Why data, not AI, is driving local travel marketing decisions, with Vrbo's VP of marketing

As marketers reach for AI to explain every new capability, it's easy to overstate its role. Helen Melluish, VP of marketing at Expedia-owned Vrbo, says the hyperlocal targeting behind this summer's travel campaigns runs on traditional data science and machine learning—not AI.

Vrbo tracks booking trends by origin and destination market, then shifts local messaging and media spend within a matter of weeks, if not days, once a route or region shows momentum, no AI overlay required. For Melluish, that speed matters this summer: as gas prices push travelers toward drive-to destinations and away from early bookings, Vrbo's data lets the brand chase the shift in real time. AI still plays a role elsewhere at home-rental brand, scaling creative production and handling routine customer service, but it isn't what's driving this particular decision.

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