Thomas Cook's Ad Awareness Soars

January 25, 2017, 9:45 AM GMT+0

January is traditionally a time for holiday companies to appeal to customers, as people return to work under grey skies following the Christmas break.

Thomas Cook launched its ‘You want, we do’ campaign after Christmas, but there is a twist. Naturally, we are shown images of sandy beaches and glistening seas, but the advert is also notable as it contains a same-sex couple kissing, as well as same-sex parents.

The advert has been praised for its modern approach, and for its work in more accurately representing the population. It also appears to have succeeded in its undoubted aim of attracting viewer attention. YouGov brand tracking data indicates that Thomas Cook has achieved a significant uplift in Ad Awareness. Following the campaign’s release, Thomas Cook’s Ad Awareness score (whether someone has seen a brand’s advert in the past two weeks) has increased by 7 points.

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Perhaps of greater relevance to Thomas Cook is how the advert is doing among those who are inclined to book package holidays. We can cut data by target groups, and the BrandIndex Ad Awareness score with this group has increased by 9 points since its release. An above-trend score for the target group indicates either that the message has been appropriately tuned or that the media for transmitting the message has been well selected, or both.

Looking specifically at those who would consider booking a holiday with Thomas Cook, our Profiles data indicates that they are much more likely than the average to say TV is the advertising channel that most grabs their attention (58% of 'Thomas Cook considers' vs. 49% of a GB sample).

So while companies such as Thomas Cook face pressures from new entrants to the travel sector such as Airbnb, bosses can be content that their ad campaign is being noticed, and especially by their key customer base. There is of course, the potential threat from Ryanair, and its entrance into the package holiday industry.

On a more general point, Thomas Cook’s modern offering is another example of the advertising industry attempting to reflect the world around them, and we can expect to see a great deal more of this in the months ahead.

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This article originally appeared in City A.M.