Viking Marketing Toolkit

VIKING

Marketing Toolkit

Marketing Toolkit

1. Overview

2. About Viking

3. Marketing Tools

• Brochures

• Flyers

• Social Media

• Image Library

• Video

• Digital Banners & eDM Tiles

• Window displays

• Press advertising

• Offer Catalogue

• Direct Mail

• Viking Explorer Society Magazine

• Viking.TV

4. Working Together

5. Contact Us

Overview

At Viking, our trade partners are the key to our success. With significant marketing investment in our available platforms we aim to drive demand and business through your door. We find the most successful trade partners are the ones who couple this with their own marketing activity to ensure both existing and new clients receive this messaging from multiple touch points.

This marketing toolkit is designed to show you how to use the many assets we have available to help maximize your Viking sales. And remember, with no NCFS, a Viking booking means more money in your back pocket.

How We Support Your Business

Viking spends significant marketing dollars on activity to drive business to your store.

Press Ads & Magazines

We have an ongoing presence in national and local newspapers and magazines throughout the year. We know this drives business to our trade partners through the bookings that confirm as a direct result of what we have advertised.

Social Media

Our guest demographic is highly engaged with social media. We engage in regular Facebook campaigns highlighting key itineraries and destinations that are popular within our market.

eDM

eDM helps us establish which itineraries are popular with our clientele, and is an effective way for us to communicate news to our past and future guests, as well as trade partners.

PR

We work with both trade & consumer media outlets to create positive news stories about our offers, ships and destinations, plus we send journalists on multiple famils to generate coverage, all helping to educate the customer about Viking product.

The Viking Guest

Viking isn’t for everyone, but we just might be for your clients.

A Viking guest is generally:

• 55+

• Well travelled

• Discerning

• Culturally curious

• Looking for an immersive destination experience

• Interested in culture and history, art, food, wine

What Sets Us Apart

Many cruise lines offer similar experiences for their guests, so it can be challenging working out which cruise is the best for your clients.

At Viking, we differentiate ourselves by what we are not.

No kids

No casinos

N o charge for wine or beer with lunch and dinner

N o inside staterooms – every room has a balcony or window

N o charge for Wi-Fi on board – all guests have unlimited access

N o art auctions or professional photographers

N o extra costs for specialty dining options – all meals (including 24-hour room service) are included

N o entrance fee or sales pressure at our Nordic-inspired spa, complete with Snow Grotto

N o extra port charges, on board tipping or gratuities – it’s all included in the fare

N o formal nights or butlers – we offer a more relaxed cruise experience

N o charge for specialty coffees, teas or bottled water

Marketing Tools

Brochures

Brochures remain one of the best ways for a client to develop a thorough understanding of what Viking offers in terms of experience and itineraries. Brochures are released annually, and are available for you to order through TIFS (AU) and Brochurenet (NZ). They are also available to view online, and the links can be shared with your clients via eDM newsletters, social media or email.

Flyers

We have a range of flyers available across our entire product range, many of which can be customised with your own call to action. These can be accessed through the Viking marketing centre, where you can upload your logo and contact details which will be placed on the flyer – ready for print or digital send. Flyers are updated periodically and with each new campaign launch, but if you are looking for something specific, please get in touch and we can easily create something for you.

Social Media

Viking Facebook Page

The Viking Facebook page is a valuable source of information for all things Viking related – from product and brochure launches, new campaigns and offers, and itinerary highlights – you will find it on our Facebook page. With new posts daily curated for our Australia & New Zealand guests and trade partners, there is a constant flow of new and engaging content.

Sharing Content

For our industry partners that want to share existing content, it’s easy to share the Viking posts onto your own Facebook page.

Click on the Share arrow at the bottom of the post, and select where you would like to share the content. This might be as a post on your own page, as a Facebook Story, or even with your client via Messenger.

Social Media Marketing Centre Assets

Social media is one of the easiest tools available to communicate to your audience –and it’s free! We have hundreds of social media tiles and videos available on the Viking Marketing Centre to help you build your Facebook and Instagram campaigns. Complete with suggested copy for your post, you will find everything you need to promote Viking to your clients.

Image Library

The Viking image library can be accessed through the Marketing Centre and houses hundreds of images across our ocean, river and expedition product, including onboard, ship and destination images. The images are available in high resolution and easily downloadable for you to use when marketing Viking to your clients.

Video

Viking has a well stocked library of video content covering everything from itinerary videos, on shore excursions, destinations, onboard experiences and brand content. These are a great resource to share with clients to help them develop a deeper understanding of the Viking product and experience.

The full library of videos can be viewed on the Viking YouTube channels, with a selection available for download on the Marketing Centre:

Viking Ocean

Viking River

Digital Banners & eDM tiles

Viking have a selection of eDM tiles and digital banners available for you when promoting Viking product through digital channels. These can be accessed through the Marketing Centre.

eDM banners are created at the standard width of 600px which will work for most email platforms. If your email system uses a different size and you’d like a customized banner, please get in touch and we can create this for you.

Digital banners also come in the standard sizes of 300x250 (MREC), 160x600 (Skyscraper) & 300x600 (HPU)

600x300 | eDM Tile

600x150 | eDM Tile

300x250 | MREC

300x600 | HPU

Window Displays

We can help you maximize any available window space in your store by creating a bespoke window display to fit any dimensions. These can be tailored to specific product or across the entire Viking range. We can also provide you with digital tiles to be used on in-store screens or digital displays.

Press Advertising

We regularly feature in national and regional press, ensuring a consistent presence in the Australia & New Zealand market. We have occasional opportunities for co-op in regional papers. If we’re in your local paper and you’d like to work with us, please get in touch.

Offer Catalogue

Viking campaigns are accompanied by an offer catalogue. The digital version of the catalogue can be customised with your own contact and agency details, for you to send on to your clients through eDM, social media or be housed on your website. We can also run a printed version for distribution in your local area. This can be done by a simple mail drop, mail out to your existing database, or through a more targeted approach using Experian data to identify high potential households in your local area of new clients. We are happy to discuss these opportunities with you if of interest.

Direct Mail

We can create a bespoke direct mail piece featuring any of the Viking product to suit your needs. This can be distributed by a simple mail drop, mail out to your existing database, or through a more targeted approach using Experian data to identify high potential households in your local area of new clients. We are happy to discuss these opportunities with you if of interest.

Viking Explorer Society Magazine

As part of our Viking Explorer Society past guest program, we release a quarterly digital magazine full of softer content including destination guides, recipes, interviews and itinerary highlights. This digital magazine can be customized with your own contact details, for you to send on to your clients through eDM, social media or be housed on your website.

Viking.TV

Viking.TV is a brand new video platform, designed to help your clients explore the world of Viking from the comfort of their own home. The library consists of a range of content, from short documentaries, itinerary videos, destination highlights, reading lists, filmographies, classical music concerts, and much more.

How We Can Work Together

We have an in-house trade marketing team who are available to work with you on putting together a dedicated marketing plan to drive business to your store.

Some examples of activity include:

• eDM with special offers to your database

• Social media campaign including sponsored or boosted posts

• Blog posts

• Advertising in local newspapers

• Direct mail piece to your database or local area via mail drop

• In-store window display

• Client nights, expos and information sessions with your Viking Commercial Manager

To discuss a marketing plan with Viking, contact your commercial manager or agents.anz@viking.com