BRAND RELAUNCH
WINNER: RAMBLE WORLDWIDE
Marketing manager Lyndsay Slaney-Parker takes us through the company’s rebrand process:
What inspired the decision to rebrand?
Operating two of the UK’s favourite names in walking holidays, Ramblers Walking Holidays and Adagio, alongside each other, we wanted to bring them together under one brand that would more accurately reflect their extensive portfolios. Under Ramble Worldwide brand, we have created four new Collections to help agents and customers more easily identify the type of walking holiday that best suits them. These are Classic – a staple of iconic trails and lesser-known paths through breathtaking landscapes; Discover – meticulously created itineraries with a strong cultural focus; Adagio – our leisurely paced product which blends culture, guided walking and sightseeing; and Self-Guided – expertly tailored independent walking holidays.
What were the challenges around rebranding?
With our proud history of providing walking holidays since 1946, it was important to find a name that retained our heritage whilst reflecting the diverse range of guided and self-guided holidays that we offer today. “Ramble” means different things to different people, and this is reflected in our Collections, ranging from gentle strolls, national trails, worldwide journeys and snowshoe adventures; while “Worldwide” reflects our choice of destinations. It was important too that the rebranding didn’t distance us from our charitable ethos, a vital part of our identity.
What was the key objective?
To find a brand name that more accurately reflected the extent of our product and maintained our loyal customer base while attracting new clients with a dynamic look and feel. We also wanted a single brand with a new visual identity that brought all our holidays together in one location, with one brochure and one website.
Did you source external help?
We worked with Accord Marketing on the rebrand project, Green Traveller Productions for new imagery and video content and Zolv, which built our website. Accord Marketing also organised our preliminary research to gauge how the company was perceived and to assess whether we were heading in the right direction with the rebrand.
How long did the process take?
It took around a year, from receiving pitches from agencies through to cohesively executing the brand relaunch in November 2023.
How have you measured its success?
It’s still early days, however the feedback we’ve received from our agents, existing customers and new customers alike has been fantastic, and together with the ongoing analysis of our customer base and consumer research it demonstrates the rebrand was the right decision.
What advice would you share with other travel businesses?
The process of rebranding does not just stop with deciding on a new name. There is a huge amount of work afterwards engaging with all our contacts, especially agents and our client base, to ensure that they understand that we are still delivering their much-loved holidays.
