From Canberra to Oriana: A £200 million investment in the identification and management of brand values

Abstract

A research programme was initiated to identify the values and attributes of the highly popular cruise ship 'Canberra' in the context of the total market. The primary objective of this study- specified by P&O and implemented by their marketing agency, The Value Engineers - was to 'discover quantitatively from past cruisers (both P&O and competitors) what makes Canberra uniquely successful in the current cruising market'. This led to the planning and building of the new cruise ship 'Oriana' due to enter service in April 1995. The identification of brand values and attribute sets was a key element in developing a successful strategy for the new liner.