What we learnt at the TMAs
Some of the Llamas joined our fellow travel marketers to celebrate the best work in our industry at the Travel Marketing Awards last night. As always, we loved sharing in the energy of the shortlisted and winning teams, and to see their happiness at having their work recognised.
Here’s our take outs from the event:
The organisers should be congratulated on the smooth and slick execution of the event. We’ve all had experience of when things go wrong (*shudders*). It was a full house, and a great atmosphere.
The power of awards to boost team morale and validate their efforts is undiminished. Sure, the travel industry in general likes to hand out gongs to itself. But we work hard in a competitive sector and taking time to reflect on what was done to deliver a campaign or strategy, and how well it performed, embodies the test-learn-improve cycle. The feel-good effect of an award win extends beyond the team involved. Everyone shares in the glory, and that helps make your business a place where people are proud to work.
Internal marketing teams and their agency counterparts remain stretched like never before. It’s testament to the skill of our industry that exciting work is still being produced despite restricted budgets and resources.
Thinking creatively within constraints remains a critical factor for brands looking to differentiate. Black Tomato’s innovative and memorable 007 campaign deserves the plaudits being heaped upon it for the way it partnered with an iconic asset to secure international cut through across multiple channels. The Ice Lolly TV ad was rightly recognised for investing the brand with personality in the otherwise homogeneous mid-market OTA space.
Sustainability, representation across gender, age, disability, sexuality and race, and the need for customers to feel they can trust the brand they’re booking with, are non-negotiables for the travel industry now. ABTA taking home the award for Best Established Travel Brand is a case in point. In the dash to return to pre-pandemic levels of business, brands need to think about how those themes are woven into their long-term brand strategy.
Without diminishing the achievements of those who won, there were noticeable absentees from the shortlists. Long and short haul airlines, attractions, cruise and car hire brands, and the major online travel platforms, were all thin on the ground. That should beg the question ‘why?’. Where were British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet or, say, Royal Caribbean or P&O? They’ve all delivered noticeable work in the last 12 months. Or Booking, Expedia or Kayak, to name just a few of the online giants? And has there really been such little marketing that hotels or hotel brands want to shout about in the last year? Awards can galvanise and motivate your teams, validate a strategy, and have a halo effect on your brand. So what stopped them from entering?
Congrats to those who returned to their offices this morning with a trophy or commendation – you deserve it – and to the organisers for a memorable celebration. It’ll be fascinating to see how travel’s growing confidence in itself is reflected at next year’s event.
Llama Dean Harvey presents Anwar and Bruce from Travel Gossip with their Trade Engagement Award for the Big Agent Rewards platform.