Travolution@MediaGuardian Summit - Getting the brand out there

The current debate is about advertising and getting brands noticed in the digital age.

Representatives from Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, Lateral, Internet Advertising Bureau and Millward Brown are on stage.

Douglas Smith from digital marketing agency Lateral suggests three rules for creating strong brands on the web - tips that some online travel companies embrace wholeheartedly (Lastminute.com, Expedia), while others dismiss entirely:

• Understand how people feel about a brand, then immerse in their lives
• Get a big idea, and then stick with it
• Use rich media for online advertising

[No mention of search]

Guy Phillipson, the entertaining chairman of the IAB, highlights a number of online ad campaigns - sadly not in travel - that have performed well.

Alongside promos for Flash detergent and Mini, he mentions the now infamous Dove viral campaign, which has now had 2.6 million views on YouTube and cost the fraction of what a TV ad campaign would cost to create and distribute.

It is so fantastic, we think, you can watch it here now...



A fantastic lesson for travel brands who want to embrace social media with advertising campaigns.

Here is a good example from a travel brand: Cheapflights' Where The Hell Is Biggles?.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution