You’re in a brutal race. More competition. Rising ad costs. Guests who compare you to everyone else in just two taps.
Brand marketing gets you out of that race. Charge what you’re worth. Become the name travellers look for first.
Most travellers aren’t ready to book today
Up to 95% of potential guests are out of the market right now. Scrolling, researching, planning – but not ready to hit “Book now”.
Strong brands get remembered when browsers become bookers.
- 59% prefer buying from brands they already know
- 87% pay more for brands they trust
That’s the difference between being the operator people hunt down… or the one they pick because they are the cheapest.
The smaller brand problem
If a traveller books one whale-watching tour this year, they’re statistically more likely to choose the dominant brand. Natural monopoly effect – fame wins, even when competitors offer a discount.
Smaller brands get customers who shop around. Guests who book with many operators, switch often and very rarely become loyal. The results are higher acquisition costs, lower repeat business and more pressure to discount.
Brand marketing flips that. You become the default, not the fallback.
Growth comes from light buyers
Your most loyal guests can’t hit your growth targets alone. The largest chunk of sales potentially come from light buyers – people who book occasionally, maybe once every few years.
Real growth = more people booking you sometimes. Not the same few booking consistently.
Brand marketing reaches those light buyers over time. When they finally book that wine tour or glacier hike, your name’s already in their head.
Broad reach beats narrow targeting
Performance campaigns target “people ready to book now.” That’s only 5% of the market.
Brand campaigns with broad reach talk to everyone – including tomorrow’s buyers.
Campaigns targeting the whole market are 10x more effective at driving long-term market share than campaigns focused only on existing customers.
Get in front of travellers long before they search. Be the operator they recognise when they reach for their wallet.
Stand out of disappear
In a world of similar tours and templates, sameness is expensive. Distinctiveness is an asset.
Ask yourself: could a traveller pick your brand out of a lineup instantly?
Distinctive brand assets go beyond logos. They’re your:
- Colours and fonts
- Tone of voice
- Sonic cues and taglines
- Photography style
Own them. Repeat them relentlessly. Build mental availability – that crucial “oh yes, i’ve heard of them” that makes everything from OTAs to social ads work harder.
Brand first, fast
Travellers decide whether to care in seconds. Feature your brand in the first three seconds of an ad to drive higher recall.
Logo at the end? You’re donating attention to the category, not your brand.
For experiences, emotion is your superpower. Awe, joy, adrenaline, wanderlust. These feelings make memories stick. Memory drives bookings.
Great brand marketing leans into emotion while clearly signalling who you are. That feeling gets attached to your name.
Why brand feels “slow” but pays off big
Brand can look like it’s underperforming if you only measure over a few weeks. First six months? Brand typically trails performance marketing on short-term conversions.
Long run? Brand campaigns are 2 x more likely to generate major profit uplifts after the one-year mark.
Optimise only for this month’s ROAS and you miss the compound effect:
- Lower acquisition costs
- More direct traffic
- More repeat bookings
- A brand people search for by name.
The 60:40 rule for operators
You don’t need to choose between brand and performance. The most effective mix is 60% brand building and 40% activation.
New or rebranded? Skew towards 35:65 in year one, shift to 60:40 as awareness grows.
In practice:
- Brand (60%): always-on storytelling across video, social, partnerships, PR and OTAs. Shows who you are and what makes you different.
- Activation (40%): targeted offers, retargeting, search, lifecycle campaigns. Converts people ready to book now.
The magic? Performance campaigns benefit from mental availability created by brand. Every activation click gets cheaper and more efficient over time.
Make every pound productive
Being “present” on every channel means being forgettable on all of them. Focus on channels and formats you can dominate. The tour types, locations and audiences where you truly stand out.
Brand marketing is full of ways to waste money. Vanity apps, Random sponsorships. Gimmicks that don’t build memory.
Turn off the distractions. Back a clear, consistent brand platform. Every pound you spend makes you more recognisable, more trusted, and easier to choose.
Win the 95%
Most operators fight hard for the 5% actively comparing options right now. The real opportunity? Influence the 95% before they get to that shortlist.
- Invest in broad-reach, emotionally resonant brand marketing and you:
- Shape expectations long before guests land on an OTA
- Make performance spend more efficient because people already know you
- Drive more repeat business and word of mouth.
You bring the wow. Brand marketing is the how behind making sure guests remember your name when it’s time to book.
Download our brand breakdown here: Brand or bust