Jeremy Ellis assesses the industry’s response to the Covid-19 crisis ahead of an appearance at a virtual event hosted by radio industry body Radiocentre on July 21
Q: How does the current crisis compare to other huge impacts on travel in the past?
The travel industry has experienced many forms of disruption including terrorism, volcanoes, hurricanes, to name a few. However, nothing has come close to the scale of this, which has pretty much shut down every aspect of the industry for several months.
Q: Covid-19 hit the industry hard and issues with refunds and communications affected confidence. Will consumers remember how a travel brand behaved and will this affect sales in the future?
Those brands that have managed refunds and communications well should have gained credibility versus those that haven’t and should see an uplift in sales. However, many brands didn’t put the customer first and, as a result, the general negative perception has been widespread across the industry rather than any specific brand.
I have no doubt that where people have had a personal bad experience, they’ll think twice about rebooking with that brand in the short term. Brands must account for this in future.
Q: How can marketing messages be tailored and what should those messages be?
Marketing messages initially must work hard to reassure people that it’s safe to travel. They should promote how the brand will take care of them through the journey, ideally promote insurance cover against Covid-19, and reiterate financial protection in case a further outbreak leads to cancellations
It’s been proven many times in the past that as long as it’s done in the right way, brands advertising during downturns can steal share of voice and share of market. Also, if your message is very relevant to the downturn, it is more likely to resonate and stick, buying longer term credibility.
Q: You’re speaking at an event about radio as a marketing platform. How can radio support confidence in the travel industry?
I think there are three reasons why radio is a great channel to use right now. Firstly, during lockdown radio listening figures have skyrocketed as so many people are at home and often have the radio on all day. Secondly, radio is effective at getting more emotive messages across – vital when you’re trying to build trust, which is very important given the situation. Thirdly, because the radio is on all the time, people build a more personal relationship with it and hence they are more receptive to emotive messaging.
Q: Has the Covid-19 crisis created an opportunity for brands to showcase their sustainable credentials?
The industry is very aware of the importance of sustainability and is continually striving to improve its eco-footprint. However, the infrastructure of planes, ships, trains etc. is very hard to change overnight, so the pandemic is unlikely to create a step-change improvement in the short term. That said, I think people have really noticed an improvement in the environment over the past months.
Q: What has been one of your favourite campaigns to work on, and why?
My favourite was the Thomson’s ‘Time For A Holiday ’ campaign from late 2011. Up until that point almost all holiday adverts had been quite generic, pushing beautiful destinations, beaches, hotels etc. No brand had properly understood and hence hadn’t communicated the fundamental reason why people go on a beach holiday – to get back to the real you and spend quality time with the people you love. The campaign was so different from anything seen before, it really made people stop and think and it helped to reinforce Thomson as a brand that truly cared about your holiday.
Q: What are your travel predictions in terms of destination and holiday types for the rest of 2020?
Given people’s caution about travelling, I predict people will travel closer to home and those destinations considered safer will be most popular. UK holidays will definitely increase in the short-to-mid-term and long-haul will be much slower in returning to previous volumes.