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Travel planning used to be pretty predictable. People dreamed of a destination, shopped for hotels, then booked their stay. Today, that linear journey has been transformed, partly due to the habits of a crucial population of travelers: zillennials.
This “cusp generation,” people in their late 20s to early 30s, blends traits from millennials and Gen Z. They’re independent yet social, open to adventure, and always pursuing travel inspiration and authentic experiences. They move fluidly between digital channels, diving deep into online communities and platforms like YouTube to see where others are exploring and staying. Their desire to blend planned and spontaneous adventure makes them unique.
Hilton recognized that connecting with zillennials required a new approach, one rooted in authentic storytelling and open discussion rather than more traditional, polished advertising. It brought this refreshed strategy to life by leveraging the inspirational power of YouTube and AI-powered Search to meet zillennials where they were online and convert their wanderlust into actual stays.
Doubling down on the stay
Travel advertising has long been a sea of sameness: pristine beaches, serene paddleboard yoga, a perfect couple strolling into the sunset, and so on. Consistently missing from these narratives is the actual hotel experience. For years, Hilton’s marketing team has sought to make the brand stand out in an ocean of travel content.
A collection of 24 brands serving every travel need, budget, and occasion, Hilton’s business isn’t actually about the travel — it’s about the stay. This insight inspired the tagline, “Hilton. For the stay,” which provides the bedrock for Hilton’s brand storytelling. And it’s the message the marketing team doubled-down on to connect with zillennials.
Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein and Rebecca Panico, VP, global head of media, talk about the hotel brand’s use of AI-powered Search and YouTube to connect with zillennial travelers.
Reaching hearts and minds on YouTube
In light of this, Hilton developed a comprehensive YouTube and Search strategy to appeal to zillennials’ emotions and practical needs. This ensured Hilton showed up with helpful ads across the customer journey, whether a customer was looking for inspiration or answers.
Recognizing YouTube as the ultimate cultural hub for this audience, Hilton leveraged the platform’s power to embed its content within moments zillennials are most passionate about, from high-octane McLaren Formula 1 racing to electrifying music at the Grammys. Hilton created content that resonated with these passions and utilized YouTube’s AI-powered ad formats, including Video reach campaigns and Video view campaigns, to amplify it, increase reach, and ultimately drive bookings.
Driving bookings with AI-powered Search
While captivating YouTube content ignites zillennial travel inspiration, AI-powered Search ads are also crucial to helping this audience discover Hilton’s brand and convert wanderlust into actual bookings. It ensures Hilton properties appear exactly where and when motivated searches occur. As Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein explains, “By combining AI-powered Search and YouTube, we can show customers why we’re the brand for them when they’re looking for inspiration and deciding to book that stay, wherever that may happen.”
With AI, we can interpret what’s going on in the moment and serve up the right creative to make it meaningful to the customer.
Consider the intricate task of matching diverse customer needs and travel occasions with Hilton’s 8,500 properties across 24 brands in more than 130 countries. This is where AI excels.
According to Weinstein, “With AI, we can interpret what’s going on in the moment and serve up the right creative to make it impactful and meaningful to the customer to make the booking.” Matching intent with creative is made possible by solutions like broad match and Smart Bidding. These tools leverage people’s intent and optimize bids on the fly, consistently capturing the next wave of highly relevant customers from broader audiences, regardless of how they search.
Beyond enhancing customer connections, AI is also reshaping market responsiveness. Every day Hilton opens a new hotel, and AI-powered media and creative ensure it’s online with a relevant campaign within hours.
5-star results
Hilton’s YouTube-plus-Search strategy has delivered tangible results. The brand saw double-digit incremental revenue growth last year, proving how connecting inspiration with intent can unlock significant new business.
