GrabAds highlights Japan’s hidden gems in tourism campaign

GrabAds, Grab’s advertising arm, has rolled out the second phase of its tourism campaign designed for the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA).

The campaign, which began in July 2023, was created in partnership with Japanese digital marketing solutions provider, MediaBank, to encourage travellers across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, to ‘discover another side of Japan’ beyond the traditional tourist hotspots.

This new phase of the campaign aims to highlight Japan’s best-hidden secrets in places such as Awaji Island, Nagasaki, Hokkaido, and Aso in Kumamoto, targeting the same four markets. Titled “Discover the Incredible Gems of Japan”, it will be activated across offline and online touchpoints to engage Grab users, including in-app advertisements and fleet car wraps.

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It will also include an in-app branded challenge, where users stand a chance to win a ticket to one of the promoted destinations.

“We are delighted to see that the first phase of our campaign, designed for JTA, has resonated positively with travellers in Southeast Asia,” said Patrick Ngan, director of MediaBank.

“The campaign that leveraged GrabAds’ full-funnel ecosystem and hyperlocal insights has been effective in reaching high-value and ready-to-travel individuals across Southeast Asia,” Ngan added.

“The success of our campaign with JTA reflects the strength of GrabAds’ ecosystem, powered by Grab’s hyperlocal insights and offline-to-online retail media capabilities,” Dave Yang, regional head of sales and GTM at GrabAds added. “Insights from our 2023 Southeast Asia Travel Insights report tell us that Grab’s high-value audiences remain eager to travel, including to Japan.”

The campaign rides on the success of the first phase of the campaign, which showcased attractions such as Japan’s scenic hiking trails and historical samurai districts. The campaign brought in strong user engagement across its four target markets, with click-through rates (CTR) surpassing GrabAds’ advertising regional benchmarks (0.9 – 1.2%).

In the first phase, the campaign was also featured in the Grab app and across the Grab fleet, directing users to MediaBank’s website to facilitate ticket reservations for accommodations and attractions. This sought to make it easier and more convenient for users to plan their trips to Japan.

“Southeast Asia represents a vital market for Japan. We are truly inspired by the robust demand from travellers in this region, which is further reinforced by GrabAds’ insights proving that Japan is the region’s top travel destination,” Ngan said at the time.

“Our latest GrabAds travel data indicates a 1.84x increase in international travel plans this year, with 72% of Grab users planning to travel abroad. Grab users love to travel, and Japan has consistently been named their top international destination,” said Ken Mandel, regional managing director, head of GrabAds, and brand insights at Grab, at the time.

This is among GrabAds’ recent collaborations as it ventures further abroad. In September 2023, it partnered with Tomato Interactive, a subsidiary of global influencer and integrated marketing agency BlueMedia, to support China’s top brands in gaining a stronger presence in Southeast Asia. This marked GrabAds’ first partnership with a global marketing agency in the Greater China region.

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