Brand USA has selected Thomas Cook Group for a multi-million dollar co-operative marketing deal to promote the country as the world’s leading destination for European visitors.
The agreement is the biggest media and partnership deal Brand USA has made with a travel retailer in Europe.
It is part of a fully integrated omni-channel campaign targeting potential travellers across Thomas Cook’s platforms from online through to in-store, direct and inflight.
The partnership, which will initially last for three months from mid-January and run simultaneously across the UK, Germany, Belgium and Holland, will see Cook and Brand USA embark on a high-profile, multi-media campaign that fully utilises all of the holiday company’s consumer and trade touch-points.
It will include in-store promotions across Cook’s agency branches, prominence in brochures, social media activities and dedicated sign up by Thomas Cook staff to Brand USA’s new agent training tool, the USA Discovery Program, as well as innovative print and digital marketing activity.
The partnership will take advantage of the Cook brands – such as Neckerman in Germany – to build pan-European awareness of the individual destinations within the US and drive visitors to the country.
The agreement follows Cook aligning its online media solutions and tour operator partnerships teams across Europe to create the Thomas Cook Media & Partnerships division.
The initiative will bring together media and travel partnerships expertise within the group to deliver marketing and media programmes to partners, suppliers and third party brands.
Cook head of media and partnerships Stuart Adamson said: “This partnership is a powerful combination to stimulate European travel to the U.S., leveraging the full strength of Thomas Cook as an omni-channel retailer.
“The recently-aligned media and partnerships team combine the best in both travel expertise and media innovation, and we are looking forward to delivering a fully integrated on and offline campaign that will stimulate further interest from our customers throughout Europe in all that US has to offer.”
Brand USA chief executive Christopher Thompson added: “This fully integrated campaign provides a platform for the US to re-enforce Brand USA’s efforts to deliver programs that increase awareness and enhance the image of the United States.
“We take great pride in our ability to partner with such an established operator as Thomas Cook, allowing us the opportunity to engage the European market to not only consider visiting the US but also enable them to book travel through a trusted operator.”