Top 5 Video Marketing Campaigns on TikTok from Travel Brands

Gen Z, Gen Z, and Gen Z! This looks to be one of the most important audience demographics on marketers’ minds these days. Now, I’m not trying to make anybody feel left out but when it comes to some aspects of marketing, like video campaigns, Gen Z seems to take preference. On platforms such as TikTok, this demographic makes up a chunk of the target audience for brands and businesses. And most of them are now investing their efforts and budget into video marketing campaigns.

For travel brands, the opportunities on TikTok are endless and being explored as well. I have come across some of the most innovative campaigns on this platform by homestay platforms, booking websites, and tour operators. We are going to discuss the top ones in this post but before that, let’s take a brief look at what it entails.

What is Video Marketing on TikTok?

In 2024, TikTok is expected to reach one billion active users. This number goes to show how much potential the video platform has in terms of influence and reach. It’s also why marketers and business owners are focusing on promoting their products, services, and brands on TikTok. With short, engaging videos, you can immediately hook the users in and create awareness effectively. And that is video marketing on TikTok.

Now, it’s not just as simple as it seems. You have to create a comprehensive strategy to grab the attention of your target customer. Hop on a trend, collaborate with a micro-influencer, or start a challenge with a branded hashtag.

These are a few ways you can make an impact with your video marketing campaign on TikTok and generate quality leads too. Add links to your professionally designed website to make it easier for visitors to buy immediately or find more information.

One of the biggest reasons why I recommend you pay attention to this platform is its small business resource center. As a marketer, I love the features that it offers to creators or small businesses to launch a viral video marketing campaign on a small budget.

• Branded channels
• Brand partnerships network
• Filters and Editing tools
• Pre-made templates for videos
• TikTok Pixel – (additional feature for tracking ads, campaign performance, and conversions)

If you consider all of these factors, you will realize how beneficial TikTok video marketing can be to boost sales, track leads, and build or strengthen brand recognition. The platform allows you to tap into a demographic that makes up a chunk of buying customers these days (both millennials and Gen Z). And that is exactly why businesses are prioritizing their marketing strategies for TikTok.

It can give them a huge boost in terms of awareness, reach, and recognition among Gen Z consumers. Just think about this for a moment. With hundreds of thousands of users watching short videos about products or your brand, you have the opportunity to convert potential customers before your competitors. Before you start working on TikTok marketing, think of getting a professional logo design for your account to boost brand recognition and maintain brand consistency.

Viral Video Marketing on TikTok

While there may be some controversy around the platform, you just cannot miss out on the marketing opportunities on TikTok. Do you recall the recent incident with the Stanley Cup? The product has become one of the hottest-selling items among consumers between the ages of 18 to 35 years. And it was all thanks to a viral video posted on TikTok by a woman who showed her car after an accident where a Stanley Cup was the only thing that remained in its place.

@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle

This video influenced many people who were impressed by the cup’s stability and managed to convert quite a lot of potential customers. Cut to a few weeks later, Stanley Cups are flying off the shelves!

Like many other marketers, I found the way the company responded to this video quite impressive as it put the spotlight on their product like never before. The result – a viral marketing campaign that deviated from traditional strategies and generated millions in sales.

Now, that I have highlighted how beneficial TikTok is for marketing today, let’s go back to how travel brands can make an impact with their video marketing campaigns on this platform.

Top 5 Video Marketing Campaigns on Tiktok from Travel Brands

There’s no denying that video marketing can enrich travel experiences greatly and TikTok can play a huge role in it. To understand how travel brands should leverage the platform to promote their services effectively, it’s important to analyze some of the top viral video marketing campaigns. Let’s get started.

1. #TikTokMadeMeBookIt – Booking.com

The online travel marketplace is globally renowned for providing memorable experiences to travelers and entrepreneurs. Since it was one of the first of its kind in the digital age, the brand certainly did not want to be left behind with TikTok. They launched their presence on the platform with an impressive video marketing campaign that encouraged people to book their next vacation.

How? Well, by simply taking a popular trend and tweaking it for their brand. Booking.com kickstarted their contest with the hashtag #TikTokmademebookit prompting users to tag their travel partner and win a paid trip to a location of their choice. The campaign began trending globally and saw many people sharing their travel experiences and stories.

The brand put it’s twist on the popular hashtag #TikTokmademebuyit and led a viral video marketing campaign that saw the brand’s following jump to hundreds of thousands. Currently, Booking.com has 1.2 million followers on TikTok.

@bookingcom Fly like a boss to the land of croissants (or wherever you choose) tomorrow. How? Like this video. Follow @bookingcom. And tag your travel partner with #TikTokMadeMeBookIt for a chance to win a trip up to 10K to anywhere of your choice (that’s avail on Booking.com lol)! No purchase needed. 18+. Ends 11:00 CEST on 31/07/22. Check the link in the bio for the official rules.#France #Traveltofrance #TravelingFrance #EuropeTravel ♬ 原聲 – Booking.com

Key Takeaway: To create viral social media campaigns for small businesses, you need to be aware of the popular trends on each platform. By changing a trending hashtag slightly, the travel brand was able to reach out to a wider audience and influence potential customers. So, track the trends, use tools to get insights into impressions, and offer an incentive if you can.

