By Darren Gilbert

Can you tell us more about the latest campaign?

The new campaign highlights Club Med’s manifesto of a world of choices and signature experiences, while affirming our latest brand positioning of “Worldwide resorts. All-inclusive experiences.”

The manifesto video and a series of “signatures” videos will be launched across traditional and online media platforms from February 2017.

This campaign (through the manifesto video and signatures videos) embodies and illustrates Club Med’s double commitment ever since it was created in 1950: to serve customers by continually anticipating their expectations through the professionalism and care of its ‘Gentil Organisateur’ and the unique experience offered by its resorts; and to help customers rediscover themselves by reconnecting with family and friends, experiencing the exceptional, doing things they thought out of their reach, and being as active or as laid back as they desire.

In other words, to astonish and amaze customers through unforgettable moments.

You mention that Club Med has shifted its brand positioning to ‘Worldwide resorts. All-inclusive experiences’. Why the change? And why now?

This is a logical step for our brand, particularly within markets in which the brand needs to increase awareness. This new tagline is designed to showcase what Club Med offers today: “Worldwide resorts. All-inclusive experiences.”

Club Med, as a brand, has always been seen as an innovator and pioneer within the travel space, and so the time was right for a new brand positioning for Club Med within the South African market as the brand has experienced strong growth since the last brand re-positioning two years ago.

What makes this campaign different to previous ones undertaken by Club Med?

For the first time ever, Club Med will communicate through a global digital platform known as the Playground. Designed and developed by our Club Med team globally, working with the Fred & Farid (global) digital communication agency, it puts people at the heart of its experience and helps forge a coherent brand identity adapted to the needs of different international markets.

From a marketing perspective, the campaign is a lot more emotive and experience-driven to what we have done.

This campaign is also female-focused - Why did Club Med decide on this particular angle?

In the majority of cases, women are the ones who prepare and scope out holiday ideas. Within the travelling group, it is women who must often make the key holiday decisions and achieve the impossible in reconciling conflicting needs when it comes to planning and executing these holidays. So it seemed natural for Club Med to base its new communication strategy on/from a woman’s perspective.

Club Med stands out in the tourism industry, globally, by placing women at the heart of our new campaign.

As part of this campaign, Club Med has created a manifesto video as well as a series of ‘signatures’ videos. Can you tell us more?

The manifesto video, created by Fred & Farid, features visuals from exotic locations around the world, showcasing a myriad of activities. The visuals are accompanied by the narrative of a woman who is having an internal dialogue with herself, struggling to decide on what she should do today - because there are so many experiences to choose from. By the end of the manifesto video, it is clear that all of these choices and experiences are available to guests at Club Med resorts around the world.

This video perfectly illustrates the key basic needs that our clients expect from their holiday (and will receive from a Club Med holiday), namely: Relaxation; quality time with family and loved ones; rediscovering their passion; and discovering the world and new cultures.

Club Med also offers guests over 200 services that cater to their every need. Of these 200 services, 70 of them are signature experiences that you will only find at Club Med resorts.

Club Med's signatures (and the videos which will communicate each) represent the best experience that Club Med can offer its customers worldwide in its resorts, and illustrate its people know-how.

Kindness, care, 'premium-ness' and other qualities embodied in the signatures are an essential part of the brand's DNA. The signatures videos we have released so far showcase these unique elements that are true to Club Med.

Lastly, how does this campaign fit into Club Med’s broader brand strategy?

I do believe that Club Med will continue to dominate the all-inclusive market segment by picking the right locations (or what we call “the most beautiful parts of the world”) – it’s for this reason that Club Med is working on finding the perfect place here in South Africa, to open up its first SA resort.

We also have a massive expansion plan that will see us opening 15 new resorts in the next three years, and upgrading nine of our existing sites.

You can watch the manifesto video here.

For more information, visit www.clubmed.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter or on YouTube.