Found this today - P&O AU Loyalty

I found this today, looks like loyalty program might be comming :D

Link: http://au.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/17297809

CRM Marketing Manager, P&O Cruises

Carnival Australia - Sydney, Australia

Job description

Throughout our 80 year history P&O Cruises has remained Australia’s most loved cruise line – in fact we were voted as one of Australia’s most trusted brands in Readers Digests 2013 Trusted Brands Survey. This is an exciting time to become part of the P&O Cruises team with the recent announcement of another two ships joining our existing three ships in late 2015.

Under the general direction of the Marketing Manager, P&O Cruises, and working closely with our internal CRM Systems Team the CRM Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing and executing the CRM marketing program for P&O Cruises Australia, P&O UK and Cunard. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and delivering key customer retention strategies, including regular past passenger communications and loyalty strategies, and developing key customer acquisition strategies through lead generation promotions and conversion of prospects.

Desired Skills and Experience

We seek applications from results driven CRM marketing generalists who bring:

• 7+ years in marketing with 5+ years in direct response marketing, including direct mail, email, fulfilment and database marketing

• a strong working knowledge of database marketing principles, including list segmentation and selection, testing and measurement

• a strong understanding of CRM principles and exposure to CRM database systems and processes (Siebel an advantage)

• experience working with agencies, direct marketing vendors, fulfilment vendors and list brokers

• strong verbal and written communication skills, with a high attention to detail

• great interpersonal and relationship building skills

Good pick-up.

However, note that it covers three brands, two with their own loyalty programs, and isn't about loyalty programs as such. The P&O Aust role could well be a continuation of their current past customer marketing e.g. special deals and notifications.

They'll only start a greater loyalty program if the expected benefits exceed costs... not sure that's the case, even though competitors do.

Good pick-up.

 

However, note that it covers three brands, two with their own loyalty programs, and isn't about loyalty programs as such. The P&O Aust role could well be a continuation of their current past customer marketing e.g. special deals and notifications.

 

They'll only start a greater loyalty program if the expected benefits exceed costs... not sure that's the case, even though competitors do.

Yes and agree - however I am hopeful.

Although we have never cruised with Princess, yesterday I got an email from Princess Cruises stating that because of the number of cruises with P & O, we were now members of the Princess Captains Circle, Platinum Level. Maybe they are going to extend this incentive to P & O too?

Although we have never cruised with Princess, yesterday I got an email from Princess Cruises stating that because of the number of cruises with P & O, we were now members of the Princess Captains Circle, Platinum Level. Maybe they are going to extend this incentive to P & O too?

p&o have been talking about having a loyalty program for the last 3-4 years so i wouldnt count on it

the only thing we get is an invite to the captains cocktail party and if you are in the top 3 cruisers you get a bottle of champagne and a photo

Cruising on P&O is (now) a cheap way to build loyalty with Princess .... Platinum level gets you free internet access which you have to pay for on P&O no matter how many days sailing.

I also doubt that a loyalty program for P&O Australia will come into being soon ... why they simply can't borrow from any of the lines under Carnival is something I can't figure out ... the loyalty programs are listed on various websites ... I think that they are worried about the cost of it.

I'd be happy if they gave us priority boarding and tendering. That wouldn't cost them anything and it would be great not to have to queue for tender tickets.

I'd be happy if they gave us priority boarding and tendering. That wouldn't cost them anything and it would be great not to have to queue for tender tickets.

Perhaps (although there would be a small cost).

But the issue is more that people would be pretty unsatisfied if that's all they offered. They'd be like "I took five cruises and that's all you offer me?!" or... "I have to take 5 cruises just to get that?"

Perhaps (although there would be a small cost).

 

But the issue is more that people would be pretty unsatisfied if that's all they offered. They'd be like "I took five cruises and that's all you offer me?!" or... "I have to take 5 cruises just to get that?"

I understand what you are saying, however there is lots and lots of things that they could do (in addition to priority tender & boarding), that do not have a large cost:

- Priority seating in restaurant

- Invitation to the Officers Party

- Selected seating in the Captain Club Party (or early seating)

- Welcome letter from Captain & cruise director

- A few free photo's

- A bottle on wine on formal night, canapés on formal night

- Free (or discount) tickets to cocktail making, wine tasting, etc, etc

- Tour of bridge, galley,

- Discounts on things (Chefs table, etc)

- A voucher for free drink

Some of these things we have got in the past as the staff know us. Its all about making repeat passengers feeling special so they come back, and don;t book with another brand.

Below is the proposed loyalty Cruise Cards P&O were playing with a few years ago.

- Priority seating in restaurant

- Invitation to the Officers Party

- Selected seating in the Captain Club Party (or early seating)

- Welcome letter from Captain & cruise director

- A few free photo's

- A bottle on wine on formal night, canapés on formal night

- Free (or discount) tickets to cocktail making, wine tasting, etc, etc

- Tour of bridge, galley,

- Discounts on things (Chefs table, etc)

- A voucher for free drink

Some of these things we have got in the past as the staff know us. Its all about making repeat passengers feeling special so they come back, and don;t book with another brand

if you think p&o will give these things to repeat passengers i dont think so.....princess for elite people ...maybe

Originally Posted by PacificBear

I understand what you are saying, however there is lots and lots of things that they could do (in addition to priority tender & boarding), that do not have a large cost:

I didn't say that was all they could do.

Just that, if that was all that was offered, then people would question the benefits. i.e. a loyalty program would need to offer more than that... You have suggested some, but those do have costs attached that do add up, especially as there will be a significant share of cruisers with loyalty benefits.

