Design Thinking Journey in the Travel Business — Pre Pandemic
Befikre Tourism: A Journey of Constraints, Strategic Pivots and Building Consumer Trust
Introduction
Befikre Tourism, formerly known as Swaraj Tourism, is an online trip booking business based in India that caters to a younger audience seeking unique and immersive travel experiences.
The founder of Befikre approached me with a vision to create off-the-grid trips that would disconnect travellers from their devices and provide them with truly memorable adventures. With a budget of 50,000 INR, our goal was to establish Befikre as a digital brand through various channels such as Instagram, website, ads, content creation, and more.
My Role
Social Media Manager, Product Designer, Performance Marketer
Target Audience
Age
Young individuals, typically between 18 and 35 years old, seek adventurous travel experiences.
Location
Primarily focused on metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Pune in India.
Socioeconomic Status
Middle to upper-middle-class individuals who value budget-friendly yet unique travel experiences.
Tech-Savviness
Digitally engaged and active on social media platforms for travel planning and inspiration.
Adventure Enthusiasts
Eager to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and engage in unconventional travel activities.
Understanding these demographics helps Befikre tailor their marketing efforts and offerings to resonate with its target audience, fostering brand loyalty and business growth.
Challenges
Budget
Befikre faced the challenge of having a limited budget of 50,000 INR to establish its online trip-booking business.
The restricted funds posed limitations on their ability to invest in essential elements like branding, marketing, and building a digital presence.
Resource Constraints — One-Man Show
Befikre initially operated as a one-man show, with me handling multiple responsibilities.
The lack of a dedicated team presented challenges in terms of time management, workload distribution, and specialized expertise.
Lack of Digital Presence
Befikre struggled with the absence of a strong digital presence.
A lack of websites, social media accounts, and online visibility made it difficult to reach and engage with the target audience effectively.
Absence of Website
The absence of a dedicated website posed significant challenges for Befikre:
Limited Online Presence: Without a website, our online visibility and reach were constrained, making it difficult for potential customers to find information about our services.
Missed Booking Opportunities: The absence of a website hindered our ability to provide a seamless online booking experience, resulting in missed opportunities to convert leads into confirmed bookings.
Lack of Credibility: In the digital age, a website serves as a crucial credibility indicator. Without one, establishing trust and portraying professionalism became more challenging.
Establishing Trust for Off-the-Grid Experiences:
Offering off-the-grid experiences posed a significant challenge as it required gaining the trust of the audience.
Building trust can be an expensive and time-consuming process, especially for a new and relatively unknown company like Befikre.
Addressing these challenges required careful strategizing, resource optimization, and prioritization to maximize the impact within the limited budget and establish a solid foundation for the business.
Insights
Limited Budget for Off-the-Grid Experience Marketing
Research revealed that marketing off-the-grid experiences can be costly due to the need for building trust and credibility.
The limited budget of 50,000 INR posed a challenge in terms of allocating funds effectively to create awareness and generate interest.
Trust as a Key Factor:
Trust emerged as a critical factor in the success of off-the-grid experiences.
Research indicated that customers are often hesitant to engage in such experiences with a new and unfamiliar company.
Building trust through positive customer reviews, testimonials, and personalized recommendations was identified as an effective strategy.
The popularity of Budget Travel:
The research highlighted the popularity of budget travel among the target audience.
Many people seek affordable travel options without compromising on unique experiences.
Befikre could capitalize on this trend by offering cost-effective packages and promoting the value of budget-friendly adventures.
Need for a Strategic Pivot
The research emphasized the importance of adapting the business strategy to meet the market’s needs and constraints.
Recognizing the budget limitations, the pivot towards managing popular tours provided a practical approach to generating revenue and establishing a strong foundation.
These research insights provided a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the market. They guided Befikre to adopt a strategic pivot, prioritize trust-building efforts, and cater to the growing demand for budget-friendly travel experiences.
Pivoting Strategy
Building Trust through Popular Tours
To establish trust, we pivoted from off-the-grid tours to managing popular location trips. By organizing memorable experiences at destinations like Pawna Lake and Bhandara Lake, we built a satisfied customer base and gained credibility.
Creating a Funnel for Off-the-Grid Tours
After successfully building trust, we created a dedicated funnel to promote off-the-grid experiences through popular tours. Leveraging positive customer feedback, we highlighted the transformative nature of disconnecting from devices and reconnecting with nature.
Exclusive discounts, personalized recommendations, and captivating marketing content were used to entice our loyal customers.
