Skift CMO Interviews: Princess Cruises on Creating Meaningful Travel Experiences

Editor's Note: Following our previous CEO interview series in online travel, hospitality, and destinations, Skift has launched a new series, this time focused on Chief Marketing Officers. To better understand the big marketing challenges facing travel brands in an age when consumers are in control, Skift's What Keeps CMOs Up at Night will talk with the leading voices in global marketing from across all the industry's sectors. These interviews with leaders of hotels, airlines, tourism boards, digital players, agents, tour operators and more will explore both shared and unique challenges they are facing, where they get insights, and how they best leverage digital insights to make smarter decisions. This is the latest interview in the series. Princess Cruises has a claim to fame that few cruise lines enjoy: a history that includes a long-running network television show (with a recognizable theme song). The Love Boat debuted in 1977 and ran for about a decade, introducing viewers to Julie the cruise director, Capt. Stubing and several Princess Cruises ships. But the brand — part of giant Carnival Corporation — is trying to keep things exciting and new for today's generation of cruisers. Enter Gordon Ho, senior vice president of global marketing and North American sales. He joined Princess in 2013 after a career that included 18 years at Disney, where his last role was as executive vice president of worldwide marketing for the company's home entertainment division. Since Ho arrived, the line has launched an advertising campaign inviting passengers to "come back new" after their vacation; established partnerships with the Discovery Channel and celebrity chef Curtis Stone; sponsored content in Condé Nast Traveler identifying seven sites best seen by ship; and created a mobile site that lets users swipe through images to find a cruise that matches their preferences. Ho spoke to Skift about forming new partnerships, launching a destination matchmaking tool, and making sure to tell the story of the dessert. Skift: Can you just run down what some of your biggest successes have been in marketing, over the last year? Ho: I know this sounds kind of broad, but insight-driven guest experiences in marketing. An example of that has been really getting to know our audience very well, both our current guests and prospective guests and really knowing what they're looking for in their vacation experiences. For example