The World's Most Successful Travel Marketing Story

I recently went on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands, starting in Glasgow and ending at Loch Ness.

Surely one of the world’s most scenic drives, the route took us through vast valleys with dramatic dips and snow-capped mountains, moors ranging from coppery orange to peat grey and sky-blue lochs whose still surfaces look like glass.

I spent most of the day feeling slightly euphoric... buoyed by the beauty of the scenery, the wonders of the natural world, and the warmth and geniality of the Scottish people.

But when we arrived at Loch Ness, I suddenly felt… a little flat. Not because Loch Ness isn’t beautiful, it is. But compared with everything we had seen along the way, it simply didn’t feel particularly remarkable.

And that got me thinking....

Loch Ness is arguably the most famous loch in the world.

Why?

Because of a story.

So why is a story so important?

• A story puts you on the map, by differentiating you from competitors – even if they’re objectively ‘better’ than you.

• A good story has staying power - it gets people talking about you in the first place. Then, if managed well, they keep talking about you, until the effect becomes exponential. 

• A really good story adds disproportionate value to your product. People are willing to pay more for something with a story (and brand) attached. For example, I didn’t notice socks, candles, soaps and sweets branded with the name of any other lochs in Scotland – nor were these products as expensive.

It's a lesson many destinations, hotels and travel brands rely on.

People don’t just buy experiences, products and services, they buy stories -particularly stories they can bring home with them. 

Without the story, Loch Ness would simply be a large, pretty loch with a crumbling castle on one bank and Inverness at the northern tip. 

With the story, it becomes the loch that millions of visitors feel they must see.That’s the power of storytelling.

This is is also what good marketing does. 

At its best, marketing isn’t complicated. It’s about identifying what makes something interesting or distinctive, shaping the story around it to add perceived value, and making sure the right people hear it.

For this reason, the Loch Ness myth is one of the greatest travel marketing success stories of all time.

This is how I like to work with clients: finding or creating the right stories, and making sure they reach the right audience, in ways that are straightforward, simple and provide good value.

If you’d like help with your marketing - and the stories shaping your business - or just want to chat about the Highlands, do get in touch.