07.11.13 Social media


The cruise sector needs to get ‘more personal’


Chloe Clann


CRUISE COMPANIES were told to personalise interactions, engage with bloggers and choose their channels wisely during a talk on social media. Speaking at WTM, Adele Foster, events


and training manager at Cruise Lines International Association, said social media had increasingly played a part in the growth of the cruise industry and was helping to drive new bookings. Focusing on details and tailoring


interactions are just two of the ways that Disney Cruise Line had increased its outreach, according to Ginger Taggart, executive marketing, sales and business strategy at Disney Cruise Line. “This [social media] is an avenue for us to


connect with our guests,” she said. Taggart added that in addition to helping


court prospective customers, tailored interactions can help to remind previous customers of experiences and encourage them to consider booking again. An example of such tactics at Disney Cruise Line included sending virtual postcards about dream voyages or upcoming holidays to friends and family. The company also engages regularly with


its followers on Facebook by highlighting certain pictures and posts to its online audience. Content that can be easily shared by


consumers has also been pushed by the cruise line; Taggart


Clockwise from main: Valentino Iorio, MSC Cruises; Ginger Taggart, Disney Cruise Line; and Dean Harvey, Designate


added that taking such steps helps to build an online community. Valentino Iorio, web marketing executive


at MSC Cruises, explained how using bloggers can help to expand companies’ social media presence and to increase engagement with both current and prospective customers. The cruise line invited three bloggers


aboard the MSC Preziosa earlier this year for the ship’s christening. The bloggers tweeted and posted


pictures, videos and updates on their social media profiles both during and after the cruise, which helped to drum up interest for the new ship.


ESSENTIAL TWEETERS


@WTM_London The official twitter account for WTM London. Up from 20,000 followers last year to 36,000 this year. Follow for exhibitor news and seminar timings, and retweets from delegates enjoying the show. Important hashtag: #wtm13


@WTM_WRTD The twitter feed for World Responsible Tourism Day. Use the hashtag #WTMWRTD


@socialtrav/@markfrary/@StevenKeenan Journalists Mark Frary and Steven Keenan of Travel Perspective consultancy are once again coordinating many of the social media seminars at WTM.


@SabreTN Sabre Travel Network, the global technology company and GDS provider, is headline sponsor of the social media programme at WTM 2103.


For those dismissive of the power and


influence social media can bring, Dean Harvey, digital development director at Designate, warned sceptics that social media, and the transparency it brings, is here to stay. While Harvey acknowledged that


consumers now have more power than ever, he added that the networks were there to be exploited by those in the cruise industry. “Travel is inherently social; people love to


talk, reminisce and share the details of their holidays,” he said. “Cruisers brag about where they’ve been. “You can truly own these relationships on a one-on-one channel.”


Harvey added that to obtain an ostensibly one-on-one relationship with consumers, companies should be wary of committing to multiple channels. “You need to pick your channels because


once you’re there you need to stay there,” he said.


In a similar vein, Erin Johnson, head of


marketing at Carnival Cruise Lines UK, said that social media was not something to take on lightly. “We monitor that [social media platforms]


on a 24-hour basis to make sure we’re answering the questions customers are asking us,” she said.


TTG@WTM


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@DanielPearce @AprilHutchinson @philippajacks @PatrickWhyteTTG @Katherine_TTG @matt_parsons @achallenor @ChloeCann


TTG TWEETERS 07.11.2013 29


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