While the travel media ecosystem remains fragmented, there are some key elements that marketers can utilize to drive decisions by appealing to consumers’ emotions. The Expedia Group’s recently released “Science of Wanderlust” research provides insights and a roadmap.
Wanderlust is the emotional spark that drives travel decisions, and the focus of the study was on identifying specific ingredients within travel content that cause this feeling, thereby helping brands to inspire, connect and convert travelers to bookings.
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There are several things brands can use to create this type of engagement.
“The way consumers interact with brands has changed drastically,” said Rob Torres, senior vice president of Expedia Group Advertising. “The findings provide concrete insights for marketers to act on: Video drives nearly three times the influence as static images, and travelers respond most to storytelling with a clear narrative arc. Travelers crave trust, relatability and authenticity in message, tone and imagery. While they’re open to AI-enhanced content, human input remains essential to building trust and emotional resonance.”
Let’s examine these findings from the research in greater detail.
Video is a significant influencer when timing aligns
Video influences travel three times more than static images, with 71% of travelers responding to moving images rather than still ones. While there is a slight difference, the length of videos is not as important, with both short (49%) and long-form videos (45%) positively influencing booking decisions. However, long-form videos spark the most emotion.
The study clearly shows how influential videos can be when approached in a method that engages viewers. Yet many marketing teams are not set up to create videos as readily as they are to edit and prepare still photos.
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In many cases, this may involve reallocating resources to produce narrative-driven videos with cuts paced to facilitate optimal comprehension, typically at a duration of nine seconds or less. On the contrary, content that relies on fast cuts and rapid scene changes of less than two seconds hinders comprehension of the narrative and thus fails to make a compelling case for the destination.
Marketing teams should prioritize clear narrative structures, as even beautiful static visuals fail to deliver when the messaging is unclear, and ensure a clear call to action to close the content. To capitalize on the power of video in building an emotional connection that drives bookings, marketers should develop a video-first strategy rather than thinking of the medium as an afterthought or a “nice to have.”
Authenticity and trust are still key
Marketing messages and imagery must be clear, honest, and, in many ways, focused on building a genuine connection if brands are to win attention and trust, driving bookings. This also means creating targeted content, messages and offers that appeal to different audience segments.
The research categorized audiences by both generations (e.g., Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers) and traveler archetypes (e.g., Amusement Park Travelers, Target City Escapists, Adventure Travelers and Cultural Connectors).
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Travelers rely on authentic tones to create trust. The tones travelers selected as building the most trust were transparency (52%), followed by clarity and confidence (46%) and authenticity (45%). Representation and relatability also contributed to engagement and response rates.
To build authenticity and trust, marketers need to properly segment their audiences and personalize content delivery accordingly, whether through Generational Targeting or Archetype Targeting.
Using Generational Targeting effectively means utilizing highly emotive videos and influencer content for younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z), who feel the most emotive toward travel content. For Gen X and Boomers, marketing should use brand messaging, sponsored articles and guidebooks.
To utilize Archetype Targeting, marketers should approach each group slightly differently. For example, using short-form, social-influenced videos for Amusement Park Travelers, or long-form, food-driven videos for Target City Escapists, can yield great results. This means that a one-size-fits-all approach to content creation, or simply swapping out a few words or visuals, will not cut it. These different archetypes are looking for quite different things.
AI still requires humans in the loop
While it’s hard to escape the buzz about how important AI is in the world of marketing, travelers are not always eager to embrace AI-generated content and remain skeptical. According to the study, only 41% of travelers found it helpful and only then if it is combined with human input. Generationally, Millennials and Gen Z are the most comfortable with AI use in content.
The application of AI-generated content should shift toward tools like smarter deals and budgeting solutions (24%) and personalized trip planning (19%), rather than imagery easily identified as fake.
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There are significant benefits to using AI in the marketing process, but marketers should use it for utility and scale, not to achieve authenticity. They should also avoid relying on fully AI-generated content, especially for visuals such as landscapes or influencer content, as this can cause unease and annoyance.
Instead, marketing teams should focus on leveraging AI to improve the traveler’s booking journey, such as creating smarter deals and enhancing personalized trip planning. Then, ensure that content meant to inspire the emotions behind wanderlust is carefully reviewed and combined with human creativity and oversight.
The bottom line
Inspiring wanderlust in potential consumers requires marketers to create engaging video assets, underscore authenticity and trust and utilize personalization and tools like AI to enhance experiences and opportunities, rather than overshadowing the key emotional selling points.
By moving beyond generic content and carefully segmenting their approach based on the unique, often divergent, preferences of travelers, brands can gain a competitive advantage, earn travelers’ trust and fulfill their objective of driving conversions in this highly competitive industry.
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