Celebrity Cruises says its new brand positioning campaign will “force” the line to deliver its premium proposition to guests and travel agents.
Sharing details about the line’s Nothing Comes Close campaign on Monday (8 April), Giles Hawke, Celebrity’s EMEA vice-president, explained how the campaign would raise awareness about the brand’s new position.
Celebrity said the Nothing Comes Close campaign “will be the core of the cruise line’s brand positioning from media and advertising to travel partners to travel partners and onboard”.
An eight-week TV ad campaign to support Nothing Comes Close will run on Channel 4, ITV and “some” satellite channels, Hawke said.
Hawke told TTG: “[Nothing Comes Close] is about where we sit in the market. We were in the luxury space, but we recognise we’re in the premium space.
“We’ve got luxury products on our ships, but luxury means different things to different people. We’ve got our family brand in Royal Caribbean International, our luxury brand in Silversea Cruises and then us – the centre point between family and luxury.
“Our aim is to deliver the best premium holidays. [Nothing Comes Close] forces us to deliver as a business.”
Hawke confirmed Celebrity’s president Laura Hodges Bethge “initiated” the push to define the line’s brand position when she took up the top role last year.
Travel agents will have access to a campaign toolkit on the line’s Celebrity Central trade platform and training to help them understand Celebrity’s new brand position. Hawke added assets like the toolkit would help agents “talk to customers with clarity about what Celebrity means”.
“A lot of cruise lines will use similar style imagery but this allows us to stand out and agents will have the right words to make sure that we stand out when they talk to our customers,” he continued. “It’s a really good time to talk about what makes Celebrity special.”
In January, Celebrity launched a marketing partner programme to help educate trade marketers about its premium products as it looked to cement itself in a new market.
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