LAS VEGAS -- At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Signature Travel Network plans to soft-launch its AI travel-planning tool, Storybook, which Signature says will help advisors better share experiences and products with clients -- and act as a continuous, passive marketing tool.
Storybook is a digital platform advisors can use to share multimedia content with clients, both live and in a linkable format.
At Signature's annual conference this week, Karen Yeates, Signature's executive vice president of information technologies, told advisors that Storybook will better help them create connections with clients.
"It's emotional engagement that makes you and your brand more memorable," Yeates said.
Signature CEO Alex Sharpe described it as a "storytelling platform."
"You'll be able to move pictures, videos, social media content, you name it -- you can send it directly to your customer's phone while they talk to you," he said.
In the first iteration of Storybook, advisors will be able to access cruise content. It includes all suppliers as well as Signature's promotions and exclusives.
Of the name Storybook, Yeates said, "Tell the story and complete the booking."
The tool is being developed in partnership with technology company Cenora.
Once the cruise tool is live, Signature will turn to developing a hotel version of Storybook, and then land vacations, Yeates said.
Sharpe said the tool will continuously market for advisors as their clients share their experiences with friends and family.
"For those that dig in -- and it won't be everyone, but it'll be thousands of our advisors that will dig in -- not only will it create relevance and the wow factor during the sales process," he said. "Once they do it, it markets for them."
Advisors as social media influencers
In addition to Storybook, Signature is also in the midst of redesigning SigNet, Signature's intranet.
The first phase of the redesign is a move to use an AI-powered, natural-language search instead of a menu-driven design, which Yeates said will make navigation faster and more intuitive. Menus will still be supported for advisors who prefer that option.
On the marketing front, several initiatives are being launched next year, including Inspire Academy, a social media program that will teach advisors to become influencers.
"Meta has been making a lot of changes and not only are they prioritizing originality and authenticity, but they're actually starting to penalize duplicate content, and we know that that is a really big deal in our industry," said Christine Conklin, Signature's vice president of marketing.
Inspire Academy will serve advisors of all levels of ability when it comes to social media, Conklin said, from total beginners to pros looking to advance AI skills and convert more followers into clients. Its emphasis will be on creating authentic, original content.
Also next year, Signature will launch a family travel-focused magazine, "Ready. Set. Go!" The magazine was designed to fill a gap in the marketplace, Conklin said, reaching all ages.
"This piece is designed for the entire family," she said. "It's going to have incredible storytelling."
The magazine is currently under development and will be launched in May.