A rising travel technology company recently secured their Series B funding, co-led by two top-tier investment firms. Puzzle Partner has been alongside them since the beginning—helping scale their presence from an ambitious early-stage innovator to a market-defining force in the travel ecosystem.
The theme? Playing big when you’re still small—and how bold, long-view marketing bets are fueling their ascent in one of the most competitive categories in travel commerce.
Instead of sticking to the traditional B2B playbook—gated PDFs and paid ad funnels—their marketing team, supported by Puzzle Partner, launched high-impact initiatives that made the company synonymous with the emerging category. Think: a public education hub, an annual benchmark report, and a resource library for travel executives. These initiatives weren’t just lead gen tactics—they were authority builders. They made the brand the go-to source of credibility, not just another vendor.
Key Takeaways
1. Market education is the most powerful differentiator—if you commit.
When the company’s CMO joined, most travel industry buyers weren’t even aware the category existed—let alone understood the solutions available. So instead of pitching features, the team focused on defining the space itself.
That meant:
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Publishing foundational content hub offering actionable strategies, insights and guides
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Launching a multi-channel strategy—including webinars, digital, email marketing,
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Creating the first vendor-neutral provider directory
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Running an annual industry report now cited by media, partners and influencers
Not every initiative came with a guaranteed ROI—but each one generated momentum. Over time, these bets helped the company become the name that partners, press, and industry voices associate with authority in this segment of travel tech.
2. Start small. Prove it works. Then scale.
Most big ideas started scrappy.
The first resource directory was assembled manually with freelancer support and spreadsheets.
The academy launched with just a few ungated lessons.
The survey? Pulled off on an $800 budget—yet it earned outsized visibility and impact.
It wasn’t about flash—it was about value. And once they saw what worked, they doubled down.
3. Lead gen is not demand gen.
Today, organic channels contribute over a third of the company’s pipeline. But early on, the focus wasn’t on attribution or funnels—it was on foundation.
The team made long-game investments:
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Building community
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Publishing freely accessible resources
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Strengthening the brand beyond product
They didn’t chase short-term numbers. They built lasting relevance—and now enjoy the compounding results:
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Lower cost per lead
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Greater share of voice
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Inbound interest from analysts and press
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Consistent top-of-mind recognition that drives sustainable growth
4. Build like a category leader—even before the market says you are.
Their mindset: act like the category leader until the market sees the authority.
That meant:
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Owning a category-defining label before it was mainstream
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Investing in thought leadership and educational partnerships
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Creating tools that added value even for non-customers
It wasn’t posturing. It was signaling. And it worked.
The Travel Tech Company + Puzzle Partner Story
When this travel tech startup set out to define a new category and scale from Seed to Series B, they partnered with Puzzle Partner. As their agency of record, we helped shape their brand narrative, go-to-market strategy, and the demand programs that positioned them as a trusted leader in their space.
From launching their executive academy to building the first category survey and public resource directory—we’ve worked side by side to build not just pipeline, but enduring authority and sustainable growth, and a brand that feels 10x bigger than the headcount behind it.
Want marketing that drives demand and delivers sustainable growth? Let’s talk.
