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From Chaos to Structure: How We Rebuilt Marketing for a Premium Safari Tour Operator in Tanzania
A case study on transforming the marketing strategy of a premium travel business
Confidentiality and Professional Ethics
All projects are carried out in full compliance with strict confidentiality agreements and personal data protection requirements. Client names and project details are disclosed only with their written consent. This is a mandatory standard in our work.
All projects are carried out in full compliance with strict confidentiality agreements and personal data protection requirements. Client names and project details are disclosed only with their written consent. This is a mandatory standard in our work.
Initial Situation
The travel industry often falls into the trap of operational overload. Business owners and managers get buried in daily tasks, losing strategic vision and the ability to scale.
This was the case with our client—a tour operator specializing in premium African safari experiences.
The company had been in business for over five years, with an established client base and a high-quality product. However, its customer acquisition system resembled a rollercoaster: peak months were followed by sharp declines, and revenue was impossible to predict.
This was the case with our client—a tour operator specializing in premium African safari experiences.
The company had been in business for over five years, with an established client base and a high-quality product. However, its customer acquisition system resembled a rollercoaster: peak months were followed by sharp declines, and revenue was impossible to predict.
Strategy beats tactics. The winner is the one with a structured client journey—not the one chasing short-term gains.
Armen Kaladzhyan
AK Marketing
What follows is a brief overview of the project.
It’s impossible to cover every detail within a single case study,
but we’ve aimed to highlight the logic behind our approach and the key results achieved.
It’s impossible to cover every detail within a single case study,
but we’ve aimed to highlight the logic behind our approach and the key results achieved.
In-Depth Audit Revealed a Network of Interconnected Issues
1. Critical Dependence on Human Factors
- The owner was deeply involved in every process—from crafting ad creatives to approving the final tour itinerary. He worked around the clock, personally overseeing every aspect of the business.
- Sales were entirely dependent on individual managers—their qualifications, mood, and product knowledge. Any vacation, sick leave, or resignation led to a sales drop.
- A premium product was being sold using mass-market tactics: "ads → landing page → lead → sales call" simply didn’t work for a complex product starting at $3,000 per person.
- There was no client nurturing strategy in place. Safari tours are a high-involvement purchase with long decision cycles, yet the marketing focused on quick conversions.
- The website was outdated, poorly structured, and overloaded with pages.
- There was no post-trip communication with clients.
- The company’s unique value proposition was diluted by generic language.
Customer Development: Discovering Real Motivations
Our first step was deep research through customer development interviews with existing clients. Here’s what we found.
What helps close the sale:
What helps close the sale:
- Recommendations from friends who had already gone on safari
- Fast, detailed responses from sales managers
- The founder’s personality and expertise
- Detailed reviews and authentic stories from past travelers
- Lack of logistical information
- Psychological barriers (fear of animals, concerns about safety)
- Low activity on social media, creating an impression of a "dead" business
- Limited information about guides and local teams
Strategic Changes: From Impulsiveness to Systematic Work
Based on this analysis, we built a comprehensive marketing strategy covering every aspect of the company’s marketing efforts.
1. Mapping the Customer Journey and Relevant Tools
We divided the customer journey into five key stages, each with its own touchpoints:
Inspiration → Practical Questions → Purchase → Travel Experience → Aftertaste
2. Creating Useful Lead Magnets for Automated Nurturing
We developed a series of high-quality materials:
1. Mapping the Customer Journey and Relevant Tools
We divided the customer journey into five key stages, each with its own touchpoints:
Inspiration → Practical Questions → Purchase → Travel Experience → Aftertaste
2. Creating Useful Lead Magnets for Automated Nurturing
We developed a series of high-quality materials:
- A guide titled "What to Pack for a Safari" — an interactive PDF with a checklist of clothes, medications, and essentials
- A first-aid kit checklist with detailed descriptions of each item
- A Beginner’s Guide to Africa — a comprehensive handbook on all aspects of the journey
One of our guides for potential clients
3. Upgrading the Marketing Tech Infrastructure
To reduce human dependency, we upgraded the tech stack:
We completely changed the approach to social media:
To reduce human dependency, we upgraded the tech stack:
- Created a Telegram bot that delivers guides automatically
- Built a high-conversion landing page “Safari in Tanzania” with premium design and clear structure
We completely changed the approach to social media:
- Introduced new content standards focused on expert-level information rather than surface-level posts
- Implemented consistent categories: informative, engaging, and conversion-focused content
- Increased content depth and detail to make posts genuinely useful
- Created clear visual and tone-of-voice guidelines
Luckily, the company already had an extensive library of its own photo and video materials
Project Challenges
The project turned out to be far more complex than initially expected:
1. Timeframe and Resources
We had to wear many hats:
1. Timeframe and Resources
- The timeline stretched from 3 to over 5 months due to the scale of needed changes
- We had to replace several contractors who couldn’t meet the new quality standards
We had to wear many hats:
- SMM specialist (for social media revamp)
- Ad manager (for campaign optimization)
- Copywriter (for content creation)
- HR specialist (for hiring and training)
- Designer (for visual concepts)
- We had intense discussions with the client, including emotionally charged disagreements
- Balancing automation with a personalized approach was particularly challenging
- Redesigning the outdated website while preserving SEO proved harder than expected
- Integrating new automation systems with existing tools required staff training and technical work
We strive to present our case studies as objectively as possible. Discussing both the wins and the challenges helps us—and our clients—learn and improve.
