I’ve written quite a bit about the importance of nailing your travel agency brand personality.
Your brand personality helps you stand out. It helps you attract your DREAM clients. It’s what makes you memorable. Unforgettable.
But was does a travel brand bursting with personality actually look like?
Today, I want to introduce you to a travel brand that’s totally killing it on the brand personality front.
Introducing: Virgin Voyages.
Virgin Voyages is eccentric billionaire Richard Branson’s newest venture, a cruise line for travelers who are too cool for “traditional” cruises.
From its brand colors (moody black and neon purple) to its pun-tastic copy, Virgin Voyages’ entire brand broadcasts: This ain’t your average cruise line.
Let’s take a look at what VV is doing right.
Setting the Tone with your headline
Here’s a screen shot of Virgin Voyages’ home page:
Check out that headline! It packs a lot of edgy punches. It establishes a few key things up front, with panache—it’s an adults-only cruise that’s not for the faint of heart (hence “24/7 festival” and “no limits”).
By giving an unexpected twist to common phrases—I love “Come stray with us”—Virgin Voyages establishes itself as the antidote to staid cruise brands like stuffy Silversea or kids-run-amok Royal Caribbean.
(BTW, I have nothing against Silversea or RC—but Virgin Voyages is clearly positioning itself against these current market leaders. THIS is how you stand out from your competition!).
One more thing: Notice that fine print at the bottom? That’s a notice about the website’s cookie policy—and even this little bit of copy is written according to VV’s brand personality, with a joke and an emoji.
[QUIZ: Discover your Agency’s brand personality!]
Pro tip: Once you establish your brand personality, make sure you infuse it in all your copy. Doing so will make for a cohesive experience for your web visitors—and it will make even reading the boring stuff like cookies alerts or contracts fun!
Imbuing your copy with personality
I’ve got one more screen shot to share with ya:
This is a section about the entertainment you’ll find onboard, which VV has dubbed “Events & Gigs.”
Things to notice:
- More fun twists on common phrases, i.e. “unexpect the expected”
- The use of internet-isms and text speak (check out those well-placed emojis and the use of “u” and “ur”)
- Calling out the competition—”a watered-down cut of a Broadway musical?”
- An on-brand call to action—instead of “learn more” at the bottom, VV uses the much more fun “I’m Game”
- The copy and visuals work together … what other brand could get away with an image of a laser cat invading its cruise stage???
When it comes to your travel agency’s brand personality, it’s not just about what you do (in VV’s case, plan riotous, DJ-led on-board entertainment), it’s about how you say it (see above).
Virgin Voyages just opened bookings for its inaugural sailing earlier this year—and I won’t be surprised if it sells out soon.
When it does, you can bet that the company’s strong, cohesive brand personality had a LOT to do with it.
Don’t be afraid of the haters
By the way, the point of this blog post isn’t to convince you that you should have an edgy, youthful brand like Virgin Voyages. That might not work for you, or your audience. But I wanted to show you what having a distinct, cohesive brand personality looks like—and how it helps make a brand much more memorable.
In fact, you might rolling your eyes at Virgin Voyages’ whole schtick. That’s a GOOD sign!
Part of establishing your brand personality is not being afraid to turn off the kinds of clients who just don’t jibe with you. The strongest brand personalities inspire love AND hate. Creating a strong emotional bond with the reader of your website is how you’ll turn that reader into a real, live travel client.
[QUIZ] What’s your travel agency brand personality?
Are you bold and edgy like Virgin Voyages? Fun and friendly? Glamorous and elegant? Take the brand personality quiz JUST for travel pros to uncover your distinct personality traits—then use them to help set your agency apart:
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