The reinvention of P&O Cruises from fusty holiday of choice for the elderly to a brand appealing to a markedly younger audience has been one of the major – and most surprising – success stories in the UK travel industry over the past decade.
In 2014, faced with intense competition and hamstrung by an addiction to discounting, the Carnival-owned brand was in trouble. “It was about price, it was about deals, and P&O Cruises was no exception. [The brand] was teaching consumers to game the system,” said Maria McHugh, Planning Partner at creative agency Founded, speaking at Thinkbox’s ‘Destination effectiveness:...