Komodo, social media and influencer marketing agency, has launched The Journey, a first-of-its-kind marketing platform for the travel sector that aims to redefine tourism marketing.
Harnessing TikTok and its powerful algorithm, gamification, creator-led entertainment, and audience participation, The Journey is where influencers will compete in a range of interactive challenges that showcase a destination by telling unique stories that build credibility and drive visitor numbers.
The platform, whose official partners include TikTok, Revolut, and luggage firm Samsonite, is set to launch with inaugural client, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Oceania, targeting visitors from Australia and New Zealand in the first instance, with activity kicking off in February.
The campaign, the world’s first gamified TikTok mini-series, will bring together six Australian content creators with upward of 34 million followers between them.
They will compete in a range of audience-led, location-based challenges that showcase Singapore as a unique, premier destination, by telling unique stories that build credibility and drive visitor numbers.
In addition to following the travels of the creators, the TikTok LIVE Diary Room – hosted in the TikTok studios – will be the home of the creator confessions and behind-the-scenes insights from it.
Nick Seymour, co-founder at Komodo, said: “Tourism boards and global destinations operate in an environment that’s been massively disrupted.
“Today many consumers make their travel plans based entirely on what they see online and on their social feeds, and traditional advertising has lost its power to engage and convert.
“Brands face similar issues, and with The Journey we wanted to create a platform that could organically showcase a destination through gamified content while also integrating our brand partners, TikTok, Revolut and Samsonite together with their products and services in an engaging and entertaining way that doesn’t seem like an ad – ie connecting with audiences where they consume content in an innovative way, which is native to each social platform and their nuances,” he said.
Oliver Chong, executive director, international group & Oceania of STB, said: “We’re excited to partner with Komodo on the inaugural edition of The Journey, which is a novel and innovative way for us to connect with visitors and highlight the unexpected experiences Singapore has to offer.
#2Showcasing what the destination has to offer through the lens of these six content creators is also a fantastic way for us to reach new audiences, and hopefully inspire them to come and experience Singapore for themselves.”
The agency’s long term vision is to build the platform into its own marketing platform, influence and knowledge centre and has already garnered interest from a host of international and domestic tourism boards and brands.
Seymour added: “We wanted to bring to market a concept that harnesses this power in a mature, well-planned yet agile, highly tailored and measurable approach.
“The Journey has been designed to deliver engagement, excitement, world class content and tangible metrics such as engagement rates, reach, bookings and data capture to allow destinations, tourism boards and related travel brands to quantify their return on investment.”
