Hays Travel hopes its turn-of-year campaign will unite its northern and southern divisions into one nationwide chain.
Hays is investing a six-figure sum in its ‘Save up to 50% Off When You Book the Hays Way’ peaks campaign, which will feature TV advertising on channels in the Tyne Tees, Meridian and West Country regions.
Radio ads will air on 18 stations, backed by print ads in more than 45 publications across the UK. The campaign went live on Boxing Day and will run until the end of February.
The Sunderland-based company bought Bath Travel two years ago, acquiring all 62 stores across Dorset, Hampshire and the south coast.
Sixty of the 62 stores have been rebranded with the Hays fascia, with the final two due to be transformed by the end of 2015.
All of the individual branch Facebook pages have been rebranded and staff name badges now feature the Hays logo.
Retail and training director Jane Schumm said the campaign would have a big focus on the south, in a bid to boost the brand’s strength.
She added: “We have made our campaign launch date earlier than ever due to the change in booking trends both in our industry and in the wider retail sector.
“The campaign duration has also been extended into February, following the longer and later booking trends of 2015.
“For us, the busy period in January is now more like an eight-week busy period from late December to mid-February.”
Hays has mooted plans to open between 30 and 40 shops along the M62 corridor (Travel Weekly, November 26), having confirmed six new shops in the Leeds and Bradford area in December.