The mobile device is the most important item of the travel experience. Not only is it in the pocket, at the ready of every traveler, but consumers as a whole continue to shift from desktop to mobile for every day discovery. It’s the only asset that’s used through the entire journey. From researching to booking to taking off, the mobile phone offers a minute-by-minute view of the traveler mindset. For advertisers, it’s a trackable element that allows brands to identify behavior - from the beginning of research to the return home.
There’s a vast array of assumptions when it comes to traveler behavior. Consumers tend to exhibit similar patterns regardless of the type of travel. Outside of direct action or displayed intent, it can be hard to decipher a weekend getaway from a next-day business flight. It can be increasingly difficult to reach consumers who travel infrequently, (family or international travel, for instance) as it’s difficult to derive persistent data.
It’s a puzzle travel brands are actively trying to solve. While data sources like search and social provide part of the picture, mobile provides a more holistic view. By examining the mobile behavior of individuals, it’s possible to identify actions and behaviors that build to a mindset-perspective of consumers.
The traveler experience is ever evolving and thanks to mobile, it is possible for brands and advertisers to stay up-to-date with the fluidity of the consumer mindset. Utilizing insights derived from our carrier-level mobile data, we set out to demystify assumptions and identify measurable distinctions between three key travel segments.