be empathy, sympathy, outrage or laughter – is more likely to be
remembered”

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Source: Acquity Group’s 2015 Next Generation of Commerce Study

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2. Get Locals & Travelers Onboard

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Influencers too!

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Get Locals & Travelers Onboard

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Influencers too!

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3. Communicate Offline Too…

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4. Think Multi-Channel
How marketing channels for large businesses in the travel industry in the U.S.
influence the purchase decision. Source: Think with Google

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4. Think Multi-Channel

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5. Content Variety

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5. Content Variety

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5. Content Variety

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5. Content Variety

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Content Variety

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So What’s The ROI On All This??
Two examples:
- Tourisme Montreal
- Westjet

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#MTLmoments
“We don’t talk about segments of travelers first anymore,
we talk more about niches and motivations to travel”
– Emmanuelle Legault, VP Marketing, Tourisme Montréal.
Content creation…
- Official destination blog (2009)
- Dedicated Meetings & Conventions blog (2014)
- Web serie (2014)
- Photos & videos shared on social networks

33. [ 3. Case Study & KPIs ]

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#MTLmoments
Between February and December 2013:
• Facebook: 105,666 to 143,214 fans (26% increase)
• Twitter (English): 25,117 to 39,400 followers (36% increase)
• Twitter (French): 14,078 to 20,900 followers (33% increase)

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Westjet
There’s no doubt its content marketing has been
a boon for the brand – after “Real-time giving”
WestJet saw site traffic increase 100%,
bookings increase 77% and revenue
increase 86% — and because of high views and
lifts in brand perception, it has doubled down on
its content marketing efforts.

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It’s How We Do Business

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“We hear facts.
We FEEL stories.”

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