Brand Strategy and Management in Singapore: The Thomas Cook Case

SHANGHAI, July 6, 2016 – In March 2015, Thomas Cook, the oldest name in travel, entered into a partnership with leading Chinese investment group Fosun. Together, they look to become the holiday expert in the Chinese travel industry with a new brand name created by Labbrand: Thomas Cook 托迈酷客.

Labbrand, a leading China-originated global brand consultancy, worked closely with Thomas Cook Group to develop a localized brand strategy and brand identities for Thomas Cook Group and its brands. Labbrand conducted a comprehensive brand development project for Thomas Cook, the scope of which includes market research, brand positioning and messaging strategy as well as verbal and visual identity creation.

With a refined brand positioning strategy, Labbrand created the Chinese name 托迈酷客 [tuō mài kù kè] for Thomas Cook Group, conveying an image of modern and pioneering tourism while maintaining the phonetic link with the original name. The Chinese tagline “陪你随心而行” [péi nǐ suí xīn ér xíng] (Accompany you to travel as you like) highlights that Thomas Cook always puts customers at its heart.

Labbrand also helped refine the brand strategy and create Chinese brand names for Thomas Cook’s flagship resorts Sunwing and Sunprime. Sunwing was named 晴乐湾 [qíng lè wān], a “sunny, happy bay”. It is a semantic adaption of Sunwing, which conveys the resort’s positioning – a joyful place for kids and family. Sunprime was named 晴览庭 [qíng lǎn tíng], a “bright viewing courtyard”, delivering a sense of premium environment and warmth.

Furthermore, Labbrand helped to develop Chinese signature lock-ups for Thomas Cook, Sunwing, and Sunprime. The final Chinese lock-up presents both English and Chinese with an equal balance. To establish a trustworthy and reliable brand impression among the Chinese audience, the aesthetic of the typography of the Chinese wordmark matches the English wordmark, helping to not only build consistent brand recognition, but also to strengthen the brand’s heritage.

“We took great honor to help Thomas Cook localize its brand strategy and identities in Chinese market. During the cooperation, we feel strongly the passion and dedication of Thomas Cook team and the profound expertise in travel industry. These will pave the way for the brand’s success in China.” said Amanda Liu, VP & Creative Director at Labbrand.

Designed and developed by Labbrand, Thomas Cook China’s website was launched in May 2016. Having successfully developed a digital brand strategy for Thomas Cook China, Labbrand is currently helping the brand to connect to its Chinese audience through digital brand innovation and social media.

“At Thomas Cook, we carefully develop unique and quality tours and hospitality packages from all over the world tailored for Chinese tourists. We encourage the savvy travel lovers to see the world from a new perspective while enjoying a great time,” said Reto Wihelm, General Manager of Thomas Cook.

Learn more about Thomas Cook at thomascook.com.cn

About Labbrand

Labbrand is a leading China-originated global brand consultancy, working collaboratively with consumers & corporations to build and strengthen brands through culturally relevant actions. To achieve success and brand innovations, Labbrand seamlessly coordinates research, strategic decisions, and creative implementation.

About Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook Group Plc. is the oldest name in travel. It was founded in the UK by Mr. Thomas Cook, the pioneer of leisure travel, and will celebrate its 175 years anniversary this year! Today, Thomas Cook is one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups with sales of over £7 billion and more than 20 million customers. Thomas Cook is supported by around 22,000 employees and operates in 16 countries including China. It is number one or two in all of its core markets.