TripAdvisor switches up global creative strategy for 2020 with new agency partner

Travel review and booking site TripAdvisor has appointed independent creative shop Mother Holdings as its global creative partner. The agency has offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, while the business will be led out of its New York office.

The new creative platform is scheduled to coincide with TripAdvisor's 20th anniversary in 2020. In planning for the next chapter, TripAdvisor aims to not only be the largest but also the best guidance and planning destination. As such, the company looks to introduce features and tools to enable faster, more personalised recommendations and advice from travelers that share the same needs and preferences.

Mother also has reach in Singapore for it struck a global strategic partnership with Singapore creative agency The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) in 2017, to form an independent global network for both agencies across major creative hubs in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The move aims to broaden the reach in both talent pool and cultures for its clients and teams. Meanwhile, TSLA recently named Ariel Lee its first head of mothering to align job roles with Mother. Marketing has reached out to Mother for additional information on the APAC side of business.

Lindsay Nelson, president of the core experience business unit, TripAdvisor said in a press statement that TripAdvisor has the permission to find what is good out there and is bold enough to exercise that permission. According to Nelson, Mother is the type of partner who will challenge the company to take its seat at the table. "In a world where divisions continue to grow among us, the power of travel serves as a unifying force that brings us together," she said.

Meanwhile, Peter Ravailhe, CEO and partner of Mother in the United States, said the team at Mother looks to strengthen TripAdvisor's connection with the global community through the power of creativity.

TripAdvisor also recently consolidated its global media account with Havas Media. The new integrated marketing partnership aims to capitalise on Havas’ position within Vivendi, the parent company of Universal Music Group, among others. The agency will also aid TripAdvisor in better engaging new audiences of increasingly mobile and Millennial travellers though innovative and integrated sponsorship experiences, content offerings and membership opportunities.

To Nelson, brilliant creativity and smart, savvy communications planning and behaviours have the ability to drive business impact and change the course of a company's history. However, she added that it will not happen without a willingness to turn the status quo upside down, and collaborate with partners in unexpected ways.

"The ability to do so starts with identifying the partners who are up for the ride, and we've found that in both Mother and Havas," she said.

The online travel site recently also launched its TripAdvisor Connect on Facebook and Instagram. Its off-platform media solution is guided by traveler and diner data, in a bid to enable advertisers to reach custom audiences beyond TripAdvisor's website and app. TripAdvisor Connect also looks to aid advertisers leverage the TripAdvisor brand on social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram to gain exposure to targeted and highly engaged audiences.