Abta begins first podcast ad campaign to target last-minute market

Abta has launched a month-long advertising campaign targeting late bookers in the latest phase of the association’s Travel with Confidence campaign.

From Monday (June 12), the association will be running four weeks of podcast advertising for the first time, to reach prospective travellers.

The 30-second advert highlights that the best way to get a “great deal at a great price” is to book with an Abta travel agent or tour operator.

Research unveiled at Abta’s Travel Marketing event in May showed that more than a third of people who plan to go away this summer have not yet booked.

Abta will also be re-sharing the customer testimonial videos that first appeared on Facebook and Instagram on Boxing Day last year, which highlighted positive experiences of booking with an association member.

New research from Abta shows four in five consumers associate the brand with confidence (81%), safety (81%), reassurance (80%) and expertise (79%). The poll was carried out in March among 500 people.

Graeme Buck, Abta director of communications, said: “We’ve adapted our ‘peaks’ Travel with Confidence campaign to reach these last-minute bookers with a clear message: book with an Abta member for the best break for your budget.

“With many summer holiday bookings still to capture, and the Abta brand stronger than ever, we’ve decided to branch out into the growing market of targeted podcast advertising for the first time.

“This should allow us to reach would-be customers – who may not have heard or engaged with our campaign before – and encourage them to book with an Abta member.”