Blog
Jun 27, 2025
Rethinking marketing strategy for travel-focused brands — the unseen touchpoint
Rethinking marketing strategy for travel-focused brands — the unseen touchpoint
Rethinking marketing strategy for travel-focused brands — the unseen touchpoint
Expanding horizons - the first media project by Identity Invest Group in the UK
Expanding horizons - the first media project by Identity Invest Group in the UK
Expanding horizons - the first media project by Identity Invest Group in the UK
As a Ukrainian team entering the British advertising market, with an outside-in perspective, we observed a clear demand from marketers — very simply — to know exactly what they’re paying for. Thus, our strategic goal became to build the project around this insight — supporting brands that are shifting their awareness budgets towards high-relevance, precision-targeted environments, and assisting in-house marketing teams focused on results-driven media planning.
That’s how Global Gateway was created. In partnership with VFS Global, the world’s leader in visa outsourcing services, we launched a media network across four Visa Application Centres in the UK — covering three key cities: London, Manchester, and Edinburgh — and opened a new stage in the travel journey — the visa application moment.
It’s the window after intent is confirmed through a visa application submission, but before departure — a period of active planning: packing suitcases, confirming flights, transfers and lounges, booking accommodation, sorting connectivity, exchanging currency, choosing travel activities, searching for experiences, and other extras!
The format was previously unavailable due to strict diplomatic restrictions. But we found a simple solution to a complex challenge, by placing media formats in common waiting areas — without entering any private visa processing zones - while catching pre-travellers during 45-60 minutes of dwell time before their biometric appointment.
For context, the visa applicant journey typically includes four key stages:
1. Online visa application submission – where the applicant provides personal details, financial evidence, travel intent, pays the visa processing fee, and uploads any additional supporting documents.
2. Biometric data collection (1st Audience Touchpoint). The applicant visits the Visa Application Centre by pre-booked appointment to provide fingerprints, a photo, and in some cases, their passport or attend an interview.
3. The applicant receives a decision on their visa and, if approved, the passport is sent for visa stamping.
4. Passport return (2nd Audience Touchpoint) – the applicant is choosing to either collect their passport in person at the centre or receive it by post. The majority of applicants prefer to collect it themselves for security reasons.
As a result, applicants are usually set to travel within 30 to 45 days of visa approval — making them a high-intent audience with confirmed plans and a key purchase decisions still to be made.
But our format goes beyond the usual formula: the right place, the right audience, the right time. Let’s take a closer look at the key differentiators that make our solution worth your media budget.
1. Multinational, global audience, with the main segment being international residents living in the UK who require visas even for short-term holidays — short-term visas dominate the market, accounting for nearly 62% of global tourist visa applications in 2025. Source: Tourist Visa Service Market Analysis & Forecast: 2025-2032, Coherent Market Insights
2. Legally verified through the visa process and financially committed by paying visa application fees of £100–£1,000, this audience represents an affluent group of travellers with ready-to-spend budgets on travel-related services.
3. Since travel is always an exciting and emotionally significant experience, the audience is highly focused on trip details. In this context, ads aren’t seen as advertising — they’re perceived as helpful solutions and timely support for the upcoming journey.
4. During the extended waiting time, visitors are exposed to the same ads multiple times — driving strong recall and brand awareness, and creating space for storytelling format.
5. The centres themselves offer an exclusive, brand-safe environment where content standards are naturally high and brand messaging appears within a context of trust. The operator upholds responsible social practices and a culture of integrity and inclusiveness.
6. For the same reason mentioned above, the environment remains distraction-free with limited noise and advertising clutter around.
7. We deliver multichannel communication through dynamic video content on digital displays, posters featuring creative, location-specific messaging, flyers and digital leaflets as supplementary tools for those motivated enough to purchase. Together, these formats create a digital-to-physical brand experience — designed to boost a brand’s share of voice.
8. We maintain a well-balanced broadcast loop featuring helpful partner tips, engaging destination videos, and a limited number of client slots — no more than six per month — to ensure strong visibility.
9. We provide end-to-end video support — from motion graphics using your digital assets to format-optimised adaptations for our screens.
10. As a media-tech company, we stand for smart, innovative solutions. Our platform is equipped with tech-savvy features — for example, integrating real-time currency rates on widget section of the screen for foreign exchange clients, or linking rainy weather to sunny holiday offers for airlines. And that’s just a glimpse. We have a range of ready-to-use trigger-based solutions and can easily develop custom ones to suit your brand.
And even that doesn’t cover all our unique selling points! For agencies, our format adds value in first-mover advantage. A new and distinctive platform that offers an alternative to oversaturated traditional media channels.
The reach of 600,000 travellers annually often seems modest to media planners at first glance, but taking into account everything mentioned above, it offers strong support for the OOH mix — combining scale with precise relevance and improving overall ROI in the result.
And there’s still more to share — but let’s save the most interesting parts for a face-to-face meetings - surprising pricing, smart reporting, eye-catching widgets, deep audience insights, and exclusive placement opportunities 🤫
As newcomers to the UK market, we’re bringing fresh energy and full commitment. We're ready to co-create a bold, first-to-market campaign — and we’re here to support you side by side, every step of the way. Let's bring change together!
