As winter drags on, one way that upscale consumers beat the cold is by cruising. Advertisers can target passengers on board cruise ships with print, broadcast and digital messages. The audience is captive and it’s growing.
To find out how to get your client’s message on board, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Ads and sampling are used to target consumers while they are on commercial cruises.
Who
Brand Connections, headquartered in New York.
How it works
Print and broadcast ads and sampling are used to reach passengers on seven-day Carnival line cruises.
Options include:
In-cabin television
Thirty- and 60-second spots air on regular cable channels and also on dedicated Carnival channels, which passengers check for shipboard events. Infomercials can also be aired.
“One of the first things we did was have Nielsen come on and identify whether people actually watch TV on a cruise,” says CEO Brian Martin. “The average consumer on a ship watches 73 minutes a day. That’s less time than the TV is on at home, but when they’re watching it’s a choice, so it tends to have more of an impression.”
On-board billboards
Both static and digital billboards are located on public promenade decks. Cruise-related information is looped with ads on the digital signage.
In-cabin product sampling
Arriving in their rooms, passengers find baskets of product samples, and they're often gender-specific. “For example, next to the sink there might be body wash and facial cream and other products needed when you’re in the sun and salt and sea air,” Martin says.
On-board events
Passengers are invited to actually try products, say for hair care at the ship's spa, that are typically introduced through in-cabin literature.
Branded postcards and literature
They are placed in cabins, and in the case of the postcards could be something the consumer could use to mail to a friend.
Category exclusivity is built in. Advertisers usually use a combination of programs, Martin says.
The amenities kits or baskets are well received, says Vance Gulliksen, public relations manager for Carnival. “People appreciate the opportunity to use the same brand names they use at home or to experiment with new products.”
Follow-up can include ads placed in Currents Magazine, which is mailed by Carnival to recent cruisers.
Markets
Cruises leave from Miami, New York City, Boston, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston and San Diego.
Numbers
Reach is 3.5 million guests annually traveling on 22 ships.
Currents Magazine has a distribution of 3 million and is audited by BPA Worldwide.
How it is measured
Impressions are based on number of passengers, number of samples distributed, and response rate to special offers.
Research
Pre- and post-cruise surveys are conducted to measure awareness of each product.
“Also every product on board is evaluated independently to make sure guests react favorably,” Martin says. “Ten percent of brands aren’t invited back because they don’t score high enough.”
What product categories do well
Financial services, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, wine, beer, spirits, food, electronics and automobiles are top categories.
Demographics
Carnival passengers are:
-30 percent under 35 years old
-40 percent 35 to 55 years old
-30 percent over 55
These include the 575,000 children and a million-plus seniors who will cruise with Carnival this year.
According to the Miami-based Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruisers in general:
-have a median age of 49
-have an average household income of $84,000
More than half, 57 percent, are college graduates, 83 percent are married, and 16 percent are retired.
Making the buy
Lead time is two months. Advertisers buy the network. An average buy is six months. Creative can be changed quarterly.
Who’s already on cruise ships
Bic USA, Crest Toothpaste, Tylenol PM, Trident White, Goody Styling Therapy and Harlequin are recent advertisers.
What they’re saying
“Every brand tries to reach consumers at their most receptive moment. A cruise is the ultimate manifestation of that, when people have time on their hands, a lack of clutter and a chance to associate your product with the pleasure of that environment. It’s like a brand incubator.” – Brian Martin, CEO of Brand Connections
Web site info
Brand Connections at www.brandconnections.com
