In travel, it’s OTAs and Google. In retail, it’s Amazon. Across industries, middlemen dominate search and visibility.
The truth? You can’t beat giants head-on. Not with budgets. Not with volume.
But you can win where they can’t go: into the hearts and emotions of people searching.
Why Memorable Experiences Win
Research into Memorable Tourism Experiences (MTEs) shows that travelers don’t remember thread counts or pools. They remember:
Joy — the energy of a bluegrass jam.
Nostalgia — BBQ smoke that tastes like family gatherings.
Wonder — elk in a mountain meadow at dawn.
Belonging — stories that make you feel part of a community.
Anticipation is just as important. Neuroscience tells us the brain’s reward centers fire even more before an experience than during it. Marketing that sparks imagination and emotional expectations creates loyalty and storytelling that lasts.
The Meadowlark Lesson
When we took over the Meadowlark Motel in the Smoky Mountains, we couldn’t outspend Booking.com or Expedia. Instead, we asked: What experiences can’t OTAs package?
The answers were BBQ, bluegrass, and culture.
By leaning into those themes, we tapped into search niches like “bluegrass festivals in the Smokies” and “mountain BBQ weekend.” Those belonged to us, not the giants.
The Framework for Competing With Giants
Any brand in any industry can use this approach:
List Experiences — food, music, heritage, adventure, wellness.
Select Niches — balance search demand, low competition, and authentic delivery.
Create Content — guides, blogs, and videos that tell real stories.
Build Anticipation — copy that sparks longing, countdowns, testimonials.
Bundle Offers — don’t sell products; sell identity-rich experiences.
Collaborate Locally — amplify with partners’ audiences.
Leverage Reviews — guests validating the experience = emotional SEO.
Owning Emotional Niches: Your Unfair Advantage Over Giants
You don’t fight OTAs or aggregators on their battlefield. You win by owning the emotional and identity niches they can’t touch.
That’s how small players carve out unfair advantages. That’s how you compete against giants.
Want the Full Story?
This is a summary of my longer article in my LinkedIn Newsletter, where I share personal stories — from becoming one of the first fax “spammers” to building Galileo Tech Media on freedom and trust.
#SEO#GEO#ExperienceEconomy#MarketingStrategy
