Leisure Brands Go on Marketing Joy-Ride, Spend Up Thirty Percent
Leisure brands amplify ad budgets by 30% in 2025—fueling post-pandemic pent-up travel, fitness, and outing demands despite inflationary headwinds.
Prakhar
Riding the Wave of Wanderlust
Despite rising costs of living, leisure and lifestyle brands are buckling their marketing seatbelts for a joy-ride—increasing ad spends by 30% year-on-year. From adventure travel operators and boutique gym chains to experiential dining concepts, these brands are betting that consumers will prioritize memorable outings once wallets can stretch beyond necessities.
From Staycation to Skydiving
Luxury resorts have splashed out on 30-second experiential ads—skydiving over Goan beaches, private-boat soirees on Kerala backwaters, and cliff-side yoga at Himalayan retreats. Fitness studios pivot to hybrid models, blasting geofenced digital ads to local neighborhoods, enticing passerby joggers inside for trial classes at “founding-member” rates.
Digital and OOH: Double Decker Approach
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Digital Blitz: Targeted streaming video pre-rolls on travel and wellness channels; immersive Facebook and Instagram stories; and influencer co-created vlogs chronicling offbeat escapes.
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OOH Ramp-Up: Interactive billboards in high-footfall corridors—think 3D paragliding animations and pulse-sensing panels that flash “Catch your next adventure here” when pedestrians pass by.
This dual assault turns casual scrolls and commutes into triggers for spontaneous leisure planning.
Meeting Pent-Up Demand
After two years of postponed plans, consumers are itching to celebrate: long-awaited weddings, milestone birthdays, and family reunions. Leisure brands harness this sentiment with time-limited flash sales—“Book in 48 Hours, Save 50%”—amplified by SMS and WhatsApp blasts for guaranteed quick conversions.
Balancing Spend and ROI
CMO roundtables reveal mixed optimism: while customer acquisition costs have crept up 15%, lifetime value projections remain strong as subscription models (e.g., gym memberships, travel clubs) foster recurring revenue. Data analytics teams track every click and check-in, fine-tuning campaigns on the fly.
Final Destination: Sustained Growth
Leisure-sector ad spend growth reflects a broader shift: marketing isn't an optional extra but a core growth driver. From robust digital ecosystems to high-impact OOH activations, brands are proving that in the race for consumers' discretionary rupees, the loudest, most immersive calls to leisure just might win gold.
