How P&O Ferries used a challenger mindset to win back customers
By taking on the competition, P&O revived its brand health metrics and drove reappraisal of ferry travel.
In 2023, P&O Ferries faced a series of challenges. The ferry category was shrinking as people switched to using low-cost airlines, the Eurotunnel and Eurostar. P&O was also grappling with a wave of negative PR following its controversial decision to sack its crew in 2022.
The brand needed a new creative strategy that would stop the exodus of customers and grow brand consideration once more. Working with Publicis London, the business focused on winning back market share from its non-ferry competitors.
Research revealed that ‘making the journey enjoyable’ was an important motivating factor for travellers, one P&O could credibly claim to be better at than the airlines or rail providers. This insight informed a new challenger brand approach for P&O and fresh campaign ‘There is Another Way’.
The campaign used generous helpings of white space in outdoor and print ads to reference the roomy nature of a P&O ship. Alongside nostalgic photography, copy lines poked fun at the hassles of plane and train travel, from the minimal leg room to the lack of views on the Eurotunnel.
With a small media budget, P&O focused on tactical placements that would achieve the biggest impact. Posters appeared on route to both the Eurostar and Gatwick Express, while adverts ran on local Kent radio stations.
Awareness and consideration soared, with P&O’s YouGov BrandIndex score climbing by 156% in the first month of activity. Bookings grew 120% during the campaign period, versus the same time the previous year, helping P&O Ferries win the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Travel, Tourism and Hospitality.
