Backchannelmedia

Promotions & Incentives

James Thornton finds the cruise operator is on a mission to attract more active, independent clients

"Other operators have a lot of older passengers and their ships have different appeal," says Gary West, marketing director at Royal Caribbean. "We're about activity, variety and excitement."

The US-owned cruise firm has operated trips to Scandinavia from the UK for some years, but next May sees the launch of its first "warm sun" cruise from Southampton to the Mediterranean - and the firm wants to turn the traditional concept of cruising on its head. To get the message home, it has lined up its most comprehensive campaign to date: a 1 million-plus push taking in TV, radio, outdoor, DM, email, internet, experiential marketing, a third-party tie-in and a trade promotion.

Accelerating younger trend

The idea that cruising is no longer the preserve of the old holds some water: the average age of British cruisers has fallen from 55 to 46 in the past eight years, says West. But Royal Caribbean wants to accelerate the trend, with holidays for travellers who want the activities of Center Pares combined with the adventure of independent travel.

"Our target market is aged 35-plus, professionals, with a relatively high income and families," explains West. "We are the cruise brand for people with an appetite for life and new experiences."

With on-board facilities including a rock-climbing wall, an ice rink and a golf course, passengers will not be short of things to do. And the shore excursions, including helicopter rides, are more Lonely Planet than Saga.

Royal Caribbean has around 10 per cent of the UK cruise market, with the rest dominated by Cunard and P&O. But the campaign, which kicks off this month, is about gaining new cruisers rather than stealing market share. "Around a million people a year in the UK cruise and the penetration rate among adults is less than one per cent," notes West. "We want to grow the market. In the US, around 10 per cent of adults have taken a cruise, so the potential for uptake in the UK is huge."

The company started selling tickets in April for Southampton- based ship Legend of the Seas' 2005 launch. An experiential campaign has been rolling since then, stacking up a 5,000-strong database along the way. But it is during the key booking periods of September and January that the activity really kicks in.

The campaign, through Positive Thinking, targets consumers within a three-hour drive of Southampton. Above the line, this takes in TV, radio and a poster push across the region.

TV ads on Meridian go live from mid-September into October, and the brand is in discussions with Carlton. At the same time, a radio campaign with similar reach and schedule rolls out, to be backed up by listener competitions to win cruises. September also sees a press push, with ads in the southern and London local press, plus more cruise-based competitions.

As well as the usual early booking discounts, promotional marketing includes a kids-go-free offer, free chauffeur-driven limousines to the ship if tickets are booked within a certain timeframe, and 50 flights to Southampton from 15 UK and Ireland airports.

Royal Caribbean wants to play hard on its USP of cruising as a younger, more active holiday choice and is going all out to drive home the message. "The one thing you can't do with a cruise is actual sampling," says Positive Thinking senior account director Maia Honan. "Earlier this year we put together a DM campaign that included an infomercial CD on the Royal Caribbean experience. September and January will see this followed up with reminder mailings."

Some 25 mailer variations have been produced for this next leg of the DM push. Examples include targeted shots for consumers inside or outside the three-hour drive time. More than 150,000 will go out, with recipients directed to a standalone website, legendoftheseas.co.uk.

"Essentially we are saying: 'Here's what a Royal Caribbean cruise is about, go and test drive it,'" says West. "People have deep- seated preconceptions about what a cruise involves. We want to show them the reality."

As for the experiential campaign, Royal Caribbean uses a stand with four interactive pods at its corners, where users can access different sections of the infomercial. Although representatives are on hand to offer advice, it takes a more relaxed approach than some campaigns. A 30-page lifestyle magazine, Deep Blue, is also given out on-stand. There is no corporate branding on the cover, the idea being that consumers will take more long-term interest than with a brochure.

Those interactive pods remain a central plank of the third-party element of the campaign, a link-up with the 61-strong Esporta Gyms chain: the pods went into 12 of Esporta's flagship gyms in August. Royal Caribbean has also joined up with mountain bike supplier Muddy Fox to give away bikes to gym users who complete a workout and have this witnessed and signed off by Esporta staff.

Exposure time vital

As well as being an obvious brand-fit for Royal Caribbean's target market, says West, the exposure time Esporta affords is just as vital. "A lot of our customers are cash-rich and time-poor. The gym is an environment in which people will allow us to engage with them properly."

With such a multi-stranded push, Royal Caribbean wants to ensure every option is covered off. It recognises that a lot of the real dealing occurs at travel agents. "They are key to the campaign because this is where most respondents convert interest to purchase," says Positive Thinking's Honan. "It's vital we maximise the brand impact through the use of impactful POP and brand- educated counter staff."

Royal Caribbean is sending staff in to merchandise stores and educate counter staff. A mystery shopper will visit agents to check the right message is getting across. An incentive scheme is in place: an agent securing six or more 14-night bookings in September is entered into a competition that could win them 500 of House of Fraser vouchers.

Is it just about bums on seats? "We want to fill all the vacancies and improve yield," admits West. "But it is as much about getting the right kind of customer."

The battle to convince thirty-somethings that ieir next break hould be a cruise is on.

"It's vital we maximise the brand impact through the use of impactful POP and educated counter staff"

Maia Honan,

senior account director,

Positive Thinking

"People have deep-seated preconceptions about what a cruise involves. We want to show the reality"

Gary West,

marketing director,

Royal Caribbean

Copyright Haymarket Business Publications Ltd. Sep 2004