The situation
Unique experiences, like concerts and sporting events, are playing a bigger role in where people travel. The experiential travel market is estimated to be worth over $1 trillion USD, and 81 percent of Gen Z travelers are more likely to travel for special events in 2026.
A leading international airline aimed to reach this audience and strengthen brand visibility among younger consumers. To accomplish this, the brand partnered with AdsWizz and Veritonic to launch a podcast audio campaign and brand lift study across Canada with a focus on driving upper-funnel awareness.
The solution
The brand lift study targeted adults aged 25-64 in Canada who frequently listen to podcasts across a variety of genres. Veritonic incorporated demographic and behavioral questions to understand respondents’ travel frequency, primary travel motivations, and traveler personas from budget to luxury consumers.
The study measured shifts in awareness, favorability, current usage, and purchase intent to provide a clear view of how the campaign resonated across target audiences.
The results
The podcast campaign elevated brand recognition among travel audiences, with overall awareness rising +2 points among exposed listeners.
Younger respondents aged 25-34 (the demographic most likely to travel for concerts) responded the most positively with +8 points in awareness, +11 in favorability and +22 in intent. Respondents aged 35-44 showed +13 points in awareness.
Performance varied across traveler personas, with several noteworthy gains:
- Frequent travelers (two to four flights per year) saw +9 points in awareness and +2 points in intent.
- Leisure and holiday travelers saw +7 points in awareness, while travelers visiting friends and family saw +14 points in awareness, +11 in favorability, and +5 in intent.
- Adventure and budget-conscious travelers rose awareness by +9 and +7 points respectively.
- Respondents who typically fly competitor airlines posted some of the largest gains, with +17 points in awareness and up to +6 points in intent. These shifts signal strong potential for future conversion.
The airline expanded its brand visibility among valuable travel audiences and created a strong base for future lower-funnel strategies with targeted CTAs using AdsWizz’s technology stack.
Technology for a sound world.
