Carnival Corporation expects to make “multi-million dollar” savings in advertising costs by consolidating media buying across seven of its 10 global cruise brands in North America and UK.
Just one advertising agency will work across the brands instead of six previously who spent a combined $116 million in the two regions last year.
Omnicom advertising agency PHD is being hired to handle all media planning and buying for Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises in the UK and Cunard in North America and the UK.
PHD currently supports media planning and buying for Carnival Cruise Line and Cunard Line.
The move follows an extensive agency review and media buying analysis, according to Carnival Corporation.
PHD has been awarded the multi-brand brief based on the firm’s “global expertise, capabilities and purchasing power for North America and the UK”.
The Miami-based cruise giant said: “The move leverages Carnival Corporation’s scale as the world’s largest cruise company to improve the strategic coordination of media buying across multiple brands in two of the world’s largest regions for cruise vacations.
“It is expected to help generate awareness and drive increased demand for cruising, while creating multi-million dollar savings in media costs.
“In 2015, Carnival Corporation’s six brands in the two regions combined for $116 million in media spend.”
Carnival Corporation chief strategy officer, Josh Leibowitz, said: “Bringing together our brands to work with a world class agency like PHD enables us to further enhance our digital and traditional media strategies to grow demand for cruising as the world’s best vacation choice.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to leverage our scale across 10 global cruise brands, this agreement enables our brands to work together in a completely new way.”