Data-Driven Creative for COVID Recovery
• Scalable creative design & HTML5 build
• Global & cross-market execution
• Performance tracking & optimization
• Brand-aligned systems & frameworks
• Stakeholder communication & collaboration
• Channel's Best Practices
About
Geo-Based Dynamic Creative
As travel recovered post-COVID, behavior shifted faster than brand messaging could adapt. Vrbo moved from generic creative to a geo-based, data-led system that matched real origin, destination, and search intent, driving relevance, scale, and measurable incremental value.
I led a data-driven origin-to-destination creative system aligned with search and behavioral insights. By pairing destinations, amenities, imagery, and copy to real traveler intent, the work enabled speed, relevance, and strong performance across seven international markets.
Problem
Travel demand returned, but preferences changed. Travelers prioritised private, family-friendly stays and drive-to destinations. Vrbo needed a fast, scalable creative approach that could convert intent into bookings.
Strategy
Create a data-driven origin-to-destination creative strategy aligned with real traveler intent.
Shift from brand-led messaging to intent-led, personalized creative, aligning destinations, amenities, imagery, and copy with what people were actively searching for.
Execution
Origin-to-Destination Dynamic System
- Built scalable templates across 7 markets (US, CA, UK, DE, FR, AU, NZ)
- Used geo-based IP targeting to serve personalized “drive-to” destination ads for top origin cities
- When IP data wasn’t available, a generic fallback creative was served
- Continuously tested and optimized across YouTube, Programmatic, and Meta
Creative Design & Optimization
- Creative aligned with the brand app look & feel for familiarity and faster recognition
- Programmatic-first content and design, built using channel best practices across formats
- Keyword-led copy and imagery, informed by traveler search behaviour (e.g. private, spacious, beachfront, mountain, lake)
- Visuals focused on bright property imagery, outdoor spaces, key amenities, with people shown contextually
- Creative tailored by destination type (beach, mountain, lake)
- Mobile-first, scalable templates enabling fast swapping of copy and imagery across markets
Results
Scale
- 3,094 unique creative variants delivered across 7 markets
- Drove 33% of total impressions
Performance lift - Personalized vs Generic
- +26% CTR
- +54% CVR
- +17% incremental ROAS
Overall Impact
- Achieved higher CTR than brand-led HTML5 dynamic creatives
- Created a repeatable framework still used and adapted post-rebrand
Impact
- Proved that creative relevance drives incremental performance
- Demonstrated that intent-led, geo-based dynamic creative outperforms static brand messaging
- Enabled speed, relevance, and scale during a critical recovery period
- Built a long-lasting performance framework adaptable to future brand evolutions (as these 2 examples below)
