Cox & Kings prepares for summer rebrand amid expansion plans

Cox & Kings is set to unveil a rebrand as it expands into the US and Australia.

The operator will launch a new global website in June alongside a refreshed logo and the tagline ‘Guided by curiosity’, following its expansion into Australia in May. A US launch is scheduled for September.

The new logo will highlight Cox & Kings’ founding in 1758 to showcase the company’s “unmatched heritage”, while the emblem of a horse “pays homage to the brand’s origins when travel was undertaken on horseback”.

The brand has defined its ethos with the statement: “Cox & Kings helps curious travellers go beyond the obvious to discover the world more deeply, curating enriching and immersive journeys built on a heritage of trust and expertise.”

The rebrand follows a study conducted with Barton Research Group that surveyed around 600 prospective clients across the UK, US and Australia.

The research segmented the brand’s customers into four key personas and identified a growing audience the company has labelled “active explorers”.

The brand said this demographic are “recently retired travellers aged 50 to 70 seeking to experience destinations through action, not just storytelling”.

Speaking at parent company Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group’s 100 Club conference in Chicago, Cox & Kings managing director Jennifer Charlton said: “We wanted to ensure we’re entering new markets with a clear proposition, a deeply understood customer and a product that genuinely stands apart.”

She added: “Our customers are very much invested in our product. They’re always challenging us to look at new destinations and go off the beaten track. They’re often highly educated and often know more than the guides. They are a group of people who have helped us evolve this product in the UK.

“Now, it’s not just about growth, but how we responsibly grow and modernise the product to go back into markets where it has some recognition and we’ve identified a lead.”

Charlton said the research has clearly differentiated Cox & Kings customer base from sister company Abercrombie & Kent.

She said: “We’ve spent a lot of time to understand who the Cox & Kings customer really is and make sure we respond to that requirement, and we don’t overlap with Abercrombie & Kent. It’s a materially different product and customer base.”

“Interestingly, the research told us that Cox & Kings customers can afford to pay for A&K, but they don’t see staying in a really luxurious property as important; they want to feel immersed in the destination.”

The operator’s featured accommodation comprises around 35% five-star hotels, 40% four-star and the remainder three-star properties, reflecting its presence in destinations where high-end options can be limited.

Charlton said: “That sort of thing isn’t important to our customers; the most important thing is the experience within the destination.”

Cox & Kings will add seven new destinations to its portfolio in September as it launches 20 small-group tours designed to cater to the US and Australian markets and its newly identified customer base.