Vacation.com Launches Personalized Consumer URLs

Vacation.com has launched a new, innovative campaign in cooperation with Globus and Passport Online to create a unique e-mail and landing page for every consumer e-mail. The move will take travel agency marketing to a new level of innovation when the new service starts this week, Vacation.com believes. The Personalized URL addresses, known as PURLs, will  generate a custom-made email and landing page for every consumer recipient.

“Personalized URLs are the next step to achieving a pure, one-to-one marketing dialogue with the customer,” said Stephen McGillivray, Vacation.com’s vice president of marketing and public relations. “I would like to recognize Globus and Passport for stepping up to try new marketing strategies and for making this ground-breaking idea a reality. Our plan is to run multiple campaigns over the year with various suppliers using PURLs.”

Created in partnership with the Globus family of brands and Passport Online Inc., the PURL campaign is the latest enhancement to Vacation.com’s award-winning direct marketing program, Engagement, which also employs sophisticated segmentation and discretionary income analysis.

Vacation.com chose this new marketing approach to produce an even stronger response from customers. PURL e-mails are expected to elicit a click-through rate 300-500 percent higher than typical promotional e-mails.

Clients of Vacation.com members who have opted into the current Globus promotion will receive an email personalized with a link to their own individual URL, such as www.JohnDoe.TheYouTrip.com. When the consumer clicks on this link, they will be taken to a Passport Online-hosted web page with details on a Globus North American family vacation. This page is further personalized with the family's information, a note from the Vacation.com member agency reiterating the value of the offer and an individualized coupon valid only with the member agency. 

“I’ve seen a fair share of diverse tactics used to get that all-important click-through,” added Greg Kott, president and CEO of Passport Online Inc., a leading provider of e-commerce solutions. “These PURL sites—created by a true collaborative effort—speak to the client in a whole new way. I expect them to generate a very positive response.”

Vacation.com members can visit www.AgentNet to opt-in to future Engagement promotions. All other agents should visit www.JoinVacation.com or call (703) 740-4317.