Advertising - What Consumers Mistrust About Travel Advertising
#1 Manipulation and Dishonesty
Consumers have a love/hate relationship with advertising. Some advertising is highly regarded, memorized and repeated, passed along virally. Other ads are the subject of scorn and vilification usually reserved for weapons of mass destruction. It is a worthwhile exercise to examine consumer attitudes toward advertising and to discover exactly what about it people find objectionable. Buried there is a lesson we can take back to our own marketing campaigns to ensure that it will be heard and trusted rather than frowned upon.
At its best, advertising is information meant to inform, educate and persuade. However, many perceive it as manipulative and inauthentic, filled with half-truths or worse. A quick look at some of the advertising to which we are exposed daily, however, seems to confirm some of the most negative perceptions. How often do particular brands advertise, in big bold letters, “SALE!” or “40% OFF!” or “This weekend only”? If something is always discounted, if it is perpetually “on sale”, then consumers quickly develop an impression of the product as not worth the stated retail price. Rather than training the client to respect the product, we provide incentives to shop based on price. Likewise, advertising that does not comport with our own experience of reality causes us to mistrust not only the particular advert in question, but also the brand offering the product which, in the case of travel, is your agency. Thus, ads that promote a very low base or entry price which in fine print reveal taxes and fees that add up to hundreds of additional dollars breed mistrust. What to do about the problem: Knowing that many consumers inherently mistrust advertising, use caution in how you advertise pricing, sales and discounts. Remember that the client won on price is just as |
easily lost on price. Instead, gear your advertising away from product to the services your travel agency offers. Not only can you make solid claims that you can back-up with your own effort and performance, your own brand cannot be duplicated and bought cheaper elsewhere. Provide solid facts and demonstrable value rather than claims of never-ending sales and perpetual discounts. Clients will perceive your brand as more authentic as a result, and will learn to trust your brand as standing for a verifiable integrity.
#2: Advertising is Interruptive
Another common complaint is the manner in which advertising imposes itself on the individual in an unwanted manner – it interrupts the flow of information or entertainment to gain mindshare. Thus, a commercial appears at the climax of the television show, or the banner ad covers up what you are trying to read. Indeed, much of the advertising to which we are exposed each day is unsolicited and unwanted.
The unsolicited nature of advertising is often compounded by its production values. Too much advertising is poorly produced, too loud and is repeated too frequently. What is deemed “clever” by some advertising agencies and executives is just as often better characterized as “grating”.
What to do about the problem: The interruptive nature of advertising is avoidable by travel professionals. Advertise in media where your message is desired and obtain the permission of clients and others to send information their way. Make your messages simple and direct, not too frequent and appropriate to the medium and the image you want to project. Avoid intrusion into private space by not using pop-up or pop-under banner ads or rich media that immediately begins playing audio or obscures text when the viewer arrives on a page.
Authentic marketing only requires that you provide the consumer with good information that assists in making a purchasing decision. The persuasive tactics of authentic marketing depend on reason, logic and authentic emotion, not trickery and excessive frequency or volume. By clearly and consistently carrying on a permission based communication with consumers, the travel agency will project an image that will be far more welcome in its receipt.
#2: Advertising is Interruptive
Another common complaint is the manner in which advertising imposes itself on the individual in an unwanted manner – it interrupts the flow of information or entertainment to gain mindshare. Thus, a commercial appears at the climax of the television show, or the banner ad covers up what you are trying to read. Indeed, much of the advertising to which we are exposed each day is unsolicited and unwanted.
The unsolicited nature of advertising is often compounded by its production values. Too much advertising is poorly produced, too loud and is repeated too frequently. What is deemed “clever” by some advertising agencies and executives is just as often better characterized as “grating”.
What to do about the problem: The interruptive nature of advertising is avoidable by travel professionals. Advertise in media where your message is desired and obtain the permission of clients and others to send information their way. Make your messages simple and direct, not too frequent and appropriate to the medium and the image you want to project. Avoid intrusion into private space by not using pop-up or pop-under banner ads or rich media that immediately begins playing audio or obscures text when the viewer arrives on a page.
