According to marketing experts, those born between 1946-1964 and 1981-1996 are the demographic groups with the highest spending power in the vacation realm. We’ll tell you how to win them over!
They are the most sought after by marketing experts. The generations known as Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) have the greatest spending power, including in the vacation realm. In the United States, for example, they currently make up the two most populous generations. Therefore, any advice received on how to appeal to them is of great value when it comes to positioning oneself above the competition.
It’s no secret that consumers are on an inexorable march away from physical stores to online decision-making and purchasing spaces. Millennials are a prominent driver of this phenomenon, and regarding tourism, 62% of them seek inspiration through their mobile devices*. However, it is estimated that in most cases, they do not rely on a single device to view options and make choices: in many cases, this process involves various platforms, so having a cross-cutting message from our companies is crucial to capturing this segment. As for inspiration to choose, 42% of Millennials trust review sites as a great ally*.
Boomers follow Millennials in this path (perhaps due to what they have learned from their digitally native children and grandchildren over the past two decades), with nearly half of them spending about eleven hours online weekly. However, since they did not grow up in an era of constant digital stimuli, Boomers are less attached to their mobile phones and prefer to use their reliable laptops or desktop computers for searches. Regarding inspiration for an upcoming trip, the majority of them rely on recommendations and suggestions from family and friends. Once the destination is decided, most of the fare search is done through online travel agencies (OTAs) and/or trusted online travel agency search engines (54%)*.
Ensure you produce inspiring content, accessible through OTAs and your own channels as well
Since online travel agencies are crucial for the inspiration phase of Boomers, it’s important to have visibility there, including – for example – good images, promoting reviews from previous travelers (in this link, we share some comments on why it’s important to respond and pay attention to these actions).
It’s interesting to note that in many cases, the stage of gathering options and reviews is done through OTAs; however, the immediate reference to the website and social networks of the destination/hotel/attraction, in particular, is inevitable (especially in the case of Millennials). Therefore, generating equally attractive, sincere, and comprehensive content on these platforms should not be neglected. Keep in mind that the more steps a potential traveler has to take to accurately find out the “how-much-what-and-when” of your destination or service, the less their interest and trust will be, prioritizing other proposals they may have in play at the same time.
Develop a comprehensive promotion and advertising plan
In line with the previous point, this will help reach Millennials through their devices and consultation platforms. The key here, especially if you don’t have marketing channels like apps, is to ensure that your site is optimized for all devices, has an attractive presence on social media, and has an advertising plan that also activates organic flow to the brand’s sites and profiles.
Promote content that includes offers and promotions
Opportunities of this kind are a priority for Boomers, but not necessarily the budget; especially for travelers from countries where this generation is more affluent, such as the United States. Therefore, content should emphasize not only the strictly economic discount or benefit that optimizes their investment but also its convenience, extras, and/or the special experience that can be obtained by choosing that product.
Offer diverse activities and experiential messages in content
With an infinite offer of destinations, options, and types of tourism, content that includes a variety of activities and offers a strong message about the experience that the traveler will take away from choosing our product or destination will have a better position among Millennials.
Make sure to have a direct contact method
For both Millennials and Boomers, it is important to have an easy and humanized communication method. While the former prioritize contact through live chat or contact via WhatsApp, for the latter, it is important to have a trained and expeditious telephone communication method. Make sure to respond to calls and messages as quickly, transparently, and efficiently as possible, to not lose ground to the competition. This includes – of course – the conversations that arise on social networks, either directly or through comments.
Offer direct booking methods on your channels (with special benefits)
Of course, this must go hand in hand with absolute transparency, through security systems and encryption that protect your consumer and their trust. Often, allowing booking with some preferential rate or access to additional packages, for example, tends to be an attraction to efficiently achieve conversion when the content is being viewed directly from your own channels.
We can help
At Brands Travel we can support your brand in each of these aspects through the experience of our content, digital marketing, advertising, knowledge, and research teams on demographic groups of interest. Contact us through [email protected] to learn more about our work.
*Statistical data obtained through Expedia Group