2012 Bronze Best use of eCRM Bronze Automotive

Client Thomson - TUI UK

How did the campaign make a difference? The MyThomson Cruise pre-departure journey is part of Thomson Cruise’s mission to provide customers with an unrivalled 1-2-1 personalised customer service. 60% of customers say the programme really brought their cruise to life and helped them get more excited about their holiday.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? The MyThomson Cruise pre-departure journey is an intelligent blend of digital and physical media that provides the customer with a personalised journey (through email, personalised website, and supporting SMS and compliance materials) centred on each customer’s planned cruise. Tailored dynamic content puts everything they need to know about their cruise in one place, e.g. weather information, photos and cruise preparation video content (like getting to the airport, excursions in each port of call, foreign exchange) and cruise essentials that include cabin upgrades, organising UK departure port parking, or booking activities in advance.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? A cruise is a very personal holiday experience, so media channels were selected to match each customer’s preferences. That includes a personalised MyThomson Cruise website, with land and sea-based resorts, cruise ship videos, destinations and excursion guides, current weather and a cruise checklist with reminders for cruise holiday extras including personalised prices. This is supported by a pre-departure email programme of eight, highly personalised, emails counting down from booking to departure. The aim is to help build excitement about the cruise, and mix useful information with opportunities to cross-sell cruise extras. TUI retail customers receive a Thomson Cruise ticket book that’s 100% digitally personalised, containing their tickets, essential travel information about their cruise, personalised vouchers, and foreign exchange offers, redeemable only from their local Thomson shop to drive footfall and significant ancillary revenue.

Results This integrated and personalised strategy pushes timely, personal and relevant reminders about each customer’s individual aspirational, anticipative, fun, and necessary attributes; it has helped increase the incremental value of each customer. 89,264 customers have engaged with the programme, with average order values within seven days of email communication being £3,119 (resulting from customers being inspired to book their next cruise before departing for their current one!) and average revenue generated per click is £26. Ancillary cruise product bookings have also increased by 19% since programme launch.

Team Jeremy Gidley, Denise Cooper, Helen Alexander, Reena Tailor, Sandra Wright, Mark Brennan, Dan Martin, Simon Greenstreet, Adam Butcher, Roy Peters

Other contributors DST Output – Digital printing, AXS-one – Ticket generation for third parties