Irene Kirillova
AK Marketing
Results: From Chaotic Marketing to a Systematic Approach
Our strategic overhaul delivered tangible improvements:
1. Stabilized and Higher-Quality Inbound Leads
1. Stabilized and Higher-Quality Inbound Leads
- Lead flow became more predictable and consistent
- Lead quality improved significantly—prospects arrived with a clearer understanding of the offer
- Conversion rate from inquiries to bookings increased
- Automatic systems and detailed materials reduced the number of basic questions
- The owner was able to delegate part of the marketing workload
- Sales managers could focus on qualified leads
- Wasteful channels were cut
- Budgets were reallocated to the most effective sources
- The sales cycle shortened thanks to better lead nurturing
- Informational materials were actively shared among travelers
- A community of safari enthusiasts began forming around the brand
- Referrals and repeat bookings increased
Key Success Factors
1. Deep Customer Understanding Through Research
Our in-depth interviews revealed that most customer doubts weren’t about price but about uncertainty and lack of practical information.
2. A System Instead of Random Activities
Rather than improving individual parts, we built an integrated marketing system:
Social content → lead magnets → email database → warm-up campaigns → sales calls.
3. Automation Without Losing the Human Touch
By automating routine tasks, we made marketing more efficient—without compromising on personalized service where it mattered.
4. Content With Real, Practical Value
The content solved actual customer problems. These weren’t abstract stories about Africa—they were practical guides that addressed fears and helped clients prepare.
Our in-depth interviews revealed that most customer doubts weren’t about price but about uncertainty and lack of practical information.
2. A System Instead of Random Activities
Rather than improving individual parts, we built an integrated marketing system:
Social content → lead magnets → email database → warm-up campaigns → sales calls.
3. Automation Without Losing the Human Touch
By automating routine tasks, we made marketing more efficient—without compromising on personalized service where it mattered.
4. Content With Real, Practical Value
The content solved actual customer problems. These weren’t abstract stories about Africa—they were practical guides that addressed fears and helped clients prepare.
Takeaways for Premium Travel Businesses
Working with this safari tour operator taught us several key lessons:
- A premium product needs a premium marketing approach. Mass-market tactics aimed at quick wins don’t work at the high end.
- Strategy beats tactics. The winner is the one with a structured client journey—not the one chasing short-term gains.
- Automation ≠ impersonality. Smart automation frees up time for real, human interactions.
- Content must solve real problems. Only helpful materials get shared and remembered.
- Premium service begins long before purchase. Customers assess service quality from the very first interaction—well before they buy.
Working with AK Marketing helped us move from chaos to structure. We went from random actions to a clear strategy, steady lead flow, and high-quality content. What I value most is their deep, thoughtful approach — no templates, just real understanding of our product and audience. It wasn’t always easy, but the results were worth it. Highly recommended for anyone looking for real change, not just “marketing for the sake of it.”
Konstantin Prokoрiеv
Agency Owner
Expert Marketing for the Travel Industry and Hospitality Sector
⏹ Marketing in travel and hospitality requires a different approach. Unlike mass-market products, it’s not about the number of leads, but their quality. Not the size of the ad budget, but how strategically it’s allocated. Not flashy creatives, but messages that build trust and convert interest into actual bookings.
⏹ We specialize in promoting “considered choice” services — niche tours, premium hotels, unique destinations, and tailor-made travel experiences. These are products people take their time choosing. They compare, research, and make thoughtful decisions, investing not only money but also their expectations for a memorable vacation.
⏹ We specialize in promoting “considered choice” services — niche tours, premium hotels, unique destinations, and tailor-made travel experiences. These are products people take their time choosing. They compare, research, and make thoughtful decisions, investing not only money but also their expectations for a memorable vacation.
⏹ With over 10 years of experience working with travel companies and hotels, we’ve built deep expertise in marketing for businesses of all sizes and formats. We don’t just launch ads — we build integrated marketing systems that reliably convert marketing investments into bookings and revenue.
⏹ Unlike many advertising agencies, we understand how travel decisions are made — and we design marketing strategies tailored to that process.
