Vacation.com Reports Record Sign-Ups for Engagement Marketing Program

travel agentVacation.com reported strong growth in its Engagement marketing program. The North American travel services marketing organization said that, to date, a record 2,300 Vacation.com agencies are participating.

In addition, more than 500 are enrolled in the Engagement Select program, which integrates with Trams ClientBase.
 
Vacation.com also said it will send a record number of 170 distinct email and direct mail promotions in 2013. That translates into approximately80 million supplier-funded pieces.
 
More than half of those promotions will incorporateVacation.com’s recently launched "retargeting" initiative (http://joinvacation.com/press/05062012_email.pdf.)
 
“We’re extremely pleased with the record participation of our members in our Engagement program. Helping our members successfully promote their businesses and their services is a primary focus of what we do and that’s what Engagement is all about,” said John Lovell, president, Vacation.com.
 
Lovell continued: “We are continually looking for more innovative ways to assist our members in promoting exceptional vacation experiences to their clients, which is why Engagement is growing and evolving with more supplier offers and original creative elements.”
 
New this spring, Vacation.com utilized the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) recently introduced Picture Permit Imprint Indica feature on an Engagement mailing for Crystal Cruises.
 
For the mailing, Vacation.com included a more picturesque photo stamp in the upper right corner of the postcard or brochure. Typically, mailings include a standard bulk postage text stamp.
 
Vacation.com said the photo design, which complements Crystal’s brochure artwork, gives the Vacation.com member agencies a more attractive piece to share with their clients.
 
“We are pleased that Vacation.com has chosen Crystal as its very first industry partner to utilize the United States Postal Service’s new Picture Permit postage indicia,” said Nitsa Lewis, vice president of marketing, Crystal Cruises.
 
She said that Vacation.com was able to design and use the custom stamp using the line's ‘Begin a New Story’ campaign artwork; the stamp reinforces the branding in the Engagement piece.
 
Engagement is Vacation.com’s targeted marketing program that delivers specific supplier offers to clients through professionally-designed brochures and targeted e-mails.
 
Engagement Select offers the highest level of targeted marketing, utilizing a client’s past purchasing records and marketing preferences.
 
Announced in May 2012, Retargeting allows Vacation.com suppliers to maximize exposure to their exclusive travel offers.
 
This technology keeps each supplier’s offer in front of the traveler as they surf the Web during their daily activities; ads link directly back to the agency-branded supplier promotion landing page.
 
The 2013 Engagement calendar is available for members to download now on Vacation.com’s Agent Universe Web portal at www.agentuniverse.com.
 
For information on Vacation.com, visit www.joinvacation.com.