A closer look at Scenic's rebranding

After nearly 30 years in the travel industry, Scenic Tours has undergone a significant brand update reflecting three decades of evolution.

Now known as Scenic, the rebrand officially launches this month, complete with a new website coming soon and a new logo in black and gold, as showcased in a new promotional video.

According to Lisa McCaskill, Scenic’s vice-president of marketing and sales, the changes will also encompass details such as new scripting for the company’s reservation agents as they answer phone calls, and the renaming of product managers as ‘journey designers’ to emphasize the company’s focus on crafting luxury travel experiences.

While tours continue to be a part of Scenic’s portfolio, dropping the word from the company name signifies the expanded focus on luxury travel with an emphasis on river cruising, to connect better with both travel agents and guests, McCaskill said. A degree symbol added to the logo emphasizes both the global nature of the business as well as taking the travel experience “to the Nth degree.”

“We started off as a small coach operator out of Australia in 1986,” she explained. “But that was three decades ago – now we’re a global company across six continents, delivering all-inclusive luxury experiences. What was identified is that we’re no longer a tour company anymore and therefore Scenic Tours no longer describes our current business focus.”

The 14-month rebranding process involved gathering feedback from a cross-section of employees across the entire company. Key points identified in the exercise were Scenic’s innovative and entrepreneurial drive, a focus on luxury and the “craftsmanship” involved in creating itineraries, as well as making an emotional connection to travellers as exemplified in a number of taglines, such as ‘Never Lose Your Wonder.’

“What we’re getting across to our guests is that being on a Scenic experience is about connecting to your sense of wonder, and what that means to you,” she said, “not just the destination you’re going to.”

Tied into the rebranding is the full release of Scenic’s 2016 product this week, including new cruises along Portugal’s Douro River, and new Scenic Enrich programs including The Best of the Sound of Music in Austria as well as an Oktoberfest stop in Germany this fall.

New television spots will announce the changes to the public and Scenic will again head to the waterways of northern France on May 11, filming segments for CTV’s Canada A.M. morning show to further promote the rebranding. A contest to win a river cruise is also being run in conjunction with CTV.

So far, McCaskill said early reactions to the rebranding from the travel industry have been extremely positive.

“I think they’re really excited to see what it’s all about,” she said. “The buzz has been fantastic and we hope to continue to see that grow.

“We’re still the same company looking to deliver an uncompromising level of service, it’s just that we’re identifying ourselves better to be reflective of a global business.”