Some 60% of holidaymakers recall seeing or hearing a specific travel ad in the early stages of buying their holiday, according to the Path to Purchase: Travel Report. Yet, only 38% of holidaymakers have a specific destination in mind when they begin planning a holiday, which means that 3 in 5 consumers are open to persuasion.
To understand how to engage holidaymakers on their path to purchase, NewsMediaWorks collaborated with Research Now to develop one of Australia’s largest path to purchase projects*.
Unlike similar studies, which retrospectively look at consumer behaviour, this study gathered information from buyers in real time at four distinct stages of their purchase journey: 1. recognising that they need a holiday; 2. researching options; 3. forming a shortlist and 4. booking a holiday.
Price is the most important factor in the ‘researching options’ phase of the path to purchase journey at 59%, followed by inspiration (55%), inclusions (47%), where to book and recommendations (31% each) and reviews (26%). Holidaymakers turn to news media as a ‘one-stop shop’ for these six key pieces of information they require when booking a holiday. These information needs remain throughout the path to purchase, but their weighting changes at each stage. When booking a holiday, for example, reviews and recommendations become increasingly important.
Throughout the holidaymakers’ path to purchase – which on average spans 22 weeks – news media consistently outperforms other paid media, when it comes to looking for information and reading reviews and recommendations of destinations.
“The research shows news media performs consistently well in providing holidaymakers with the relevant information they seek. Some 6.7 million Australians^ turn to news media travel sections each month for inspirational, credible, trustworthy, independent information on holiday destinations,” NewsMediaWorks CEO Mark Hollands said.
“At the critical booking phase, people want reassurance that they are buying the right holiday. This is where news media is particularly strong – its travel content, independent advice, reviews and recommendations and quality journalism are more sought after by holidaymakers than any other paid channel. News media delivers at every stage of the path to purchase and enables travel destinations and airlines to connect with buyers when they are actively seeking information and making purchase decisions.”
The Travel report is the second of four Path to Purchase studies NewsMediaWorks will release and will be followed by Electrical Goods and Health Insurance. The first report, on Automotive, was released earlier this month.
*The study surveyed 610 holidaymakers captured at different stages of the holiday purchase journey in July 2016.
^emma™ conducted by Ipsos MediaCT, People 14+ for the 12 months ending July 2016; Nielsen DRM July 2016, People 14+ only.
