Adventure Travel · Sustainability · Global Media Planning · 2025

Much Better Adventures

Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventures.

Role

Global media strategy, market expansion, 12-month plan

Sector

Adventure Travel · Sustainability · Global Media Planning

Year

2025

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— Overview

A 12-month, £1M global media plan for Much Better Adventures — deepening UK market penetration and opening Germany, Europe's largest market for nature-based travel. Built around a single campaign theme — "Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventures" — and a digital-first channel mix designed for Gen Z and Millennial adventure travellers.

— The challenge

MBA's price perception deters 50.6% of solo and 65% of female travellers. There's no loyalty programme, the website lacks real-time availability, and competition from G Adventures and Intrepid is intense. On top of that, 70% of consumers actively avoid destinations they suspect of greenwashing — making credibility, not reach, the harder problem to solve.

— The insight

Gen Z and Millennials want transformative, sustainable travel — and 43% will pay over 30% more for sports and adventure experiences. The opportunity isn't louder marketing. It's leading on credibility: real stories, sustainability proof points, and a channel mix the audience already trusts.

The market

CBI, 2023; WARC Exclusive, 2024; Statista, 2024e

60%

of global adventure travellers are in Europe

14% CAGR

sustainable tourism — projected to reach $11.4tn by 2032

56%

of German travellers prioritise nature-based destinations

The audience

Bremner, 2024; Statista, 2024d; Statista, 2025

43%

of adventure travellers will pay 30%+ more for the right experience

76%

of solo travellers are Gen Z and Millennials

49%

engage with travel content on social media regularly

44%

Instagram conversion rate for travel purchases in the UK

— Inside the product

Build awareness in Germany

40 million impressions across German-targeted digital campaigns over 12 months — opening Europe's largest nature-based travel market.

Grow brand reach in UK & Germany

50,000 new social followers, 1.5M video views, and 20 influencer partnerships through localised, story-led content across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Hit 4:1 return on ad spend

Optimised paid media across Google, Instagram, Spotify, YouTube and CTV — targeted, measured, and tuned quarterly against KPIs.

Improve customer lifetime value

Launch a UK loyalty rewards programme with a 10,000 sign-up goal and a 20% lift in returning customers within 12 months.

— Pen portrait

Lena, 29

Berlin → Bergen → wherever's next

"I'd rather pay more for a trip that means something than book another all-inclusive I'll forget."

·Gen Z / Millennial — primary MBA target across UK and Germany
·Books solo or in small groups, values nature and cultural depth
·Researches on Instagram and TikTok before going near a booking flow
·Will pay a premium for credible sustainability — not the claim, the proof

Three routes, one chosen

Credibility First · Story at Scale · Catch the Intent

Route 01

Selected lead route

Credibility First.

Influencer-led storytelling

Real travellers. Real trips. Real proof.

The campaign

Long-term partnerships with eco-conscious and adventure influencers documenting unscripted MBA trips — Germany leans into sustainability, UK into unique off-season destinations.

What it aims to do

Solve the trust problem first. 60% of consumers find travel influencers useful, and creator-led content compounds credibility in a category where greenwashing fears run high.

How it works

20 influencer partnerships across the year — 10 UK, 10 Germany. Instagram and TikTok-first, supported by long-form YouTube edits. Always-on testing of creators against engagement and conversion, not just reach.

Channels & formats

Where it shows up

Instagram & TikTok
Long-form YouTube edits
Always-on creator testing
Localised UK / Germany splits

Story arc — the film in three acts

Act 1
Recruit and onboard creators aligned to MBA's sustainability and adventure positioning.
Act 2
Document real trips — unscripted, transparent, with sustainability proof points built in.
Act 3
Compound it. Repurpose winning creator content across paid social, CTV cutdowns and email.

Route 02

Story at Scale.

CTV + long-form YouTube

Cinematic stories where audiences actually finish them.

The campaign

Premium storytelling on streaming and YouTube — cinematic destination films, solo-traveller stories, and behind-the-scenes of MBA's sustainable lodges and local partnerships.

What it aims to do

Build emotional connection at scale. CTV ads have a 95% completion rate for 75-second spots; YouTube is the second most-recalled travel ad platform in the UK.

How it works

Germany: ZDF, ARD, ProSiebenSat.1, RTL+, Joyn, plus ad-supported Netflix / Prime / Disney+. UK: ITV Hub, Channel 4, Sky Go, NOW TV, YouTube on CTV. Long-form 10–15 min YouTube episodes from both creators and MBA.

