FOCUS: BRAND STRATEGY MISFIRES | AUDIENCE: STEWARDS OF PLATEAUED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I helped a boutique travel brand see that publishing on time is not the same as publishing with purpose.
This boutique travel company had mastered the art of being on schedule. Their content calendar was flawless, with posts going out on precise dates every week, showcasing stunning destination photography, seasonal package offers, and curated itineraries. Yet, despite the consistent output, their audience growth had plateaued. Likes trickled in, but shares and comments were almost non-existent, leaving their social channels looking like static shop windows rather than bustling travel hubs.
The root of the problem lay in the content’s one-dimensional nature. The images were beautiful, but they offered no way in for the audience to engage. There were no questions posed, no stories shared, and no experiences invited. Even when customers reached out with comments or frustrations, the responses were often short and factual, rather than conversational. For travellers craving connection, this made the brand easy to admire but hard to bond with.
Through a closer look at engagement analytics and audience behaviour, I noticed that the rare posts which did invite participation … such as polls about dream destinations or short customer travel stories … outperformed the rest by a wide margin. This revealed that the audience wanted to be part of the narrative, not passive spectators. The content calendar had become a prison of predictability, preventing spontaneous, human connection.
The key insight was that travellers engage most when they feel seen, heard, and part of the adventure. Static images and fixed captions did not give them the space to share their own perspectives or memories. The audience was hungry for prompts that made them recall past journeys, dream about future ones, and trade tips with fellow travellers. Without this, the brand was losing relevance and conversation to more agile competitors.
My breakthrough was to treat the content calendar not as a rigid timetable, but as a flexible itinerary. The brand could keep its schedule, but weave in spaces for audience input, reactive storytelling, and moments of surprise. This also meant training their customer-facing team to respond more openly, engaging in two-way dialogue both online and offline. Instead of only showing destinations, the posts would spotlight traveller stories, behind-the-scenes trip planning, and cultural tidbits that sparked curiosity.
The brand’s new mantra became “From showing the world to exploring it together.” This meant every scheduled post needed to offer an open loop … a question, a challenge, or an invitation … that encouraged followers to comment, share, or contribute their own travel experiences. This shift reframed content from a display to a dialogue.
The first step was to redefine the role of the content calendar. Instead of locking in every post months in advance, 30% of the calendar was left open for live content inspired by seasonal events, trending travel topics, and audience submissions. This ensured freshness and relevance, while still keeping the brand’s publishing discipline.
Secondly, the content mix was diversified. In addition to destination imagery, the brand began sharing short videos of traveller interviews, running “destination debates” in Stories, and inviting followers to vote on future trip itineraries. Importantly, travel executives were encouraged to personally engage in comments and private messages, turning reactive customer moments into active conversations.
Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:
Traveller Takeovers: Weekly Instagram Stories where past clients share highlights from their trips.
Destination Debates: Polls asking followers to choose between two locations for the next featured trip.
Local Voices Series: Short videos featuring local guides talking about hidden gems.
Story Swap Sundays: Followers post their best travel story under a set theme, with the brand resharing favourites.
Behind-the-Scenes Planning: Live sessions showing how itineraries are crafted.
Photo Prompt Challenges: Weekly photo themes inviting user submissions, with top picks featured.
Ask the Expert: Q&A sessions with travel experts on seasonal travel tips.
Cultural Curiosity Posts: Bite-sized facts about destinations designed to spark comments and shares.
Follower-Created Itineraries: Crowd-sourced trip plans built from community suggestions.
Anniversary Journeys: Revisiting destinations from a year ago and inviting followers to share how they’ve changed.
Engagement rate increased by 140% across all social platforms.
Average comment volume per post tripled.
Follower growth resumed at 8% month-on-month.
Direct enquiries attributed to social media rose by 45%.
CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “How a Visionary Founder Unlocked His Brand to Let It Fly.“
And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “How an Interior Designer Gave Her Brand Its Missing Floor Plan.“
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