On the face of it, launching a travel marketing consultancy in the midst of a global pandemic is a bold move. After all, there’s no telling how much of the the global travel and tourism industries will even be left in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
But how travel and tourism brands evolve to meet shifting consumer behaviour in a post lockdown world will be critical to their survival, according to the co-founders of travel startup North. And as the dust settles and travel restrictions begin to relax, the pair believe creativity will be the deciding factor for success.
‘We want to help travel brands to navigate these turbulent times and rebuild the industry,’ said co-founder Adam Caerlewy-Smith.
‘But we also need to recognise that things won’t be business as usual for some time. Consumer confidence has been sorely shaken and travellers are apprehensive of exploring the outside world. Consumers will look to travel and tourism brands more than ever to inspire trust, safety and confidence in their next adventure. This means the role of travel marketing is no longer just to inspire, we now need to inspire confidence .’
Travel had lost it’s way
As former head of marketing at Visit Jersey, Adam helped reverse 20 years of decline of the island’s tourism sector. Working alongside him was Ben Jordan, who had worked on a rebrand for an international hotel group before joining Visit Jersey.
North was created after the pair realised that they shared a fundamental belief that travel had lost its way. Authentic experiences had given way to bikini-clad influencers, and increasingly conscientious consumers were starting to question the industry’s track record on sustainability.
They both felt that creative agencies were clueless about travel, and travel marketing agencies were clueless about creativity. North would be a combination of their creative know-how and travel knowledge.
‘If ever travel and tourism brands needed to find their purpose, it’s now.’ said Adam Caerlewy-Smith.
‘As the only travel specialist marketing agency in the Channel Islands, we draw upon our industry expertise to save our clients valuable explaining time, and we’re able to focus all our creative energies on developing outstanding solutions to travel’s biggest problems. Our mission is simple – we will guide our clients through this crisis towards a better place for their brand.’
The challenges of a lockdown launch
Launching a travel startup in the current climate has not been without its challenges. But rather than be deterred by the impact on the travel economy, the duo feel well placed to guide travel companies through the crisis by helping them to restore consumer confidence.
‘We believe in the power of creativity as a force for good to solve the biggest problems in travel. And Covid-19 is the mother of big problems’ said Ben Jordan.
‘Creative thinking is going to be the key differentiator in what is going to be a hyper-competitive market. As the world eases out of lockdown, travel and tourism brands across the world will need to compete fiercely against each other, all at the same time, to win back the fickle favours of a shaken public.’
During lockdown, Adam and Ben launched a podcast series, Travel Interrupted, which featured a number of industry experts, including data scientists, sustainability experts and award-winning travel photographer Matt Porteous. Discussing how the pandemic will transform travel, a broad consensus emerged, said Adam.
‘The coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity to reimagine the future of travel and rebuild its principles.’
Feature image L-R: Ben Jordan and Adam Caerlewy-Smith