Is video the great untapped tool in travel?

Is video the great untapped tool in travel?

Video is growing and should be part of any travel company’s marketing strategy, according to Tamara Lohan, co-founder and chief technology officer of Mr & Mrs Smith.

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Video is growing and should be part of any travel company’s marketing strategy, according to Tamara Lohan, co-founder and chief technology officer of Mr & Mrs Smith.

Travel companies are increasingly turning to video as a promotional and informative tool, but many working in the industry warn it should be approached with care.

Speaking at the Navigating Digital in Travel conference in London, organised by digital agency the Bio Agency, Lohan said: “I think video is an amazing tool, but you have got to get it right for your brand and your customers.

“The very real, GoPro type footage might not be right for certain brands.

“Last year at Mr & Mrs we tried some different approaches to our marketing. We did a really glossy brochure. It looked lovely but its impact was just like a flat pancake.

“Then we did some behind the scenes video work with people like the chef at a hotel, and that did very well.

“But the problem was, within a few weeks some of the videos were out of date because the chef had moved on, or the hotel had redecorated. “The huge challenge is around keeping the content really fresh and relevant.

“While there are lots of challenges around video, I do think it is something which is growing and should be part of at least your medium term strategy.”

Richard Singer, European managing director at TravelZoo, said: “The industry does a terrible job of utilising video content”, and emphasised the importance of getting any form of imagery right.

Victoria Bacon, head of brand and business development at ABTA, added: “I think it’s a mixed picture. But it is fair to say much more could be done to use it effectively.

“You have to think about return on investment in terms of tech investment. Which end do you want to be investing at?

“I think it’s different for different sized companies and the content needs to be authentic, engaging and up to date. In my view it’s not about recreating the brochure model and putting it in video form.”