Content area
Full text
Program:
Yachts of Seabourn
Marketer:
Carnival Corp., Miami
Agencies:
Tinsley Advertising, Miami
Key players:
Seabourn:
Richard Meadows, supmktg/sales; Debra Gilbert, dir-mktg/advertising;
Tinsley:
Sandy Tinsley, president, Dorn Martell, svp/group crtv dir
POSITIONING
Ultra luxury cruising should be like vacationing in a private club, where the wait staff knows your name, strains the pulp from your morning orange juice and serves that nightcap martini shaken, thank you, not stirred.
While money is no object for Yachts of Seabourn's core base of millionaire vacationers-a one-week Mediterranean cruise, for example, can run up to $15,000 per person-the Carnival cruise line's clientele is attuned, perhaps more so than any other,to calculating value. Yes, they want the extras, just not at the rack rate. Therefore, these customers are apt to appreciate the brand's soft touches in a category where cruisers complain about getting nickel and dimed to death for onboard amenities.
When passengers return to the Seabourn Pride from a complimentary shore excursion, they can rejuvenate at on-deck masseuse stations for a Random Massage Moment, a free 15-minute rub down. Or they can relax with another comped amenity Pure Pampering, by choosing one of six aromatherapy bath selections from U.K. toiletries designer Mo)ton Brown. Then, a stewardess comes to their suite, draws the water and tosses in a few rose petals. After dinner, guests can stroll on deck toward Movies Under the Stars and watch a Hollywood film with free popcorn and drinks (top shelf liquor, of course) thrown in. Wine and spirits are free throughout the ship during the entire journey Tipping is discouraged.
The cruise industry carried a record 7.4 million passengers in 2002, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Just about all boats rose with the tide, as consumers flocked to a broader menu of embarcation points just a drive or short flight away. But while mass market brands rebounded by adding ships or resorting to discounted tickets, Yachts of Seabourn reaped the rewards...