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THOUGH THE CRUISE INDUSTRY in general is enjoying an all-time high in bookings, competition from other travel alternatives remains strong. Standing out from the myriad of choices for travelers is a necessity. Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) caters to a specific clientele that is primarily reached through the luxury cruise line’s network of travel agents. So, if Radisson Seven Seas wished to increase sales
on specific cruises, it needed to make it easy for those agents to promote them.
Joining forces
The answer was a series of personalized direct mailers that agents can access through a custom Web portal. Radisson Seven Seas turned to technology solutions provider James Tower, based in Mankato, Minnesota, to develop a custom channel marketing program called Partner Advantage. Together they created
four-color flyers featuring various ships and destinations that RSSC needed to promote. Through the Web site, agents have the ability to choose those itineraries that best suit their clients — targeting offers to them based
on known travel preferences and purchase behavior. The end result is a mailing that matches RSSC’s promotion objectives with the most receptive audience.
Utilizing technology
After selecting the most relevant itineraries, each agent can then customize the piece by selecting from different travel photos and including his or her own logo, agent photo, contact information and personal message. Then the agent simply uploads a mailing list and places the order. Some pieces are discounted, funded partially by RSSC,
to encourage promotion of those particular itineraries. The orders are printed and fulfilled weekly by First Marketing, using a state-of-the-art Xerox iGen3™ digital press. This automated process eliminates the waste normally incurred from unused or obsolete marketing materials, meaning Radisson Seven Seas has no inventory
to maintain, saving time and money.
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Expanding on success
The custom flyer program has been a win-win
for RSSC and its partners — Radisson Seven Seas enjoys the opportunity to communicate to consumers through the travel agents, and the agents enjoy the ease of customizing and distributing those communications. The program
is still in its infancy, created less than
a year ago, but already several hundred agents are participating and further enhancements are in the works. Applications for channel marketing within the travel industry are endless, and the RSSC program provides further evidence
of the ability to achieve customer objectives
for both the corporate office and its distributors. |
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#1-Farmers, #2-Radisson |
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