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Thomson Cruises considering rebrand
Thomson Cruises embarked on its first consumer marketing campaign this week as the company looks to develop this side of its business as an international cruise brand.
Speaking at the ACE Cruise Convention Columbus Day in Birmingham, managing director Fraser Ellacott revealed that TUI was looking to evolve its cruise brand along the lines of its upmarket Sensatori product, which appeals to a number of different nationalities.
But he stressed that while this could see a new name introduced for the company’s cruise operation, the Thomson name would stay.
Such a change would not happen for another few years, but the company is keen to build on its strength in the cruise sector, which has seen it become the third-largest cruise operator in the UK market.
Thomson is also planning to capitalise on its huge stock of international hotel rooms to ramp up its choice of cruise and stay holidays.
Ellacott claimed such developments underlined how companies needed to adapt their product to reflect the changing tastes of consumers.
"Unless we, as an industry, put the customer at the centre of what we do, the business is at risk," he added.
Hotelier Alex Polizzi, who stars in TV’s The Hotel Inspector and The Fixer, stressed the importance of having the right product to appeal to clients along with first-rate customer service.
"Money spent on keeping customers happy goes further than money spent on advertising," she added.
Industry consultant Tom Allen urged companies to engage with their customers through channels such as Facebook or Twitter.
"Customers are changing and we have to change with them," he added.
by Sara Macefield
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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