Lonely Planet tasks iris with global youth digital strategy – iris Sydney office to lead the work

Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel authority, has appointed global marketing agency iris Worldwide to create an  international youth engagement strategy for the brand, including a suite of new digital products, services and platforms. 

Dan Pankraz, (pictured), regional planning director at iris’ Sydney office, which will be responsible for leading the work, said: “It’s not often you have the chance to work with an iconic brand like Lonely Planet and influence how they engage with a new generation of digitally powered travellers. We’re not only working with them to create a bespoke global youth strategy but to develop a range of digital products and services which will help them rethink their business model.”

Jason Shugg, head of product marketing and consumer insight at Lonely Planet, said: “We’ve identified Generation Y and Z as key audiences for us for future growth, so we need to make sure all our digital platforms are the best they can be. iris displayed a deep understanding not only of digital and multichannel, but also how Generation Y interact with content, and we want to tap into this. It’s great to work with a progressive company like iris which shares the same values as Lonely Planet, and we look forward to working on future innovations projects with them.”

In Australia, iris’ other clients include Adidas, Sony, Shell and Microsoft. The agency offers a full house of creative and strategic solutions, including advertising, retail, CRM, PR, digital and direct. In March of this year, the agency – which specialises in digital thought leadership – was the most represented agency globally at leading interactive and digital festival SXSW.