The Advantage Travel Partnership has created a ‘brand toolkit’ for travel agent members and launched a Helping Hand initiative to provide extra support to branches as they deal with increased levels of enquiries.
The brand toolkit is designed to help members utilise the consortium’s branding to elevate their own individual brands – Advantage says its awareness among consumers has increased during the pandemic as a result of lobbying and media appearances.
It gives members access to various versions of the Advantage logos, including the ‘Part of Advantage Travel Partnership ‘or ‘Part of Advantage Global Business Travel’ logos, to use alongside their own logo for marketing and client communications such as point-of-sale materials, newsletters, websites, emails, letterheads, and other collateral.
Head of marketing David Forder said: “The coverage Advantage has received during the pandemic has given a significant boost to consumer awareness of The Advantage Travel partnership, and our purpose as the voice of independent human travel agents and an authoritative voice of the travel industry.”
As the UK entered its first lockdown in 2020, Advantage developed a Covid-19 Recovery Strategy to tackle the impact of the pandemic on the travel industry and Advantage’s members, helping to craft positive campaigns, mitigate negative sentiment, support the reputation of travel agents and, as the industry recovered, highlight the benefits of using a travel agent and instil confidence to consumers.
Forder added: “By ensuring that our members have all the right branding tools it is a reminder that they have some ownership over the Advantage brand and members should utilise the logo to present their business as being part of something bigger.”
He said being part of Advantage helps provide reassurance to customers and clients about important things such as financial security, brand credibility, wide choice of travel providers, products and services, as well as value for money.”
Meanwhile, Advantage has launched a Helping Hand initiative for all members who can nominate themselves or fellow consortium members to have a member of the central team spend a day in their agency.
Assistance could be helping with administrative tasks, filing, answering calls, contacting suppliers, supporting colleagues, updating the window display, meeting and greeting customers.
Leisure director Kelly Cookes told Travel Weekly: “We know that members have been working tirelessly over the last two years, often on their own or on limited staffing in very difficult circumstances.
“With an upturn in enquiries and bookings, this will inevitably place further pressure on them and their businesses (although a nicer pressure to have!).
“We know that staff shortages and finding good staff is a real challenge at the moment so were looking for a tangible way to be able to support.”