In content marketing, travel companies have an advantage over most other consumer categories. Airlines have been producing in-flight magazines for decades, and their transition to online publications was pretty straightforward. Travel agencies have been churning out glossy travel brochures to lure travelers to far off places. And travel—an experience rather than a product—naturally lends itself to vivid and engaging storytelling.
As we've written before, the best content should be separated from your product more than you think. But many CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) marketers, food and beverage in particular, find it hard to resist talking about their products. And those who do get beyond promoting their products often stop at recipes—the low-hanging fruit of content creation.
If you're struggling to shake the addiction of talking about your products, the travel industry offers a rich source of inspiration.
CPG companies, especially those that see themselves as lifestyle brands, can create compelling stories involving culture, history, and exploration. In travel, I tend to see stories that address shopping, dining, arts and culture, sightseeing, and activities, so I've applied these categories to CPG to stimulate story ideas.
1. Sightseeing: Visit Seattle's No Umbrella Blog
Is your product closely tied to its region of origin? Be a tour guide to your neighborhood. This local perspective is perfect for wine and craft beer companies, as well as products with a regional heritage (i.e. BBQ sauces, cheese) and foods with an ethnic identity.
For example, Brooklyn Brewery (a favorite of mine, and not just because I grew up in Brooklyn), could tap into the Brooklyn scene with stories such as "The Best Vintage Clothing Shops," or "Top Ten Brooklyn-Based Indie Bands," and "How To Master the Brooklyn Accent." Same for Sam Adams (Boston Beer Company). What if they published stories like "The History of New England Craft Beer," "The Beer Lovers Guide to Hops around the World," or "How To Speak Bahston with the Natives?"
2. Shopping: Qantas Travel Insider
Qantas Airlines' Travel Insider engages its upscale travel customer with stories that take them to places that feel exclusive and uncommon. The Travel Secrets section, with its "Best of" lists, celebrity interviews, and off-the-beaten-path experiences tap into the celebration and romance of travel. This gives it a distinct point-of-view in the crowded travel guide space.
Since tourists are heavy shoppers, shopping stories are always front and center on all travel blogs—Qantas knows how to put ideas in my head (to the detriment of my wallet). But, shopping is a universal pastime, so as CPG marketers, how can you add your voice to the shopping experience? Can you offer useful advice? What do your consumers love to buy (besides your product)? If you sell baby food, you have a captive audience of newbie parents. As a baby grows up, so does the need to purchase new items. Content categories such as product reviews, shopping for toys, children's book releases, and back-to-school tips will continually keep audiences engaged with your brand.
3. Activities: Expedia's Viewfinder
Expedia's Viewfinder blog must appeal to a broader demographic, as it caters to a wide range of travelers and represents hundreds of travel companies. But they certainly know how to tap into what's trending, so articles about health & wellness travel feature prominently on their site. Expedia extends the conversation about healthy hiking through its #ExpediaChat series. This is a great example of how to take evergreen content and wrap an engagement strategy around it. What activities do your consumers engage in that align with the essence of your brand? If you are a marketer of a natural food product, think about the activities related to health and fitness that would be of interest to your audience. Stories about sports, outdoor adventures, marathon training, global fitness trends and technologies, and spa vacations, all from the unique perspective of your brand, would certainly be a way to break out of this crowded category.
Inspirational and aspirational stories can help position your company as a lifestyle brand—not just another health food company pushing a protein bar.
4. Dining: Mass Vacation Blog
Recipe content is a given on a food or beverage blog, but stories about family meal planning, home entertaining, food hacks, cooking techniques, visiting farmers markets, and sustainable living are sure to add value to an ingredients list. Why should Martha Stewart get all the eyeballs come Thanksgiving time?
Tastemade has mastered the 15-second recipe teaser video, and they are producing a slew of fantastic, original video programs (two of my favorites are "Grill Camp" and "Mug It Out.") You could advertise on its properties to reach a growing Millennial audience, but why not produce content like this for your site and keep that audience to yourself?
5. Arts and Culture: Trivago Checkin
I started this story in Brooklyn, so it's only fitting to end in Brooklyn. Food is so tied into culture that combining the two narratives triggers an endless stream of story ideas. The Trivago Checkin blog post above covers local street art, a chocolate factory, and a beer garden. Articles like this can give your brand a voice and personality that resonates with consumers—and especially Millennials, who seek to align themselves with products that mirror their attitudes around identity and lifestyle.
Is it so hard to imagine addressing any of these travel industry topics on your CPG's website?
As a CPG marketer, look to the airlines, tourism boards, online travel agencies, and cruise lines to inspire your own brand storytelling. Beyond offering useful, innovative products, brands that figure out how to provide what matters most to consumers through compelling stories will break through the noise and develop authentic connections with their customers.
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Source: 5 Content Marketing Opportunities from the Travel Industry
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