Thomas Cook and Brand USA announce multimillion dollar European Partnership Agreement to promote ‘Discover America’ initiative

Thomas Cook Group and Brand USA, the destination marketing organisation for the United States of America, have announced a major cooperative marketing agreement aimed at promoting the USA as the world’s leading destination for European visitors.

The multimillion dollar agreement is the biggest media and partnership deal Brand USA has made with a travel retailer in Europe, and is part of a fully integrated omni-channel campaign targeting travel-intenders across Thomas Cook’s platforms from online through to in-store, direct and inflight.

The partnership and run simultaneously across the Scandinavia, UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, will see Thomas Cook and Brand USA embark on a high-profile, multi-media campaign that fully utilises all of the holiday company’s consumer and trade touch-points. It will include in-store promotions across Thomas Cook’s retail estate, prominence in brochures, a variety of social media activities and dedicated sign up by Thomas Cook staff to Brand USA’s new agent training tool – the USA Discovery Program; as well as innovative print and digital marketing activity.

Brand USA’s ‘Discover America’ initiative aims to raise awareness of and inspire travel to the USA by highlighting the diversity of experiences available and by ensuring that the USA is top of mind during the holiday consideration process. The partnership will take full advantage of the Thomas Cook Group and its brands – such as Neckermann in Germany – to build pan-European awareness of the individual destinations within the USA and drive visitors to the country.

With the goal to reinforce interest in traditional getaways, such as Florida, California and other gateway destinations, as well as stimulating further awareness of states – including Texas and Hawaii, and regions, such as the North East which takes in the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York. The objective of the ‘Discover America’ campaign is to position the country as a diverse destination with near limitless experiences, highlighting the USA as a fresh and unexpected destination with welcoming and friendly locals.