The Illinois Office of Tourism is the latest destination marketing organisation to unlock the power of Expedia Group’s recently launched travel media network. The partnership leverages 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.
The latest partnership reflects 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 over $504k attributed to gross bookings[1], over 12.3M impressions and 21k page views in Australia through June. The campaign includes:
- Custom video content across advanced TV and social media, driving travelers to a custom shoppable microsite.
- NEW! Supply optimisation 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.”
[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