Starting on the platform in 2018, Tripadvisor uses Shorthand to run rich storytelling campaigns on its own site, and to build partner pieces and pitches in its Wanderlab creative agency.
Prior to beginning with Shorthand, the team had been custom coding all of its content pages, using producers, rather than designers, to build. Starting with Shorthand lifted work off the producers, empowering the designers to build stunning stories themselves with minimal coding knowledge.
“It's nice to use for the pitch phase so clients can actually see how the page will flow.”
Shorthand was the perfect solution; “It saved us time and gave us more custom functionality,” says Sara Jeong, Creative Manager, Design, at Tripadvisor's Wanderlab agency.
Today, “It's in almost every campaign that we do,” from material for Tripadvisor's global audience, to creative pitches for client brands.
The 2023 Review Transparency Report is one story that makes the Tripadvisor team particularly proud.
It has racked up 813,000 views in English alone, and is published in six languages on Shorthand. Its full-width video and striking photography, combined with its simple, on-brand data visualisations, make for a memorable and enjoyable read. It's testament to the Tripadvisor team's design prowess, using Shorthand to create something entirely unique to its brand.
Shorthand stories "Really make our research more digestible and engaging to read," says Jeong.
Wanderlab: bringing breathtaking sponsored content to travellers
Wanderlab, Tripadvisor's creative content marketing agency arm that launched in 2022, helps client brands connect with travel-curious adventurers the world over. Wanderlab has partnered with Corona, Doordash, Disney, Ford, Hilton, and "dozens, and dozens, and dozens more", says Anna Aksman, Director of Global Creative Operations at Tripadvisor.
One great example is the 'This is Living' campaign, made with Corona. Dedicated content hubs showcase the beauty and appeal of a selection of locations around the globe, including Chile, South Africa, and Peru. "We really pushed the boundary with Shorthand on that one", says Jeong.
"Anecdotally, the more beautiful and engaging and interactive our pitch phase is, the shorter the 'close' window is, and the more inclined people are to say yes"
The pages combine video, deep linking, 'mini menus', recommendations, ratings, and enticing photography, and end with a call-to-action to Corona's Sunsets series of global events. "It's quite a lot of content, organised in an efficient way," Jeong says.
We're sure you'll agree. 'This is Living' is a great demonstration of how, using Shorthand, publishers can stay true to their brand while building exciting new media partnerships or sponsored content products and stories.
Hosted on Tripadvisor's pages, under its own branding, This is Living still manages to inject the Corona brand in a way that makes total sense to the reader.
The Tripadvisor team's ability to blend its brand style with that of its partners, all the while crafting captivating storytelling and presenting data in accessible ways, also shines through in its work with Group Black.
The 'Black Travel Today' report surveyed Black travellers and presented the findings: how Black travellers determine safe destinations, how they seek cultural connections, and the types of destinations they prefer.
"We work with digital marketers, and for them to be able to take this and show off our work up the ladder has been really great."
Aside from being a striking story and a valuable eye-opener about the experience of Black travellers in North America, it also hits the mark in its commercial goal.
It outlines the business opportunity for travel brands to build "connections with Black travellers, through authentic representation and community engagement," says Tripadvisor's Adam Ochman, Global Director of Marketing Solutions.
The creative excellence paired with the emotional appeal of an important issue made for a very successful campaign. "There was a lot of press about this one here in the US", Aksman says.
Partnering up
The traffic enjoyed by stories like the Transparency Report is only one part of the value for Tripadvisor and the Wanderlab team. Shorthand has also been a major boon in pitching work to clients. "Using this as a sales tool is really important", Aksman says.
"Anecdotally, the more beautiful and engaging and interactive our pitch phase is, the shorter the 'close' window is, and the more inclined people are to say yes," says Aksman. "So it's a critical tool for us, for building business."
Showcasing the functionality not just to creative teams, but also to managers and a broader range of stakeholders is invaluable. "It's nice to use for the pitch phase so clients can actually see how the page will flow, and we can actually scroll through the preview link rather than having just a small static mock on the slide," says Jeong.
"It's a critical tool, for us, for building business."
The inherent value of beautifully-designed and memorable storytelling is not lost here. "Sometimes performance isn't even a thing in those conversations," says Aksman. "Clients are seeing how purposeful the co-branding is, and how immersive the pages are. We have a lot of excitement from brands internally at their companies.
So what are Tripadvisor's tips for other teams doing premium visual storytelling? For Jeong it has to do with rolling up the sleeves and getting started. "It just takes being on the platform a lot, trying out different tools, looking at all the different sections.
"The inspiration page about how other brands are using Shorthand is really helpful."
"Using Shorthand almost every day helps you explore all the different features."
The road ahead
On introducing the Shorthand platform to new members of the team, Aksman has also noticed "it's not a particularly steep learning curve."
"It feels quite 'turnkey'' as far as builders of this calibre go." Shorthand's speed to mobilisation is powerful. "Being able to move quickly and make work that's impressive in a short period of time is going to be really important," she says.