⏹ Unlike many advertising agencies, we understand how travel decisions are made — and we design marketing strategies tailored to that process.
Strategy + Advertising + Persuasion
By combining a strategic approach, targeted advertising, and warming, persuasive content, we attract high-quality leads and increase sales.
Start with the first step — a consultation
Every business is unique, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. We suggest starting with a 30-minute consultation to identify your key growth opportunities.
Or feel free to message us! We’re here to respond between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM Central European Time (CET).
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Genuine Client Feedback
Thank you for your responsible approach to the project. For us, this has been a challenging task, largely due to the novelty of the product in the Russian market. Despite the general skepticism among our fellow citizens, you managed to build clear and persuasive communication with the target audience.
This is reflected in the increased activity on our social media channels—we’re seeing strong interest in the topic of high-precision tuberculosis diagnostics. Website traffic to our project’s informational platform has also grown significantly. This is in large part thanks to your contribution.
This is reflected in the increased activity on our social media channels—we’re seeing strong interest in the topic of high-precision tuberculosis diagnostics. Website traffic to our project’s informational platform has also grown significantly. This is in large part thanks to your contribution.
Armen, thank you for the quality work. The results are clear to me personally. There used to be silence—now people are actually reaching out and asking about the medical center. I’m not good with words like that, but I’ll try to get more involved in the process too. I think I’ve started to believe in social media. Let’s keep it going.
Thank you for your support in launching the “ALGOM” project — an evidence-based medical reference system.
Over the course of our 1.5-year collaboration, I’ve come to appreciate your professionalism, your sense of responsibility, your reliability, and your ability to achieve ambitious goals.
While not all promotional objectives have been fully met yet — largely due to the Russian market’s limited readiness for such innovative products — we have made significant progress. You’ve become a valuable partner to us.
Over the course of our 1.5-year collaboration, I’ve come to appreciate your professionalism, your sense of responsibility, your reliability, and your ability to achieve ambitious goals.
While not all promotional objectives have been fully met yet — largely due to the Russian market’s limited readiness for such innovative products — we have made significant progress. You’ve become a valuable partner to us.
We launched our project at a very difficult time—right at the start of the pandemic. It was challenging not only to get clients, but even to generate leads.
However, you did everything possible to give us a strong start. We got a beautiful landing page and quickly grew our following—from nearly zero to 2,000 subscribers in just a few months.
We received a large number of inquiries from clients during the summer and early fall. The second wave of the pandemic brought its own “adjustments,” but we truly appreciate your professionalism and the way you approached the project.
However, you did everything possible to give us a strong start. We got a beautiful landing page and quickly grew our following—from nearly zero to 2,000 subscribers in just a few months.
We received a large number of inquiries from clients during the summer and early fall. The second wave of the pandemic brought its own “adjustments,” but we truly appreciate your professionalism and the way you approached the project.
We’ve been working with Armen for three years now. During our collaboration, we’ve launched dozens of advertising campaigns to promote the clinic’s services — from diagnostics to cosmetology.
Throughout this time, he has proven to be a highly skilled professional as well as a responsible and reliable partner.
Throughout this time, he has proven to be a highly skilled professional as well as a responsible and reliable partner.
Thank you so much for your productive work — the numbers speak for themselves:
€40,000+ in revenue in June, typically the slowest month when most clinics see a drop in sales;
a record-breaking monthly revenue since the launch of the aesthetic center;
and for the first time in a year, the clinic has reached break-even.
€40,000+ in revenue in June, typically the slowest month when most clinics see a drop in sales;
a record-breaking monthly revenue since the launch of the aesthetic center;
and for the first time in a year, the clinic has reached break-even.
Thank you for supporting us from the very beginning of our business journey. At the start, our concept was vague — we didn’t even have a name. You guided us through every stage of building the business, from developing the strategy to acquiring our first clients.
You completely changed the way I approach marketing. For several months, I was paying an SMM manager for work that brought zero results.
You entered the project not just with ideas, but with a system that actually delivers. Most importantly, I finally understood what needs to be done — and how — to make social media generate sales instead of draining my time, energy, and money.
You entered the project not just with ideas, but with a system that actually delivers. Most importantly, I finally understood what needs to be done — and how — to make social media generate sales instead of draining my time, energy, and money.
In less than a month, we received a strong flow of inquiries on our website for our house-building promotion. Armen is always available and ready to provide guidance.
He also helped us make website changes to improve conversion. I’d also like to highlight a noticeable increase in comments and direct messages on our social media pages — something we hardly saw before, despite putting a lot of effort into creating posts.
He also helped us make website changes to improve conversion. I’d also like to highlight a noticeable increase in comments and direct messages on our social media pages — something we hardly saw before, despite putting a lot of effort into creating posts.