The Travel Marketing Podcast: Recent Episodes
Propellic, Brennen Bliss
You’re a marketer in one of the most competitive industries.
You may be tired of trying, over and over, to use the same marketing strategies that you read about online or learned about in school - but is that really going to move the needle?
We all know the big brands - Booking.com, American Airlines, The Points Guy, Royal Caribbean, Marriott, VRBO, and Hertz... but what about the emerging brands that have found their path to scale?
The Travel Marketing Podcast is about sitting down with successful marketing professionals in the travel, transportation, and tourism industry to learn what has worked for them, what they’ve learned along the way, and what new trends they’re noticing.
We are Propellic, and we’re on a mission to create more diversity in thought for the planet. We’re doing that by helping brands - specifically travel, transportation, and tourism brands - increase their reach through intelligent marketing that travels further.
In this episode, Brennen has an enlightening conversation with Mikey Sadowski, the VP of Global Communications from Intrepid Travel which isn't just any travel company. They've been at the forefront of responsible tourism, setting a benchmark by becoming the first adventure travel company to attain carbon neutrality back in 2010. But they're not stopping there.
Recently, Intrepid has magnified its focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), making strategic investments that echo its commitment to a more inclusive and diverse travel world.
Welcome to a new episode of the Travel Marketing Compass Podcast by Propellic, your go-to platform for cutting-edge insights in the ever-evolving world of transportation and tourism marketing.
Episode Overview:
Brennen Bliss, the dynamic founder and principal of Propellic, a leading travel and tourism SEO agency, invites Sahara Rose DeVore, a trailblazer in the realm of wellness travel. Sahara's profound journey from stepping foot in 84 distinct countries to inspiring companies to blend travel and wellness is nothing short of captivating.
In this episode:
- The Emotional Resonance of Travel: Sahara emphasizes the potent emotional aspects of travel. From the personal quests of self-discovery to fostering deep connections, she explores the myriad reasons that ignite the travel bug in us.
- Wellness in the Heart of Tourism: Sahara champions an integrative approach to travel, promoting a balanced confluence of personal wellness and global exploration. How can businesses tap into this rising trend?
- Diversity in Thought and Action: Aligned with Propellic's ethos of fostering diversity, Sahara's revolutionary take on tourism marketing stands as a testament to innovation and diversity of thought in the industry.
Join Brennen and Sahara as they traverse through the intricate corridors of wellness tourism, unearthing golden nuggets of intelligent marketing that promises to elevate your marketing strategies to soaring heights.
Dive deep into the essence of travel, understand its emotional core, and discover the transformative power of journeys designed for personal well-being.
In this engaging podcast episode, Brennen Bliss and Carl Pihl delve into the intricacies of user experience, marketing strategies, and the future of digital platforms.
They discuss the importance of data-driven decisions, the challenges and successes of various marketing campaigns, and the evolution of user interfaces. Carl shares insights from his journey in the industry, highlighting the significance of continuous innovation and the balance of human touch in an increasingly automated world.
Tune in to get a comprehensive understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Description: Welcome to another episode of The Travel Marketing Podcast brought to you by Propellic. I am, Brennen Bliss, your host, and today, I am joined by Jeff Woelker, founder of The Underground Donut Tour which has 13 locations across the US and internationally, and also the CEO of Ixperimint.
Jeff and I talk today about very relevant topics such as what to do with unbook tour times, paid versus organic traffic, and when you should give up on an underperforming channel. Jeff also shares today his extensive knowledge and experience in marketing applied to tourism, he gives great advice about what to do and what to avoid when promoting your business online.
Key Takeaways:
[1:21] What has been the most memorable travel experience for Jeff?
[2:08] Jeff talks about The Underground Donut Tour’s international locations.
[2:33] What is The Underground Donut Tour and what makes it unique?
[4:55] Jeff is also the Founder and CEO of Ixperimint.
[6:54] What was the pandemic like for the Underground Donut Tour?
