Episode 333: Authentic Travel Marketing: Unveiling the Power of Multilayered Stories, with Tristen Norman

Tristen Norman is the Head of Creative Insights, Americas at iStock and Getty Images. She operates as one-part visual anthropologist and two-parts data scientist working across disciplines to understand what motivates visual selection, identify trends within visual language, and use this data to help shape the development of Gettys creative content globally. Leveraging consumer research and social and cultural listening and pairing it with proprietary data, Tristen hones in on the valuable insights that feed the development of Getty Images’ own creative collections.

A passionate advocate for elevating marginalized voices within creative spaces, Tristen also plays a critical role in supporting and advancing initiatives and partnerships to champion diverse visual narratives at Getty Images and beyond.

Tristen’s experience stems from over nine years in creative design, market research, and brand strategy. Before joining Getty Images, Tristen was most recently a Senior Experience Strategist at Wunderman, where she was responsible for developing creative, data-driven omnichannel creative brand strategies for clients across various industries. Tristen earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Temple.

On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Tristen Norman about how the era of ‘no normal’ has impacted content creators and what destination marketers can do to ensure they’re telling multilayered stories. We also discuss the importance of interrogating our content choices to improve our marketing and stress that it is the little choices that make the most significant impact.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

• Why wellness is an ongoing content trend and how we can make it a universal experience
• How to create multilayered stories to share with prospective visitors
• The importance of remaining authentic as a brand
• What kind of imagery consumers are looking to engage with
• How to take a deep dive into your content and identify the gaps
• How Getty Images’ VisualGPS tool can help you diversify your content library

Why Authenticity is Key

In today’s travel marketing landscape, authenticity has become paramount, and it’s essential for brands to share authentic images and narratives. Tristen explores the challenge of maintaining authenticity while telling layered stories and emphasizes the importance of investing time, resources, and energy in the process of authenticity.

Through image testing and surveys, Tristen’s team discovered that consumers respond most to images that represent slices of real life. These visuals should reflect diversity, different cultures, communities, and lived experiences.

Take a Step by Step Approach to Curating Your Content

DMOs and brands need to analyze their existing content and identify how they can best fill any gaps, such as concentrating on little-known attractions of their destination. Incremental changes can lead to a profound shift in the audience’s relationship with a destination. Rather than attempting to solve all the world’s problems at once, brands should take a step-by-step approach, assessing what’s available, what can be swapped in, and what resources might be needed. Starting with small, manageable changes is the key to building an authentic brand narrative that resonates with audiences.

Tools for Content Creators

When it comes to tools and resources for content creators and marketers in the travel industry, Tristen mentions several options available through Getty Images. She also shares how to stay updated with industry insights, trends, and conversations via their VisualGPS Insights tool, which provides data and insights on global visual content trends, helping marketers make informed choices.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.gettyimages.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristennorman/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getty-images/
• Creative Insights: https://creativeinsights.gettyimages.com/
• VisualGPS: https://visualgps.com/
• iStock: https://www.istockphoto.com/
• iStock blog: https://marketing.istockphoto.com/
• VisualGPS Insights tool:
• https://www.gettyimages.com/visual-gps/insights
• https://www.istockphoto.com/visual-gps/insights
• Content Planner: https://custom.gettyimages.com/creative-content-calendar/p/1
• Guidebooks, Toolkits, Collections: https://www.gettyimages.com/corporate-responsibility

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