How HolidayHeroes Used Media Capital to Scale and Slash Acquisition Costs

Holidayheroes is a Munich-based travel tech startup revolutionizing holiday booking with AI-powered, personalized recommendations.

• Markets: Israel (launch market), Germany (European base), expanding to France and the UK.

• Users: Over 80,000 travelers served, with a 26% repeat rate.

Challenge:
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• Competing in the crowded travel market against well-funded incumbents like Expedia and Booking.com.

• Traditional digital marketing channels (e.g., Google Ads) proved costly, with rising customer acquisition costs (CAC) and limited brand differentiation.

Solution:
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• Secured a USD 47 million media partnership with RTL Group, covering Germany, France, and the UK.

• Go-to-market approach:
  
  • Used TV as a primary brand-building tool, paired with digital and influencer marketing.
  • Focused on media partnerships over traditional paid marketing, ensuring long-term brand equity.
  • Integrated media strategy directly with product and marketing teams to optimize performance.

Results:
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• 40% MoM growth following the launch of HolidayHeroes.de.

• 60% reduction in CAC over two years.

• Google search traffic costs dropped, as direct brand searches increased.

• Shift from paid search dependence to organic, brand-driven traffic.

My first media deal was eight years ago in 2016. We saw our customer acquisition cost (CAC) cut in half in less than a year and that's when you realize the power of a brand. - Erez Bousso, Holidayheroes