Dive Brief:
- Booking.com debuted a curated section on its website offering trips that support New Year's resolutions and a new marketing push showcasing travelers achieving their resolutions by booking on the platform, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The #BookYourResolution suites, located at 25 Broad Street in New York City, are available exclusively on Booking.com, with rooms themed around resolutions like being more active, learning to dance, turning a passion into a business and more. The suites will be available to book for two-night stays for $20.20 starting on Jan. 13 at noon EST.
- To support the new listings, Booking.com launched a digital campaign with the tagline, "There's a booking for every resolution." The effort includes 30- and 15-second spots that debuted on Dec. 26 on TV and online. The videos are being promoted with the hashtag #BookYourResolution. Creative agency Anomaly developed the integrated effort.
Dive Insight:
Booking.com wants to be a destination for curated trips rather than simply a place people land when searching for cheap deals, a strategy this new campaign supports. The platform's New Year's resolution-themed effort comes as the brand shifts ad spend away from search toward beefing up brand awareness with TV and online video ads, per CNBC.
A survey commissioned by Booking.com shows that 72% of Americans are interested in taking trips to help them kick start their New Year's resolutions. Additionally, 51% report travel having helped them with their resolutions in the past.
Booking.com's effort also has a strong storytelling element to help push experience-oriented bookings and encourage travelers to share their resolution-related travel. For instance, in the campaign video titled "Ricky's Resolution," a man flies his grandma to New York to see snow for the first time and support his resolution to give his loved ones a trip they'll never forget. In "Josh's Resolution," a man achieves his goal to read to his son under the stars in a vacation home booking.
Digital platforms supporting travelers have been increasingly pivoting their focus on travel experiences, which research suggests millennials are interested in. Airbnb has pushed experiences for the past few years. It teamed up with Vice Media to offer edgy custom packages such as a tour of Cape Town by electronic music DJs. Earlier this year, the home sharing site teamed up with animal-related mobile media brand The Dodo to introduce Airbnb Animal Experiences, a new category of travel experiences for animal lovers to interact in personal ways with animals and their owners.
