The problem
Following in-depth market research it became clear that Cosmos needed reinvigorating to meet the needs of consumers and travel agents. With more than two-thirds of consumers responding that they use travel company websites to research their holidays, the Cosmos team went out to competitive tender to appoint an agency to help them build a new e-commerce platform. The site needed to engage and inspire consumers and make it simple to research, book and manage their holidays. It also needed to enable travel agents to log in and submit bookings without being limited to the opening hours of Cosmos’ call centre.
Cosmos needed an agency partner who would not only deliver a first-class online experience, but would also be able to tackle their underlying system complexity head-on and with confidence. Being a family-run company, they also wanted to work with an agency who would mirror the Cosmos culture and values, and not simply follow a traditional client/agency model.
The solution
DAM Digital and Cosmos formed a joint Scrum team to combine knowledge and skill-sets. Working with an Agile methodology, in less than six months the team re-engineered the website content management process, combining two legacy systems into a responsively designed Optimizely-based site with full integration into Cosmos’ reservations system. The DAM team were also responsible for translating the brand’s new visual identity across online channels.
This is a key development in our trade sales strategy to support agents and provide them with all the tools to work with us. In the escorted touring market, it puts us ahead of many other competitors.
Quoted in Travel Daily Media.