Cox & Kings targets new audiences as operator sharpens identity

Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group’s (AKTG) chief brand officer has said Cox & Kings rebrand was designed to attract new audiences while reinforcing its “differentiation in the marketplace”.  

The premium small group tour operator unveiled a new website and digital presence in June following its expansion into Australia, with a US launch due to follow in September.

Speaking to Aspire, Peter Chipchase said: “Cox & Kings was a beloved brand, but it was sort of self-contained, kind of analogue and a bit dusty. We did a good job of talking about the 250-plus-year heritage of the business, but I think our audience wanted a real differentiation in the marketplace. We’ve really rebuilt it from the ground up.

“From a customer perspective, I think the opportunity was making a brand that they can really connect and engage with, but more importantly, it was about opening it up to other people and expanding that customer universe.”

Chipchase said the operator had conducted extensive research to identify several key client bases to attract through the repositioning, including “travel experts” and “intellectuals”.

He added: “Cox & Kings is quite an intellectual brand so we get a lot of experts in their fields coming on our trips and I think we can expand that universe, especially in the US through the college network.

“Our positioning of immersive travel to far-flung destinations in expert-led groups plays really well into the US and I think it’s going to be enormously successful.”

The operator also highlighted an opportunity among “active explorers”, with Chipchase pointing to “more energetic, physically focused travel” as an area for future product development.

Furthermore, the rebrand has further defined Cox & Kings position within the AKTG portfolio by differentiating its audience from sister brand Abercrombie & Kent.

Chipchase said: “A&K customers want packed itineraries, every moment planned for them and more hand holding. That’s what they’re paying for.

“A lot of Cox & Kings customers can afford an A&K trip, but they don’t want to travel in the same way. They want something that feels more independent but has the support of Cox & Kings, so they can dip in and out [of the itinerary].

“They’re a more independently spirited customer; they could probably do the trip themselves, but they want to travel with someone that understands or knows as much as them and gives them access to places they couldn’t access in their own.”

Alongside the operator’s refreshed website and branding, Cox & Kings will hone its social media strategy, creating a presence which is “editorialised, inspiration focused and in-depth”.

As part of this, AKTG plans to “empower guides to become content creators” across its brands, aiming to “get into the detail of what makes these individual trips special”.