PONANT CRUISES
POSITIONING A LUXURY EUROPEAN CRUISE BRAND EFFECTIVELY FOR THE US MARKET
CHALLENGE
Ponant Cruises is a French cruise company providing high-end expedition cruises with unique itineraries, private yacht ambiance and French “art of living” experiences. In 2019, Ponant acquired the Paul Gaugin, a renowned and very highly-rated South Pacific based cruise ship, and wanted to leverage the brand awareness levels and travel trade relationships Paul Gaugin had established in the North American market –across the Ponant portfolio.
solution
Conduct a research study of the premium cruise market – with reach-out to both Ponant and Paul Gaugin travel advisors, incentive houses and consumers that would inform a recommendation of how to more effectively position Ponant in the US market – poising them for continued growth.
The engagement included:
Development of research methodology and questionnaire to include areas from brand perceptions to sales and marketing programs to booking and documentation processes
Hand-pick list of participants in the study
Conduct and synthesize the interviews
Create final report, recommendations and executive presentation
results
Strategic Vision uncovered valuable insights that led to a successful Ponant repositioning strategy including optimized sales and marketing plans, cross-selling opportunities and effective travel advisor support and engagement strategies.