The Download, Episode 14: Travel is back!

What do exploration, adventure, work, and relaxation have in common? Travel! Across the globe, more than ever, many people are eager to get back out there, and with enhanced safety protocols, they’re ready to hit the road, hop on an airplane, or book that vacation they’ve been postponing and dreaming of for two years now (sigh, really). In the latest episode of The Download, we’re taking you places with us!

The Download, Episode 14 itinerary

Travel insights, voiced over by Liam Mackessy

Did we mention travel is back? Well, the data certainly shows it, with over half of adults in the US planning to travel in the next month.¹ The meaning of travel has evolved, as 49% of the global workforce now has the option to work remotely or from home¹; some travel for pleasure, and some travel to their next working location, staying for extended periods of time to work remotely.

Known as Digital Nomads, this emerging audience of consumers travels and works wherever there is internet! Now more than ever, work and life (which includes traveling) are blending together…whether you're trying to connect with Digital Nomads out in the wild, or Workday Consumers who are itching to travel and planning their next trip at their desks, now is the perfect time to market to these audiences. Liam Mackessy, Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft Audience Network native and display advertising, will be your guide.

“ReThink Tank,” a new segment featuring Chrissie Hanson of OMD, is all about mental availability

According to Hanson, OMD’s Global Chief Strategy Officer, "Attention is the most important currency of the 21st century." It's finite and everyone’s seeking it! It’s also a strategic lever for growth. We discuss this topic of mental availability with Chrissie in the inaugural segment of “ReThink Tank,” in which we explore the attention economy in an era when everyone—consumers and brands—is battling for attention.

Chrissie outlines key findings from recent research OMD conducted to understand better how human attention is linked to mental availability, and how it’s a key component to brand growth and strength. She also explores how to operationalize empathy in business planning to drive better business outcomes. We’re making moves in this episode, but this interview is worth a pit stop.

A client spotlight on low-cost airline Volaris, featuring CEO Enrique Beltranena

Next stop, an interview with Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranena. You’ll learn how this low-cost Mexican airline not only survived but thrived throughout the pandemic. How did they do it? By putting their employees first to increase their happiness while ensuring they transform the business to become more sustainable and lower their carbon footprint.

Doing good for their people and doing good for Earth was good for business, and they did it all while making progress on their mission to make travel accessible to all, setting them apart from their competitors.

The latest Product Pop-Up segment, all about vertical advertising experiences, featuring Travel expert Cristiano Ventura

Cristiano Ventura, our Travel expert, almost didn’t make it, but we’re glad he did! With so many options (Didn’t we mention that everyone is battling for attention?), booking a trip can be an overwhelming and tedious experience for a traveler, but it doesn’t have to be.

We have industry-optimized solutions that can help your brand reach travelers in a personalized, engaging way, and Cristiano walks you through them. In case you missed it, he talks about recently launched Cruise Ads! There is only so much we can cover in an episode, but we also offer vertical ad experiences for additional industries.

Watch The Download now

All aboard—let’s hop on this episode 14 journey together!

With episode 14 just released, there are 13 additional episodes and one special edition available to you free, on demand. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get access to the latest content as it's released, or bookmark The Download on our website at MicrosoftAdvertising.com/TheDownload. Here are just some of the episodes available to you now!

Past episodes of The Download

• Special edition: How the power of purpose was changed by the pandemic, filmed at The Gathering in Banff, Alberta
• Episode 13: The Workday Consumer
• Episode 12: The return of the PC
• Episode 11: Impactful, inclusive, and creative marketing
• Episode 10: Gen Z, Advertising Week, and the Self-Care Enthusiast
• Episode 9: Who is your audience?
• Episode 8: Retail insights and trends