Three awesome email campaigns from the travel sector

The different ways in which travel brands use email marketing is fascinating. Whilst some companies are doing very little to add value to their email programmes, there are many that are really innovating in the inbox. Recently, we have been spoilt with some very effective use of email. Here are three of our favourites:

1 – First Choice



Why we like it: Creatively, it just makes you want to go on holiday. The imagery and careful use of colour just bring your inbox to life. The use of data is impressive – the ‘More All Inclusive Holiday Deals’ section has offers from airports that aren’t too far from my where I live, so they are really relevant to me. Finally, the recovery module is great, offering some generic options at the foot of the email:



2 – Hotels.com



Why we like it: Hotels.com can be forgiven for the perhaps least creative of these three examples I am sharing with you today – because their use of data here is excellent. Just a day after I was looking at hotels in Vietnam, they sent me this email to tempt me back. All of the suggestions are relevant and they even nudged me to say that I am five bookings away from a free night.

Hotels.com could make these engagement follow-up emails even better, perhaps with more seductive and inspiring imagery and country or city guides to add that extra bit of value. But in terms of their use of data, they really have pushed the boundaries.

3 – Expedia



Why we like it: This final example of great email marketing from the travel sector comes from Expedia. I picked this one out for two reasons. Firstly, it had a live countdown timer that updated every time I opened the email. You can see here that the sale has now finished, so it is at zero. The other reason I chose to share this with you is for the call to action on this postcard email: ‘Reveal offers’. It's short, sweet and deliberately teases to drive as much traffic to the website as possible.

Summary

There is some great use of data in the travel sector and, when coupled with careful design techniques and new technology, these emails stand out at the top of the pile. Other sectors, such as retail, could improve the effectiveness and relevancy of their email marketing through some of the strategies and tactics that these three companies have adopted.

Philip Storey, Global Head of Strategic Services