Our first banner campaign resulted in a measurable spike in traffic and bookings that can only be attributed to our presence on Preview Travel and the quality of their audience. A very good quote here is the whole release.
Monday August 16, 8:06 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Preview Travel Inks Sponsorship Deal With Universal Studios Theme Parks to Highlight Top Vacation Destinations
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 1999--Preview Travel (Nasdaq:PTVL - news), a leading online travel service, and the Universal Studios Recreation Group have joined together to create a unique online sponsorship and marketing program to promote and sell travel packages to Universal Studios Escape, the new multi-theme park vacation destination in Orlando, Fla., as well as the popular Universal Studios Hollywood.
The one-year partnership, which fully launches online over the next few months, will encourage vacationers to visit these exciting Universal Studios properties by offering in-depth information that will help travelers better plan and easily purchase these vacation packages.
Of Preview Travel's community of 8 million registered members, 70 percent are leisure travelers, and Orlando and Los Angeles are consistently among their most-visited destinations. When planning trips to these two cities, Preview Travel members will see Universal Studios' rotating banner advertisements as they research information-rich areas of the site -- including the Destination Guides featuring content from the pre-eminent travel publisher Fodor's.
Preview Travel's Destination Guides include hotel and restaurant reviews and recommendations, theme park pricing, tips for maximizing vacation time, photo and video galleries, maps with driving directions and up-to-date weather forecasts.
As the program evolves, Preview Travel will work with Universal Studios to produce Destination Guides content that will feature useful and timely information such as updates on new attractions at the expanding parks and a calendar of upcoming events. In addition to the geo-targeted banner advertisements and integrated content, Preview Travel and Universal Studios will market these attractions via special home-page promotions and e-mail communications.
''Preview Travel offers Universal Studios a great opportunity to market our distinct Orlando and Los Angeles vacation destinations in a highly targeted and timely manner,'' said John Bradley, senior vice president, integrated marketing, Universal Studios Recreation Group.
''Our collaborative marketing partnership with Universal Studios illustrates Preview Travel's commitment to working closely with its advertisers to develop customized programs that target only the most highly-qualified audiences,'' said Chris McAndrews, executive vice president, interactive marketing, Preview Travel.
''This program is designed to be a win-win proposition -- Universal Studios accesses the right customers and our members benefit from the enhanced information and special deals that they won't find anywhere else.''
The Universal Studios deal adds to the steady growth of Preview Travel's advertising sales program. In the second quarter of 1999, Preview Travel's advertising revenue was $2.4 million, up 338 percent from $550,000 in the second quarter of 1998.
In the second quarter of 1999, Preview Travel reported that advertising revenue accounted for 33.2 percent of total revenue, compared with 17.5 percent of total revenue in the second quarter of 1998. Ninety-nine companies advertised on Preview Travel in the second quarter of 1999, compared with 50 companies in the second quarter of 1998.
''Based on the successful results of our initial advertising with Preview Travel, we decided to aggressively expand the program,'' said Michael Trum, director of interactive marketing and sales for Universal Studios Escape. ''Our first banner campaign resulted in a measurable spike in traffic and bookings that can only be attributed to our presence on Preview Travel and the quality of their audience.
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