Royal Caribbean: Branding the Desktop
Objectives:
Royal Caribbean International faced a communications breakdown with the thousands of travel agents who book 80% of the company’s cruises. Conventional fax and email alerts of promotions, itinerary changes and other information were being lost in a storm of messages that the agents receive from fax and email. Royal Caribbean came to OTOlabs, seeking a technology solution that would address these issues, allowing for RCCL agents to gain access to booking engines and the latest content immediately through a branded desktop application.
Approach:
The objective was to create an easy-to-use desktop application which presents the agent with highly relevant alerts and messages concerning Royal Caribbean travel offers and packages. Keep users persistently engaged with up-to-date information in order to facilitate revenue-producing interactions with the following functionality:
• Reducing emails and faxes to agents
• Supporting both brands
• Company news
• Special offers and deals for agents’ clients
• Travel itinerary updates (particularly important during hurricane season)
• Weather alerts, which agents typically share with customers
An additional key feature of this application allows agents to remain authenticated within the application; giving them one-click access to cruisingpower.com site pages and utilities that previously required a separate login for each visit.
Results:
More than 7,000 travel agents have downloaded the desktop application in about a year. The product-launch contest gave those numbers a big boost – there were 1,000 downloads in two weeks.
Tracked metrics that show agents are responding well to the application and using the online tools:
• More than 90% of agents who downloaded and opened the tool kept it for more than a day
• 46% of agents who downloaded the widget have used it for an aggregate of 120 minutes — a high number because much of the activity takes place after users click through to the CruisingPower website
• Users who kept the widget for more than a week average 28 interactions per week
• 54% of users are accessing the Royal Caribbean offers page
• 36% of users are accessing the Celebrity Cruises offers page
A built-in user feedback survey provided valuable insight from the travel agents. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as:
• Automatic updates so I don’t miss anything
• Being current with the latest offers
• Ease and it’s right in front of my face
• Ease of use. Availability, timeliness of info.
• Easy to navigate; everything in one place