Branding or performance: for most travel brands the answer is both. For more background on brand building, see Think with Google.
Two goals, one plan
Many travel brands favour campaigns that deliver bookings straight away. That is understandable: those results are easy to measure. But travellers rarely book with a brand they do not know. Someone booking a holiday park today has often seen a video of it months earlier.
Branding and performance are not two competing routes. They are two stages of the same journey.
What branding does
Branding campaigns build recognition and trust. They show who you are and why travellers should choose you. Typical formats are video on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and inspiring content about your destination or offer.
For tourism boards, new routes, a new ship or a new attraction, branding is often the main goal. You measure it with reach, video views, growth in searches for your brand, and recall.
What performance does
Performance campaigns target people who are already searching or comparing: search ads on Google, campaigns at booking moments and retargeting of website visitors. You measure them with enquiries, bookings and cost per booking.
Without branding, that group shrinks. You keep reaching the same people and your cost per booking rises.
How to split the budget
There is no fixed ratio that suits every travel brand. It depends on how well known you already are, how long travellers take to decide and how large your market is. Some rules of thumb:
- New or little-known brand: put the weight on branding.
- Well-known brand with loyal customers: more room for performance, with continuous branding in the background.
- Strongly seasonal offer: build awareness before the season and raise the pressure around booking peaks.
Spread it over the year
Do not switch branding off outside the peaks. A lower, continuous budget keeps your brand visible. Around early-booking periods, holiday pay or last-minute moments, increase the pressure with performance campaigns. The peak then benefits from the awareness you built earlier.
Measure each part separately
Do not judge a branding campaign on bookings within a week. Look at reach, views and the trend in searches for your brand. Judge performance on enquiries and cost per booking. Then look at the whole: are your bookings growing over the season?
FAQ
Can branding be measured?
Yes, through reach, video views, searches for your brand and possibly a recall study. Not through direct bookings.
Is branding only for big brands?
No. A small hotel or park also benefits from staying visible in the region where its guests live.
How quickly does branding show results?
Usually after a few weeks to months, when searches and direct bookings start to rise.
Read more on the Paid social page and the Data & strategy page.