London – lastminute.com group announced plans to move into native advertising with the launch of a new video content lab in Europe. Operated by its media business, The Travel People, the lab will enable both travel and out-of-sector brands to create richer content and integrate product placements into their ads on the site and throughout all of the company’s social channels.
As well as creating bespoke videos for brands, the lab will produce its own series of video content that brands will be able to sponsor and contribute to.
The move follows the launch of lastminute.com group’s media unit – The Travel People – in July, to help brands and advertisers reach millions of European travellers through the Group’snetwork of leading online travel brands, which include lastminute.com, Rumbo, Volagratis, Bravofly and Jetcost, and operate across 40 countries worldwide.
According to Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Chief Commercial Officer for Advertising and Partnerships at lastminute.com group, this is another step in the business’s broader strategy to enhance curated, editorial content for its rich and young audiences on its sites and social media pages.
Di Lorenzo commented: “The 35 million unique visitors to our group’s sites every month are looking for ideas – from where to go on holiday, to what to do when they’re there and what to pack once they’ve booked – so it’s a no brainer for us to offer that inspiration through curated content across the lastminute.com group.
“Our video offer will allow the brands that advertise with us to build deeper relationships with travel-ready shoppers, who come to our sites looking for everything from last-minute UK breaks to long-haul get-aways. Enhancing our editorial offer is our number one strategic focus this year – video is just the start, so watch this space” she added.
About lastminute.com group
lastminute.com group is among the worldwide leaders in the online travel industry and operates a portfolio of well-known brands such as lastminute.com, Bravofly, Rumbo, Volagratis and Jetcost. Every year, more than 10 million travellers book and manage their travel and leisure experiences through the Group’s websites and mobile apps in 17 languages and across 40 countries. The mission of lastminute.com group is to be an inspiring travel company enriching the lives of travellers through smart technology and cutting-edge content. lastminute.com NV is a publicly traded company listed under the ticker symbol LMN on SIX Swiss Exchange.