-

 

if you think p&o will give these things to repeat passengers i dont think so.....princess for elite people ...maybe

Princess will go the extra mile for most passengers anyway ... particularly if they are unhappy or something goes wrong.

I know a guy who got upgraded to a mini suite after a bowl of fruit was delivered with a bug in it ... he complained which was the reason he got the fruit as a "sorry" package in the first instance after he found a bug in in salad !!!

Would that happen on P&O ??? I doubt it ... more likely to tell the pax that it's extra protein and to chew it up !!

but those do have costs attached that do add up, especially as there will be a significant share of cruisers with loyalty benefits.

More significant than any of the cruises out of the US ??? Lots of Elites (or equivalents) and repeat pax not only on Princess but other cruise lines too ...

The difference is that in the US, the cruise lines know about customer service and care about repeat pax whereas here in Australia, P&O have the industry pretty much sewn up for 12 months of the year with some strong competition for about 6 months - so "why should they care" seems to be their attitude.

P&O Australia is a bottom-feeder Carnival brand. There is no step-down to a less featured product. They're not actually particularly cheap on a per-day basis compared to heavily contested locations but they are the cheapest where they operate. So long as they stay cheap compared to other options their nasty old ships will be profitable.

I expect Australian customers who are happy with P&O are so because they don't know what Carnival offers at the same price point in other parts of the world. Australians are being ripped off plain and simple imo.

Loyalty programmes make sense where customers have a choice. P&O customers have no choice and so they don't get a loyalty programme.

More significant than any of the cruises out of the US ??? Lots of Elites (or equivalents) and repeat pax not only on Princess but other cruise lines too ...

Yep. But they were building them in an early market and growing with them over time, not just introduced them when they were already long established.

P&O already has a large base of cruisers, easily the biggest in Australia, and would need to cater for larger numbers when it starts. That means the set up costs are much more significant and the numbers to be catered for are already large. e.g. People talk about priority tendering, but if you have 3/4 of the cruise past cruisers, how do you manage that effectively? You need to cater for multiple levels, which means paying for appropriate benefits for each. Or is it only if you've done e.g. 10 P&O cruises that you get priority lines? People will think it's little benefit for lots of loyalty.

Plus there is the substantial consideration of then divorcing from the Princess and related scheme, since they're funding that, and you don't want to have double dipping. I suspect a fair number of really loyal cruisers may be quite unhappy about that.

So significant costs going that way, and needs a fair amount of thought - and funding to make it worthwhile. And then if they're funding it so much, they'll want it to return over that as well.

if you think p&o will give these things to repeat passengers i dont think so.....princess for elite people ...maybe

Looks like P&O are doing some of these, I just got an email, see the attached screen print.

Looks like P&O are doing some of these, I just got an email, see the attached screen print.

Bit of a different approach though.

These benefits aren't for loyalty, just for booking early. E.g. it could be your first cruise and you would get those benefits if you meet the booking criteria. (And you could be the most sailed, but not get them, if you book later.)

The key takeout is that it is limited in number, to avoid the issue mentioned earlier that there are a large number of people who would have loyalty benefits with P&O.

Looks like P&O are doing some of these, I just got an email, see the attached screen print.

yes i got the email too, it looks ok but they have to look after their repeat passengers

If the cost of a reward program for P&O is too much due to the high number of past passengers ... what does that say about how much they value their past passengers ? Worth nothing by the sounds of it to me !

So let them keep dropping the price to try to get more cruisers ... that can only sustain them for a little while before pax get curious about other lines and move on ... as many have done.

I'm with Mr Yellow Duck ... there's nothing that would entice me back to P&O again .. even an offer of a free cruise wouldn't do it.

Business is all about benefits exceeding costs. If programs aren't going to result in improved returns over not running them, then they won't run them.

Doesn't mean they won't try other things like the early booking benefits VIP program above, and maybe at some stage they'll believe the numbers will work out.

Still get lots of passengers, so they keep their customers happy, which is what counts.

Still get lots of passengers, so they keep their customers happy, which is what counts.

I disagree - it doesn't mean that passengers are "happy" with P&O and what they provide in terms of cruising ... "lots of passengers" just means they market their product at a particular price point which attracts a lot of first time cruisers not wanting to spend a lot of money - a suck it and see approach if you like.

The fact that past passengers have been asking for a reward program for many years means that they want something more from P&O which they appear to be unable or unwilling to deliver at this point in time ... or indeed, anytime soon.

.

I disagree - it doesn't mean that passengers are "happy" with P&O and what they provide in terms of cruising ... "lots of passengers" just means they market their product at a particular price point which attracts a lot of first time cruisers not wanting to spend a lot of money - a suck it and see approach if you like.

 

Yet people keep saying the price is too high! :confused:

In spite of that, they're still getting more sales, and from repeat cruisers. Your statement would only be correct if all their passengers were first time cruisers. This is definitely not the case. Hence, their repeat passengers are happy with the product. People wouldn't pay again for something they are not happy with.

They will pay if it is cheap no matter what ... I see it time and time again in retail ... they don't care.

But those who do care about their cruise lines / ships / service etc won't go back.

Except, as said by others, they see them as often not cheap, and yet they still get a lot of repeat business.

Of course they're not for everyone, but no cruise line is.

We have cruised with Princess before (around South Pacific) & loved it & because we did this cruise with Princess - our next cruise (already booked & deposit paid) on Sapphire Princess around South East Asia, we both got a nice discount, so we are happy.

Thank you Princess.