Authentic marketing only requires that you provide the consumer with good information that assists in making a purchasing decision. The persuasive tactics of authentic marketing depend on reason, logic and authentic emotion, not trickery and excessive frequency or volume. By clearly and consistently carrying on a permission based communication with consumers, the travel agency will project an image that will be far more welcome in its receipt.
#3: Inappropriate Advertising
One of the chief complaints consumers have about advertising is it is often inappropriate – either wrongly targeted or misdirected. Often, travel agents will blanket their client lists with advertising that betrays a lack of concern for the needs or concerns of the individual client. For example, not everyone is a fan of cruising. Repeated advertisements for a cruise vacation directed at the wrong client will cause the client to doubt the sincerity of the travel agent. If the travel counselor is truly concerned about the service and not the product, if a travel planner’s practice is really client centric, then the needs and preferences of the client come first and a stream of wrongly directed advertisements will callous the relationship. Sending your clients appropriate advertising and marketing materials is an important tactic. Providing materials that are within the interest categories indicated by your clients demonstrates that you are paying attention to their needs. The process begins with a solid client interview and profile where you have an opportunity to record client preferences and travel ambitions. Beyond the initial profile, however, a good CRM program is a must for any agent with more than a few clients. Most CRM programs can segregate clients by their stated preferences to allow the travel counselor to send appropriate information geared to client interests. Naturally, there will be a point in time, early in a relationship, when you may not know the precise interests of the client. Solicit their feedback on your newsletters and offers. Ask for their preferences and take the opportunity to discuss their life-long travel plans. In addition to knowing client interests, however, it is necessary to have a solid understanding of supplier offers. No two suppliers are alike, and their products, the demographic of their clients, the quality of their hotels and the tenor of their activities varies considerably. Choose suppliers that have a strong correspondence to the preferences of your clients. |
What to do about the problem: Properly match supplier offers and information to the constituents of your advertising venue and only send information you deem appropriate. Mass market cruising doesn't work in an adventure travel newsletter and hiking the Grand Canyon won't work in your Senior Center efforts. If you carefully consider how you match the venue with the type of travel, you will find that the recipients of your marketing better appreciate your efforts.
#4: Advertising Can Be Coercive
Consumer advocates often lodge the complaint that advertising is coercive and monopolistic, dictating public perceptions and buying habits. According to this theory, the public buys what they are told to buy, the product most advertised, rather than the product that is the best for their needs. Certainly companies with the resources to put into advertising have a distinct advantage. Regardless of the actual merits of the argument, the perception it creates makes it more difficult to form a relationship with clients based on trust.
In the context of travel agencies, consumers often feel that they are not empowered, worrying better travel products or values are somewhere “out there” but are not being disclosed by the travel professional. Consumers sometimes suspect that mass market advertising, commission arrangements and other intra-industry politics dictate the product travel agents permit them to see and from which they are allowed to choose. This perception breeds mistrust of the industry and induces many consumers to go it alone in their research and booking efforts to find the perfect trip or vacation.
Clients want to feel as though their travel consultant is working on their behalf rather than for “preferred suppliers”. Indeed, most agents keep the needs of the client foremost in mind when researching and booking. However, unless the travel agent makes it clear to the client how recommendations are made and suppliers selected, the client may still feel as though not all options were considered. Many new clients will be concerned that the agent will channel them to preferred suppliers for the agent’s benefit rather than their own.
What to do about the problem: Train your clients and readership, tell them what you do. Demystify travel for them. Travel professionals wanting to empower their clients and to alleviate concerns about a bias to select suppliers should shift their advertising tactics away from products to a service orientation. By focusing on and explaining the services a travel consultant performs, the professional moves into the role of advisor rather than sales person. By developing a solid knowledge of suppliers in both mass and niche markets, agents can discuss a wide variety of options with clients more easily. Encouraging clients to bring any supplier or travel product to the agent for evaluation demonstrates the appropriate orientation to the relationship and gives clients confidence. Travel professionals should seek to orient their practice around services rather than products and turn their clients into partners in the travel planning process, empowering the consumer to openly discuss any and all options with the travel counselor. This is the foundation of trust that builds solid relationships.