Ready to explore the opportunity? Get in touch at tamila@globalgateway.media for our media pack.
As a Ukrainian team entering the British advertising market, with an outside-in perspective, we observed a clear demand from marketers — very simply — to know exactly what they’re paying for. Thus, our strategic goal became to build the project around this insight — supporting brands that are shifting their awareness budgets towards high-relevance, precision-targeted environments, and assisting in-house marketing teams focused on results-driven media planning.
That’s how Global Gateway was created. In partnership with VFS Global, the world’s leader in visa outsourcing services, we launched a media network across four Visa Application Centres in the UK — covering three key cities: London, Manchester, and Edinburgh — and opened a new stage in the travel journey — the visa application moment.
It’s the window after intent is confirmed through a visa application submission, but before departure — a period of active planning: packing suitcases, confirming flights, transfers and lounges, booking accommodation, sorting connectivity, exchanging currency, choosing travel activities, searching for experiences, and other extras!
The format was previously unavailable due to strict diplomatic restrictions. But we found a simple solution to a complex challenge, by placing media formats in common waiting areas — without entering any private visa processing zones - while catching pre-travellers during 45-60 minutes of dwell time before their biometric appointment.
For context, the visa applicant journey typically includes four key stages:
1. Online visa application submission – where the applicant provides personal details, financial evidence, travel intent, pays the visa processing fee, and uploads any additional supporting documents.
2. Biometric data collection (1st Audience Touchpoint). The applicant visits the Visa Application Centre by pre-booked appointment to provide fingerprints, a photo, and in some cases, their passport or attend an interview.
3. The applicant receives a decision on their visa and, if approved, the passport is sent for visa stamping.
4. Passport return (2nd Audience Touchpoint) – the applicant is choosing to either collect their passport in person at the centre or receive it by post. The majority of applicants prefer to collect it themselves for security reasons.
As a result, applicants are usually set to travel within 30 to 45 days of visa approval — making them a high-intent audience with confirmed plans and a key purchase decisions still to be made.
But our format goes beyond the usual formula: the right place, the right audience, the right time. Let’s take a closer look at the key differentiators that make our solution worth your media budget.
1. Multinational, global audience, with the main segment being international residents living in the UK who require visas even for short-term holidays — short-term visas dominate the market, accounting for nearly 62% of global tourist visa applications in 2025. Source: Tourist Visa Service Market Analysis & Forecast: 2025-2032, Coherent Market Insights
2. Legally verified through the visa process and financially committed by paying visa application fees of £100–£1,000, this audience represents an affluent group of travellers with ready-to-spend budgets on travel-related services.
3. Since travel is always an exciting and emotionally significant experience, the audience is highly focused on trip details. In this context, ads aren’t seen as advertising — they’re perceived as helpful solutions and timely support for the upcoming journey.
4. During the extended waiting time, visitors are exposed to the same ads multiple times — driving strong recall and brand awareness, and creating space for storytelling format.
5. The centres themselves offer an exclusive, brand-safe environment where content standards are naturally high and brand messaging appears within a context of trust. The operator upholds responsible social practices and a culture of integrity and inclusiveness.
6. For the same reason mentioned above, the environment remains distraction-free with limited noise and advertising clutter around.
7. We deliver multichannel communication through dynamic video content on digital displays, posters featuring creative, location-specific messaging, flyers and digital leaflets as supplementary tools for those motivated enough to purchase. Together, these formats create a digital-to-physical brand experience — designed to boost a brand’s share of voice.
8. We maintain a well-balanced broadcast loop featuring helpful partner tips, engaging destination videos, and a limited number of client slots — no more than six per month — to ensure strong visibility.
9. We provide end-to-end video support — from motion graphics using your digital assets to format-optimised adaptations for our screens.
10. As a media-tech company, we stand for smart, innovative solutions. Our platform is equipped with tech-savvy features — for example, integrating real-time currency rates on widget section of the screen for foreign exchange clients, or linking rainy weather to sunny holiday offers for airlines. And that’s just a glimpse. We have a range of ready-to-use trigger-based solutions and can easily develop custom ones to suit your brand.
And even that doesn’t cover all our unique selling points! For agencies, our format adds value in first-mover advantage. A new and distinctive platform that offers an alternative to oversaturated traditional media channels.
The reach of 600,000 travellers annually often seems modest to media planners at first glance, but taking into account everything mentioned above, it offers strong support for the OOH mix — combining scale with precise relevance and improving overall ROI in the result.
And there’s still more to share — but let’s save the most interesting parts for a face-to-face meetings - surprising pricing, smart reporting, eye-catching widgets, deep audience insights, and exclusive placement opportunities 🤫
As newcomers to the UK market, we’re bringing fresh energy and full commitment. We're ready to co-create a bold, first-to-market campaign — and we’re here to support you side by side, every step of the way. Let's bring change together!
Ready to explore the opportunity? Get in touch at tamila@globalgateway.media for our media pack.
