Targeted geographic promotions - are they really worth it?

[Coral]

Yesterday - I received an email from Princess with the headline "New England Residents save up to 55%".

 

So last week, Princess thought my birthday was over 2 months early. This week, they think I live in New England (I live in Midwest). I think they need IT help, but that is another issue.

 

So looking at the fine print - this promo is "available for residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin"

 

I am probably not the only non-New Englander who received this. I have to wonder if Princess is offering this promo to 35 or so states, is it really worth it to exclude the remaining states? After all, isn't the goal to fill the ship. Unless they are doing the same promo with another code to the remaining states to test which ad worked better - I think Princess should just have a sale as opposed to targeted promos like this. Is it really targeted if 2/3 of the country has access to it? Seems like a lot of work that is unnecessary.

[paul929207]

Like any other "deal" you need to compare this price to whet you can get else where. This is likely not a deal

[Coral]

Like any other "deal" you need to compare this price to whet you can get else where. This is likely not a deal

 

I am curious what the price is at the other 20 states get?

 

My question more is - is it really worth Princess's time to do this "wide geographic promos?". It seems easier to just put the cruises on sale to the entire US, not just 2/3 of it.

 

This by no means is a promo "just to locals to fill the ship" when I am not anywhere close to a port.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Coral

[Womble99]

What's the issue? So only half the country was offered the sale, there are plenty of countries that never get offered the same sales. Welcome to the club [emoji6]

[srpilo]

This morning I received a Princess email that was titled: "California residents Save 55% off Westcoast Departures" ... Of course I checked, and yep the same exact prices as last time I checked last week or so :confused:

 

Man it really seems Princess thinks we're just a bunch of bozo's to pluck with worthless promo's... Personally I'm getting tired of all the @#!##%# !

Srpilo

[SeaMystique]

I didn't know New England extended all the way through to the Great Plains..[emoji1]lol

Seriously, some marketing wizard must have sold them on the idea that regional pride is an incentive to buy. The follow-through, though, is just terrible. If you're going for a regional market, make it truly regional -- lobsters, bean pots, lonely lighthouses on rocky shores, etc. , for New England, surfboards, sunglasses, convertibles, beach volleyball for SoCal, and so on -- or, as others have suggested, just say it's a sale and be done with it.

[Coral]

Yea - it just blows me away that Princes has marketing people doing this - creating these regional promos that make no sense and is such a huge area. They should just do a promo that includes everyone.

 

Though, being a Nebraskan, glad to be included in New England. Allows loved New England.

 

Ironically - none of the cruises were of New England. Closest was a Transatlantic that visits Boston and ends in NYC.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Coral

[pppatpc2]

I got one for "Florida residents". I thought I was special:(

[honey8572]

I got one for residents of AZ, same thing, save up to 55%. Only thing is, it's for cruises this spring, not my HI cruise in October.:mad:

[Colo Cruiser]

Yesterday - I received an email from Princess with the headline "New England Residents save up to 55%".

 

So last week, Princess thought my birthday was over 2 months early. This week, they think I live in New England (I live in Midwest). I think they need IT help, but that is another issue.

 

So looking at the fine print - this promo is "available for residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin"

 

I am probably not the only non-New Englander who received this. I have to wonder if Princess is offering this promo to 35 or so states, is it really worth it to exclude the remaining states? After all, isn't the goal to fill the ship. Unless they are doing the same promo with another code to the remaining states to test which ad worked better - I think Princess should just have a sale as opposed to targeted promos like this. Is it really targeted if 2/3 of the country has access to it? Seems like a lot of work that is unnecessary.

 

 

I received the same for Colorado this week, when I logged in the price went up. :rolleyes:

SOS

[yoyosma]

Well I'm from Michigan, one of the included states, and I haven't received anything yet so I don't even know which cruises "might" be discounted or even to look until I saw this thread.