Reaching high-intent travel audiences this winter

For travel brands, this time of year is the prime holiday-planning season for consumers – with Brits spending 34% more in January on jetting away than in other months. Blue Monday, falling on the third Monday in January and often called the “most depressing day of the year”, has become a prime moment for travel brands to inspire consumers to turn daydreams into bookings. January brings a fresh allocation of annual leave, tempting travel deals, and, for many, a pay review, making it an ideal time to plan a getaway.

According to Experian’s consumer Spend Insights, Brits rush to spend their hard-earned money on Blue Monday with 20% more being spent on getaways than the previous week. Commuter towns around London are even keener, with areas like Milton Keynes, Watford, Tonbridge Wells and Canterbury doubling spend on holidays on that one day! For travel brands, this creates a golden opportunity to capture consumers’ attention, offering the perfect escape from the winter blues. In a world saturated with ads across channels, the real challenge is making sure your campaigns stand out, resonating with the right audience at just the right time.
 

How travel brands leverage January for high-impact campaigns

After the festive season fades, many of the UK’s top travel brands are primed to offer a mood-boost to consumers, seizing the opportunity to engage high-intent audiences by launching major marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Brands leverage TV ads, social media, and direct digital marketing to capture the attention of consumers eager to plan their next holiday.

Typical strategies include showcasing package deals, offering added perks like airport lounge access, and promoting limited-time discounts, all designed to create a sense of urgency and value. This mix of visual storytelling, exclusive offers, and strategic timing taps into the January travel mindset, positioning these brands to win consumer attention during the peak booking season. For marketers, these campaigns exemplify how well-crafted, multi-channel strategies can drive engagement and bookings in a competitive landscape.
 

How are 'January blues' campaigns manifesting?

In recent years, travel brands have crafted creative campaigns to combat the “January Blues,” encouraging consumers to book holidays and break free from winter gloom. Here are three standout examples:

British Airways
British Airways launched a campaign offering discounted flights and holiday packages to premium destinations like New York and the Caribbean. By targeting leisure and business travellers seeking luxury at reduced prices, the campaign inspired consumers to plan their next getaway as an antidote to the winter slump[1].

easyJet Holidays
easyJet Holidays capitalised on Blue Monday by running a promotion where customers booking a holiday were entered into a prize draw to win £2,500 towards their trip. A social media competition encouraging followers to share blue sky holiday photos added an engaging and accessible element to the campaign[2].

Kuoni
Kuoni, a premium travel operator, promoted bespoke packages to tropical destinations like the Maldives and Seychelles. Their campaign targeted affluent travellers looking for exclusive experiences, offering a luxurious escape from the cold and grey January weather.

These campaigns highlight how travel brands, from budget-friendly to luxury-focused, tailor their strategies to resonate with different audiences, offering a sense of hope and escapism during the dreariest time of year.

Learn how Experian can enhance your marketing strategies with our winter getaways audience guide

Winning share of voice with precise audience targeting

To capture consumer attention during the competitive winter getaway season, it’s crucial to truly understand your audience and engage them on the right channels. By leveraging accurate and compliant consumer data, travel brands can amplify the impact of their campaigns, ensuring their message reaches those already envisioning their next holiday.

Experian’s audience solutions empower travel marketers with the insights and tools needed to stand out in a busy market, making data-driven decisions that connect with high-intent travellers at just the right time:

• Gain a market edge: Understanding your market position is vital to increasing your share of voice. Experian’s advanced analytics deliver deep consumer insights, uncovering opportunities in winter travel and helping craft strategies that differentiate your brand. Whether targeting frequent travellers or high-spend holidaymakers, we support optimised campaign planning that reaches those primed for a winter getaway
• Pre-curated audiences for increased relevance: Our syndicated audiences, curated for the winter travel period, enable precise targeting of consumers seeking winter sun, skiing adventures, or luxury cruises. You can reach consumers with previous spending behaviour that would signify future booking intent, as well as those with travelling interests, to align your media plans and achieve optimal reach and engagement during this booking period
• Enhance targeting precision: Experian’s consumer intelligence includes travel spend from more than 4 million credit and debit accounts, alongside lifestyle insights, to provide a clear view of where your best customers are and what drives their decisions. This enables you to identify high-spend travellers, frequent budget travellers, or repeat bookers and conquest competitor audiences, tailoring your campaigns with exclusive offers that resonate and capture attention at the ideal booking moment
   

How can we help?

Check out our latest winter getaways audience guide to explore how Experian can enhance your marketing strategies with targeted syndicated audiences designed for the winter travel season.