Online Revealed Calgary 2008

INSTANT MESSAGE Taking Flight: How the Travel Industry Can Benefit From Online Advertising By Ken Headrick I f there are two things that are certain about Canadians in general, it is these: Canadians love to bemoan our notoriously long winters, and they love to search online. In fact, Canadians are among the world’s most active searchers with approximately 23 million online every day. Given these truisms, doesn’t it make sense that the travel industry is perfectly positioned to benefit from stir-crazy Canadians who are searching for holiday escapes online? But to take a step back, let’s consider the evolution of online advertising and why the travel industry is so well poised to succeed using two different, yet complementary forms of online advertising. Online advertising was once all about the banner ad. The original dot com advertising option, banner ads were at once annoying, innocuous and effective. As the Internet has evolved, so has the opportunity for the rebirth of the lowly banner ad. No longer simply text in a box, banner ads have become a staple for online users. Today, display advertising has broken free of its rectangular confines. Expandable, splashy and targeted, display advertising captures eyeballs, invites interaction, and simply, does the trick, for both advertisers and consumers. As advertisers become more willing to take risks and advertising channels more creative with the display opportunity, click through rates increase and potential customers are engaged. End of story, right? Well, not quite. What about the potential customers who don’t happen across your ad? In the push and pull world of marketing, search advertising is an option that is only gaining in momentum. While search advertising isn’t exactly the new kid on the block, the pairing of search ads with creative display ads is a concept that has recently caught fire. The search advertisement is designed to match key terms entered on search engines, providing searchers with the most relevant results for their online queries. And while it’s less visually compelling than its display counterpart, the search advertisement can be nearly entirely customizable and simple to analyze, in terms of gender, time of day, location and age. So, by pairing the visually engaging display ad with the no-nonsense search ad, the advertiser is able to connect with users in two different, yet equally successful ways. It’s like the advertiser is the host of an online treasure hunt: some consumers will happen across the treasure without any trouble, while others need a treasure map to navigate their way to the prize. So, when does the better together strategy work best? Advertisers have seen great success in using both search and display advertising when it comes to promotions or contests. Additionally, advertisers looking to promote products or services that relate to hot topics will do well by investing in both options. This includes everything from financial institutions and fast food chains to auto makers and fashion designers. But let’s get back to the travel industry. In Canada’s coldest, darkest months, a display ad featuring a sandy white beach, a clear blue sky and an attractive couple holding umbrella drinks is enough for the most impul- sive among us to click and book a ticket on the spot. But for those of us with a more practical bent, typing words like “beach” and “deal” into a search engine feels like due diligence: it’s conducting research, even at a basic level. For the travel agency that incorporates both types of advertising into its marketing plan, both types of potential travelers are targeted and engaged. It’s important to remember that even though the types of advertising, and even the types of people, differ from one another, the end result should be the same. When the practical would-be traveler clicks on a link from a search query, he or she is taken directly to a place that features in-depth information and answers the questions that he or she is asking. Likewise, when the impulsive would-be traveler bites on the display ad, the destination—no pun intended—is consistent to where the searcher ends up. Now, if you’re thinking that just because winter has finally ended you can wait to make the jump online for a few months, remember that there is a third truth about Canadians: they have a collectively long and sharp memory about the winter months and are possibly already thinking about next year’s getaway. Don’t miss the boat. Ken Headrick, is the Director of Products and Marketing at MSN Canada. Since joining Microsoft over 12 years ago, Ken has played an integral role in various marketing communications and product management projects, including the launches of Microsoft adCenter, Windows 95 and Office 97. Additionally, Ken managed Microsoft's partner relationships with various enterprise systems integration partners, large account resellers and OEM partners. For seven years, Ken worked in Microsoft`s SMB sector, which included managing the Small Business, Partner Marketing and Mid Market sales and marketing teams. Prior to Microsoft, Ken worked in the financial services industry. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University. The Second Annual Student Contest My Home Revealed was a great opportunity for students interested in hospitality and marketing to win a trip to the Online Revealed Travel Conference. We want to hear what students think is cool about their Canada. Check out our website to see the 2008 Winner. Sponsored by Yahoo! Canada Online Revealed Canada is a "grass roots effort" to provide education in online marketing for the Canadian Tourism Industry. We hope to build awareness and programs for the next generation of Internet Marketers with the Student Award Contest. www.myhomerevealed.com onlinerevealed.com | ONLINE REVEALED CANADA 2008 | 17 http://www.myhomerevealed.com http://www.myhomerevealed.com http://www.onlinerevealed.com

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