Channels & formats

Where it shows up

German broadcasters & BVOD
UK streaming & ad-supported SVOD
YouTube CTV
Long-form documentary YouTube

Story arc — the film in three acts

Act 1
Hero film — one cinematic anchor per market launched in Q1.
Act 2
Sustained CTV presence across Q2 and Q3 to carry the awareness curve.
Act 3
Episodic YouTube content to deepen engagement and seed organic search.

Route 03

Catch the Intent.

Spotify + Google Ads + email

Be there when the search starts.

The campaign

Lower-funnel paid media built around real-time travel intent — Spotify audio that evokes the trip, Google Ads that catch the search, email that nurtures the loyalty programme.

What it aims to do

Deliver the 4:1 ROI target. Capture audiences at the moment of planning, and convert engagement from the brand work into bookings — and bookings into loyalty.

How it works

Spotify audio + video in both markets targeting Gen Z and Millennials (57% of Spotify audiobook listeners are 18–34). Google Ads on Germany sustainability keywords and UK adventure / loyalty keywords. Segmented email — new leads, returning customers, off-season promos.

Channels & formats

Where it shows up

Spotify audio + video
Google Search & PMax
Segmented email lifecycle
Loyalty programme onboarding

Story arc — the film in three acts

Act 1
Stand up keyword and audience targeting per market with localised creative.
Act 2
Optimise weekly against CPC, conversion rate, and ROI; cut underperformers fast.
Act 3
Hand high-intent users to loyalty — 10k sign-ups, 20% lift in returning customers.

— 12-month plan · RACE framework

Q1 — Jan → Mar

Awareness & Testing

28.7% of budget. Launch the campaign, onboard influencers, test creative across markets. Prioritise off-season bookings for Oct–Mar travel.

·10M German impressions
·10,000 new social followers; 300,000 video views
·5 influencer partnerships (3 UK, 2 Germany)
·2:1 ROI, 3% conversion rate, 2,500 loyalty sign-ups

Q2 — Apr → Jun

Scaling

45.3% of budget. Scale what's working into peak booking season. Continue off-season promos and seed summer demand.

·20M cumulative German impressions
·20,000 cumulative new followers; 700,000 cumulative video views
·10 influencer partnerships (5 UK, 5 Germany)
·3:1 ROI, 4% conversion rate, 5,000 cumulative loyalty members

Q3 — Jul → Sep

Retargeting & Engagement

22.8% of budget. Retarget warm audiences, hold engagement through summer, drive last-minute bookings.

·30M cumulative German impressions
·40,000 cumulative new followers; 1.2M cumulative video views
·15 influencer partnerships total
·4:1 ROI achieved, 5% conversion rate, 7,500 loyalty members

Q4 — Oct → Dec

Retention & Loyalty

9.9% of budget. Focus on loyalty, repeat bookings and end-of-year offers — locking in the CLV gains from the year's awareness investment.

·40M cumulative German impressions
·50,000 cumulative new followers; 1.5M cumulative video views
·20 influencer partnerships total
·4:1 ROI sustained, 10,000 loyalty members, 20% lift in returning customers

— SWOT

strengths

·Certified B Corp with credible sustainability story
·4.8 / 5 Trustpilot rating and award-winning reputation
·Unique, off-the-beaten-path adventure portfolio
·Strong product-market fit with Gen Z and Millennial travellers

weaknesses

·Higher price perception vs. mainstream operators
·No loyalty programme to drive repeat bookings
·Website lacks real-time availability and robust filtering
·Low brand awareness in target German market

opportunities

·Germany — Europe's largest nature-based travel market
·Solo travel at a peak: 15% of Germans planning solo trips in 6 months
·Influencer marketing — 60% of consumers find travel creators useful
·Off-season demand as travellers reject overtourism

threats

·Scale players like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel
·Economic uncertainty squeezing discretionary travel spend
·70% of consumers wary of unsubstantiated sustainability claims
·Platform fragmentation increasing media complexity and cost

"Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventures — treat the world right, and have the world treat you back."

— Outcomes

£1M

12-month plan across UK 55% / Germany 45%

40M

German impressions targeted across the year

4:1

ROI target across paid media

10k

loyalty sign-ups and a 20% lift in returning customers

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