The Illinois Office of Tourism and Brand USA are the latest destination marketing organizations to unlock the power of Expedia Group’s recently launched travel media network. The partnerships leverage advertising opportunities on Expedia Group’s own sites, brand-new opportunities within its B2B network, and offsite offerings including out-of-home, social media and connected TV placements.

These latest partnerships reflect Expedia Group’s mission to position its travel media network as a one-stop shop for advertisers looking to reach high-intent travelers around the world. Through its owned brands and partnerships, Expedia Group provides an unmatched combination of global reach with deep traveler insights, creative capabilities, media buying power, and measurement to connect brands effectively with their target audience.

‘Middle of Unexpected’ with the Illinois Office of Tourism

The “Middle of Unexpected” campaign encourages travel into Illinois and generates awareness beyond well-known cities like Chicago through domestic and international efforts, including Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Germany, Australia and New Zealand. The campaign launched in April and ran through September, with nearly $27M attributed gross bookings,[1] 16M impressions and 40k page views in the US through June. The campaign includes:

• Custom video content across CTV and social media, driving travelers to a custom shoppable microsite.  
• NEW! Supply optimization in partnership with Expedia Group’s hotel and activity partners in market, who participated in discounted rates during the campaign.
• NEW! Targeted campaigns and webinars in the U.S. and U.K. for travel agents through Expedia Group’s Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP), including an in-person event in the U.K.

“Illinois has so much to offer, from its scenic byways to cultural touchstones, and we’re thrilled to bring the state’s wonder to more travelers,” said Daniel Thomas, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism. “While the campaign is still underway, we have seen a huge impact on driving interest in the state. In just three months, we’ve seen nearly 100,000 attributed travelers experience Illinois for its many points of interest and diverse landscape.” 

‘A Somewhere for Everyone’ with Brand USA

Launching in November in Japan and Canada, Brand USA’s “A Somewhere for Everyone” campaign ensures travelers from far and wide have easier access to plan trips that will allow them to experience the diversity of people, places and experiences across the United States. Running through early 2025, the campaign activates the following through Expedia Group’s travel media network:

• A film produced by Expedia Group’s in-house creative team, depicting a family experiencing a joyful off-the-beaten-path road trip from San Francisco to Oregon.
• Video content displayed on digital-out-of-home, paid social media, YouTube and connected TV.
• A custom microsite where travelers can auto-generate custom “tri-tineraries” featuring three destinations with their “vibe” of choice, which can then be planned and booked directly on the site. The site includes links to plan and book their trip. 
• NEW! Brand USA is among the first wave of destination marketing organizations using Travel Shops. This first-of-its-kind shoppable storefront allows creators and brands to share and save travel recommendations on the Expedia app to attract travelers by highlighting the must-see experiences and accommodation options the USA has to offer.

“We’re thrilled to continue our long-standing collaboration with Expedia Group through this latest, data-backed campaign,” said Susan Zachar, senior director of Brand, Brand USA. “As the nation’s destination marketing organization, Brand USA leads the effort to attract international visitors while driving innovation in reaching global travelers. By optimizing existing and leveraging new technologies, we ensure that travelers have the knowledge and access to fully experience the diversity and breadth of the United States.”

“Our research shows that travelers view an average of 141 pages of travel content in the 45 days before booking a trip, and nearly 3 in 5 travelers don’t have a specific destination in mind or have considered multiple destinations,” says Rob Torres, SVP of Media Solutions at Expedia Group, “With the increasingly complex travel purchase journey, we’re focused on driving campaigns that make the media buying experience simple and effective. We’re grateful for partners that trust in our travel media network and its ability to deliver compelling results by connecting them with travelers when it matters most.”

[1]Source: 1st Party Expedia Group Attributed Booking Data

Date Range(s): April 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024 (Audience Extension/ATV through July 8th)

Points of Sale (IP Origin) used: Expedia Group USA