| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 19/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 19 |
| Copyright: Other |
Marketing strategy
Somak Holidays plans launch of additional upmarket brand
Report by DIANE SMITH
SOMAKHolidays hopes to launch a new upmarket brand for 2000/2001 in addition to its main brochure and budget product, Go Somak.Go Somak, a spin-off brochure featuring Somak’s top selling ‘off-the-peg’ holidays to Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Maldives, Egypt, Dubai, India and Sri Lanka, is being distributed this week, following the earlier launches of Go Kenya and Goa.
The product will be promoted along with the main 2000/2001 brochure, due out in the second week of July. Agent educationals will also be run to Goa in October and Kenya in November.
Somak’s managing director, Stuart Britton, said further plans include a ‘creme de la creme’ brand this year to complete the company’s portfolio.The long-term aim is to have a Go product, a main product and a creme de la creme product.
“It’s easier to sell. The logic behind it is trying to open up distribution channels. Previously we’ve worked with a fairly small number of agents but with Go we have been talking to a lot more agents.”
He claims the new Go Somak brochure will be distributed to virtually every agent in the country – with the exception of Lunn Poly – and could in time be more widely distributed than the main Somak brochure.
“Go is technically our bread and butter which keeps the company going,” said Britton. Prices lead in at £429 for a 14-night beach holiday in Sri Lanka.