Content Action in Uncertain Times for the Travel Industry

The travel industry has taken a big hit through the recent bushfires and now the uncertainty within the industry has doubled with the global coronavirus concerns.

Australians have a fantastic optimism bias, where we sometimes choose to bury our heads in the sand and hope it will all go away. Unfortunately, this is not one of those times.

It’s a time for travel brands and the industry to step up and take action.

Here three starting thoughts from a business and content perspective:

1. Build Trust through Transparency

Loyalty begins with trust, and the best way to build trust is by highlighting the steps your business is taking to ensure customers who travel with you will be as safe as possible in this uncertain time.

• Set out an action plan within the business and then have your leadership team share the actions you are taking as a business through highly transparent content.

• Keep this content up to date with weekly updates via video EDM and social to inform customers of action you are taking as the situation changes week by week across the globe.

• Have a strategy to hold onto customers long term if they decide to cancel planned holidays due to the virus.

• Explain in detail the health regulations you have put in place for each customers safety

• Be Authentic – share your vulnerability and concern, but in a way that reinforces the business is far from putting its head in the sand over the situation.

2. Don’t Hold Back

Customers are constantly looking at new inspiration and content. While the first reaction may be to cut back on your marketing and content creation, it’s a time to dial up your content presence. Hold true to your tone of voice and the product attributes your brand offers customers.

People are still engaging with content and planning – they may decide to put off the trip in the next 6 months, but book for ’21. So, it’s important that you are top of mind as ever. By continuing to deliver the same level or dial up marketing & content during a downturn, you’ll already be ahead of the race to reap the benefits at the start of the upswing.

3. More than an Offer

Now is the time to highlight your points of difference and entice audiences to engage with the brand. While competitors may retreat and approach with caution, one of the best approaches to surviving uncertainty is to set yourself apart and dialling up the experience and added value that comes with your brand – the things your business is famous for. Think about this beyond a discount offer. Who can you collaborate with? What other innovations do you have in the pipeline that you can fast track?

At 3rdspace, we talk about helping brands with purpose create content that provokes action. Now is a time for dialling up why your business exists (your core purpose) and creating compelling and authentic content that brings that purpose to life, so that your potential customers want to engage and book with you when they do decide to take that holiday

If you’re interested in finding out more about this approach and how your brand can come through this storm in good shape, please drop me a line.

We’d love to discuss your business.

Rob Logan is the founder and Content Director at 3rdspace - The Content Company.