Sunshine Saturday!

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Do more people book holidays in January because that’s when travel companies advertise most, or do we advertise most in January because that’s when more people book holidays? I’m not sure I know the answer to this – it’s probably somewhere in between – but one thing is certain; if customers are persuaded by TV adverts, it’s going to be a bumper start to 2015.

Right now, there must be more travel ads on TV than ever before. Airlines, cruise companies, tour operators, travel agents, UK breaks, destinations, bed banks, comparison websites – everyone is up for a piece of the action. Choosing the best is impossible; each one has its own merits. At Kuoni this year we wanted to do something to stand out from the crowd – so we found Lenka, a synchronised swimmer who can walk on water. One of the challenges of travel advertising is that if you’re not careful you end up just advertising holidays, rather than your own individual product. How many holiday ads of recent years can you really remember – and attribute to the right company? Not many.

So far, the huge investment travel companies have made in TV advertising is paying off. The period between Christmas and New Year was relatively quiet, but since then the market has been booming. And it needs to be - this year is election year. The political campaigns are already underway. From the beginning of April the country will be knee deep in democracy. Travel sales will slow to a trickle as the election looms (don’t ask me why this happens – it just does) so for all of us, this turn of year sales period is more important than ever.

Which probably explains why some bright spark decided we needed our very own ‘Sunshine Saturday’ – travel’s answer to Back Friday. This is odd because by any measure, Black Friday was a bit of a disaster. Leaving aside the sight of rabid shoppers fighting for last year’s leftover stock, the financial impact of discounting prices during peak demand periods can be very damaging - as many retailers discovered.

I can’t be the only person who thinks that the naming of days for PR purposes is a regrettable development. Imagine my delight then, when I discovered that the day after ‘Sunshine Saturday’ was ‘No Trousers on the Tube’ Sunday. Apparently this is already an established event, internationally known as the ‘No Pants Subway Ride’ day. I can only assume it’s been renamed in the UK to prevent over-enthusiastic participants from stretching the activity too far!

Sorry, I’ve lost my track… oh yes… January campaigns. Of course, the Kuoni one is by far the best (!) but they’re all good. Booking.com has come up with a controversial cracker and it’s good to see Thomas Cook getting back into the groove after their awful ‘coach with a puncture’ attempt last year.

Whatever you think of them individually, you should welcome them collectively. The travel market needs a good head start this year.

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