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Why social media is zooming up in Silversea's marketing strategy

(Photo: Anne Kalosh)
Barbara Muckermann, right, aboard the new Silver Muse with Janet Bava, vp marketing for the Americas
'Delivering the most amazing destinations in luxury' sums up Silversea Cruises' brand position, according to chief marketing officer Barbara Muckermann, who said baby boomers remain the target (millennials lack the dough), social media will become key to the strategy and new branding and advertising will be unleashed in the summer.

Briefing top travel partners and media aboard the newly delivered Silver Muse, Muckermann presented research showing Silversea at the high intersection of elegance and destination variety versus competitors, with Silversea Expeditions particularly pushing out the brand in respect to destinations. (Silversea visits a whopping 761 destinations with 585 of those in the expeditions lineup.)

Since world cruise sales are so vital to travel partners, Muckermann told how 2019's San Francisco to London voyage, dubbed 'The Tale of Tales,' will consist of nine chapters (segments) with guest resident authors/artists 'creating amazing content to share online and socially.'

Pre-sales of world cruises jumped 19% in early testing thanks to incorporating richer content in marketing, including the sounds of places, and moving away from 'plastic images of couples without any wrinkles' to show 'the real world.'

Silversea's target market, Muckermann said, is 'not interested in fake presentations of the perfect world. They're interested in enrichment.'

Luxury trends show a shift away from durable goods to experiences. Last year, global watch sales sank 8%, while sales for hotels and cruises grew 17% and 16% respectively.

Millennials may be all the rage with marketers but at Silversea, baby boomers remain the focus. They're 'active and dynamic in retirement,' and see retirement as a time to enrich and reward themselves. They're 'hungry for experiences.' And they're affluent.

Baby boomers currently control 68% of disposable income and over the next 20 years will inherit $15 trillion.

'Millennials are absolutely not there,' as Muckermann put it. 'They're more laid back. They spend more time on the couch than exploring the world and they don't have the income for Silversea.'

Despite the baby boomers' interests and affluence, only 5% to 10% of marketing currently targets this segment. 'Everyone believes the millennials are sexy. Yes, but we still believe in the boomers,' Muckermann said. She used the example of Audi's clever advertising as evidence of another brand with the same conclusion and focus.

Service is important to the affluent boomer market, which has worked hard and wants to reward itself in retirement. That's a key reason why Silversea is keeping its ships smaller. Silver Muse carries just 596 passengers. 'I don't think we'll ever go above that,' Muckermann said.

Though others may offer 'ship within a ship' luxury concepts or 'executive' floors, that amounts to self-service, she asserted, while 'Our goal is to provide service before you even know you had it.'

Technology, such as Carnival Corp. & plc's Ocean Medallion, will not be a focus 'because that's self-service.'

And Silversea's family ownership by the distinguished Lefebvres 'appeals to the global elite on an intellectual level.' Company offices in Miami, Frankfurt, London, Sydney and Monaco emphasize the international aspect of this brand.

A more international clientele sets Silversea apart. 'Your cruise experience will only be as good as your fellow passengers,' Muckermann said, adding that the line offers 'interesting places for interesting people.'

Social media will become one of the pillars of the marketing strategy this year, since it's engaging a huge chunk of the market and it's now driving sales.

Ninety-one percent of boomers use one or more social media sites, with 70% of them spending at least 11 hours a week on Facebook, where women 55 and up are the fastest growing segment. Boomers devote at least five hours a week to social media, and 20% spend 15 to 20 hours a week.

Research shows that actions taken as a result of using social media are, first, visiting a company website (58.3%), then searching on a search engine (57%). Among the other high-ranking actions are sharing or commenting on a status update (51.3%), watching a video about a topic of interest (47.6%), visiting a retailer/store (41.7%) and making a purchase (36.6%)

'If Google is king, content is queen,' Muckermann said. She told the agents aboard Silver Muse they need to work on their content to raise their profile on Google.

For boomers, Generation X and millennials, the most consumed content on social media is blogs, followed by images and comments. But, unlike the younger groups, boomers also avidly consume reviews, so sites like Cruise Critic have gained importance for Silversea's target market, Muckermann said.

The user mindset is different for each platform. When it comes to browsing, Pinterest is of particular appeal since it's primarily used by women, who are key to the cruise purchase decision. Facebook is important, too, and LinkedIn is 'spot on' the demographics and 'a very cheap tool to use.'

Muckermann asked for agents' feedback as the brand plans to renew its trade marketing and is developing fresh B2B sales kits.

'We will never, ever be able to support our growth without your help. You are our army and our firing power,' she told the trade partners on Silver Muse. 'We need to be sure we are serving your needs best.'

Agents were keenly attuned to Muckermann's presentation.

'Having Barbara come back is really exciting,' according to Alex Sharpe, president and ceo, Signature Travel Network. 'She's the marketing person from their heyday.'

Sharpe agreed with Muckermann's assessment that there's a lot of 'sameness' in cruise advertising, with words like 'luxury' and 'inclusive' now used by everybody.

He thinks Silversea holds a unique position. 'Their expedition product and that more international clientele make a big difference,' he said.