The travel and tourism industry has emerged as one of the most aggressive investors in connected TV advertising. Nielsen's Annual Marketing Report found that travel brands are leading across industries in their intent to increase CTV spending in 2025. This data illustrates a fundamental shift in how travel brands are engaging consumers in digital environments. Savvy travel brands recognize that reaching travelers across multiple screens is critical to driving engagement. Consider, for instance, that:
These shifts present significant opportunities for travel marketers to engage consumers across platforms, channels, and devices—and many are taking note. According to eMarketer, digital ad spending for the US travel industry is slated to reach $9.41 billion in 2026—a 12.8% increase from 2025. Brands that prioritize reaching and engaging travelers in their favorite environments—especially digital—are well poised for success.
Recognizing these changes in consumer behavior and advertising trends, one major state tourism board set out to reach high-intent travelers by moving beyond fragmented channel tactics to an omnichannel strategy with Cadent.
Following multiple severe weather events, tourism to the state declined due to devastation. The tourism board understood that driving awareness of fully recovered areas and tourism back to the region would require more than traditional awareness tactics. It would call for precision, scale, and a coordinated presence across channels—setting the stage for a modern cross-screen approach that emphasized CTV, a storytelling medium.
The campaign used a cross-screen approach, spanning linear TV, CTV, and online video, to target high-value travelers researching vacations, resorts, and travel deals. Cadent used its Predictive Intelligence and Predictive CTV models to analyze millions of data signals, including location, device behavior, and contextual online activity, to score every impression opportunity in real time. This predictive approach enabled precise, privacy-safe targeting and optimized spend efficiency across every channel.
By activating an omnichannel approach, the campaign delivered impressive incremental reach through advanced targeting tactics, resulting in:
Adding CTV to cable and online video increased reach by 61%, while integrating all three channels yielded more an incremental reach more than 10 times that of cable and online video alone. These results validate broader industry research demonstrating the superior effectiveness of omnichannel campaigns over single-channel efforts.
The success of this campaign reflects a wider shift toward measurable, cross-screen performance in how people book travel. Travelers don't plan trips on a single device, and so, advertising strategies cannot be confined to a single screen. CTV reaches cord-cutters, online video connects mobile planners, and predictive data connects every impression to travel intent—creating more than awareness. Together, these channels drive measurable action, restore confidence, and generate meaningful economic impact.
This campaign proved that precision and scale can work hand in hand to drive success. By leveraging data-driven targeting and coordinated cross-screen activation, you can reach travelers wherever they are, shape sentiment when it matters most, and deliver measurable results. Seize today’s opportunity to drive engagement and conversions by embracing predictive, cross-screen strategies and set your brand apart.