[8:34] The three competencies: GWC: Get it, Want it, and the Capacity to do it.
[9:51] In regard to marketing, Jeff talks about what can be done that is paid versus what is not paid.
[13:45] Jeff talks about his philosophy of paid.
[16:03] What channels are working well for Jeff right now and which aren’t?
[18:15] Jeff talks about the partnership with Airbnb.
[19:27] Jeff and Brennen talk about booking tours on Expedia
[20:40] Jeff talks about a complete marketing failure he had launched.
[22:26] When did Jeff realize Facebook was not working for his company and decide to cut it off?
[24:20] What is Jeff noticing currently in travel behavior?
[29:27] What is going to be Jeff’s next trip?
Mentioned in this episode:
The Travel Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Propellic
Learn more about Jeff Woelker
Underground Donut Tour
Ixperimint.
Tweetables and Quotes:
“If you are not paying commissions for the bookings then you have to take your business elsewhere.”— Brennen Bliss
“You have to figure out where you can win consistently.” — Jeff Woelker
“What is a “truly organic” sale today?” — Jeff Woelker
“A brilliant optimization strategy is that regardless of what channels it falls under when you have a gap in time you fill it with something that is going to generate PR for the company.” — Brennen Blis
“People are more cautious now than they were pre-COVID” — Jeff Woelker
Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Travel Marketing Podcast brought to you by Propellic. I am, Brennen Bliss, your host, and in each episode I will share the news and insights on what is and what isn’t working in today’s competitive travel and tourism marketing landscape, from emerging brands to the most established professionals, to make your marketing plan travel further.
Today, I am joined by Jared Kamrowski, founder and CEO of Thrifty Traveler. Jared comes from a background of working in banking and had to travel over 100 days per year. In 2017 he left his corporate job and now has a team of ten people who write content about how to travel in a cheap and effective manner.
Key Takeaways:
[2:02] Jared shares his most memorable travel experience.
[3:32] Jared talks about the origins of his company: Thrifty Traveler.
[4:23] Jared’s background in banking was a very enriching experience on many levels.
[5:28] Jared shares how they approached traveling in the early stages of the pandemic.
[7:06] Did things turn out better or worse than Jared thought they would be during the pandemic?
[8:15] What did Jared learn from making difficult decisions during the pandemic?
[9:50] Jared started to suggest to the public where could they travel during the pandemic, a time when nobody was really traveling.
[11:37] Jared talks about the Delta variant, the new wave of the pandemic, and how it affected travelers.
[14:27] Jared shares about the strategy they implemented in the new phase that began in May 2022 when the concern about traveling decreased significantly.
[16:41] What did Jared learn about diversification?
[17:30] What channel doesn’t work for Thrifty Traveler?
[18:32] Jared talks about his content team and how he decides what to publish.
[19:38] Brennen explains how content grouping works.
[20:11] What are the types of KPIs and performance metrics to follow with respect to content?
[21:55] Jared shares about the times he launched campaigns that were ex[pected to work very well but failed.
[26:57] Jared speaks of what is happening to travel now as a result of the current economic situation.
[28:32] Are there any specific trends across traveling tourism that Jared has been noticing lately?
[31:24] Jared talks about Thrifty Traveler Premium and how it helps people travel more easily.
[33:38] Where is Jared going next?
Mentioned in this episode:
The Travel Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Propellic
Learn more about Thrifty Traveler
Tweetables and Quotes:
“When there are many things that are out of your control, you have to lean into what works.”— Jared Kamrowski
“Providing value for customers simply works” — Jared Kamrowski
“Persistence should be a key component of your strategy.” — Jared Kamrowski
“It is a big mistake to launch a product without testing it, if you think you know what your customers want without testing, you are a fool.” — Jared Kamrowski
The Travel Marketing Podcast is about sitting down with successful marketing professionals in the travel, transportation, and tourism industry to learn what has worked for them, what they’ve learned along the way, and what new trends they’re noticing.