Remember that most consumers subliminally mistrust advertising. Therefore, be judicious in your choice of advertising tactics. Emphasize service and choice, be authentic in your copy and messages, and choose your venues wisely.
#4: Advertising Can Be Coercive
Consumer advocates often lodge the complaint that advertising is coercive and monopolistic, dictating public perceptions and buying habits. According to this theory, the public buys what they are told to buy, the product most advertised, rather than the product that is the best for their needs. Certainly companies with the resources to put into advertising have a distinct advantage. Regardless of the actual merits of the argument, the perception it creates makes it more difficult to form a relationship with clients based on trust.
In the context of travel agencies, consumers often feel that they are not empowered, worrying better travel products or values are somewhere “out there” but are not being disclosed by the travel professional. Consumers sometimes suspect that mass market advertising, commission arrangements and other intra-industry politics dictate the product travel agents permit them to see and from which they are allowed to choose. This perception breeds mistrust of the industry and induces many consumers to go it alone in their research and booking efforts to find the perfect trip or vacation.
Clients want to feel as though their travel consultant is working on their behalf rather than for “preferred suppliers”. Indeed, most agents keep the needs of the client foremost in mind when researching and booking. However, unless the travel agent makes it clear to the client how recommendations are made and suppliers selected, the client may still feel as though not all options were considered. Many new clients will be concerned that the agent will channel them to preferred suppliers for the agent’s benefit rather than their own.
What to do about the problem: Train your clients and readership, tell them what you do. Demystify travel for them. Travel professionals wanting to empower their clients and to alleviate concerns about a bias to select suppliers should shift their advertising tactics away from products to a service orientation. By focusing on and explaining the services a travel consultant performs, the professional moves into the role of advisor rather than sales person. By developing a solid knowledge of suppliers in both mass and niche markets, agents can discuss a wide variety of options with clients more easily. Encouraging clients to bring any supplier or travel product to the agent for evaluation demonstrates the appropriate orientation to the relationship and gives clients confidence. Travel professionals should seek to orient their practice around services rather than products and turn their clients into partners in the travel planning process, empowering the consumer to openly discuss any and all options with the travel counselor. This is the foundation of trust that builds solid relationships.
Remember that most consumers subliminally mistrust advertising. Therefore, be judicious in your choice of advertising tactics. Emphasize service and choice, be authentic in your copy and messages, and choose your venues wisely.
#5 – It’s First Person
Are you aware despite countless Federal Trade Commission regulations, the worst product of any category in the world is perfectly within its legal rights to call itself “The World’s Best” and to extol its virtues? This type of advertising is known as “puffery” – putting your best foot forward and using terms that most people understand to be more or less “bragging” rights. Is it any wonder people mistrust advertising? Most travel advertising is “first person." Inherently, first-person advertising is less credible than a third party endorsement. Think about it for a moment. Which do you trust more? A commercial on television or the recommendation of a good friend? Testimonials are the basis of much of modern social media marketing. What to do about the problem: Your marketing collateral and advertising should carry with it third party endorsements and testimonials. When satisfied clients speak highly of your services and agency, there is a credibility that a first-person claim cannot match.. They act as a public record that you have performed well in the past; so well, in fact, that someone felt compelled to give you a testimonial. Such assurances calm the concerns and fears of new clients when they turn over thousands of their hard earned dollars to you for their vacations. |
Exercise:
Seek out some local and national travel advertising and study it as a consumer. Most of it, no doubt, will be product oriented, but look for elements of service marketing, particularly in the case of supplier oriented advertisements. Were the ads appropriate to the venue? Evaluate the ads using the criteria above and indicate in each instance how the ad affects you both at an emotive level and at a rational, logical level.
Seek out some local and national travel advertising and study it as a consumer. Most of it, no doubt, will be product oriented, but look for elements of service marketing, particularly in the case of supplier oriented advertisements. Were the ads appropriate to the venue? Evaluate the ads using the criteria above and indicate in each instance how the ad affects you both at an emotive level and at a rational, logical level.