Gold Medal is committed to the trade and has refuted any suggestions it will become a direct-sell brand, said managing director Terry Fisher.
Fisher said: “Gold Medal is not direct sell. We do not directly market to the consumer. It’s a trade only brand. We have put a lot of money into the trade.”
Fisher said the company, which has just unveiled a new brand, was focused on increasing awareness of its business as a tour operation with multiple destinations and shaking off its historical image as a flight consolidator.
He added that when he joined 18 months ago Gold Medal was at risk of becoming an outdated model. His priority since has been to establish profitability to previous levels.
“For many years it [the company] sat back on its reputation and did not do anything to change as a business. We have changed the structure of the board and the branding. It’s been an interesting and difficult 18 months,” he said.
The new branding is the second one in 18 months. Fisher said the first rebrand had been a “quick fix”. The new brand aims to help raise awareness of Gold Medal as a tour operator rather than a consolidator.