Social Media Marketing Strategy
Befikre’s marketing strategy includes a strong presence on social media, primarily focusing on Instagram. Here are the key components of their social media approach:
User-Generated and Tour Operator Content
Befikre’s Instagram account showcases a mix of user-generated content and professionally shot photos and videos by the tour operator. This combination helps to create an authentic and visually appealing feed that captures the essence of the travel experiences offered.
Consumer Features
Befikre’s posts highlight consumers experiencing their best moments during their trips. Each post includes a short introduction about the featured individual, adding a personal touch and fostering a sense of relatability with the audience. This approach helps to showcase the joy and excitement that customers can expect from their own Befikre travel experiences.
Facts about Random Tourist Destinations
Befikre also shares interesting and engaging posts featuring facts, trivia, and lesser-known information about various tourist destinations. This content not only educates and entertains the audience but also positions Befikre as a knowledgeable and trustworthy travel resource.
User Reviews
Befikre leverages user reviews to build trust and credibility. They regularly feature positive testimonials from satisfied customers, emphasizing the quality of their services and the memorable experiences they provide. User reviews serve as social proof, influencing potential customers and encouraging them to choose Befikre for their travel needs.
Marketing and Operations
Strategy To kickstart the business, we developed a comprehensive strategy. We ran targeted advertising campaigns for popular destinations like Pawna Lake camping, Bhandara Lake camping, Manali, and Ladakh trips, focusing on our primary audience in Mumbai and Pune.
We formed strategic partnerships with wholesale trip package vendors, securing competitive pricing and a 10% discount compared to competitors. This allowed us to offer affordable options while maintaining a 30% margin on long trips.
Overcoming Marketing Constraints with a Limited Budget
With a limited budget, we had to make strategic choices in our marketing efforts.
Opting for Instagram Ads: Due to budget constraints, we prioritized Instagram ads over Google. Instagram provided a cost-effective option with extensive reach and engagement among our target audience. This allowed us to maximize our marketing impact within our budget limitations and connect with our target market effectively.
Facebook/Instagram Ad Creatives with 25% Text Overlay:
Digital Marketing and Sales Execution
Our visually appealing advertisements with persuasive messaging were strategically placed on Facebook and Instagram feeds and stories. Adherence to platform guidelines and a cohesive aesthetic helped maintain engagement. Interested users were seamlessly directed to the Befikre Instagram page.
During the campaign, our cost per lead ranged from 10 to 15 INR, with a 2% average conversion rate. The average sale ticket size was approximately 30,000 INR. A dedicated sales executive efficiently processed leads, addressed customer concerns, and closed sales.
Itinerary
Impact and Future Prospects
The Befikre business model proved to be a resounding success, generating consistent leads, conversions, and revenue over a span of four months. However, the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns forced us to temporarily halt our operations. Despite this setback, the strong foundation we established through managing popular location trips and acquiring a base of satisfied customers positions Befikre for future success.
Key Learnings
Throughout our journey with Befikre, we gained valuable insights that shaped our understanding of the market and consumer behavior. Here are the key learnings we gathered:
- Cut-throat Competition:
The travel industry is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for customers’ attention. To stand out, it is crucial to differentiate our offerings and provide a unique value proposition that resonates with the target audience. - High Consumer Loyalty:
Once customers have a positive experience with Befikre, their loyalty and trust in the brand increase significantly. Satisfied customers not only become repeat customers but also act as brand advocates, recommending our services to their friends and family. - Consumer Desire for Spontaneity in Curated Trips:
We discovered that while consumers appreciate curated trip experiences, they also crave a sense of spontaneity and freedom during their travels. Balancing planned itineraries with opportunities for exploration and personalized experiences can enhance customer satisfaction. - High Lead Error Rate in Ads:
During our advertising campaigns, we observed a significant lead error rate, with a substantial portion of leads turning out to be fake or irrelevant. This highlights the importance of implementing effective lead verification processes to maximize the quality and accuracy of leads generated.
Conclusion
- Befikre’s journey highlights the challenges faced by startups in the travel industry and the need to adapt.
- Initial focus on popular location trips built trust and revenue
- Despite pandemic setbacks, Befikre can leverage acquired insights and customer satisfaction to introduce off-the-grid experiences successfully
- Prospects involve redefining online trip booking by catering to the desires of young adventurers in India.
Current Update
Since the initial case study, Befikre has successfully launched multiple off-the-grid experiences and successfully launched a range of travel experiences, including group tours and individual tours.
However, due to the unforeseen impact of the pandemic, I am no longer a part of the team. Despite this, I am proud to have contributed to the journey and excited to witness the continued growth and success of Befikre.
BefikreTourism- Instagram
Thank you for reading,
I encourage you to drop in feedback in the comments
or connect with me on
Linkedin: Sarvesh Sangle
Gmail: sanglesarvesh@gmail.com
