Cruises, to the role of vice- president of sales. White will take up the position on December 1. Ludlow and White are best


known in the trade for establishing a dedicated and individual sales team at Princess Cruises, moving away from the Complete Cruise Solution brands. They have also taken on new technology in recent months after agents criticised the CCS booking platforms and flight‑search engines.


Brand differentiation


While he believes he will apply elements of the Princess model, Ludlow said it was important to recognise the differences between the brands. He said P&O needed to demonstrate the importance of agents, to the extent that he wants his team to have “an obsession with travel agents”. He said: “I’ve proved over the


years that agents are always at the centre of my plans. They were at the core of our plans at Princess and that will remain the case at P&O. When I was at Princess, agents became a huge pillar of our strategic plans and I’m going to take that focus and make it core to the way we do things at P&O. “I want to apply what I’ve done


previously to P&O and I want us to have an obsession with travel agents. I want us to work with them as business partners, so that we can have mutually profitable relationships that drive repeat and new-to-cruise business.” Ludlow said bringing in


White would show agents how agent-focused he wants P&O Cruises to become because White had already established strong ties with the trade. He said the pair would work together to establish priorities


for the brand. This would include looking at booking platform technology, if P&O’s key agent partners highlight it as an issue.


Commission


Asked about commission, Ludlow insisted that over the past 12 months the brand had made great headway in winning back the trade, after commission cuts in 2012 led to a turbulent couple of years. Ludlow said he believes the line’s commission is no longer the hot topic among agents, and that agent feedback showed that discounting was now more under control than before. “Commission isn’t the thing agents


talk to us most about anymore,” he said. “From our perspective, the commission programmes we have at the moment are working. “We will always talk to our agent partners and listen to what they have to say; however, I think the strength of agent relations is built on more than just commission. There are so many other things we can do with them that are going to help them grow their business.” Asked if he would consider changing the commission structure, Ludlow said: “Nothing is ever permanent. But we think we’ve reached a point where it is balanced well.” Ludlow believes the trade is


looking for more training and investment in training resources – something he pledged to deliver. He also revealed he was looking at the structure of the sales team and how it operates, which could result in expansion if the need arises. He claimed an “overwhelming majority” of P&O’s bookings came through the trade. With no desire to change these booking patterns, Ludlow said


When I was at Princess, agents became a huge pillar of our strategic plans and I’m going to take that focus and make it core to the way we do things at P&O


the main aim was to expand P&O’s market as a whole, and that providing extra clarity to agents would be key to this. “Agents want clarity from us


more than anything,” he said. “They want to understand brand distinction, so we need to be articulate in how we present the brand and highlight our Britishness, which is something that makes us unique. “They also want clarity around


training and target markets. “We also need to highlight


the tools available to agents and support they can receive. If we can clarify and show the wealth of resources available, that will help them be more successful.”


New identity


Last December the line unveiled a new brand identity, 12 months after revealing the union flag design, which is now emblazoned on the hull of the ships. According to Ludlow, this new look makes it easier for agents to understand what makes P&O different. “I’ve come into a really solid


foundation,” he added. “We’ve drawn out the Britishness of our brand and all of our collateral is distinctive, with the new logo. “The team has done a great job of making the brand more distinctive. We know what P&O Cruises is now and what the brand proposition is.” Ludlow said he was excited with the challenges afoot and said they were different from the challenges he had experienced with the Princess brand. “When I was at Princess, we made a huge contribution, but in a global context. When you’re part of P&O Cruises, given the nuance of our brand, the UK is the primary and dominant source market. “We’re responsible for the entire


result of P&O Cruises, which is an exciting challenge. Success starts and finishes with the activities here in the UK. I’ve been spending time listening and learning and understanding how everything links together and works internally and externally.”


WITH LUDLOW


1. How often do you go on a cruise?


I normally go once a year and I like to really explore the ship – I’ll go into the galley and behind the stage in the theatre. In my new role I may be cruising more often to start with so I can get to know the fleet.


2. What was the first CD you bought? The Prodigy’s Music for The Jilted Generation.


3. If you could have dinner with any five people, who would they be?


I’d pick Barack Obama, Peter Kay, Sir Richard Branson, Paul Gascoigne and Noel Gallagher.


4. What is your advice to someone starting out in the travel industry? Throw yourself into it as much as possible. Volunteer for everything to make sure you’re out there learning, networking and understanding the industry. Go to the opening of an envelope if it means you’re expanding your knowledge.


5. What did you want to be while growing up? When I was four or five, I wanted to be an airline pilot – but now I’m scared of flying.


6. If you were stranded on a desert island, what could you not live without? I couldn’t live without my iPhone, and I guess I’d need an antenna to make it work in the middle of nowhere.


7. If you could have a special power, what would it be? Invisibility, so that I could see what was happening behind closed doors in negotiations, and then use that knowledge to speed the process along.


15 October 2015 travelweekly.co.uk 15


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