There has been a notable increase in demand for video content lately, and the global travel industry is also subject to this trend. According to a new report by eMarketer, digital video is among one of the fastest growing formats in the industry for 2014 and by the end of the year it is predicted to account for almost a third of marketing budgets for travel brands.
Viewing branded videos is one of the most common activities for consumers when they engage with travel brands, the report said. In fact, it tops the chart of travel-related video views, leaving other types of digital video related to the travel industry far behind.
For its report, eMarketer polled 2,500 business and leisure travellers and found that nearly two in three of these individuals viewed branded videos. This was followed by expert trip reviews, travel-related channels and regular traveller reviews, which were each mentioned by just over half of the respondents. Regular traveller videos were trusted by just under half, while branded commercials were cited by about two in five respondents.
Travel-related videos also generate more views on average than other industries included in the report. Only the automotive and electronics industries recorded more views, the report concludes. Due to the rapid growth of the format, travel brands are looking for new ways to improve the personalisation of the messages delivered. For example, advertisers have been adding flight prices at the end of ads based on where viewers are currently located, the report pointed out.