Special Projects in Tourism: How to Launch a Successful Campaign in Russia

Advertising special projects are an opportunity for tourism brands to do something beyond the usual scope of marketing activities and stand out from the rest of the travel market players. In fact, we classify as special projects everything that goes beyond standard media formats and interactively presents information: games, tests, quests, etc. In this article, we will talk about how travel brands can do similar projects on the Russian market using special projects from Aviasales as an example.

What special projects should be like?

In addition to the most creative idea in special projects, its implementation is extremely important. Every day, users consume dozens of content units from social networks and instant messengers. In this regard, participation in a special project should take a minimum amount of time. Therefore, no long headlines and lengthy explanations; just only:

• One key idea, which is reflected in the title,
• One CTA (call to action),
• The shortest possible description
• Bright and simple design,
• Simple intuitive mechanics,
• The fewer questions the better,
• Benefit for the user (to learn something new, find out something interesting about yourself (find out what kind of traveler you are), prize at the end of the game / quiz, etc.).

Here it is immediately worth noting why the benefit is important. Firstly, in order to motivate users to study the project to the end, and secondly, it is the benefit that will allow you to promote the special project as efficiently as possible.

If you place a special project on third-party sites (for example, Aviasales), then it should be as native as possible in design and engaging in mechanics. In native integration, we do not demonstrate or sell goods and services, and the content has a certain value for the user: educational, informational or entertaining.

For example, in the project “Vacation in Russia” there is a landing page with interesting facts about different regions of Russia, “congestion” with tourists and average prices for a trip. By clicking on the “Cool” button, the user goes to an article with a more detailed description of the region and its tourist beauties.

“Non-rubber beach” is a simulator that works on the principle of the well-known Tetris game. The task is extremely simple – to place everyone on the beach in Sochi and get the opportunity to participate in the drawing of air tickets to one of the most popular beach resorts in Russia.

In the design of special projects, it is important to maintain two key aspects: simple navigation and a sequence of actions (one screen – one action). The main screen should have a minimum of text, and the benefit is clear from the title. It is better to place the button on the first screen and make it noticeable. It's good if it looks like a button, and not like a switch or just text.

Three key rules for a quality special project

1. One key message.

2. It is not overloaded with textual information and design elements.

3. It is designed in the style of the site on which it is located.

The travel marketing agency RMAA Travel provides services for the promotion of travel brands in the Russian market:

• market research,

• development and implementation of a marketing strategy,

• making a creative concept

• conducting large-scale advertising campaigns online and offline in Russia and the CIS countries.

The article uses material from Sostav.ru and the Aviasales.

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