The power of PR should not be underestimated.

With everybody looking to gain attention for their Travel Brand, the right PR campaign can take businesses to new heights. And in this increasingly competitive industry, many brands are fighting to get ahead.

A clever PR campaign can be the difference between a customer choosing your brand or searching elsewhere for an alternative. Whether it is online or offline, picking a topic that resonates with your audience increases brand awareness, builds credibility and also secures the position of industry experts.

Last year, we saw a number of brands launching innovative campaigns to stand out from the crowd. Let your marketing journey begin by taking a look at the best PR campaigns of 2018.

Airbnb’s ‘Let’s Keep Travelling Forward’

2018 saw travel brand Airbnb making a public stance on political news.

Fighting Donald Trump’s travel ban which saw people from specific countries restricted from entering the Unites States, the brand launched a new campaign to voice their views. Focusing on the importance of travel, the brand released a video highlighting their belief that ‘to limit travel is to turn back progress’.

In addition to this, cofounders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk released a statement to share their disappointment on the decision.

Encouraging their audience to donate to the International Refugee Assistance Project, the brand shared that they will be matching donations of US$150,000. Usually brands avoid voicing opinions on current affairs, but through this campaign Airbnb was able to increase awareness and engage with their millions of users on a social issue.

Hyatt – music video

Using the power of celebrity and influencer marketing, Hyatt used music artist Dua Lipa as part of its campaign.

To promote its new range of luxury properties, the filming of the pop star’s latest single New Rules took place at Hyatt’s The Confidante Miami Beach. Releasing exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, meet and greets and more, the brand was able to reach new audiences and also change its audience demographic.

Launched in 2017, the campaign grew to a success in summer 2018 with more than 1.3 billion YouTube views and was nominated in the annual Shorty influencer awards.

easyJet’s ‘Imagine Where We Can Take You’

Launching a £12m campaign targeted across Europe, easyJet wanted to change its brand imaging.

Known as convenient and budget friendly, the airline wanted to show a more emotional side by focusing on the wonders of air travel. Creating a short TV advert, viewers are taken on a series of holidays through the mind of a daydreaming passenger. The brand also touches on gender equality in the airline world by showcasing a female pilot.

Launching on both commercial television and online, the brand was able to reach millions of existing and potential customers.

Tourism Ireland’s ‘Fill Your Heart…’

In December, Tourism Ireland let visitors’ hearts do the choosing.

The first campaign to use heart-rate data, the brand invited a married couple on holiday to Ireland providing them with cameras and heart monitors. Keeping track of their responses to different experiences or trips, the campaign focused on the activities with the highest ratings.

Through the use of technology and clever storytelling, the brand was able to reach a wide range of audiences interested in both travel and tech. Increasing brand awareness, the campaign has reached thousands of people and received press coverage, too.

The Atlantis – Facebook-themed Fan Suite

After hitting the 1 million like mark on Facebook, the five-star Atlantis hotel in Dubai looked to increase this further.

Designing a luxury suite themed around the popular social media platform, the brand has launched a series of competitions online offering people a one-night stay. The suite includes a digital mirror which allows guests to view their newsfeed and a Poke button on the wall to call room service.

The campaign was launched across different social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. Reaching thousands of followers, the campaign is still ongoing.

It’s clear that travel brands realise the importance of PR campaigns. Attracting new audiences, maintaining existing audiences and increasing brand awareness requires extensive industry knowledge. Research and planning is key to knowing what the hot topics in the industry are so they can drive future campaigns.

If done correctly, PR campaigns have the ability to reach millions and boost brand awareness. Through understanding the users of your product or service, create campaigns that make a difference and put the focus on you.

By using the examples above for inspiration, you just may find your brand on the best travel PR campaigns of 2019…

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