Marketing Veteran Natalie Wills to Lead Booking.com Strategy

With leisure travel returning to pre-pandemic levels and travelers experiencing some headaches as a result, the industry is calling in reinforcements to smooth out the turbulence. Earlier this week, Natalie Wills announced that she’d joined Booking.com as its vp of brand. A veteran executive who’s spent more than 15 years handling brand strategy, marketing and social media within the fashion, beverage and consumer products industries, Wills said she’s prepared for this “new and super exciting chapter.” “Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love to travel,” she said in a statement on LinkedIn. “So being able to combine that with my love for marketing is a dream.” In her new role at Booking.com, she’s been tasked to “help make it the strongest travel brand in the world,” according to a statement from the company. Her role includes overseeing brand strategy, content marketing and creative as Booking.com works to build a strong global presence and connect with customers ready to travel again. Before Wills’ arrival, the Dutch online travel agency brought in Idris Elba for a Super Bowl campaign that featured him seeking advice from other famous pitchmen and pointing out the practicality of a 26-year-old travel brand that isn’t “flashy, sexy or lit.” “We probably all agree that the past couple of years haven’t been the easiest for most people in many aspects,” said Arjan Dijk, Booking.com’s svp and chief marketing officer, back in January. “So we really want to remind people of travel and how you can do that very easily with Booking.com.” Airline Customer Satisfaction Is Back … to Pre-Pandemic Misery According to a survey conducted by KPMG in May, nearly 40% of consumers feel more comfortable traveling this summer than they did a year ago. Roughly 62% of those surveyed planned to take a trip this summer, compared to 49% in 2021. Booking.com’s own data found that 72% of U.S. travelers will go on any vacation if their budget allows. Another 63% don’t care where they go as long as the vacation meets their needs, with 76% of travelers saying vacations help their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other leisure activities. But with the U.S. Travel Association predicting leisure travel in excess of pre-pandemic numbers this year—and the travel industry woefully unprepared for those returning throngs thanks to staffing issues—Booking.com found that customers increasingly want to know they won’t lose money (38%), can cancel without a penalty (33%) and reschedule free of charge (34%). “The key this summer for companies in the travel industry will be the ability to deliver an outstanding consumer experience that is commensurate with pricing and traveler expectations, while navigating an effective cost structure, labor challenges, and ongoing attention to protocols around health and safety,” said Braden Mark, KPMG travel, leisure and hospitality leader. Before joining Booking.com, Wills served as marketing director at European fashion platform Zalando. Prior to that, she spent four-and-a-half years at Diageo as global director of both the Ciroc vodka brand and the company’s luxury portfolio including Tanqueray, Don Julio and Ketel One. She began her career with SABMiller, ascending from account manager to global marketing manager for Miller Genuine Draft. Booking.com and Idris Elba Bring Unsexy Back in Super Bowl Ad

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Former Diageo Marketing Veteran Natalie Wills to Chart Booking.com Brand Strategy

She joins the online travel agency amid a renewed push for relevance in a resurgent market

Jason Notte

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Jason Notte