SPOTLIGHT MISS ELLIES TRAVEL
SPOTLIGHT ON...
Miss Ellies Travel
The Manchester-based agency, part of the Vertical
Group, is raising its marketing game to meet ambitious
growth targets ahead of its 30th anniversary next year
Miss Ellies Travel has unveiled a more proactive marketing strategy to try to fulfil ambitious growth plans. The move follows the appointment of Dawn
Wootton, formerly of The Cruise Village, in the new role of assistant manager, and a revamp of the Manchester-based agency including new colourful wall displays and window cards. The agency, part of The Vertical Group, has
reported profits up 14% year on year for the year to date with sales up 10%. It is targeting a 30% growth in profits by the end of the year. Vertical Group membership director Paula Nuttall says: “These are ambitious targets. We are trying to be proactive; it comes down to us getting out there. It’s no good waiting for customers to come in the door and do the same thing you’ve done for 10 years.”
Paula Nuttall
The Miss Ellies Travel team, from left: Natalie Grogan, Andrea Murphy, Dawn Wootton and Emma Palfrey
She would not reveal if this would result
in Miss Ellies opening further branches, but admits: “We are looking to expand and will reinvest profits after our end-of-year results.” The new-look Miss Ellies has already
improved the experience for existing clients, she says, adding: “It was very tired-looking and so we have done a cosmetic makeover. We have stripped out the windows and put new offers in plastic covers in the windows. “It’s lighter now when you walk in and there
are ceiling graphics and a multi-coloured wall.” Marketing plans for the agency range from
talks to work with Manchester TV editorially or commercially, further radio campaigns, working with local golf clubs, running new in-store events, emailing weekly offers to the customer database and using a Facebook campaign to increase cruise bookings. Nuttall says: “We are in an affluent area and
there are a lot of marketing opportunities.” The agency installed the group’s new
customer relationship management (CRM) system on July 1, and Nuttall says this has already improved the quality of quotes sent out by staff to clients. “We can now email more-professional
quotes,” she says. “There is no room for error, as you pull prices straight off the system.” The agency has also improved how it engages with clients by sending ‘bon voyage’ messages and welcome-home cards, and rewarding clients on key dates such as anniversaries. On September 21, the agency will host its
first event for customers with suppliers – from the luxury ocean cruise and long-haul holiday sectors – at a local hotel. A weekly cruise-focused campaign on
Facebook targeting local clients is already boosting cruise sales, adds Nuttall. “Before, we might have done one or two cruise bookings a month,” she says. “Since March we have done £100,000 in cruise sales. “People have signed up to our campaign
and it’s generated bookings in store.” The agency is also working closely with
more wedding and honeymoon suppliers, including photographers and bridal shops.
MISS ELLIES TRAVEL TIMELINE
1987 Founded by Ellie Doherty
2001 Miss Ellies purchased by Peter Healey, group chief executive of the Vertical Travel Group
2015 Paula Nuttall appointed to new role of group membership director, responsible for Miss Ellies
2016 Shop refurbished; Dawn Wootton appointed assistant manager
11 August 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 37
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