How the P&O Ferries rebrand showed travellers ‘There Is Another Way’
Taking Rebrand or Relaunch as well as Travel and Tourism Gold at The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA 2024 is There Is Another Way by Publicis London and P&O Ferries. Here is the award-winning case study.
Example of award winning work
Background
P&O Ferries, a heritage British brand and leader in the ferry category, faced a national PR crisis, record low brand scores, and a declining category. By early 2022, P&O Ferries had stopped sailing, gone dark in advertising, and was losing customers. Despite the challenging market conditions due to Brexit and COVID-19, we decided to focus on long-term growth rather than short-term tactics like price cuts and discounts.
Objectives
-
Grow the brand and improve consideration for P&O Ferries.
-
Shift customers from other modes of transport to P&O Ferries.
-
Leverage the opportunity created by negative experiences with competitors.
Insight
Data showed that our loss in brand equity benefited competitors like EasyJet and Eurotunnel. Research revealed that 'making the journey enjoyable' and 'hassle-free' were top drivers for travel consideration, areas where P&O Ferries excelled. With our competitors’ recent failures fresh in the public’s mind, we had an opportunity to position P&O Ferries as the more enjoyable alternative.
Strategy
We repositioned P&O Ferries from a category leader to a challenger in the broader travel market, focusing on the enjoyable travel experience. The proposition: "P&O Ferries is the most enjoyable way to travel." We developed the “There Is Another Way” campaign, using humor and micro insights to highlight the hassles of flying and train travel, contrasting them with the enjoyable ferry experience.
We targeted our ads geographically and contextually, focusing on travel hubs and competitor routes. For instance, posters on the way to Gatwick Airport highlighted the lack of luggage restrictions with P&O Ferries. Regionally targeted radio ads in Kent emphasized the boring views of the Eurotunnel compared to the scenic ferry ride.
Results
-
Ad Awareness: Increased from 10% to 22% post-campaign, a 120% uplift.
-
Message Retention: 77% uplift in “makes the journey more enjoyable” and 76% uplift in “makes the journey hassle-free.”
-
Brand Uplift: YouGov brand index score increased by 156% in the first month, with P&O Ferries ranked as the biggest brand improver for 2023.
-
Consideration and Intent: Brand consideration increased by 18%, and 25% of the target audience planned to book a P&O Ferry within the next 6 months, a 92% uplift in purchase intent.
-
Bookings: During the campaign period, bookings increased by 120% compared to the same period last year.
Ready to get your work recognized on a global stage? Enter The Drum Awards today. Need more inspiration, read our Award Winning Case Studies.