TUI launches campaign to ‘deepen’ connection with consumers a year on from rebrand
A year on from completing its transition from Thomson to TUI, the travel brand is looking to strengthen consideration and build “deeper emotional connections” with consumers.
TUI is launching a brand campaign that aims to “deepen the emotional connection” it has with consumers and strengthen consideration.
The creative tells the story of a mother taking her disinterested daughter on holiday. At the beginning the girl is a typical teenager, playing on her phone and rolling her eyes, but over the course of the holiday she is laughing, dancing and more engaged.
It is ambiguous whether the mother is a single parent or not and CMO Katie McAlister tells Marketing Week this is for good reason. “Those who’ve got a more traditional set-up would recognise this holiday as well as sole parents. It’s very much showing that connection between two individuals and we thought mum and daughter was a good way to bring that to life.“
The ad, created by agency Y&R, will launch on Saturday (13 October) and will be supported across digital and out-of-home.
TUI launched a marketing campaign to reinforce its rebrand from Thomson last October, which centred on the slogan ‘We cross the Ts, dot the Is and put U in the middle’.
McAlister says: “The last campaign was all about landing the TUI name. Year two is still about putting you in the middle but it is all about the emotional connection you get when going on a TUI holiday. It’s about deepening that meaning.”
She says 98% of ABC1 adults, the three highest social and economic groups, saw the campaign, and claims it was a success.
She explains: “When we began the rebrand last year we had spontaneous brand awareness of around 4%. Last year’s campaign was to get that up to 40% which we’ve achieved so we have matched or exceeded what Thomson was achieving.”
In August, TUI broadened McAlister’s role to take on responsibility for sales a decision intended to increase accountability.
She explains: “It provides a really good opportunity to allow me to not only define what the brand is and what it looks like to customers in advertising, but also to actually take control for delivering that experience.
“It’s really about coherence in terms of customer experience and delivering what we promise. It creates strong accountability for me in terms of delivering successful advertising.”
