Understanding how marketing aimed at younger generations is a “gold mine.”
Forget the pretty presentations and the many hyper-processed images of "paradise." In a recent article for Phocuswire, Noa Greenfield, vice president of Travelier (formerly Bookaway Group), discusses the transformations of marketing in our industry.
Today's travelers want a glimpse of authentic businesses that will inspire their next trip. It's necessary to offer the authenticity they seek on social media. When looking for inspiration, most travelers (52%) tend to turn to friends and family. After all, it's hard not to be enchanted by a friend's photos when they're accompanied by stories of travel, adventures, successes, and mysteries. Many of them even post them on social media in the hopes of evoking similar feelings in others. That's why social media is the second-best source of travel inspiration (35%), already surpassing traditional channels, including travel agents (29%), travel media publications (26%), and TV and film entertainment (25%).
And who spends more time on social media? Generation Z.
Approximately 90% of Gen Zers spend at least an hour on social media platforms every day, and almost half spend more than three hours—much more than previous generations. Considering that the research was conducted in the American market and that Brazilians are even more passionate about social media, you can imagine the impact here.
With an increasingly younger purchasing demographic, marketers in the hospitality and travel industry will need to shift their tactics to cater to younger generations of travel enthusiasts on their digital landscape.
Organic content
A paid or promoted travel ad will never offer the same interpersonal and trustworthy information as a friend or even a beloved influencer. In fact, the value of user-generated content lies in its ability to convey experiences that feel true and authentic to the target audience.
The recommendation is to invest in the dissemination of organic, user-generated promotional materials whenever possible.
To expand their customer base, especially among younger demographics, marketers in the industry should consider promoting UGC on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, the latter of which has become the most widely used platform among Millennials.
Note: User-generated content (UGC) is any content (text, videos, images, reviews, etc.) created by people, rather than brands.
It's possible to ensure the attention of the "Z"s, for example, by establishing alliances with influencers so they can generate additional value for companies as brand ambassadors.
Comparison of values
Travel and hospitality content must not only strike the sweet spot between authenticity and visual appeal, but must also cater to the values overwhelmingly embraced by younger generations. Partly due to Gen Z's general tendency to support companies that fall into the ethical and sustainable tourism category (those that openly support equality, diversity, or climate-friendly causes, among others), the sustainable accommodation and tourism market is expected to grow by $335 million over the next four years. It's a marketing gold mine: To make their trips even more impactful and rewarding, today's consumers increasingly want to make purchasing decisions focused on companies that share their values.
Tourism and hospitality businesses should provide information beyond basic benefits and services and strive to include details they can highlight in their digital content to appeal to travelers' specific needs. For example, businesses could highlight any charitable efforts or initiatives they can support for struggling local communities.
Creating UGC that highlights these diverse ethical values will not only ensure continued satisfaction among consumers, but businesses will also see greater returns over time, especially as Gen Z and subsequent tech-savvy generations increasingly dominate the consumer market.
