Strategy for a travel company
Contiki faced a familiar challenge: how to reignite fame and relevance with a new generation of travellers who experience the world first through their social feeds. As Global Head of Social Media at BS&T Digital for Contiki, I created a social strategy designed for Gen Z: reactive, shareable, and search-driven content that built trust, inspired FOMO, and turned audiences into active participants in the brand.
Date: 2023-2025
Organisation:
Contiki
Role:
Global Head of Social Media
Skills:
Social Media Strategy, Campaigns, Brand Marketing
Approach
Redefining Contiki’s social for Gen Z audiences
- Channel Strategy – Defined distinct roles and stripped-back niches for each priority social channel
- Trend-Led Storytelling – Leaned into reactive, native-to-platform content that tapped into conversations our audiences wanted to share.
- UGC & Past Traveller Stories – Showcased authentic experiences to act as natural reviews, strengthening trust, community, and FOMO.
- Community Management – Grew, inspired and nurtured a community of engaged new and existing Contiki travellers. Many of whom have become strong advocates for the brand.
- Search-Driven Discovery – Optimised TikTok and YouTube Shorts with search-friendly content and copy to expand reach beyond followers.
Community Building
By making community management proactive and visible, we increased reach and demonstrated that Contiki actively engages in conversations. This built stronger connections with our audience and surfaced more brand moments to celebrate.
- Encouraging Audience Participation – We created opportunities for audiences to feel involved and listened to. From implementing their Spotify playlist suggestions and encouraging UGC, to polls, quizzes, and even competitions like “Name a Contiki Coach.”
- Employee-Generated Content – We up-skilled and harnessed the power of On Road Crew social media content, putting authentic staff voices at the heart of storytelling. This strengthened relatability and gave audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the Contiki experience.
- Reactive Social – Unlocking the power or reactive marketing was a key element of strategically building and nurturing the community. TikTok stitches, comment response videos and even reactive influencer surprise opportunities, drove engagement, built loyalty, demonstrated brand personality, and strengthened audience trust.
Impact
- Expanded reach with Gen Z and built deeper audience connections.
- Strengthened trust and brand advocacy through authentic UGC and community engagement.
- Positioned Contiki as a brand that listens, participates, and reflects young travellers, rather than simply broadcasting.
- Created a scalable content ecosystem that continues to drive discovery and brand relevance.
