Hong Kong-based tours and activities platform
Klook is finding success with what seems like an unconventional marketing
strategy: creating large-scale, in-person festivals to attract Southeast Asian
travelers to its digital brand, where more than 75% of bookings are
made on mobile devices.
At three “Klook Travel Fests” in
September and October - in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore - more than
150,000 people stopped in for education, entertainment and, most importantly, to
purchase Klook products. Across the three events the company says about
one-third of the attendees bought one of its tours, activities or experiences.
“Consumer behaviors are changing, and
they are increasingly becoming more digitally savvy and mobile-centric -
especially so for a region like Southeast Asia that has been at the forefront
of this revolution. There is also tremendous noise in today’s digital
marketplace, and it is down to brands to distinguish themselves from the
competition,” says Eric Gnock Fah, Klook’s co-founder and COO.
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“An offline event enables digital
brands to create a physical touch point and show customers the real faces behind
the company. It also provides the opportunity to gather feedback directly,
better understand customer pain points and channel that to improve your
offerings.”
After testing the concept of an
offline event last year, Klook formalized the activation at locations in
Southeast Asia - three in the last two months and a fourth scheduled for
November in Vietnam. And the company says it plans to continue the offline events
in the future.
Each Klook Travel Fest includes
interactive experiences such as photo zones with backdrops of popular
destinations in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Europe, Australia and the United States.
Guests that post a photo with the event hashtag are entered to win $100 in Klook
credits.
Other activities include carnival games,
presentations from travel experts and celebrities, entertainment and themed
booths from partners such as Universal Studios Japan, Korea
Tourism Organization, Hong Kong Disneyland, Sunway Lagoon Malaysia and Evan
Evans Tours.
Klook also
provides discounts for guests that purchase products while at the events and shares
offers from partner brands such as Agoda, Sephora and GoPro.
Founded
in 2014, Klook now offers more than 100,000 activities in more than 350 destinations, with service in nine languages and 41 currencies.
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