Case Studies: Agencies, Suppliers Partner on Consumer Webinars

It’s quite common when listening to suppliers speaking with travel agents to hear them refer to the partnership that exists between the two. Both parties often say one can not survive without the other.

More often than some may realize, the rhetoric of partnership is taken to the next level, with a supplier and an agency working in tandem on a special project to boost sales and exposure for both. Often the cooperative (co-op) project is as simple as a joint mailing campaign or a hosted presentation (live or online) on a particular product or destination. Sometimes, the co-op benefits a third party (such as a charity), while at the same time building brand recognition for the brand and agency.

Online Presentations

With everyone’s busy schedules, it’s often difficult to get a sales rep into agency offices for live presentations at a time that is convenient for the agents, the rep and invited clients. Webinar technology makes scheduling much easier; reps can do presentations from their offices, and clients who can’t make it to the agency storefront can tune in from home.

Plus, Webinar presentations are a cost-effective way to spread a message, eliminating the costs of travel budgets and mailings.

“Consumer Webinars are a proactive marketing strategy and one with little cost associated,” Jennifer Halboth, director of marketing for the Globus family of brands told Travel Market Report. “It provides the opportunity to share product information, as well as company (agency) overviews in an interactive online setting that keeps an audience engaged for close to an hour.”

When Globus’ river cruise division Avalon Waterways wanted to get the word out about some of its itineraries, the company reached out to top producing agency Fox World Travel and suggested a consumer-facing Webinar that would introduce river cruising in general, and Avalon Waterways specifically, to the agency’s clientele.

“Fox World Travel demonstrates solid loyalty with their consumers, as well as a strong Web presence,” Halboth said, explaining the choice of the agency.

Avalon Waterways contacted the agency owner and sales and marketing executives to discuss strategy for the Webinar.

“At first, there was some hesitation about us getting the contact information about their clientele,” Halboth admitted – all registrations for the Webinar went directly to Avalon.

“We went through a thorough reassurance about all of the benefits that the Webinars provide for them, including the reports that they are entitled to for strategic follow-up.”

In the weeks leading up to the Webinar, Avalon Waterways touched base with Fox World Travel regularly to ensure the agency was marketing the Webinar, and to reassure Fox World Travel that Avalon was preparing for the event and managing registrations on their end. The river cruise company submitted a bi-weekly registration report per Fox World Travel’s request.

Avalon Waterways did two consumer Webinars for Fox World Travel clients. The first Webinar was an overview of the company, and the second was a more in-depth look at a few of Avalon’s itineraries for which Fox World Travel had group space blocked. In addition to the Avalon presenters, representatives from Fox World Travel were on both Webinars to give an overview of the agency, as well as to assist with booking questions and logistics.

Even after the Webinars, Avalon kept in touch sharing regular attendee reports (both live attendees and those who reviewed the archived Webinar), as well tracking the progress on new bookings.

“It was a very successful and smooth partnership from start to finish,” Halboth said. Of the 26 consumers who attended the first Webinar in October 2009, eight booked a future Avalon Waterways river cruise (four bookings). Seventy-one consumers attended the second Webinar in January 2010, resulting in eight bookings (15 passengers).

Drumming up Passion for Oberammergau

When Collette Vacations and AAA East Penn decided they wanted to give an extra push to Oberammergau products, Collette district sales manager Bob Koch and AAA East Penn director of travel services Sally S. McCorrison, CTC, CTIE, worked together to create a series of three Passion Play-focused Webinars for AAA East Penn clients. The customer-focused Webinars were a first for both.

“Sometimes it can be a challenge to set up live travel talks for all five offices – it puts a strain on the presenter/supplier and takes a lot of their time,” McCorrison said of the decision to go with a Webinar series.

“Our challenge was to create an informative PowerPoint presentation that our members could view simultaneously in all of our offices, and at home,” she added.

Unlike the Avalon Waterways Webinar series, however, AAA East Penn was responsible for both marketing the Webinars and taking registrations, while Collette provided the Webinar, including the customized PowerPoint presentation.

“Sally went out and played Paul Revere and got a lot of attention for the Webinars” Koch told TMR. “I customized the slides with Members Choice Vacation branding, which is our branding with AAA and they herded the people into the offices.”

“We worked with our marketing staff to create a special landing page to RSVP for online viewing, or to attend the talk in a travel office,” McCorrison explained. The links to the landing page were embedded in the ads sent to AAA East Penn members.

“We advertised the Webinars in our AAA Traveler member publication, via e-mail blasts and some direct mail.”

Koch conducted three Webinars, which were projected onto a big screen in three AAA East Penn offices, promoting two Collette tours that included Oberammergau from his home office, and AAA East Penn had managers and agents present to help answer questions and assist with bookings.

“We had anywhere from six to 15 people in their offices. It worked pretty well and it did drive some business. It was a very proactive effort on both parts.”

Although the Webinars resulted in some bookings, Koch said their value was also in simply getting Collette’s name out.

“Like with any advertising, we’re getting name recognition. We’re getting the brand out and we’re raising awareness of the tours.”
 
McCorrison also was very pleased with the results and told TMR that AAA East Penn has since expanded the concept to other suppliers, including Hawaii, Royal Caribbean, and a Disney Webinar, which attracted more than 300 people.
 
McCorrison said the Webinars make it very easy for everyone involved. For instance, on the day of the Royal Caribbean Webinar a snow storm forced the closure of all agency storefronts. AAA East Penn called all clients who were registered to attend and told them how they could dial in from home – and McCorrison said they all did.
 
Additionally, AAA East Penn call center employees were able to work from home remotely so could take calls and check e-mails to immediately respond to clients’ questions and requests.

Next week: More on how supplier-agency partnerships work