The context
The travel landscape in Vietnam is undergoing a digital revolution. With a growing internet-savvy population and a booming tourism sector, online travel agencies (OTAs) are playing a pivotal role in shaping a seamless trip planning and travel experience. Many OTAs focus primarily on transactional benefits, neglecting the emotional connection travellers crave. This presents a unique opportunity for Traveloka, a leading Southeast Asian travel platform, to differentiate itself by becoming a thought leader in smart travel, one that goes beyond basic bookings and taps into the emotional aspects of travel.
Traveloka’s Commitment to Vietnam
Dedicated to supporting Vietnam’s tourism industry, Traveloka collaborates with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) to promote the country’s unique destinations. Their commitment to Vietnam’s tourism industry extends further than their business goals, as they strive to:
- Strengthen their brand recognition and establish a stronger presence and thought leadership in the industry among stakeholders, especially customers, government, and communities.
- Increase their corporate and consumer exposure as Southeast Asia’s leading travel and lifestyle platform that positively contributes to the Vietnamese market and society.
- Establish relationships and seek opportunities with key media publications.
The challenge
The Vietnamese online travel market is highly competitive, with strong players boasting big communication programs. Assisting Traveloka in strengthening its presence and thought leadership in the market takes a consultancy that has plentiful relevant experience and the right strategic communications approach.
Pioneer’s strategic approach
We take pride in positioning Traveloka as a Smart Travel Thought-Leader with Local Insights, by bringing our 2 decades of expertise into the play to deliver a strategic consultancy and a right communication approach. This approach fosters a deep commitment to:
- Reimagining Tourism, by working closely with Traveloka to craft narratives that showcase their commitment to responsible tourism practices and the sustainable development of the Vietnamese travel industry.
- Engaging Stakeholders by targeting esteemed customers, government authorities, and vibrant communities in Vietnam, fostering a sense of shared purpose and collaboration.
- Precision Media Selection, by strategically identifying publications that resonate with Traveloka’s target audience and values, using our in-depth understanding of local media outlets to strengthen Traveloka’s presence and thought leadership position in the market.
The results
Pioneer’s strategic communications approach has yielded impressive results for Traveloka:
- Captivating Featured Articles: Articles crafted by Pioneer leveraged local market insights and current trends with strategically selected topics, targeting the right audience, showcasing Traveloka’s unique story and generating significant interest among the target audience.
- Reaching the Right Audience: By identifying the most relevant media channels, Pioneer ensured Traveloka’s message reached the right people at the right time.
- Building Strong Media Relations: Through executive media briefing, press releases distribution, and interviews, Pioneer established Traveloka as a trusted source for travel insights within the media community.
These efforts contributed to Traveloka being ranked #1 in the top 5 most popular travel applications (booking apps) according to the “Vietnamese Travel Trends 2024” report by Kompa, one of the leading companies in DATA intelligence and Big Data & AI Applications.
Pioneer’s strategic expertise, combined with Traveloka’s commitment to Vietnam’s tourism industry, have positioned the company for sustained success and marked Traveloka as a prominent voice in the industry. Following the flourishing of Vietnam’s tourism sector, we continued to identify the opportunities to enhance Traveloka’s reputation and media presence as the go-to platform for Vietnamese travellers seeking seamless, personalised, and lifestyle-enriching travel experiences.
