Kevin Lee and Scott Eddy dive deep into how
travel and hospitality brands should rethink marketing in a world driven by
emotion, social media, and AI-powered search.
At the core, Scott argues that storytelling is not
content; it’s intent. Before producing anything, brands must decide what they
want their audience to feel, believe, or do after engaging. In
travel, four emotional drivers dominate: aspiration, trust, belonging, and
transformation. Without clarity on which of these you’re really selling, you’re
“just posting pretty pictures.”
They draw a sharp line between luxury B2C travel and B2B/business
travel. Luxury sells a dream; business travel sells control, certainty,
and reduced friction. Scott warns that trying to blend these voices usually
backfires: a luxury hotel that talks like a business brand feels cold, and a
business brand that talks like a luxury brand feels out of touch. The
fix: commit to a clear emotional promise and reverse‑engineer everything
from that outcome.
Destination marketers (tourism boards and DMOs) actually
have the “ultimate playground” for storytelling, with culture, food, music, and
local life as raw material. But internal politics, infighting, and missed
opportunities often prevent them from tapping this depth.
A major theme is underused human connection on social
media. Scott is blunt: most brands are terrible at basic communication.
Ignoring comments online is, in his view, the digital equivalent of someone
saying “good morning” on the street and you walking past in silence. That’s not
just rude; it’s bad strategy. Kevin adds that engagement now also affects how
brands appear in AI-driven answer engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and
Perplexity. It’s no longer just SEO; it’s “GEO:” Generative Engine
Optimization.
When it comes to influencer marketing, Scott insists
influencers are “distribution partners with built-in trust,” not media
buys. Treat them like billboards and you’ll get billboard results. The real
value is at the top and middle of the funnel: building belief,
familiarity, and context. Long-term relationships and repeat visits allow
influencers to build authentic narrative arcs over time. One-off stays produce
one-off impact.
They also tackle the long-running tension between direct bookings and OTAs. Scott rejects the “versus” mindset. If hotels truly dislike OTAs, they could turn them off, but they don’t, because they rely on them for demand. Instead, he suggests flipping the mindset: use OTAs as discovery tools, over‑deliver on the guest experience, and then convert them to direct, relationship-based customers with smart follow-up offers.