Holland America Line

Reintroducing Holland America Line to a new generation of travellers.

A subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, Holland America Line (HAL) has been a recognised leader in cruising for over 149 years, cruising seven continents across the globe.

Clarified and strengthened Holland America Line’s brand purpose

Identified new audiences for future growth

Established a tone of voice that inspires confidence

Created a clear framework including vision, belief, and mission

Recommended end-to-end sales funnel improvements across digital

Defined strategic and creative territories to guide future campaigns

“The research and outcomes were not just extensive but insightful, providing a clearly illuminated path forward rather than just a statement of fact. With so many unknowns and much stakeholder (and consumer) opinion at the time this was our ‘source of truth’ moment. The outcomes ranged from practical and strategic recommendations to inspirational territory exploration. Ultimately, we found new opportunities for the business to gain trust and growth in a changed market”
Brendan Wall
senior marketing Manager, Holland America Line

The situation.

During COVID, the cruise industry was deeply impacted by uncertainty and safety concerns.

Holland America Line engaged Studio LDN to understand how the brand was perceived in Australia, identify what was influencing trust and purchase decisions, and define a clear path forward in a changed market.

The goal was not to return to business as usual, but to rebuild confidence, sharpen relevance, and position the brand for future growth.

The objective.

To understand how Australians perceived the Holland America Line brand post-COVID, and identify what would rebuild confidence, relevance, and demand.

This included clarifying who the most valuable future audience would be, how brand messaging should evolve, and where the greatest opportunities for growth existed across the customer journey.

The process.

We conducted a comprehensive research and insight programme to uncover real consumer sentiment. From stakeholder interviews to customer-first quantitative and qualitative research.

We explored how people were talking about cruising, what was driving hesitation or confidence, and how expectations had changed across different audience segments and channels.

Insights were synthesised into clear, practical recommendations, providing a single source of truth to guide future brand, marketing, and experience decisions.

The outcome.

This work contributed to an uplift in advance bookings even prior to COVID restrictions being lifted. Thanks to research recommendations, media planning was adjusted to target two new main personas, opening up a new customer base for the business.

The work gave Holland America Line confidence, clarity, and a renewed direction for building trust and growth in a changed market.

Case studies.