2. #HotwireHotelGoals – Hotwire

When it comes to storytelling in social media marketing, this campaign by Hotwire wins. It was one of the first challenges launched by a travel company on TikTok and proved to be quite successful. Hotwire partnered up with niche creators or influencers on the platform to run a contest for a travel getaway.

The campaign invited people to create video content about visiting their dream destinations with the hashtag #hotwirehotelgoals. To further encourage their audience to participate, Hotwire also announced a big prize of a private jet worth $50,000. And if you are wondering how the winner was decided, well, the travel website collaborated with Jason Derulo, inviting him to judge the contest.

They went all out for this video marketing campaign and it paid off! The hashtag generator has billions of views with over 2.4 million posts on the platform. One of the reasons why it was so successful was the brand’s initiative to collaborate with influencers. On TikTok, these creators thrive with a following between 100,000 to millions.

@hotwiretravel Want a $50k getaway? Follow @hotwiretravel & show us your drab to fab transformation with #HotwireHotelGoals ♬ original sound – Hotwire

Key Takeaway: Start a contest with a branded hashtag and include an attractive incentive to get people to create engaging content for your brand. You can successfully tap into a wider audience by collaborating with micro-influencers or celebrities if your marketing budget has capacity.

3. #PlayNZ – Tourism New Zealand

This is another creative video marketing campaign that generated a lot of buzz during the pandemic. Tourism New Zealand was looking to target Australian travelers and entertain them with an innovative concept during the global lockdown in 2020. They launched an immersive gaming experience where travelers could virtually visit the most popular locations across the country.

To promote their video game style walkthrough, the brand collaborated with a local influencer, William Waiirua for an In-Feed ad that would show up organically on the For You page.

The video featured the influencer playing different characters and encouraging users to choose their own for the experience. It received more than 2 million impressions with the ad driving an engagement rate of 4%. This was a great marketing tactic that got just the right eyeballs with its unique concept.

@w_cribb Celebrating the launch of #PLAYNZ the largest open world, in the world…kinda. #playnz #newzealand #chooseyourcharacter ♬ PLAY NZ Dance Challenge – Alejandro Gomez and Lukas Farry

Key Takeaway: You don’t need to do something really big to make a splash! If your concept or idea is innovative and unique, you can generate the desired results with your video marketing campaigns without celebrities or challenges.

4. #30days300stays – Marriot Bonvoy

Now, you may think that the brand behind this campaign is established and renowned, and can afford to invest heavily in promotional activities. While this does stand quite true, it does not mean that small businesses or startups in the travel industry cannot learn from their marketing strategies on TikTok. To promote its travel platform and rewards program, Marriot Bonvoy launched a campaign inviting users to become long-term collaborators with the brand.

The brand introduced a contest with the hashtag #30stays300days where three creators would get the opportunity to travel the world for 300 days and visit properties owned by Marriot. This helped them generate interest among Gen Z travelers looking for mutually beneficial partnerships on the platform.

With hundreds of entries coming in, Marriot Bonvoy chose three lucky winners to promote their brand and leverage UGC or user-generated content effectively. I found this to be a great video marketing campaign as it helped the brand expand its reach on the platform and find ambassadors to promote the loyalty program.

@marriottbonvoy It’s a #30days300stays challenge! Put on your thinking cap 🧢 and help Dani solve the TED Curiosity Room puzzle at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. #MarriottxTED ♬ Pop funk with a groovy bass! ②(910978) – Meat Pie 25

Key Takeaway: Reach out to people in your niche that align with your brand values and encourage them to share experiences with your business. Make an impact on your audience with user-created content that resonates with a large following. It’s a good idea to build a professional brand identity before you start working on your marketing strategy for Gen Z consumers.

5. #GranPrixSG – Visit Singapore

What better way to get people excited to travel to a country than to get locals to show them the country? This campaign caught my eye for its very unique video marketing tactic and play on words (hint: GranPrixSG is about Grans!). Visit Singapore approached grandmothers to introduce travelers to the local culture and tourist destinations.

The hashtag #GranPrixSG was also an interesting twist on the popular trend for the F1 Championship race held in the country. Visit Singapore promoted tourism in their country by showing their authentic culture and collaborating with the locals, primarily grannies. It certainly attracted a lot of attention from people looking to travel for the race and to visit popular locations as well.

I loved this campaign for its unique take on influencer partnerships as the tourism board decided to opt out of working with famous personalities on the platform. Instead of Charlie D’Amelio or Jason Derulo, they went with a completely different demographic of local citizens. And it paid off!

@visit_singapore Bring it around town with Gran Yan #VisitSingapore #GranPrixSG ♬ original sound – Visit Singapore

Key Takeaway: Add your personal touch to a popular trend and see how the audience reacts to it. The more creative your idea is, the higher the chance of success on a platform like TikTok. When you want your content to go viral, one of the best ways is to keep the concept simple and find a unique angle for storytelling.

Wrapping Up

With this, we come to the end of our list of top five video marketing campaigns from travel brands on TikTok. You can get inspiration from any of these marketing campaigns and look for ways to collaborate with micro-influencers, celebrities, or even locals to expand your reach. Leverage the platform’s features such as Spark Ads that make it a lot easier for SMBs to advertise on TikTok and create promotional content that appears organic.

When setting up your profile, make sure that you get a versatile and attractive logo, created by an AI logo maker if you want, so that your brand is easy to recognize.